News
18 July 2023
The restructuring plan under the WHOA
The Act on the court approval of private restructuring plans (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord or WHOA) makes it easier for a company in financial distress to sit down with its creditors and shareholders at the negotiating table in order to agree upon a reduction of its debt burden as set out in a restructuring plan. Such a restructuring plan can be submitted to the court for ratification (homologatie). After ratification of the restructuring plan, all affected creditors or shareholders are bound by the terms of the plan.
News
12 July 2023
WHOA SPECIAL - 1. Teil
Das niederländische Gesetz zur Bestätigung des außergerichtlichen Vergleichs (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord, im Folgenden: das WHOA) ist, ebenfalls wie das Unternehmensstabilisierungs- und -restrukturierungsgesetz (StaRUG), am 1. Januar 2021 in Kraft getreten. Ebenso wie das StaRUG, führt das WHOA ein präventives Restrukturierungsverfahren ein, dass eine effektive Restrukturierung eines Unternehmens in der Krise ermöglicht, um Insolvenzen von lebensfähigen Unternehmen abwenden zu können.
News
12 July 2023
Upcoming Seminar | Dutch litigation: several things to know and practical tips for Chinese companies in case of disputes in the Netherlands
On September 7, 2023, at 16:00, HEUSSEN will hold a seminar on how to deal with legal disputes that Chinese companies in the Netherlands may face. Herman Ruiter, Luuk Rietveld and Dr. Yihua Chen will discuss the Dutch court system and litigation. In addition, the seminar will also explore the Dutch litigation procedures and enforcement of court judgments, alternative dispute resolution methods, and how Chinese companies in the Netherlands can better protect their interests and mitigate their legal risks.
News
5 June 2023
Earlier clarity on reintegration obligations for small and medium-sized employers
Recently the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment announced several intended legislative amendments. One of the proposed amendments concerns the possibility for small and medium-sized employers (up to 100 employees) – after the first year of illness – to enter into mutual agreement with their ill employees to finalize reintegration in the first track, if this reintegration no longer seems appropriate. In concrete terms, this means that in such cases, the ill employee will no longer be required to reintegrate back to work with the help of the employer in order to resume his/her duties within the current organization.
News
3 April 2023
PROVISIONALLY ENFORCEABLE JUDGMENT
Legal proceedings usually end with a judgment. If the judgment is not voluntarily complied with, the bailiff can enforce the judgment. The bailiff then proceeds with the execution of the judgment. The enforcement of a judgment is suspended in the event that the party against whom judgment has been given lodges an ‘ordinary legal remedy’ (opposition (verzet), appeal (hoger beroep) or cassation (cassatie)), unless the judgment has been declared provisionally enforceable. In practice, a significant number of judgments are declared provisionally enforceable. What exactly does this mean and what are the (im)possibilities when a judgment has been declared provisionally enforceable and the execution of the judgment has already begun?
News
13 March 2023
Unilateral termination of current agreements under the WHOA (“the Dutch Scheme”)
The Act on the court approval of private restructuring plans (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord or WHOA) makes it easier for a company in financial distress to sit down with its creditors and shareholders at the negotiating table in order to agree upon a reduction of its debt burden. The WHOA, also known as the “Dutch Scheme”, provides various tools for effective restructuring, such as the unilateral termination of current agreements.
News
20 February 2023
TEMPORARY ACT COVID-19 PARTIALLY EXPIRED - DIGITAL MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL MEETING STILL POSSIBLE?
On Feb. 1, 2023, certain provisions of the Temporary COVID-19 Justice and Security Act (hereinafter: Temporary Act) expired. As a result, among other things, the provisions for legal entities with regard to (digital) meetings are no longer in force and these legal entities must fall back on what is stipulated by law and in their articles of association.
News
28 November 2022
Prohibition of ipso facto-clause under the WHOA (the Dutch Scheme)
On 1 January 2021, the Court Approval of a Private Composition (Prevention of Insolvency) Act (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord or WHOA) entered into force. By introducing a “Dutch Scheme”, the WHOA makes it easier for a company in financial distress to get its creditors and shareholders to the negotiation table in order to agree upon a reduction of its debt burden. To that end, the WHOA provides several tools to facilitate the process and protect the interests of various stakeholders, such as the prohibition of ipso facto clauses.
News
3 November 2022
Ill due to an excessive workload: entitled to damages?
On 8 September 2022 the Court of Appeal of 's-Hertogenbosch awarded an ill employee damages amounting to EUR 28,155.36 gross. The employee in question had been working as a caregiver in a residential care centre for the elderly since 1 September 2007, where she performed care duties, solely/mainly during the night. She initially performed these care tasks together with a care assistant. From June 2016 she had to perform these care tasks by herself, without a care assistant. Due to the resulting excessive workload, the employee eventually became ill. Resumption of her own work turned out to be impossible. After 104 weeks of illness, the employer requested and received permission (from the UWV) for termination of the employment contract, following which the employment contract was terminated on 1 November 2021.
News
27 September 2022
HEUSSEN RANKED IN THE IFLR1000 ONCE AGAIN
HEUSSEN is proud to announce that it has been ranked in two practice areas in the IFLR1000 2022 edition. IFLR1000 is a guide to the world’s leading financial and corporate law firms and is focused on benchmarking law firms and lawyers on the basis of financial and corporate transactional work.
News
5 September 2022
Security for legal costs by foreign parties
Legal proceedings often end with a verdict and an order for costs. The default rule is that the "loser" of the legal proceedings shall pay such legal costs. In legal proceedings involving two Dutch parties, enforcement of a verdict – and with that also the payment of the order to pay the costs – seldom poses a problem (unless the losing party has no recourse). That would be different if the losing party is domiciled abroad. If a foreign party loses legal proceedings in the Netherlands, this may cause enforcement issues, especially when no enforcement treaty applies between the Netherlands and the losing party’s country.
News
16 August 2022
Update: Bill on the security screening of investments, mergers and acquisitions
In previous news items, I have discussed the bill on the security screening of investments, mergers and acquisitions (the Vifo Act). In my news item of 22 September 2021 I reported that the Vifo Act, together with the explanatory memorandum, had been submitted to the Lower House on 30 June 2021. On 19 April 2022, the Vifo Act was adopted by the Lower House and on 17 May 2022, the Vifo Act was passed by the Senate.
News
8 August 2022
(Partially) paid paternal leave as of 2 August 2022
On 2 August 2022, the Paid Parental Leave Act entered into effect. This regulation allows parents with an employment contract to take (partially) paid parental leave for a period of 9 out of the total of 26 weeks of parental leave. The condition is that the paid parental leave is taken during the first year of the child’s life.
News
20 July 2022
The Bill Working Wherever you Want approved by the Lower House of Parliament
On January 27th 2021, 2 political parties (D66 and Groenlinks) submitted the Bill Working Wherever you Want. This Bill has now been approved by the Lower House of Parliament. The Bill intends to facilitate employees in being able to enforce (partially) working from home. After all, research has shown that a majority of people working from home during the corona crisis have experienced this as pleasant, while there are still employers who require their employees to come to the office, despite working from home being an option.
News
4 July 2022
Extension of the duty to inform at commencement of the employment contract
On 20 June 2019 the European Directive on Transparent and Predictable Employment Conditions ("the Directive") was adopted. As the Directive must be integrated in the Dutch legal system by 1 August 2022, a legislative proposal was submitted to Parliament last year. The legislative proposal was adopted by the Senate on 21 June 2022. Based on this new legislation, the existing non-exhaustive list of subjects in respect which the employer has to inform the employee in writing or electronically will be extended.
News
27 June 2022
May an employer grant a different salary increase to employees who perform the same duties?
According to a ruling by the Den Bosch Court of Appeal on 29 March 2022, this question can be answered in the affirmative in the present proceedings.
News
13 June 2022
HEUSSEN RANKED IN THE LEGAL 500 ONCE AGAIN
HEUSSEN is proud to announce that it has been ranked in three practice areas in The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 edition. The Legal 500 is a leading independent international legal directory providing information on law firms across the globe on the basis of comprehensive research and client feedback every year.
News
12 May 2022
TIM SCHREUDERS AND RENS BERREVOETS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIFTH EDITION OF LEXOLOGY GETTING THE DEAL THROUGH – JOINT VENTURES
Lexology Getting The Deal Through provides international expert analysis in key areas of law, practice and regulation for corporate counsel, cross-border legal practitioners, and company directors and officers. Throughout the fifth edition of Joint Ventures and following the Lexology Getting The Deal Through format, the same key questions are answered by leading practitioners in each of the jurisdictions featured.
News
5 April 2022
WHOA: Preventive restructuring in the Netherlands
More than a year ago, the Court Approval of a Private Composition (Prevention of Insolvency) Act (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord or WHOA) entered into force. The WHOA makes it easier for a company in financial distress to get its creditors and shareholders to the negotiation table in order to agree upon a reduction of its debt burden. The WHOA introduces a Dutch scheme of arrangement, being a procedure with which the bankruptcy of the company and its negative consequences can be averted. Since the WHOA entered into force the court already ratified 13 arrangements and therefore avoided imminent bankruptcies.
News
14 March 2022
Employers beware: as of 1 August 2022, the side activities-clause may be null and void
On 20 June 2019 the European Directive on transparent and predictable employment conditions ("the Directive") was adopted. Among others, this Directive contains minimum requirements for employment conditions including the possibility to engage in side activities. As the Directive must be part of the Dutch legal system by 1 August 2022, a legislative proposal was recently submitted to Parliament.
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