Stichting Pilp

What Stichting Pilp does

Stichting PILP is a Dutch non-profit foundation that operates as a public-interest law firm. It provides pro bono legal advice and strategic litigation on human rights and the rule of law for NGOs, social movements, marginalized communities, activists, lawyers, and scientists. Its portfolio includes privacy, discrimination, surveillance, migration, climate, housing, water access, and protest matters. It applies a movement-lawyering approach in which supported groups play a leading role and litigation is selected for strategic impact on their campaigns and goals.\n\nThe core service surface is strategic litigation, legal advisory, and movement-lawyering support rather than a technology product; the supplied technology profile indicates PILP does not develop technology products and describes no software platform, API, or SDK. Services are distributed directly through legal representation and coalition coordination. They are provided free of charge to qualifying clients. Financing is primarily foundation and institutional grants, with a small individual-donation component and substantial pro bono law-firm, academic, and other in-kind support. It is ANBI-registered and operates under Dutch legal-profession rules.

Name

Stichting Pilp

Legal name

Stichting PILP

Website

https://pilp.nu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting PILP is a Dutch non-profit public-interest law firm providing free legal advice and strategic litigation for NGOs, movements, marginalized communities, activists, lawyers, and scientists on human-rights and rule-of-law issues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Interest Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Transitional Justice, Accountability & Reparations (BPADAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Strategic public interest litigation
• Pro bono legal services
• Human rights lawyering
• Movement lawyering
• Civil society legal ally

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Institutional Grants: Financing is for a large part sourced from (large) national and international foundations. PILP is funded by institutional donors who support human rights and strategic litigation work.
2. Individual Donations: A small portion of funding is supplemented by donations from individuals. PILP accepts donations and has a donor program.
3. Pro Bono and In-Kind Support: A large portion of PILP's work is only possible through pro bono support from other law firms, research by academics and students, and other in-kind contributions from allies.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stichting PILP is a non-profit public interest law firm (advocatenkantoor) that provides free legal advice and conducts strategic litigation on human rights issues in the Netherlands. It serves as the 'legal ally' of NGOs, social movements, communities, activists, lawyers, and scientists, coordinating coalitions and bringing precedent-setting cases on issues such as ethnic profiling, discrimination, privacy/surveillance, climate rights, migration, and freedom of expression.

Product overview

Stichting PILP is a public interest law firm and strategic litigation organization that serves as the legal ally for civil society organizations, movements, communities, and activists in the Netherlands. The organization offers legal advisory services and strategic litigation support, focusing on human rights cases including discrimination, privacy rights, freedom of expression, housing rights, and migrant rights. PILP operates as a non-profit organization (ANBI status) and is registered as a law firm meeting Dutch Bar Association requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Litigation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Won landmark case preventing water disconnections from households with children (Defence for Children and NJCM)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• Stichting CiviccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPILP collaborates with Stichting Civic to improve Dutch integration policies. They jointly explore legal options to strengthen the human rights of newcomers and have conducted research on integration exam issues.
• Cleerdin & Hamer AdvocatenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal law firm that collaborated with PILP and Stichting Civic on the Bangladeshi woman's lawsuit over the integration exam. Mr. Eva Bezem represented the client.
• Simmons & Simmons LLPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm that cooperated with PILP in assisting the Al Ansaar mosque in legal proceedings against the Municipality of Delft. Paul Tjiam and Mathijs Theodoridis handled the case.
• Boekx AdvocatenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm that handled the Wiv (Intelligence and Security Services Act) summary proceedings case on behalf of the coalition coordinated by PILP. Otto Volgenant, Fulco Blokhuis, and Ron Lamme served as case lawyers until January 2019.
• ASKV/Steunpunt VluchtelingenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPILP collaborated with ASKV and DLA Piper to write a manual for immigration lawyers on arguments against placing stateless persons in immigration detention.
• Pro Bono Law FirmsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA large portion of PILP's work is possible through pro bono support from other law firms, including Stibbe which handled the 'Nu Niet Zwanger' case pro bono.
• Academic InstitutionsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPILP benefits from research by academics and students, contributing to legal analysis and strategic litigation support.
• Coalition of Wiv OpponentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition including NJCM, Bits of Freedom, NVSA, Free Press Unlimited, Greenpeace International, De Waag Society, Privacy First, Bescherming Burgerrechten, BIT, Speakup, VOYS, and Mijndomein. PILP coordinated this broad coalition of journalists, lawyers, NGOs, and IT/tech companies in proceedings against the Wiv.
• SyRI CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition including Stichting Platform Bescherming Burgerrechten, Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten (NJCM), vakbond FNV, Stichting Privacy First, Stichting KDVP, Landelijke Cliëntenraad, and authors Maxim Februari and Tommy Wieringa. PILP coordinated this coalition in proceedings against SyRI risk profiling system.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR): Berlin-based organization using legal means to hold state and non-state actors accountable for human rights violations. Comparable methodology of strategic cross-border litigation, though with broader international scope.
• Public Interest Law Project (PILP) — note: distinct US entity: US-based public interest law project supporting movement lawyering and impact litigation, conceptually aligned with PILP's methodology though operating in a different jurisdiction and substantive focus.

Direct peers

• Discriminatie.nl: Dutch anti-discrimination organization that co-files discrimination cases with PILP, including the banking discrimination proceedings against ING. Directly comparable advocacy-litigation hybrid model.
• Amnesty International Netherlands: Major human rights organization in the Netherlands conducting strategic litigation, advocacy, and research on civil liberties, migration, and discrimination — directly comparable mandate with broader global footprint.
• Stichting ASKV/Steunpunt Vluchtelingen: Amsterdam-based refugee support organization that has partnered with PILP on stateless persons litigation and published joint manuals. Peer in migration rights strategic litigation.
• Stichting Privacy First: Dutch privacy rights foundation that has co-litigated with PILP on SyRI and Wiv cases. Direct peer in the privacy/surveillance litigation niche within the Netherlands.
• Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten (NJCM): Dutch human rights lawyers' committee that conducts strategic litigation and advocacy on civil liberties, frequently co-litigating with PILP on cases including SyRI, Wiv, and ethnic profiling. Most direct peer given overlapping mission and shared coalition leadership.
• Bits of Freedom: Dutch digital rights organization focused on privacy, freedom of expression, and surveillance — partnered with PILP on the Wiv coalition and shares movement lawyering orientation.

Others

• Greenpeace International: Global environmental organization that has been a coalition partner in PILP's Wiv proceedings and is a frequent co-litigant on climate rights matters. Adjacent peer — major civil society organization sharing coalition space rather than direct legal services competitor.

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Largest US public interest law organization practicing strategic litigation across civil liberties. Broad incumbent peer illustrating the scale trajectory strategic-litigation NGOs can achieve when they establish precedent and brand authority.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PILPNJCM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-pilp
• Instagraminstagram.com/pilp_nu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Stichting Pilp