Amsterdam · Aequum Counsel · Est. 2014

Clear legal counsel for confident commercial decisions

Aequum Counsel is an Amsterdam law firm. We provide legal analysis, document preparation, transaction support, and consultations for individuals and businesses across the Netherlands and the European Union.

Book a consultation Areas of practice
1450+
Clients advised
480+
Contracts drafted
92%
Return engagement
12 yrs
Years of practice
02/Methodology

Four practice lines, one standard of work

Every instruction at Aequum Counsel is treated as an independent legal project, irrespective of its scale. From a private consultation to a multi-party transaction, we apply the same approach: thorough analysis, carefully drafted documents, transparent timelines, and a precise written record of the outcome.

01

Legal Analysis

We examine the facts, the documents, and the applicable Dutch and European law. Our written opinion sets out the position, the risks, and a realistic outlook for the matter.

02

Document Preparation

We draft and review contracts, claims, statements, and corporate instruments — balancing legal precision, the client's commercial interests, and ease of execution.

03

Transaction Support

We support sales, leases, corporate operations, and cross-border contracts — from structuring and negotiations through to closing and registration where applicable.

04

Legal Consultations

We provide clear, structured answers to legal questions — orally or in writing — together with concrete recommendations on next steps and a candid view of the risks.

Aequum Counsel offices on Keizersgracht, Amsterdam
03/The Firm

An Amsterdam practice built on careful work

Aequum Counsel is located on Keizersgracht in central Amsterdam, in the Grachtengordel canal district near the Westermarkt. The firm has been practising since 2014. Over twelve years we have grown from a small office serving owner-managed businesses into an established team handling mid-market corporate transactions and cross-border instructions across the Netherlands and the European Union.

The team is built around lawyers admitted to the Amsterdam Bar (Orde van Advocaten) with experience in the Dutch courts, supported by specialists in corporate law, contract law, and legal analytics. We maintain working relationships with notarissen, tax advisers, and partner firms in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and a number of other EU jurisdictions.

  • /Lawyers admitted to the Amsterdam Bar
  • /Advice in English, Dutch, and German
  • /Clients across the Benelux, the EU, and the broader European market
04/How We Work

Four steps from instruction to closure

01
Stage I
Initial Review

We listen to the client, examine the documents, identify the legal nature of the matter, and provide a preliminary view on how it can sensibly be resolved.

02
Stage II
Strategy & Terms

We agree the legal strategy, scope of work, timeline, and fees. All terms are confirmed in writing before any active work begins.

03
Stage III
Active Conduct

We draft documents, conduct negotiations, and engage with counterparties, notaries, and public authorities on behalf of the client.

04
Stage IV
Closure & Report

We monitor the implementation of the agreed terms, finalise the documentation, and provide the client with a structured closing report.

05/Client Voices

In the words of those we have advised

”

Aequum advised on our acquisition of a commercial property in the Jordaan — title due diligence, the SPA, the notarial closing. Steady work throughout, plain commercial advice, and they kept the process to a tight timetable.

Sander van der Meer
Managing director · Amsterdam
”

We engaged Aequum on a multi-jurisdictional matter that touched Dutch, Belgian, and German law. They handled the Dutch element with precision and coordinated cleanly with our other counsel. Easy to work with, even on tight points.

Charlotte Beaumont
Partner · Brussels
”

For our technology venture they put together the corporate framework — articles of association, shareholders' agreement, and standard contracts. Drafting was clear, the commercial trade-offs were explained, and the timetable was honest.

Marc Janssen
Founder · Rotterdam
06/Our Experience

From a single contract to a multi-party transaction

We accept a broad range of legal instructions and do not confine the practice to one specialism. Each matter is given a tailored strategy, a candid view of the prospects, and the level of care that distinguishes considered legal work from procedural attendance.

Discuss your matter
  • Legal review of facts, risks, and existing documentation
  • Drafting, adaptation, and review of contracts of any complexity
  • Preparation of claims, formal responses, and official correspondence
  • Conduct of negotiations with counterparties and partners
  • Transactions involving real property, shares, and other assets
  • Advice on employment, family, and succession matters
  • Engagement with public registries, authorities, and the notariat
  • Cross-border instructions involving partners in other jurisdictions
Lawyer consultation at Aequum Counsel
07/Tailored Approach

Each instruction is built on its own facts

Legal matters rarely repeat themselves. A private client's dispute over a residential lease is structured very differently from a corporate disagreement over the distribution of profits, or a question of cross-border succession over commercial property. For that reason we do not work from templates — every matter begins with a careful legal diagnosis.

The diagnosis produces a structured roadmap: which legal instruments fit the situation, which actions are realistically achievable and within what timeframe, and which risks have to be accounted for in advance. The terms of engagement are confirmed in writing before substantive work commences.

08/Our Principles

Four standards we hold to

α
Reasoned Argument

Every position rests on a rule, a precedent, or a documented fact. We do not put forward assertions for their own sake.

β
Discipline

Deadlines are kept, undertakings are recorded in writing, and the conduct of each matter follows the agreed protocol without departure.

γ
Integrity

Conflicts of interest are excluded. Client information is held under legal professional privilege and the standards of the GDPR.

δ
Partnership

We work with the client as a partner — transparent decisions, open dialogue, and shared strategy throughout the matter.

09/Frequent Questions

Concise answers to common queries

The questions below are those most often raised by clients on first contact with Aequum Counsel. If your question is not addressed here, please write to us through the contact form — we reply within one business day.

Legal consultation at Aequum Counsel

Our practice is built on reasoned legal work rather than presence. Every opinion, every position in negotiation, and every drafted document is grounded in the relevant rule and the established case law. The client receives not general guidance but a worked legal position with a clear structure and a candid assessment of the prospects.

All client information is held under legal professional privilege and the standards of the GDPR. Correspondence is conducted through encrypted channels; documents are stored on EU-located servers with role-based access. Information is not disclosed to third parties save where the law requires it or where it is necessary to fulfil the client's instructions, with their agreement.

The core of the practice is civil, contract, corporate, and commercial law. We also handle employment, family, and succession matters; property work; and cross-border contracts. For matters that call for narrow specialisation (tax audit, arbitration, immigration), we engage specialist counsel from our network.

For urgent enquiries we ordinarily provide an initial consultation within one business day. For matters that require immediate action — limitation periods, appeal deadlines, asset protection — we operate an expedited protocol: rapid review, identification of critical dates, and preparation of procedural documents to a tight schedule.

Yes — that is precisely the purpose of the initial consultation. We examine the circumstances and the key documents and provide a preliminary legal assessment: which paths to resolution are available, how realistic each is, and what resources will be required. If a matter is unviable or carries disproportionate risk, we say so plainly. The retainer is signed only once the client understands the plan of work and the fee structure.
Post-matter support at Aequum Counsel
10/After Closure

Support that continues beyond signing

Once the substantive work is complete, the client receives a structured closing report: which stages were carried out, which legal instruments were used, which documents have been issued, and where they are held. The report is a practical reference for the client — for the recurrence of related matters or for handing the file to other counsel in due course.

We also issue legal-hygiene recommendations: which documents to retain and in what form, which limitation periods apply, and what preventive steps may be taken to avoid the recurrence of similar issues. Where the client wishes to continue the relationship in related areas, we do so without re-opening the underlying facts.

11/Key Figures

Parameters that describe the practice

12+

Years of continuous practice

Aequum Counsel has been practising in Amsterdam since 2014. Over twelve years we have grown from a small office serving owner-managed businesses into an established team handling mid-market corporate transactions and cross-border instructions across the Netherlands and the European Union.

1450+

Matters successfully resolved

More than one thousand four hundred clients over the lifetime of the firm — private individuals, owner-managed businesses, and corporate clients. A meaningful share of new instructions arrives by recommendation from former clients and partner firms.

12/Areas of Practice

Branches of law in which Aequum Counsel practises

Our experience covers the principal branches of civil and commercial law in the Netherlands and Europe. We are familiar with the prevailing case law, the regulatory landscape, and the practical art of building a sound legal position for each instruction.

Civil Law Contract Law Corporate Law Employment Law Family Law Succession Real Property Commercial Transactions Cross-border Contracts

Alongside the core practice we maintain working relationships with notaries, tax advisers, auditors, and partner firms in the Netherlands and abroad. This allows us to assemble the right team for each matter and to deliver an integrated answer to questions that cross practice areas.

The arrangement is particularly useful in cross-border transactions, in international succession, and in complex corporate operations, where a sound legal position requires more than one professional perspective.

13/Gallery

The firm, the team and the work

Partner network
14/Partner Network

A network of specialists at the client's side

Aequum Counsel maintains long-standing working relationships with professional bodies, notarial offices, and specialist firms in Amsterdam, elsewhere in the Netherlands, and across a number of European jurisdictions. We work with colleagues in Brussels, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, and Dublin.

This network allows us to bring together the right team for each matter — a tax adviser, an auditor, a real-estate specialist, or international arbitration counsel. It is particularly valuable on instructions that go beyond a single jurisdiction or a single area of law, where a sound legal position depends on the combination of several professional viewpoints.

15/Book a Consultation

Receive a clear plan for your matter

An initial consultation in Amsterdam is offered free of charge and without obligation. We review the circumstances and propose concrete next steps within one business day.

Book Now
16/Lifecycle of a Matter

Four phases in every instruction

i
Weeks 1–2
Initial Diagnosis

Receipt of the materials, legal review of the facts, examination of the documents, and a preliminary view on how the matter can sensibly be resolved.

ii
Weeks 2–6
Strategy & Drafting

Formulation of the legal strategy, drafting of contracts, claims, statements, and other documents. Confirmation of engagement terms in writing.

iii
Months 2–9
Active Conduct

Representation in negotiations and dealings with notaries, public bodies, and where necessary the courts. Periodic written updates throughout.

iv
Months 6–18
Closure & Aftercare

Monitoring of the implementation of the agreed terms, finalisation of documentation, the closing report, and recommendations for legal hygiene.

17/Get in Touch

A first step towards resolving your matter

Please complete the short form below — within one business day a member of Aequum Counsel will contact you and propose concrete next steps.

By sending this form you agree to our privacy policy.