Klaas has a strong reputation as an employment specialist for highly sensitive matters. He regularly advises and litigates on the dismissal of managing directors and other top management. He also has expert knowledge in management and employee participation structures and as such is a member of the firm-wide Corporate Governance Team.

Klaas is a frequent speaker at seminars and courses designed for attorneys addressing various aspects of employment law. He regularly publishes articles and comments in the employment case law journal (JAR). He is also a co-author of a book which deals with the new employment legislation which came into force as of 1 July 2015. The updated edition was recently released.

Klaas has been ranked as Leading Individual in the Legal 500 EMEA 2024 edition and as Band 1 in Chambers Europe 2024.

Sectors & Markets
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Memberships

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Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (NOvA), 
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Vereniging Arbeidsrecht Advocaten Nederland (VAAN)
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European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA)
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Vereniging voor Arbeidsrechtadvocaten Amsterdam (VvAA)
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Qualifications

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Post-graduate course Employment law (with honours), Grotius Academy, 2005
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Dutch law, University of Groningen, 2000

What others say

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Klaas Wiersma named "Practice head" in Employment
Legal 500 - EMEA (2024)
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Klaas Wiersma named "Leading individual" in Employment
Legal 500 - EMEA (2024)
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"Extremely responsive, inside and outside business hours. Strong employment law expertise, balancing compliance with pragmatic and business-enabling advice. A partnership, rather than a service. Klaas Wiersma is excellent and I really appreciate working with him. I have known him for many years and Klaas and his team provide excellent support."
Legal 500 - EMEA (2024)
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"I was referred to Klaas Wiersma and he very much lived up to his reputation as one of the outstanding lawyers in the field of Dutch labour law in general and settlement agreements in particular. I was impressed by his expertise, the upper-hand position he was continuously able to attain within the negotiations and his ability to define the right related tactics. Personally I was very satisfied with the result he achieved."
Legal 500 - EMEA (2024)
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"Klaas Wiersma is an excellent lawyer, with highly developed social and empathetic skills. He is businesslike, but always knows how to find the right balance between business and personal interests. That's a nice combination. In short, a top lawyer and top advisor!"
Legal 500 - EMEA (2024)
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"Klaas Wiersma is always available, knows exactly when I need something dealt with urgently and he always comes up with very practical advice. I respect him for his confidence during tough calls and what I like is that he also gives me confidence- working together is really a collaboration and a learning opportunity for me."
Legal 500 - EMEA (2024)
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"Klaas Wiersma is a great lawyer, adding value to the process of solving the problem. He provides a very high service level and is always available."
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2024)
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"Klaas is an excellent lawyer and very pleasant to work with. He is open, approachable and always available."
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2024)
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Klaas Wiersma is ranked Band 1 for Employment
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2024)
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Klaas Wiersma is recognised as Recommended in Labour & Employment
Who's Who Legal - (2023)
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Klaas Wiersma named "Practice head" in Employment
Legal 500 - EMEA (2023)
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Klaas Wiersma named "Leading individual" in Employment
Legal 500 - EMEA (2023)
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‘Klaas Wiersma is able to translate the client’s wishes and demands into a thought-out legal approach and outcome.’
Legal 500 - EMEA (2023)
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Klaas Wiersma is Band 1 ranked for Employment
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2023)
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"He is super-fast in his reasoning; it takes him a split second to assess the situation."
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2023)
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Klaas Wiersma is recognised as Thought Leader in Labour & Employment
Who's Who Legal - (2022)
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Klaas Wiersma is Band 1 ranked for Employment
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2022)
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‘Klaas Wiersma was always there when needed, able to build relationships quickly, and able to get to the root issues and challenges in a respectful and transparent way’.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2022)
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‘I worked directly with Klaas Wiersma, who was and is, incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, solution oriented, innovative, caring, compassionate and no doubt, has unquestionable integrity’.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2022)
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‘Klaas Wiersma is extremely responsive and combines in-depth legal knowledge with a pragmatic hands-on approach’.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2022)
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‘I am specifically impressed with Klaas Wiersma’s ability to make our issues his own’.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2022)
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‘Klaas Wiersma and his team are extremely knowledgeable about the law and even better at understanding how to apply it for the particular matter at hand’.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2022)
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"A fantastic lawyer"
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2022)
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"He has the ability to grasp all kinds of complex matters."
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2022)
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"Clients view him as a 'very practical lawyer who has a lot of knowledge upfront,' and who provides 'short and direct advice."
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2021)
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‘Klaas Wiersma is a very strong professional whose attitude, personality and working style make him a great advisor in separation matters involving executive management’.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2021)
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Klaas Wiersma moves up in the rankings this year with a strong work portfolio and glowing client praise. His solution-driven style is remarked upon by clients, one calling him "hands-on, swift, always available and very keen to do what needs to be done." He advises on the employment aspects of M&A transactions, such as employee transfers, as well as collective and individual dismissals.
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2021)
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I really appreciate working with Klaas Wiersma, because of his very high degree of services and the ability to help us in a practical way with the (difficult) employment law issues we have to deal with.
Legal 500 - EMEA (2020)
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Klaas Wiersma is always available and has a very practical approach, he helps us resolve employment issues quickly and efficiently
Legal 500 - EMEA (2020)
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Klaas Wiersma boasts extensive experience acting for large corporates on cross-border labour law matters, including mobility structures and flexible working structures. Wiersma is acclaimed by clients as a "great lawyer who is responsive and gives good advice. Another interviewee states that he is "very pleasant to work with, very knowledgeable, down-to-earth and a hands-on problem solver."
Chambers & Partners - Europe (2020)
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Klaas Wiersma

Partner - Attorney at Law

klaas.wiersma@loyensloeff.com

Amsterdam

Dutch, English

Person image

<p>Klaas Wiersma, attorney at law, is the chairman of the Employment & Benefits practice group in the Netherlands. He has over 20 years’ all-round experience in employment law, with a particular focus on the employment aspects of, mostly international, M&A-deals, co-determination procedures, restructurings and collective dismissals and cross-border employment. Klaas is also a member of the Private Equity team.</p>

Klaas has a strong reputation as an employment specialist for highly sensitive matters. He regularly advises and litigates on the dismissal of managing directors and other top management. He also has expert knowledge in management and employee participation structures and as such is a member of the firm-wide Corporate Governance Team.

Klaas is a frequent speaker at seminars and courses designed for attorneys addressing various aspects of employment law. He regularly publishes articles and comments in the employment case law journal (JAR). He is also a co-author of a book which deals with the new employment legislation which came into force as of 1 July 2015. The updated edition was recently released.

Klaas has been ranked as Leading Individual in the Legal 500 EMEA 2024 edition and as Band 1 in Chambers Europe 2024.