What Van Benthem & Keulen does

Van Benthem & Keulen, operating as VBK since April 23, 2026, is a private Dutch law firm and notary practice headquartered at Archimedeslaan 61, 3584 BA Utrecht, Netherlands. Founded in 1941, the firm employs 51-100 professionals and has been operating for approximately 85 years. It delivers full-service legal advisory and notarial services across 10 industry sectors — Energy, Financial Institutions, Industry, Mobility, Education, Government, Retail, Tech, Real Estate & Construction, and Healthcare & Life Sciences — and 19 legal expertises spanning advocacy (Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Employment, Litigation, Tech & Data, Competition & EU, Procurement, Construction, etc.) and notary practice (Corporate Law and Real Estate).

The firm serves business clients and public-sector organizations exclusively through direct engagement from its single Utrecht office, with no disclosed channel partners, software products, APIs, or proprietary technology platform. Revenue derives from professional services rendered by qualified attorneys (advocaten) and notaries (notarissen), billed via standard professional services pricing (hourly rates or fixed fees), with specific rates not publicly disclosed. Client acquisition is driven by sector-specialized expertise, thought leadership content (legal updates, newsletters, masterclasses), a podcast series 'Licht op Legal', LinkedIn presence, and direct enterprise relationships; no digital distribution or self-serve channels are used.

VBK's competitive positioning rests on individual partner-level recognition in Chambers Europe and Legal500 2026 — Top Tier rankings in Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A, and IT, plus Band 2-4 Chambers rankings in Healthcare & Life Sciences, Technology/Data, Restructuring & Insolvency, and Banking & Finance. The firm is independently owned (no parent company, no PE/VC ownership disclosed) and operates from partner equity, in line with typical Dutch law firm structures. Notable recent actions include a 2026 rebrand to VBK with the positioning 'Vertrouwd Vooruit' (Trusted Forward), a board transition appointing Mariska Nijenhof-Wolters effective July 1, 2026, and ongoing franchise-sector ecosystem partnerships with Franchise+ and Koelewijn & Partners.

Name

Van Benthem & Keulen

Legal name

Van Benthem & Keulen

Website

https://vbk.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Van Benthem & Keulen (VBK) is a private Dutch law firm and notary practice founded in 1941, headquartered in Utrecht, delivering full-service legal advisory and notarial services across 10 industry sectors to enterprises, financial institutions, and government clients throughout the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Advisory and Notarial Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Practice Management & Case Management (BPAEAPAC)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Notarial services
• Corporate law
• Banking finance law
• Litigation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Full-service law firm providing legal advice and representation across multiple practice areas including corporate law, litigation, employment law, banking & finance, real estate, and more. Services delivered by qualified attorneys (advocaten) and notaries.
2. Notarial Services: Notary services specializing in real estate transactions and corporate law, including drafting notarial deeds, property transfers, and corporate restructuring documentation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Van Benthem & Keulen (VBK) is a Dutch full-service law firm and notary office providing legal advisory and notarial services to businesses, governments, and institutions. Services are delivered through 19 legal expertises including Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Employment & Pension, Real Estate, Construction Law, Restructuring & Insolvency, Tech & Data, Competition & EU, and Public Procurement, organized across 10 industry sectors (Energy, Financial Institutions, Industry, Mobility, Education, Government, Retail, Tech, Real Estate & Construction, Healthcare & Life Sciences). Multidisciplinary teams combining qualified attorneys (advocaten) and notaries deliver integrated legal solutions under one roof.

Product overview

Van Benthem & Keulen (VBK) is a Dutch law firm and notary practice offering comprehensive legal services across 10 sectors (Energy, Financial Institutions, Industry, Mobility, Education, Government, Retail, Tech, Real Estate & Construction, and Healthcare & Life Sciences) and 19 legal expertises. The firm does not offer software products but provides professional legal services including advisory, litigation, and notarial services. The primary knowledge product offering is the VBK Legal Updates subscription service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Advisory Services (Advocatuur) Full-service legal advisory delivered by qualified attorneys (advocaten) across 19 expertises for businesses, governments, and institutions in the Netherlands. Services span transactions, litigation, regulatory compliance, employment, and sector-specific advisory.
• Notarial Services (Notariaat) Notary services provided by qualified notaries specializing in real estate transactions (property transfers, mortgages) and corporate law (company formations, restructurings, share transfers). Includes drafting and execution of notarial deeds for Dutch and cross-border matters.
• VBK Legal Updates Subscription Subscription service delivering legal updates, newsletters, and regulatory news alerts to keep clients and subscribers informed about the latest developments in Dutch and European law across all sectors and expertises.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Franchise+minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026VBK collaborates with Franchise+ on franchise-related knowledge sharing and events. Together they hosted a captains dinner for franchisors on World Franchise Day 2026, bringing together select franchise stakeholders for discussion.
• Koelewijn & PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026VBK collaborated with Koelewijn & Partners to host a captains dinner for franchisors on World Franchise Day 2026, facilitating dialogue between franchise stakeholders.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek: De Brauw is a premier Dutch corporate law firm specializing in M&A, capital markets, and complex transactions. Directly comparable to VBK in the Dutch corporate and M&A market, but operates at the top end with international Fortune 500 clients.
• Houthoff: Houthoff is a leading full-service Dutch law firm headquartered in Amsterdam with significantly larger headcount and broader international reach. Comparable to VBK across multiple practice areas including corporate M&A, banking & finance, and real estate, but operating at a much larger scale.
• NautaDutilh: NautaDutilh is a top-tier Dutch law firm with strong corporate, finance, and litigation practices plus offices in multiple countries. Overlaps with VBK in Banking & Finance, M&A, and commercial litigation, but operates at substantially greater scale and international footprint.
• Stibbe: Stibbe is a leading Benelux law firm with offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Luxembourg. Comparable to VBK in corporate M&A, banking & finance, and energy sector advisory, with similar focus on Dutch and European clients but at a larger scale.

Direct peers

• Loyens & Loeff: Loyens & Loeff is a Benelux-based law and tax firm with strong notarial services in corporate and real estate. Closely comparable to VBK's lawyer-notary integrated model, particularly in Ondernemingsrecht (corporate law) and Vastgoed (real estate) notarial services.
• AKD: AKD is a full-service Benelux law firm with Dutch, Belgian, and Luxembourg offices. Comparable to VBK in size and full-service model, with similar sector coverage including Real Estate, Energy, and Government clients.
• Bird & Bird Netherlands:
• BarentsKrans: BarentsKrans is a mid-sized Dutch law firm based in The Hague with similar full-service coverage and sector focus. Comparable to VBK in size, service model, and Dutch mid-market positioning across corporate, finance, and regulatory practices.
• Kennedy Van der Laan: Kennedy Van der Laan is a mid-sized Amsterdam-based law firm with strong Tech, IP, and Healthcare practices. Closely comparable to VBK in headcount, sector focus, and analyst rankings, particularly in Tech & Data and Healthcare & Life Sciences.
• Pels Rijcken: Pels Rijcken is a mid-sized Dutch law firm in The Hague with strong Government and Public Sector focus. Comparable to VBK in Overheid (Government) sector advisory, including administrative law, procurement, and area development mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vbknl
• Facebookfacebook.com/VBKvanDienst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Van Benthem & Keulen