DCLP Top 10 Law Firms Sint Maarten 2013

The legal website Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal (www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com) annually composes rankings of Dutch Caribbean law firms based on the number of lawyers employed. Following from this, per jurisdiction top-10 lists are published. Today the DCLP Top-10 Law Firms Sint Maarten 2013 has been released. The largest law firm on (the Dutch side of) Sint Maarten is again BZSE with nine lawyers (and one tax lawyer, not included in the list). Since its establishment in 2009, after a merger, this firm has a strong footprint in Sint Maartens legal society. Remarkable is that most of the firms remain steady in terms of number of lawyers. That being said, one firm shows a remarkable growth. The largest regional law firm, VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne, landed on Sint Maarten in 2011, has grown significantly with 500% from one to five lawyers. Also, Lexwell, second largest law firm on Sint Maarten and established in 2001, has grown from 6 to 8 attorneys. HBN Law, with a total of 31 lawyers in the Dutch Caribbean, and Gibson & Associates both have a significant local presence on the island with seven lawyers each. At the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaao and St. Maarten and Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba approximately 350 lawyers are officially registered. Of these lawyers, about 60 are working at law firms on Sint Maarten (approx. 17%).

Position

Last year

Law Firm

Number of Total number lawyers (in Number of of lawyers in Sint lawyers last Dutch Maarten year Caribbean office)

1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7

(1) (3) (3) 2) (7) (4) (5) (6) (6) (6)

BZSE Attorneys and Tax Advisers Lexwell HBN Law Gibson & Associates VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne Bermon Law office Duncan Brandon Hoeve Marica Stomp Lawyers Fox / Romer & Partner Richardson Nicolaas

9 8 7 7 5 5 4 3 2 2

9 6 6 6 1 5 4 2 2 2

9 8 31 7 39 5 4 3 2 2

Source: legal website Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal (www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com )

Note: this list is based on information provided by the law firms concerned (a.o. websites and official information from the Bar Association). Tax lawyers, notarial lawyers and paralegals are not included.

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