Harm-Jan de Kluiver

Harm-Jan specialises in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate litigation and corporate governance. His advisory practice includes primarily listed companies. His litigation practice includes public and private companies, representing both in civil and administrative courts particularly before the Enterprise Chamber in Amsterdam.

In addition he has advised the boards of many major listed and non-listed companies, including major international operating companies, on a wide range of corporate governance matters (including corporate board structures, defences against activist shareholders, disputes within or between boards of management and supervisory boards and/or with shareholders).

Harm-Jan is also a professor of corporate law at the University of Amsterdam and a well-known speaker at conferences on corporate governance and related matters. He chaired the commission that advised on a fundamental overhaul of Dutch Company Law and was co-chair of the “EU Reflection Group on the Future of EU Company Law” set up by the European Commission.

Harm-Jan’s recent work includes advising

• Ageas Group S.A. (formerly “Fortis”) against all claims by shareholders following the bail-out of the Group
• SNS REAAL N.V. on all issues related to its nationalisation and legal proceedings initiated against the Company in relation thereto
• Océ N.V. against legal actions by minority shareholders aiming to frustrate a friendly takeover.
• AFC Ajax as major shareholder in its highly publicised conflict with the supervisory board of listed company Ajax N.V
• Fugro N.V. on its highly publicised conflict and court battle with Boskalis N.V.