Van Benthem & Keulen rankings in the Legal500 EMEA 2026 edition

The rankings in the Legal500 EMEA 2026 edition were announced today. We are proud of the rankings achieved by our Banking & Finance, Corporate / M&A and Tech & Data teams.

The Banking & Finance team, led by Dennis Apperloo and Frank Richel, has been ranked in the Banking and Finance: Financial Services Regulatory category (Tier 3) for the ninth consecutive year. The Corporate / M&A team, led by Sander Marges, Steven Storm, Maaike Kamps and Gijs van Rooijen, has once again been ranked in the Commercial, Corporate and M&A (Tier 5) category. The Tech & Data team, led by Robert Boekhorst and Michael Reker, has also been ranked again this year in the Industry Focus: Information Technology (Tier 4) category.

We thank our clients for their participation in the survey and for their kind testimonials.

Team Banking & Finance

Practice area commentary: Van Benthem & Keulen is praised for its ability to turn its ‘extensive knowledge into practical understandable solutions’, acting for multinational banks and financial services companies. The practice group is jointly led by Dennis Apperloo and Frank Richel, who handle a mix of regulatory investigations, M&A compliance and fintech matters. Apperloo is regularly called upon to assist with interim relief proceedings relating to potential regulatory infringements. Richel is sought-after for his experience in regulatory advisory and contentious mandates.

Client testimonials: 

• 'High level of expertise in banking law, banking supervisory law and FinTech. The team possesses experience in cross-border matters and has a good network in the local market.'
• ‘Dennis Apperloo is an absolute expert in banking law. Our collaboration has always been perfect.'
• ‘The team is very strong in turning their extensive knowledge and wisdom into practical understandable solutions or advice.’
• 'Pragmatic and quick to respond.'
• 'Dennis Apperloo has excellent knowledge of civil law and gave us good, usable and practical, hands-on advice on drafting a new mortgage deed.'
• ‘Frank Richel is a good solicitor. He is modest, experienced and able to assess legal issues well.'
• 'Very knowledgeable with a customer-focused and down-to-earth approach.’
• 'Frank Richel is very pleasant to work with. easy to approach, thinks practically in finding solutions for challenges our company is faced with.'
• 'Pragmatism and quick to respond.'
• 'Very pragmatic and fair pricing.'

Team Corporate / M&A

Practice area commentary: Standing out for their its ‘approachability, commercial acumen, and client service’, Van Benthem & Keulen is well-equipped to support domestic clients across share- and company-level mergers, acquisitions, and divestments. Steven Storm, who showcases a strong track-record in technology, manufacturing and healthcare transactions, leads the team alongside Sander Marges, who handles the full spectrum of M&A matters.

Client testimonials:

• ‘Sander Marges and Maaike Kamps stand out for their approachability, commercial acumen, and client service. They offer workable, well thought through options to help clients move forward with confidence.’
• ‘Sander Marges, Steven Storm and Maaike Kamps are great transaction lawyers and a pleasure to work with.’
• 'Our experience with the team is that they are always very hands-on, quick to respond, and have a lot of readily available knowledge.’
• 'Gijs van Rooijen is an excellent and all-round M&A lawyer.'
• 'The practice operates in a very client-centric way. The associates and partners are always proactive and think beyond the scope of their works.'
• 'What sets this practice apart is its genuine commerciality, responsiveness, and the depth of partner-led engagement guiding clients through high-pressure situations with clarity, pragmatism and a clear understanding of their commercial priorities.’
• 'Maaike Kamps makes complex legal matters look very easy to comprehend, which is a rare quality for lawyers.'
• 'Great team, hands-on and pro-active in searching solutions in a deal.'

Team Tech & Data

Practice area commentary: Standing out for its ‘deep sector expertise’ and ‘practical, solutions-driven approach’, Van Benthem & Keulen is particularly sought-after on business-critical IT and cloud-sourcing work. The team is regularly instructed by corporates in heavily regulated sectors such as finance, transport, and logistics. The practice is jointly steered by IT and data privacy experts Robert Boekhorst and Michael Reker.

Client testimonials:

• 'The team's availability, presence and active involvement in various legal matters is profound and stand out. The team is sharp yet professional and polite.'
• ‘Robert Boekhorst is a strong leader in both negotiations as well in guiding companies which direction they should be heading. His drafting skills and memory are extraordinary.'
• 'Michael Reker can translate complex IT queries and challenges into easy-to-understand items, which helps companies taking the right decisions in a timely manner.'
• ‘They are highly skilled in ICT law on an academic level but even more so as a constructive solution-driven advisory practice.’
• ‘Van Benthem & Keulen’s IT practice combines deep sector expertise with a practical, solutions-driven approach.'
• 'What makes the team stand out is the ability to translate complex technology and data protection issues into clear, actionable legal advice that business stakeholders can immediately work with.'
• ‘I have worked with Robert Boekhorst for quite some time now. He stands out for his responsiveness, clarity of advice, and commercial awareness.'
• 'What I have valued most is the combination of availability, transparency, and deep knowledge of both the legal, technical and strategic aspects of IT matters.'
• 'Very practical hands-on approach.'