Axel is a partner in De Brauw's litigation practice and he heads the Data, Privacy and Platform Enforcement practice group. He is best known for assisting clients facing landmark data class action lawsuits and investigations by Data Protection Authorities or related regulators across Europe. Axel also advises on cyberattacks and high-risk innovation projects involving cutting-edge technologies such as AI or advanced algorithms.

Axel divides his time between De Brauw's Amsterdam and Brussels offices, the latter of which is at the heart of our pan-European offering. He is dedicated to delivering fully integrated services to clients and often collaborates with other practice groups such as our competition, public law and financial regulatory teams.

Chambers and Legal500 consistently recognise the thought leadership provided by Axel and the broader practice group. In both Legal 500 and Chambers, clients commend the group's strategic awareness, in-depth knowledge of relevant regulatory frameworks, understanding of technology and pragmatic, solutions-focused approach. Axel was also selected as one of Global Data Review's 40 under 40 in April 2021.

Axel is a Fellow at the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Information Law, and has held fellowships at Princeton's CITP and the Berkman Center at Harvard University. In 2009, Axel restarted the Dutch digital rights organisation Bits of Freedom. In 2015, he obtained the first ever PhD thesis on the intersection of EU cybersecurity and data protection law, with his academic work published in major journals and covered by FT, CNN, CBS and The Wall Street Journal. He was a columnist for the Dutch Financial Times covering the Data Age, and wrote over 100 columns on the intersection of new technologies, law and policy between 2014 and 2023.