Otto

When did you start working at Norton Rose Fulbright and in what team?

I joined the firm in 2002 as a mid-level associate in the Corporate Finance team. I was part of Ep Hannema’s corporate team, which also included Patrick de Vries and Saskia Blokland at the time. Ep was recruited to open an Amsterdam office alongside other founding partners. Norton Rose Fulbright’s new strategy then was to expand into mainland Europe and we were one of the first offices to open. Moving from a traditional Dutch domestic firm to an international one was a big change for me but undoubtedly very exciting. Setting up the office, developing the business and aligning our clients with those of Norton Rose Fulbright meant it was a demanding time but we received a lot of help and guidance from our London colleagues. I enjoyed those early years very much.

What are your favourite memories from your time with the firm?  

I spent more than a decade at the firm so I have many fond memories and the list of brilliant colleagues is just too long to allow me to name them all. I do have to mention Ep and Saskia having been close colleagues for such a long time.

In terms of the work, the capital markets work was particularly exciting and I worked on some high profile transactions alongside Marcel van de Vorst. The dynamics of these type of matters is particularly interesting, especially seeing how financial markets react. One such matter was a public offering for Hagemeyer, a large, well-known Dutch listed company which was in some difficulty. We advised on a rescue offering and it was one of the first of a series of public offerings we were involved in. The publicity around the matter presented some challenges as it was front page news and there was a lot of speculation. We drafted all the announcements and the prospectus and there were many late nights and through the night working. I remember spending nights at the printers page-turning and making last minute corrections to the prospectus. This wouldn’t happen now in our digital age but in those days it was common practice. 

Was there anyone who particularly inspired you or helped you in your career?

I always have been impressed by Ep’s ability to stay relaxed in the most stressful circumstances (and we have experienced a few). Where it comes to Saskia: from very early on it was clear that she was the sharpest knife in the drawer but most of all she is a very collegial person who was and is always available to provide a helping hand (for example helping me out when my oldest daughter was born and a matter suddenly acquired immediate attention. I vividly remember that I saw Saskia travelling home when we were on our way to the hospital at 3 am.) Our team secretary throughout this entire period was Karin van Lammeren – Haverkamp  and she was most certainly the heart and soul of the department (I have fond memories of Karin having invited me to join her to an Ajax champion league match). I think the fact that I am still in contact with all these people shows just what a tight-knit team we were.

Where has your career taken you since leaving Norton Rose Fulbright?

I left the firm when I was Counsel in 2014. My experience in corporate and regulatory capital markets allowed me to move to an in-house role and I became the legal director for ASML, the well-known  Euronext Amsterdam and Nasdaq listed semi-conductor company, probably the largest Dutch company nowadays. I worked there for 5 years but I had a long commute so I decided to return to a niche financial law firm nearer home. After a year there, I decided it was time to set up my own legal consulting firm which is what I still do. This has allowed me to work with my former company ASML, investment banks, for a year on WeTransfer’s attempted IPO and, most recently, back at Norton Rose Fulbright. It was a pleasure to come back and reconnect with my former colleagues.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given in your career?

I suppose it has to be Ep’s advice about what is important in life (and that is not work). He was an advocate of work life balance, long before it became in vogue.   

What do you do to relax when you are not working?

I am a father of three so as you can imagine my children have been the main focus of my attention. They are getting older but I still like to make sure they are working hard at school, although now they are not quite so keen on my involvement in that. I have a strong interest in history and science and I read a lot about these topics. I also play golf again. I  have played with Ep and Patrick a number of times over the years. I remember the times when Patrick and I – being roommates at the time - practiced our golf swing in the Amsterdam office, leading to a fierce and lengthy competition of trying to chip a soft practice golf ball  into a particular target. He was a good golfer but also quite competitive so I always made sure to quit the game while I was still ahead.