Ep HannemaEp Hannema joined the firm in 2002 and after almost 20 years, retired from the partnership at the end of 2021. Ep has been instrumental in the success of our Amsterdam office as well as a well-respected corporate lawyer. We caught up with Ep to hear about his early days with the firm and his plans for the future.

Pioneer

I clearly remember joining the firm as it was really quite a difficult time. At that time there were a lot of international law firms looking to get a base in Amsterdam and our former firm had been in merger discussions with then Norton Rose but they were not successful. I was (and still am) a corporate lawyer and the prospect of leaving quite a traditional Dutch firm to join an international firm was very attractive to me as it presented me with new specialisation opportunities to enhance my credibility and my practice. So, along with a small group of fellow partners, we left to set up the Norton Rose Amsterdam office. Our former firm were not too happy about it to say the least - we had bailiffs knocking on the doors of our homes and a legal battle with them ensued. It was not the easiest of starts but we relished our pioneering phase. Sitting in temporary offices, we couldn’t imagine the successful office it has now become and, in hindsight, it was a very exciting time.

Highs and lows

When I look back on my career with Norton Rose Fulbright, I recall the many transactions I was involved in. One of my favourites was the acquisition of ING Car Lease by BMW, a long standing client of firm.  The collaboration with the London office and working with people including Robin Brooks and Mark Lloyd-Williams made it both interesting and satisfying. It was also among the largest we had done in Amsterdam – 3.5 billion euros. I also have been fortunate to work a lot with James Bateson who has been very supportive in building the Insurance practice in Amsterdam .

On the flip side, for many years I worked for the Dutch National Lottery and it became one of my most challenging cases. After making a mistake in their advertisements about the chances of winning lottery draws, a number of claim foundations sprung up as people saw it as a way to make easy money from the deep pockets of the Dutch State. These claims involved a lot of money and it was one of the most intensive cases I have handled. In fact, there is a still a legal fight going on today. It was definitely the most stressful matter I worked on and I stepped away from it a few years ago. 

Making Managing Partner

I became Managing Partner in 2006 more or less from necessity. The partner who had set up the office left relatively soon afterwards and, although running the office had not been my initial plan, I was apparently the obvious candidate. I have to say that managing a law firm within Norton Rose Fulbright is not that difficult as there was and still is a great deal of support from London. Firstly, I worked closely with Peter Martyr, then with Tim Marsden and Martin Scott and their assistance and encouragement was always readily available. In addition, the fact that the Amsterdam office consists of a cohesive group of partners made life much easier too. I certainly enjoyed my time as Managing Partner, working with a wonderful group of people and acting as the lynchpin between our global offices and Amsterdam. It was that part of my role that led me to get involved in the mergers initiated by Peter Martyr, especially those with Australia and Canada. I was ideally placed to tell the good news story of how it was to be a new firm within Norton Rose Fulbright.  

A unique culture

Everything in the Amsterdam office is so well organised. I know IT is often a source of complaint but the IT team in Amsterdam are extremely good and very proactive and I will miss them and my other colleagues also of course. There are still a couple of us who started together 20 years ago. I already miss the generation that I worked with 5-10 years ago, most of whom have now left. When I stepped down as team leader, I was delighted that the new team leader was a previous trainee of mine - that is just how it should be. Most of all though I will miss the humanity and personal touch that the firm has always embraced as its culture. In law firms, there is a lot of talk about profitability and hours but I think one of the best features of Norton Rose Fulbright is that it is able to make money whilst still retaining its unique culture. It is a culture that I have always felt fitted me well. 

Now and next

I am the Non-Executive Chairman of Green Retail House which is a real estate fund with £1billion property portfolio. It is one of three parts of a large family-owned conglomerate which also comprises Zeeman, a well-known clothing retail chain in Holland with over 1600 shops, and a private equity company owning investments in listed and non-listed companies. As well as being responsible for the real estate business, I also advise the family foundation which sits on top of everything.  
When I retire from Norton Rose Fulbright at the end of this year I will be joining a small law firm in Rotterdam. I will continue with my non-exec role at Green Retail House and for the family foundation but I will also work with this new law firm but it is a much looser arrangement. It is not a competitor of Norton Rose Fulbright but rather a one on one advisory business. I don’t have the mind-set to retire fully just yet as I feel I get my energy from working. I had a rough time last year with bereavement and ill health and I am grateful to all the people in the Amsterdam in particular Daphne Broerse, Marjolein van Leunen and Saskia Blokland who were so wonderfully supportive. These challenges have given me a new sense of perspective – this is the time to love life!