For independent, full-service firms operating across the Benelux countries, the global uncertainty and turmoil of the last few years has served to highlight the advantages of their business model; being able to pivot between workstreams and react rapidly to changing circumstances has proven to be a concerted advantage. Antoine De Raeve, a senior banking and finance partner who moved from Baker McKenzie to AKD in May 2023, is quick to point out that his new firm is ‘naturally hedged against dips in the transactional market’. This has proven key in recent times, with deals slowing down right across the region because of the combined effects of ongoing conflicts and long-term impacts of Covid-19, despite the positive effects that Brexit appears to have had on the international stance of the Benelux countries.
In the Netherlands, there is reported reluctance at the higher end of the market to invest, with clients seemingly ‘waiting out’ the unpredictability of the current climate; Harmen Holtrop, managing partner at Loyens & Loeff, notes that ‘uncertainty in the market will have a bigger impact on the transactional practices than it may on certain others’, again highlighting the importance of wide-ranging capabilities if firms are to maintain their flow of work. Continue reading “Euro Elite 2024: Benelux – Moving with the times”
