VanEps

What VanEps does

VANEPS is a full-service commercial law firm founded in 1937 in Curaçao, the first law firm established in the Dutch Caribbean. The firm operates across 15 practice areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A, Corporate & Commercial Dispute Resolution, Energy & Natural Resources, Intellectual Property, Real Estate & Construction, Shipping & Aviation, and Insolvency & Restructuring, serving primarily larger national and international corporations, financial institutions, executives, and high-net-worth individuals. Its geographic footprint comprises owned offices in Curaçao (headquarters), Amsterdam, Aruba, Bonaire, and St. Maarten, supplemented by a "Flying Lawyers" service covering Saba and St. Eustatius and a strategic alliance with Best in Suriname. The firm holds Lex Mundi membership for global cross-border referrals and has been ranked Band 1 by Chambers Global in the Dutch Caribbean for 14 consecutive years and as the sole Tier 1 firm by Legal 500.

The firm generates revenue through traditional professional services billing, including hourly advisory fees and transaction-based fees for M&A, financing, and capital markets work. It acts as mandated listing advisor on the Dutch Caribbean Securities Exchange (DCSX) and handles court-appointed bankruptcy receiver roles. Notable engagements include advising Flutter Entertainment on its 56% acquisition of NSX Group, advising Staatsolie Suriname on its 2025-2033 bond issuance, and advising Republic Bank on its acquisition of Nova Scotia Bank in the Caribbean. The firm is structured as a traditional partnership, led by Managing Partner Tom Peeters and Partner & COO Esther Geerings-Jansen, with approximately 30-35 attorneys and active lateral hiring from top Dutch and international firms (Stibbe, BarentsKrans, Van Doorne, PwC Legal).

Name

VanEps

Legal name

VANEPS

Website

https://vaneps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VANEPS is a full-service law firm founded in 1937 and headquartered in Curaçao, operating across Dutch Caribbean jurisdictions plus the Netherlands. It serves larger corporations, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals across 15 practice areas, holding sole Tier 1 Legal 500 and 14-year Band 1 Chambers rankings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Willemstad

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Traditional law firm billing for legal advisory, litigation, corporate transactions, and other legal services. Services include hourly billing for advisory work and transaction-based fees for M&A, financing, and other deal work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VANEPS is a full-service commercial law firm offering legal advisory, litigation, and transactional services across 15 distinct practice areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A, Corporate & Commercial Dispute Resolution, Employment & Pensions, Energy & Natural Resources, Real Estate & Construction, Shipping & Aviation, Intellectual Property, and Government & Public Sector. The firm primarily serves larger national and international corporations, financial institutions, government entities, executives, and high-net-worth individuals across the Dutch Caribbean, the Netherlands, and Suriname. Services are delivered through a network of physical offices combined with a Flying Lawyers concept and strategic alliance arrangements.

Product overview

VanEps is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services across 15 distinct practice areas. The firm operates as a unified service rather than a modular product platform, providing specialized expertise in Banking & Finance, Commercial Contracting, Competition, Corporate/M&A, Corporate & Commercial Dispute Resolution, Employment & Pensions, Energy & Natural Resources, Governance/Risk/Compliance, Government & Public Sector, Insolvency & Restructuring, Insurance, Intellectual Property & Privacy, Patent & Trademark Office, Real Estate & Construction, and Shipping & Aviation. Services are delivered through offices in Amsterdam, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and St. Maarten, with coverage extending to Saba, St. Eustatius, and Suriname through strategic alliances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking & Finance Legal advisory on financial regulatory matters for credit institutions, investment funds, asset managers, brokers, insurers, and pension funds, including lending, project financing, fund structuring, securitizations, and capital markets transactions across the Netherlands and Dutch Caribbean.
• Commercial Contracting Multi-jurisdictional legal advice on commercial contracts including franchise and distribution agreements, international sale/purchase agreements, service agreements, confidentiality agreements, contract drafting, liability claims, and general conditions.
• Competition Advisory on regulatory aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations involving competition law considerations including filing requirements and compliance risks.
• Corporate/M&A Advisory on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial partnerships, privatizations, auctions, capital markets transactions, restructurings, buy-outs, and divestments across Dutch Caribbean and international jurisdictions.
• Corporate & Commercial Dispute Resolution Resolution of complex commercial and corporate disputes in the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands through negotiation, arbitration, and litigation, including shareholder conflicts, contractual disputes, and directors' liability matters.
• Employment & Pensions Advisory on all aspects of employment and labor law including trade union negotiations, collective labor agreements, employment contracts, mass layoffs, reorganizations, and civil service matters.
• Energy & Natural Resources Advisory for suppliers and producers of hydrocarbon products, energy and drinking water utilities, including exploration and exploitation, legal frameworks, permitting, environmental issues, and public-private partnerships.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance Corporate governance advisory to assist organizations in embedding good governance, optimizing management and supervision, and minimizing operational risks.
• Government & Public Sector Legal advice and litigation support for government institutions and semi-public organizations on administrative law, private law, and international law matters.
• Insolvency & Restructuring Advisory and assistance for businesses in financial distress including restructuring, liquidation, and insolvency-related issues, with expertise acting as court-appointed bankruptcy receivers.
• Insurance Advisory on insurance policy conditions, liability claims, settlements, coverage disputes, and legal proceedings for (re)insurance companies, insurance intermediaries, and insured persons.
• Intellectual Property & Privacy Comprehensive IP law services including trademark, patent and domain name registration, portfolio management, copyright prosecution, and IP litigation across Dutch Caribbean jurisdictions.
• Patent & Trademark Office Trademark agency and attorney services for local and global trademark, domain name and patent strategies including registration, monitoring, auditing, maintenance, renewal, and assignments across Dutch Caribbean jurisdictions.
• Real Estate & Construction Legal support for real estate and infrastructure projects combining contract law, administrative law, and public procurement expertise for power plants, hospitals, port developments, commercial real estate, and sustainable energy projects.
• Shipping & Aviation Advisory on seizure and execution of ships, aircraft registrations, financing including aircraft and ship mortgages, registrations, and liability for damages in the transportation sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 consecutive years of Band 1 ranking from Chambers Global
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dutch Caribbean Securities Exchange (DCSX)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025VANEPS acts as listing advisor and legal counsel for bond issuances on DCSX, including Staatsolie Bonds 2025-2033
• Arthur Cox (Ireland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International law firm collaboration alongside VANEPS as local counsel for Flutter Entertainment's acquisition of NSX Group
• Demarest (Brazil)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Brazilian law firm collaboration alongside VANEPS as local counsel for Flutter Entertainment's acquisition of NSX Group
• Lex MundicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of independent law firms providing seamless cross-border support and access to top-tier legal expertise worldwide. Through Lex Mundi, VANEPS offers clients consistent quality even in the most complex multi-jurisdictional matters.
• Best (Suriname)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance between VANEPS and Best in Paramaribo offers specialized advisory and litigation services. Brings significant benefits for organisations with complex cross-jurisdictional needs in Suriname. Integrated and dedicated teams ensure consistent high-quality seamless service for clients.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NautaDutilh: Premium Dutch full-service firm. Partner Roderik van Hees joined VanEps from NautaDutilh, and the firms serve overlapping banking, M&A, and cross-border clients.
• Stibbe: Major Dutch/Benelux full-service firm. Counsel Suzanne van Boheemen joined VanEps after 12 years at Stibbe; Diek Fabius also started at Stibbe. Direct competitor for cross-border finance and corporate mandates in the Dutch Caribbean.
• BarentsKrans: Top-tier Dutch independent firm specializing in dispute resolution, corporate/M&A, and finance. Roeland de Mol and Sebastiaan van Dam joined VanEps from BarentsKrans, and the firms now compete directly in Dutch corporate and commercial litigation.
• Houthoff: Top-tier Dutch full-service law firm with strong cross-border practice. Several VanEps lawyers previously worked at Houthoff (e.g., Mariette Steeg) and the firms compete for Dutch-Caribbean/Netherlands cross-border mandates.
• Van Doorne: Leading Dutch full-service firm. Tjarda Tazelaar (VanEps M&A head) previously spent nine years at Van Doorne; the firms compete for Dutch Caribbean privatization, M&A, and dispute work.

Broad incumbents

• Maples Group: Leading offshore law firm with deep Caribbean presence (Cayman, BVI). Competes for the same cross-border fund, capital markets, and M&A mandates that flow through Dutch Caribbean jurisdictions.
• Conyers: Established offshore law firm in Bermuda, Cayman, and BVI. Adjacent competitor for Caribbean cross-border corporate, finance, and restructuring mandates.
• Baker McKenzie: Global law firm with the largest international network, including offices across Latin America and the Caribbean. Competes for the same multinational Dutch-Caribbean cross-border mandates where VanEps acts as local counsel.
• Ogier: Global offshore law firm with strong Cayman/BVI presence and growing Caribbean fund services. Competes for cross-border investment fund and capital markets work in the wider Caribbean region.
• De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek: Largest and most prestigious Dutch full-service law firm. Competes for high-end Dutch and cross-border mandates that often anchor in Amsterdam with Caribbean elements — overlapping with VanEps' emerging Amsterdam practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vanepsdutchcaribbean
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vaneps
• Instagraminstagram.com/vaneps_dutchcaribbean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VanEps