Case and evidence assessment
Jurisdiction, applicable law, limitation periods, contractual remedies, evidence gaps, costs, counterclaims and settlement range.
Commercial litigation in the Netherlands
Dutch litigation lawyers for international business
Strategic representation in Dutch commercial disputes, urgent proceedings, prejudgment attachment, enforcement and contested debt recovery.
Litigation with a commercial objective
Choose the route that creates a useful result
A successful court case is not merely a favourable judgment. The remedy must arrive in time, address the real business problem and be enforceable against the counterparty. We therefore start with the commercial objective, available evidence, urgency, recoverability and the likely response of the opposing party.
Proceedings before ordinary Dutch civil courts are generally conducted in Dutch. International parties may agree to English-language proceedings before the Netherlands Commercial Court (NCC) if the Amsterdam court has jurisdiction and the official requirements are met. The NCC is part of the Dutch judiciary and applies Dutch procedural law and its own Rules of Procedure.
We represent foreign companies directly and work with in-house legal teams and foreign counsel. Advice and client communication can be in English. Where the case proceeds before an ordinary Dutch court, we translate the business and legal position into the procedural language and evidence structure required by that court.
Dispute resolution
From first demand to enforcement
The procedural tool must fit the urgency, complexity, value and asset position of the case.
Negotiation and settlement
A focused demand, without-prejudice negotiation, mediation support and settlement agreements with clear payment and enforcement terms.
Urgent and interim relief
Dutch summary proceedings for a provisional remedy where delay would materially harm the business or undermine the requested result.
Prejudgment attachment
Court-authorised attachment in appropriate cases to secure assets or evidence, coordinated with the required follow-up proceedings.
Commercial proceedings
Contract, corporate, technology, employment, property and construction disputes before Dutch courts, including qualifying NCC cases.
Debt recovery and enforcement
Contested invoices, payment orders, insolvency pressure where appropriate, recognition and enforcement of judgments and recovery strategy.
International disputes
One Dutch strategy across the underlying legal issues
Commercial disputes rarely respect practice-area boundaries. We connect the procedural position to the contract, corporate relationship, workforce, data or property at the centre of the case.
Contract disputesPerformance, interpretation, termination, warranties, liability, damages and indemnities.
Corporate and shareholder disputesGovernance, resolutions, information, deadlock, director liability and exit.
Employment proceedingsDismissal, restrictive covenants, senior management and urgent workplace conflicts.
Technology and data disputesFailed implementations, licence conflicts, data incidents, AI responsibility and IP-related contract claims.
Real estate and construction disputesLease termination, defects, delay, additional work, handover and project access.
Our case method
Control the dispute before it controls the business
Define the win
Payment, performance, access, information, a stop order, an exit or business continuity: we make the desired result concrete.
Build the proof
We create the chronology, connect documents to legal propositions and identify evidence that must be preserved or obtained.
Apply proportionate pressure
We choose negotiation, attachment, urgent relief or full proceedings deliberately and reassess settlement after every material development.
Frequently asked questions
Litigating and recovering debts in the Netherlands
Can Max Advocaten represent a foreign company in Dutch court?
Yes. We represent international companies in Dutch commercial disputes and communicate with clients in English. Proceedings before ordinary Dutch civil courts are generally conducted in Dutch; qualifying NCC proceedings are conducted in English.
Can we obtain urgent relief in the Netherlands?
Yes. Dutch summary proceedings can provide a fast provisional remedy where the matter is sufficiently urgent. The appropriate route depends on jurisdiction, evidence and the relief requested.
Can assets be secured before judgment?
Dutch law offers prejudgment attachment in appropriate cases, usually after permission from the court. Attachment is a powerful measure and should be assessed together with the required follow-up proceedings and possible liability risks.
Can proceedings before the Netherlands Commercial Court be in English?
Yes, if the Amsterdam court has jurisdiction, the matter is an international civil or commercial dispute within party autonomy, and the parties have expressly agreed in writing to NCC proceedings in English.
Are legal fees fully recoverable if we win?
Usually not. Dutch civil courts generally award costs under a fixed scale that covers only part of the actual legal fees, subject to contractual arrangements and limited exceptions.
Official court information
Netherlands Commercial Court reference points
Before evidence disappears or positions harden
