Director
Languages spoken
Dutch | English | Spanish | French | German
Lennart Naijer is a director in the Litigation Practice Group, based in our Amsterdam office. Lennart handles complex, often international disputes in commercial arbitration, and corporate and commercial litigation, frequently in summary proceedings.
He acts for multinational clients in the energy, industrials, construction, aerospace and defence, and leisure and luxury sectors, as well as in shareholder and joint venture disputes. His work includes commercial arbitration, enforcement and attachment strategy, urgent interim proceedings and corporate inquiry proceedings.
Lennart is a “cross-over” lawyer. He previously worked in a top-ranked arbitration practice and an award-winning corporate/M&A and private equity practice, combining insight into corporate and transactional matters with deep procedural knowledge of litigation, international arbitration and mediation.
He acts in International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI), Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and ad hoc proceedings, and advises on enforcement and attachment strategy and urgent interim proceedings. He also represents clients in inquiry proceedings before the Enterprise Chamber (Ondernemingskamer).
Lennart’s combined corporate/M&A and disputes background supports pragmatic, commercially focused advice in complex matters. He is also trained as a legal mediator.
His international profile includes a secondment to the international arbitration practice of an international law firm in Paris and work at a specialist international arbitration boutique in Paris, including acting as tribunal secretary.
Lennart regularly publishes about dispute resolution, arbitration and corporate law-related subjects in various well-known law journals.
Acting for a global corporate services provider and its (former) directors in a €700 million director’s liability claim before the Amsterdam District Court, arising from alleged fraud within an international oil and gas group and raising complex group and director liability issues under foreign law.
Acting for a global commodity trader in litigation arising from a squeeze-out of minority shareholders, involving claims of approximately US$670 million, in close coordination with US counsel.
Advising an international energy company on a more than €1 billion indemnity dispute, including NAI arbitration strategy, interim protection and the interaction with Dutch insolvency and creditor-protection law.
Acting in high-profile proceedings before the Amsterdam District Court concerning the recognition and enforcement of foreign (non-treaty) court judgments relating to an alleged €900 million asset transfer in a sanctions-sensitive context.
Acting for a leading European dairy cooperative in arbitration against its joint venture partner concerning the commissioning of a more than €200 million dairy factory, obtaining a favourable award ordering substantial damages.
Acting for a UK investment firm in multitrack post-M&A litigation following the acquisition of a minority stake in an energy company valued at over €100 million, concerning information rights, warranty claims and loans.
Acting for a South Korean industrial conglomerate’s European subsidiary in a €25 million ICC arbitration arising from a longstanding exclusive distribution agreement, involving claims of unlawful termination, abuse of dominance and recharacterisation as an agency agreement.
Leading the representation of a Dutch life sciences company in an expedited NAI arbitration against a US biotech company, securing an award largely in the client’s favour and advising on enforcement in the US.
Leading first instance and appeal proceedings for a private equity-backed food processing technology company in a post-M&A earn-out dispute under a share purchase agreement.
Acting as Dutch lead counsel for a US medical device manufacturer in long-running product liability litigation linked to a US$6 billion Chapter 11 reorganisation, resulting in all Dutch claims being withdrawn or lapsing.
Leading the defence of a fintech and payments provider against a damages claim alleging regulatory breaches in connection with foreign exchange forward contracts, in coordination with UK colleagues.
Advising a multinational engineering company as third-party garnishee in attachment proceedings seeking to enforce a decades-old arbitral award against a state-owned entity, with the claim having grown to more than US$60 million.
Acting for a European cross-border client in arbitration relating to an over €200 million industrial development project.
Advising a multinational engineering company on enforcement and attachment strategy relating to a more than US$60 million arbitral award exposure.
Conducting urgent Dutch attachment proceedings concerning a US$10 million arbitral award, securing rapid release of attachments.
Acting in ICC arbitration concerning a €20 million commercial dispute involving jurisdiction and applicable law issues.
Acting in a post-M&A and shareholder dispute concerning a €100 million energy trading company involving deferred consideration and warranty issues.
Representing various clients in Enterprise Chamber corporate litigation and inquiry proceedings.
Member, Energy Committee, Dutch Arbitration Association (DAA)
Member, Vereniging Corporate Litigation
Co-author, “Arbitrage na de Wagevoe: blijft er ruimte voor arbitrage naast de wettelijke geschilllenregeling?” Geschriften vanwege de Vereniging Corporate Litigation 2025-2026, Kluwer, 2026.
Co-author, “De fairness opinion – hoe is het vergaan?” Geschriften vanwege de Vereniging Corporate Litigation 2025-2026, Kluwer, 2026.
Co-author, “Specialized Advocacy”, International Commercial Arbitration Against States, edited by William T. O’Brien, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2026.
Author, “What should Chinese overseas companies learn from the Nexperia incident?” Caixin Media, 2025.
Co-author, “ESG and International Arbitration – Beyond the Acronyms”, Tijdschrift voor Arbitrage, CEPANI Colloquium, Brussels, 2024.
Co-author, “Pragmatism Above All: The New York Convention Translation Requirement from the Dutch Perspective”, Journal of International Arbitration 39(4), 611-630, 2022.
Author, “De rol van de fairness opinion in de uitkoopprocedure”, note to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal (Enterprise Chamber), 14 January 2020 (Fortuna), BJU Tijdschriften, 2021.
Co-author, “De geschillenregeling in arbitrage. Onbekend maakt ten onrechte onbemind”, Geschriften vanwege de Vereniging Corporate Litigation 2020-2021, Kluwer, 2021.
Co-author, “Konfliktmanagement und Streitbeilegung zwischen deutschen und niederländischen Geschäftspartnern: Vorstellung und Vergleich des niederländischen Handelsgericht (Teil 1)”, Juris GmbH, 2020.
Co-author, “De fairness opinion en de uitkoopprocedure”, Geschriften vanwege de Vereniging Corporate Litigation 2018-2019, Kluwer, 2019.
Organiser, “The Energy Transition & (Un)Certainty – Contractual Risks, Unforeseen Circumstances, and Dispute Resolution in the Energy Sector”, 2026.
Speaker, “The Next Generation of Disputes in Arbitration”, NAI, 75 year anniversary.