UK Law Office Osborne Clarke Opens an Office in Amsterdam – Heralding a New Era of Increased Competition

The mid-sized UK law office Osborne Clarke is planning to open an office in Amsterdam. The Dutch office will open its doors in 2014. The reason is clear: Osborne Clarke wants to expand its European presence. The office will focus on the enterprise market with several dozens of lawyers.

Osborne Clarke is not the first foreign law office to enter the Dutch market. At the beginning of 2013, US law Jones Day opened an office in Amsterdam. But also US law firm Greenberg Traurig is looking for foothold in the Netherlands – according to the grapevine, it wants to take over boutique law firm Spigt Litigators.

These recent developments are rocking the Dutch law market and signify the end of a long era of stability. The last shift occurred during the turn of the century when a group of UK law firms, including Allen/Overy and Linklaters, opened offices in the Netherlands. It started a new trend: Dutch multinationals turned more and more to those UK offices for legal advice instead of hiring the services of their local Dutch counterparts.

With 600 lawyers on its payroll, recent market entrant Osborne Clarke is substantially smaller than Allen and Overy or Linklaters. Osborne Clarke focuses its law services on clients in specific sectors. As part of its strategy, it already opened offices in Brussels and Paris. Opening an office in Amsterdam is a logical step in its continental European strategy to cater to its international clients.

Quite likely, more UK and US law firms will follow suit and establish a foothold in the Netherlands. Dutch law firm have to handle the increased competition and find ways to stay competitive. The need to show why hiring them would serve Dutch multinationals better compared to those new foreign kids on the block  must be a priority.

(Image courtesy of Osborne Clarke)