Banking & Finance
New requirements for capital, stricter rules of conduct and more complex European legislation have all had an effect on the financial markets. Financial institutions must always respond swiftly to developments in the financial sector and comply with constantly changing laws and regulations. Houthoff’s Banking & Finance Team has a comprehensive knowledge of the financial sector, and the laws and regulations that govern it. The experienced Banking & Finance Team provides services to domestic and foreign banks, investors, other financial institutions, large companies and supervisory authorities. Our specialists give advice on a large variety of banking and financial transactions. This can involve high-end acquisition, real estate, asset or project financing, syndicated or bilateral loans, or restructuring, all of this in the context of complex financial regulations and legislation.
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“A client mentioned that 'Houthoff has developed a particular expertise in handling the most complex and large-scale finance projects for their top-tier clients and is almost unrivalled in terms of the breadth and depth of expertise of its lawyers'.”Chambers Global & Europe, Banking and Finance (2024 Edition) -
"One client states: ‘In our latest complex project Houthoff has proven itself as a leading authority in banking and finance law with a deep understanding of the complex regulatory environment that is specific to the case’."Legal 500, Banking & Finance (2024 Edition)
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"A client says that 'the lawyers are great - they are knowledgeable, pragmatic, know what we want and always try to come to an agreement'."Chambers Global & Europe, Banking and Finance (2023 Edition)
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"A client states that 'the team have an integral understanding of the work and know the file better than anyone else'."Chambers Global & Europe, Banking and Finance (2023 Edition)
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"One client highlights that Houthoff is a 'very pragmatic team that know exactly how their clients prefer to structure transactions.’"Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Lender or arranger side (2023 Edition)
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"Another client mentioned: 'They delivered high quality work under significant time pressure. Where needed they coordinated with other teams within the firm.’"
Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Lender or arranger side (2023 Edition) -
“The firm has a growing presence on regulatory matters, acting for clients on supervisory issues and structuring financial services activities.”Chambers Global, Banking & Finance (2022 Edition)
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RecommendedChambers Global, Banking & Finance (2022 Edition)
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“The quality of Houthoff's drafting is very good across the board.”Chambers Europe, Banking & Finance (2022 Edition)
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“The team is very responsive, knowledgeable and has top-rate partners who are commercially minded and able to see things from the clients’ point of view.”Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Lender or arranger side (2022 Edition)
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“Houthoff is an outstanding firm with strong market knowledge and specialised teams for issues including structured finance, restructuring, corporate loans and regulatory compliance.”Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Lender or arranger side (2022 Edition)
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“Houthoff’s first-rate bank lending team has deep sector knowledge and a very strong and loyal client base built up by very commercial, pragmatic and client-focused partners and very stable teams.”Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Borrower side (2022 Edition)
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“A client states ‘they are very responsive, knowledgeable and have a good breadth of team members below partner who are extremely responsive, give excellent advice and always meet deadlines’.”Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Borrower side (2022 Edition)
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“The team’s sense of strategy is observed by clients, one suggesting that it is ‘good at evaluating risks and knowing when to let go of different items in the negotiations.’”Chambers Europe, Banking & Finance (2021 Edition)
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“A client speaks of the team’s meticulousness, asserting that ‘the lawyers are on top of all the issues at hand.’”Chambers Europe, Banking & Finance (2021 Edition)
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“Houthoff is an outstanding firm with a strong market knowledge and specialised teams for issues including structured finance, restructuring, corporate loans and regulatory compliance.”Legal 500, Project finance and PFI (2021 Edition)
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“Houthoff is one of the most locally rooted firms in the Netherlands which is a clear added value when it comes to banking regulatory matters. On the other side their international capabilities are multiplied by their very active role in leading legal networks, such as Lex Mundi.”Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Financial services regulatory (2021 Edition)
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“The asset finance and structured finance team of Houthoff combines excellent technical knowledge with an ability to integrate business issues into its analysis. They have deep sector knowledge. They offer a comprehensive service (great combination of legal, tax and regulatory) and we believe that they bring true expertise to a matter based on their breadth of experience.”Legal 500, Banking & Finance: Asset finance and structured finance (2021 Edition)
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“They are very responsive, knowledgeable and have top rate partners who are commercially minded and able to see things from the clients.”Legal 500, Project finance and PFI (2021 Edition)
Our expertise in Banking & Finance
Parties in cross-border - and mostly complex - financial transactions can become caught up in the web of international legislation. Supervisory authorities closely monitor these transactions. Our experienced Banking & Finance Team is engaged by financial institutions, foreign law firms, investors and other market parties for effective advice and support.
Our specialists integrate their tax, legal and notarial expertise with their sector knowledge to provide well-considered advice and practical solutions. Thanks to our offices in London and New York, Houthoff has an extensive international network that affords us access to the right expertise on foreign laws and regulations.
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Advised Titan, a leading independent liquified biomethane (LBM/bio-LNG) and LNG supplier to the maritime and industrial sectors, on a successful funding round leading to InfraVia obtaining (through one of its investment vehicles) a 45% equity stake in Titan.
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Advised Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance Nederland on the carve-out of Findio (a provider of car finance products) out of the CACF Nederland group and the sale of Findio to FCA Bank.
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Advised Alliander N.V.'s shareholders regarding reaching consensus on the 'Framework of Agreements on Capital Requirements of Regional Grid Operators'.
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Advised Lumileds, a global leader in innovative lighting solutions, in its comprehensive financial restructuring. Lumileds emerged from a Chapter 11, resulting in a leadership transition and a funded debt reduction of approximately USD 1.4 billion.
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Advised Tristan Capital Partners in the EUR 95,000,000 financing with ING Bank N.V. for the purpose of the acquisition of a portfolio of over 700 residential units in the Rotterdam and The Hague area.
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Advised Egeria Real Estate Development and FLOW Real Estate in relation to the financing of the redevelopment of the Strawinskyhuis, located at the Zuidas in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The financing is provided by Bentall GreenOak, a debt fund.
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Advising Tristan Capital Partners on the EUR 95 million financing with ING Bank N.V. to acquire a portfolio of over 700 residential units in the Rotterdam and The Hague area.
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Advised European private equity firm CastikCapital on the acquisition of TBAuctions, a leading European online auction platform.
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Advised and represented Finqus B.V. and DSB Bank N.V. (in bankruptcy) on the sale of Finqus' loan portfolio with a purchase price of approx. EUR 1.5 billion to NIBC Bank N.V.
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Assisted the Salvation Army in setting up the investment fund 'Stichting Leger des Heils WoonVermogen' for construction projects that make a social impact. The 'Stichting Leger des Heils WoonVermogen' is funded by private investors and aims to build 250 residences for vulnerable people in the coming years.
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Houthoff advised Petrobras Global Trading B.V. on a USD 3,250,000,000 revolving loan and letter of credit facility agreement between Petrobras Global Trading B.V. as borrower, Petro;leo Brasileiro S.A.; Petrobras as guarantor, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank as the administrative agent and The Bank of Nova Scotia, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd as joint bookrunners and joint lead arrangers.
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Houthoff advised TH Real Estate on the acquisition and financing of a modern logistics complex in Rotterdam (Maasvlakte II). This is the second acquisition for TH Real Estate's European Logistics Fund. The vendor is selling the property in a sale and long-term leaseback transaction. The property comprises two buildings, dating from 2008 and 2016. It has a total lettable area of 39,500 square metres, most of which is laid out for the storage of hazardous goods.
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Represented The Datacenter Group in the acquisition of two data centers from Rabo Bouwfonds Communication Infrastructure Fund and the refinancing of The Datacenter Group.
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Advised Goodyear on its EUR 250 million eight year high yield senior unsecured notes issuance. Goodyear is a market leader in the manufacture, distribution and sale of tires for global distribution markets and engages in automotive, vehicle parts, rubber and polymer-related businesses.
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Advised publicly listed investment fund Value8 on all of its capital markets transactions including its reverse acquisition of Source Group, a publicly traded parent company of a group of companies that focuses on managing contracts of external personnel and the mediation of IT professionals, and its takeover acquisition of health care company Kersten Next B.V., a Dutch specialist in mobility, health care and communication devices.
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Advised various parties on Brexit including Lloyd's and VSZ, a Dutch managing agent acting on behalf of a number of Lloyd's syndicates.
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Houthoff advised several US financial institutions in several matters regarding Curaçao securities laws.
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Advised RET (Rotterdam's public transport company) on its first external financing.
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Advising Van Oord on its new € 400 million revolving facility agreement.
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Houthoff advised ABN AMRO Bank, ING Bank and ABN AMRO Lease on a complex asset based financial restructuring and LTV pool based financing of an international group of companies.
