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Judges & Staff

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Judges & Staff

Pioneering English-language dispute resolution in a civil law jurisdiction.

Judges & Staff

Currently, the NCC has 28 judges: 18 in the NCC District Court and 10 in the NCC Court of Appeal. They are proficient in English and experienced in dealing with international commercial cases. There are several judges who focus on their field of expertise in competition law, intellectual property law, IT and restructuring. If appropriate in light of the caseload, other judges may join the Court.

At this time, the NCC does not have any open positions. As opportunities may arise in the future, current policy is for such positions to be filled within the Dutch court system. Any positions open to the public will be published on this site and on werkenbijdeoverheid.nl.

Cases are assigned to judges in accordance with the NCC Case Assignment Rules (pdf, 343.2 KB).

 

 

 

NCC District Court Judges

  • Judge Alink started his professional career as a lawyer representing clients in the Dutch and English language, including in proceedings before the Netherlands Arbitration Institute. He was a legal advisor to the Advocate General of the Supreme Court for 6 year​s. In 2014, he was elevated to the bench in the The Hague District Court, where he continues to serve.​

  • ​Mieke Dudok van Heel was a lawyer in London and The Hague. She joined the Amsterdam District Court in 2008, dealing with major corporate and commercial litigation, and currently serves as a Senior Judge in the Court in Summary Proceedings, while continuing to supervise complex civil cases.

  • ​Desirée Staal was a lawyer in corporate practice for more than 10 years, dealing with mergers and acquisitions, insolvency and corporate litigation. She was elevated to the Midden-Nederland (Utrecht) District Court in 2010, working on a broad range of civil cases and focusing on insolvency litigation. She currently serves as a Senior Judge in that Court’s civil division.​

  • ​Before becoming a judge Marieke Witkamp was a litigation attorney in Qatar, a lawyer in Texas and in-house counsel in Qatar and the Netherlands. In 2009, she was elevated to the bench in the Rotterdam District Court (Civil Section), first as a judge sitting by designation, and from 2019 until 2023 as a full time judge. In 2024, she returned to Texas but continues to serve the Dutch Judiciary as a judge sitting by designation. She has a Texas bar license, is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and has experience as arbitrator in proceedings before the Netherlands Arbitration Institute.​

  • Cees Bom acted as in-house counsel to various Dutch companies, such as Smit International and DSM for 27 years. In 1994, he was appointed as a judge, sitting in several Courts in the Netherlands by designation, where he dealt with general commercial disputes, with an emphasis on insurance claims and corporate matters. He has been a judge in The Hague District Court since 2009, dealing with a broad range of civil matters. He currently serves as the President of the NCC District Court (effective 1 January 2023).​​

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  • ​Linco​​ln Frakes was in private practice in Amsterdam, focusing on banking, commercial and energy litigation. He has served as a judge in the Amsterdam District Court and in the ’s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal, dealing with a range of contractual, corporate and insolvency cases. He is currently a judge in the Oost-Brabant District Court (sitting by designation in the Amsterdam District Court). He served as the President of the NCC District Court from its inception in 2019 until 2022. He continues to serve as an NCC judge for casework and any business that may arise in the President’s absence, as well as work on the eNCC portal, the Code of Civil Procedure translation, and related matters.​​

  • ​Rieme-Jan Tjittes was a judge in the Amsterdam and Arnhem-Leeuwarden Courts of Appeal and subsequently a litigation and arbitration lawyer in an international law firm.  He is currently a commercial litigation, arbitration and Supreme Court lawyer based in The Hague. He is also part time Professor of Private Law (Vrije Universiteit) where he teaches international and comparative contract law. He frequently serves as an arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations (ICC, NAI, SCC, AAA/ICDR, EDF, ad hoc). He has written extensively on business law (including English law) and is a leading authority on commercial contracts.​

  • ​Anette Bordes was in-house counsel to TNT Post Group and served as general counsel to Dutch telecom company KPN. In 2012, she was elevated to ​the bench in The Hague District Court’s civil and commercial division, and has worked in that division since that time, currently serving as a Senior Judge in that Court.

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  • ​Neil Purcell was born in Canada, studied law in the Netherlands and was a lawyer at a Dutch law firm for 10 years, dealing with corporate litigation, IP law and general liability and insurance law, mainly in an international setting. He was involved in international arbitration proceedings. In 2009, he was elevated to the bench. Currently, he serves as a judge in the District Court of the Central Netherlands (in Utrecht) and deals with commercial cases, including cases involving corporate law, IP, financial and real estate law.​​​​​
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  • ​Eric Tjong Tjin Tai trained in Computer Science at Delft University of Technology before obtaining an LLM at the University of Amsterdam. He joined the Dutch Supreme Court Bar, focusing in particular on civil procedure as well as intellectual property and information technology law. He is a Professor of Private Law (Tilburg University) since 2010, and a prolific legal author and commentator. His current research focuses on legal aspects of data and digital developments, such as smart contracts and liability for algorithms.​

NCC District Court Judges | Collective actions

  • ​Anette Bordes was in-house counsel to TNT Post Group and served as general counsel to Dutch telecom company KPN. In 2012, she was elevated to ​the bench in The Hague District Court’s civil and commercial division, and has worked in that division since that time, currently serving as a Senior Judge in that Court.

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  • ​Mieke Dudok van Heel was a lawyer in London and The Hague. She joined the Amsterdam District Court in 2008, dealing with major corporate and commercial litigation, and currently serves as a Senior Judge in the Court in Summary Proceedings, while continuing to supervise complex civil cases.

  • Han Jongeneel taught law at VU University in Amsterdam from 1986 to 1997 and completed his PhD thesis on general contract terms in 1991. He became a judge at the Amsterdam District Court in 1997 and has dealt with civil cases since 2000. His recent experience focuses on insurance, real estate, and competition cases, collective actions concerning mass damage and general civil cases. He is the chairman of the Expert group on Civil Procedure of the Dutch judiciary.​

NCC District Court Judges | Competition law

  • Elske Boerwinkel ​was a lawyer in private practice specialising in European and national competition law, public procurement and international and Dutch contract law. She was elevated to the Gelderland (Arnhem) District Court in 2010. She regularly sits by designation in competition cases in courts across the Netherlands. She has extensive experience in dealing with restructuring cases.​

  • ​Mieke Dudok van Heel was a lawyer in London and The Hague. She joined the Amsterdam District Court in 2008, dealing with major corporate and commercial litigation, and currently serves as a Senior Judge in the Court in Summary Proceedings, while continuing to supervise complex civil cases.

  • ​Linco​​ln Frakes was in private practice in Amsterdam, focusing on banking, commercial and energy litigation. He has served as a judge in the Amsterdam District Court and in the ’s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal, dealing with a range of contractual, corporate and insolvency cases. He is currently a judge in the Oost-Brabant District Court (sitting by designation in the Amsterdam District Court). He served as the President of the NCC District Court from its inception in 2019 until 2022. He continues to serve as an NCC judge for casework and any business that may arise in the President’s absence, as well as work on the eNCC portal, the Code of Civil Procedure translation, and related matters.​​

NCC District Court Judges | Intellectual property law

  • ​Willemien Diekman was a lecturer at Leyden University and a lawyer specialising in intellectual property law. She joined the Rotterdam District Court in 2010, currently serving in that Court’s criminal and civil divisions and focusing on intellectual property matters.​

  • ​Eric Tjong Tjin Tai trained in Computer Science at Delft University of Technology before obtaining an LLM at the University of Amsterdam. He joined the Dutch Supreme Court Bar, focusing in particular on civil procedure as well as intellectual property and information technology law. He is a Professor of Private Law (Tilburg University) since 2010, and a prolific legal author and commentator. His current research focuses on legal aspects of data and digital developments, such as smart contracts and liability for algorithms.​

  • Paul Geerts is a lecturer of commercial law at Groningen University (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) and counsel to various law firms. Since 2014 he is a Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Groningen University. He is the editor of several law journals and the author of numerous publications on intellectual property law.

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  • ​Reina Weening was a legal counsel to Philips International before becoming a lawyer in 1998. She headed the IP sections at various Dutch law firms representing domestic and international clients, until she was elevated to the bench in the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal in 2010. She is an arbitrator at the Netherlands Arbitration Institute, a frequent speaker and teacher on IP law and author of various IP related articles.​

  • ​Hugo van Heemstra was an intellectual property lawyer and secretary to the Authority supervising organisations for collective management of IP rights. After 16 years in private practice, he was elevated to ​​the Gelderland (Arnhem) District Court in 2017, specialising in IP cases. Currently, he serves in the IP Section of The Hague District Court.​

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NCC District Court Judge | Restructuring law

  • Elske Boerwinkel ​was a lawyer in private practice specialising in European and national competition law, public procurement and international and Dutch contract law. She was elevated to the Gelderland (Arnhem) District Court in 2010. She regularly sits by designation in competition cases in courts across the Netherlands. She has extensive experience in dealing with restructuring cases.​

  • ​Piet Neijt was a lawyer in a major firm’s recovery and insolvency section for several years. He was elevated to the ’s-Hertogenbosch District Court in 2008, later joining the Midden-Nederland (Utrecht) District Court. He currently serves as a Senior Judge in that Court, dealing primarily with insolvency and restructuring cases. He is a fellow of INSOL International and member of the International Insolvency Institute.​

  • ​Elsbeth de Vos​ was a lecturer and assistant professor in Public International Law (Leyden University). She joined the Amsterdam District Court in 2003. Since 2014 she has dealt with insolvency and restructuring cases and major civil cases (competition law), and currently serves as a Senior Judge in that court. She is also a judge sitting by designation in the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal. She is a member of the Dutch Restructuring Association, INSOL Europe (Judicial Wing) and the International Insolvency Institute.

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NCC Court of Appeal Judges

  • Patricia Arnoldus-Smit was in-house counsel to three Dutch banks for a number of years, among other activities. She subsequently led an independent mediation practice regarding commercial disputes. She joined the Dordrecht District Court in 2007, with a focus on commercial disputes and insolvency cases. In 2011, she was elevated to the ’s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal in 2011, and currently serves as a Senior Judge in that Court. In addition to her work as a judge, she has served in several positions for the selection, training and assessment of prospective judges, currently working as a member of the national committee for the selection of new judges.​

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  • ​Allard Metzelaar was a lawyer and partner in a major Amsterdam law firm for most of four decades, dealing with corporate, contract and litigation cases. He was a resident partner in the firm’s London office (mainly structured financial transactions) for four years, headed the firm’s Corporate and M&A Section and managed the firm’s overall international practice. He retired in 2019. He has served as a judge (sitting by designation) in the ’s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal since 2013, and currently serves in the same role in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. In addition, he serves on a number of corporate supervisory bodies.​

  • ​Pauline Hofmeijer-Rutten was elevated to the Rotterdam District Court in 1989, and to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in 2013 (while retaining her Rotterdam District Court duties). She currently serves as a Senior Judge on both of those courts, currently on a 60/40 basis.​

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    Duc​o Oranje joined the Amsterdam Bar in 1985, working in an international law practice including arbitration, insolvency, corporate law and banking law. He acted as an arbitrator in international ICC arbitrations. He has served as a judge in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal since 2010, focusing on commercial matters, mainly corporate and banking. He is the President of the NCC Court of Appeal.

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  • ​Carla Joustra was a lecturer of Private International Law at Utrecht University and has a PhD in private international law.  Later she served as clerk  for the advocates general at the Dutch Supreme Court. She joined the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in 2001. She has served as a Senior Judge since 2009, and joined The Hague Court of Appeal in 2014. She is the vice-chairwoman of the ‘Arbitration Commission for Appeals’ at the Dutch Institute for Financial Disputes.​

  • Judge Martin Vaessen has 25 years experience as a judge in several Netherlands Courts, including the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal and the ’s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal. He served as counsel at the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights for a year, preparing cases for adjudication. From January 2019 until September 2022 Judge Vaessen was a first instance judge at the Netherlands Commercial Court. He is currently a Judge in the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal.​

NCC Court of Appeal Judges | Competition law

  • ​Sylvia Evers was a lawyer specialising in European Union law, in particular competition law, and litigating cases in the District Courts, the Courts of Appeal and the European Court of Justice in Luxemburg. She was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Dutch Competition Authority. She joined the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeals in 2009 and currently serves as a Senior Judge in that Court. She is a lecturer of competition law at Grotius Academy and a speaker at conferences worldwide.​

  • ​Stefan Molin was a lawyer in a major firm’s competition practice for 12 years, advising and litigating in matters including cartel cases and civil follow-on litigation before the Dutch and European Union courts. He has served as a judge in the ’s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeal since 2017, dealing with corporate, commercial and competition law matters.​

  • ​Paul Glazener was a lawyer with a major global firm and based in the Amsterdam office, focusing on competition. He was the head of the competition practice and represented Dutch and international cli​ents in proceedings before the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the Dutch competition and regulatory authorities and the Dutch courts. He joined The Hague Court of Appeal in 2016 and currently serves in that court. He sits on the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven) by designation.​

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  • ​Pauline Hofmeijer-Rutten was elevated to the Rotterdam District Court in 1989, and to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in 2013 (while retaining her Rotterdam District Court duties). She currently serves as a Senior Judge on both of those courts, currently on a 60/40 basis.​

NCC Court of Appeal Judges | Intellectual property law

  • ​Pauline Hofmeijer-Rutten was elevated to the Rotterdam District Court in 1989, and to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in 2013 (while retaining her Rotterdam District Court duties). She currently serves as a Senior Judge on both of those courts, currently on a 60/40 basis.​

  • ​Bernt Hugenholtz is a Professor of Intellectual Property Law at the University of Amsterdam. He took emeritus status in 2021. He is a leading expert in the field of international and European copyright law. He has acted as a consultant to the major international and European institutions and national governments. He was a member of the Amsterdam Bar from 1990 to 1998, and currently serves as a judge (sitting by designation) in the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal and The Hague Court of Appeal.​

    Staff

    The NCC is supported by 3 senior law clerks (in Dutch: stafjuristen) and 1 administrative clerk. At an early stage in the beginning of a case, a specific law clerk is assigned to the case.

    Senior law clerks

    • Mr Willem Visser (linkedin.com) LL.M (Registrar)
    • Mr Erik Houbiers LL.M
    • Ms Amanda Hut LL.M
    • Mr Evertjan van Veelen LL.M

    • Ms Mariko Kloppenburg LL.M

    • Mr Jeremiah Johnston LL.M (by designation (buitengriffier))

    The duties of a law clerk include:

    • acting as liaison between the parties and the court on substantive issues
    • drafting judgments.

    Administrative clerk

    • Mr Martijn Peerenboom

    The duties of the administrative clerks include:

    • administrative duties, such as calculating and processing court fees
    • managing the case file
    • scheduling hearings.