De Brauw advises and represents NAM (Shell/Exxon) in the events surrounding the earthquakes. 900 Private individuals and 12 housing associations, represented by Stichting Waardevermindering door Aardbevingen Groningen (WAG) have submitted a mass claims suit, holding NAM liable for the damage following from the earthquakes and demanding that NAM compensate the decrease in value of their homes as a result of these earthquakes. In addition, De Brauw represents NAM in the administrative law proceedings before the Council of State in which more than 50 applicants have brought legal action against the extraction plan based on the Mining Act (regulating both the way NAM extracts gas from under the ground and the extent of the production), and in other cases arising from earthquakes caused by gas extraction. Safety risks are the greatest matters of concern in these proceedings.

For more than two years, Marnix Leijten, Jan de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk, René van Tricht, Arne Münch, Sander Rijsterborgh and Dulijon Veldhoen have been working on the civil law proceedings and Nicolien van den Biggelaar, René van Tricht and Kees Saarloos have been working on the administrative law proceedings.

Marnix Leijten: "This matter is a fine example of how we can provide clients with integrated advice on several interrelated issues including the Mining Act, civil law and administrative law proceedings and mass claims suits. It is exactly the strong point of our litigation practice, in which many different areas of expertise come together in this type of highly complex issues."

Judgment on the case that was before the District Court of Assen will be rendered in 12 weeks. The session before the Council of State will be held on 10 and 11 September 2015.