Employees tell

The enthusiastic, committed colleagues and a beautiful work location make me feel completely at home and I enjoy going to the office every day. I also find that every specialist in the office has excellent knowledge and professional skills. This combination was the reason why I switched to LVH Advocaten almost two years ago.

From my office on the ^27th floor I have a beautiful view of the Erasmus Bridge and almost every day a cruise ship docks below me. This sometimes provides visual distraction when I’m racking my brain over a complex case. LVH’s office has allure and provides a nice sign for clients and prospects, who are happy to drop by as a result.

The Rotterdam mentality of working hard and maintaining focus, without losing sight of the human dimension, makes for a pleasant working atmosphere. Overtime may occur, but is certainly not the norm. There is plenty of room for private time, sports (or a conversation about them) and relaxation. Every Friday afternoon we end the week with drinks and we regularly go out to dinner with colleagues. LVH lawyers love to work hard and relax. That is the ideal balance and keeps everyone healthy and driven in the long run.

Our lawyers are strong litigators and do so when functional and necessary. Through my extensive experience, I know that my office colleagues’ professional knowledge and skills are excellent in this regard. By remaining self-critical and providing colleagues with positive feedback, we keep service levels high. As a result, our lawyers experience a high degree of independence and freedom, and their curiosity means they never stop learning.
All this explains why many entrepreneurs have been and remain LVH Advocaten clients for years and there is little turnover among colleagues. They feel heard, helped and at home. And so do I.

Since my start as an attorney, which was February 2022, I have been working at LVH. Before that, during my master’s, I got to know the firm as a legal assistant. LVH made a good first impression on me back then and actually still lives up to that. I immediately became acquainted with all of LVH: the partners, the attorneys and practice assistants. My first day at LVH – the office was then still on the Veerhaven – I took a lunch walk with office colleagues Ben van Nieuwaal, Hans Rijntjes and Lisa Kloot. The inappropriate footwear notwithstanding – my heels and I were only counting on “a walk around the block” – I was glad I came along. I immediately felt welcome.

In terms of content, LVH knows how to challenge me well. As a novice lawyer, I don’t work exclusively for one of the office colleagues or my pattern, but many of the lawyers know how to find me to take on a case together. Ideal, since I was not yet immediately sure of my desired specialization. They also didn’t shy away from taking me through the more complex files early on here or letting me figure things out on my own. In doing so, especially in the early years, I was really given the time to tackle cases qualitatively and substantively well, without the pressure that all the time spent would necessarily be passed on to the client. And, more importantly, if at any point there was a lack of time or guidance, there was enough freedom and approachability at LVH to indicate that.

This culture, I have found, continues the more independent you become as a lawyer. The size of the team makes it easy to keep short lines of communication with everyone and usually a colleague’s door is open for substantive – or less substantive – consultation. Meanwhile, I have a four-day work week due to my social and musical activities, and that, as soon as I expressed that need, was responded to positively and given space. Although it is possible to work from home at LVH, I would say that there is not really a “work-at-home culture. I myself ride my office bike easily to the office daily, and I can count on all my colleagues to meet me there regularly. I have also gotten to know them in other ways in recent years, including during dinners, a boat trip on the Rottemeren, a painting course and a champagne trip in beautiful Rheims. Only good as far as I’m concerned, because that makes it extra fun to then work together for a cause.

At LVH Advocaten, I’ve had the opportunity to develop myself in various areas. I started as an intern and progressed to a role as a legal assistant and practice support officer. This has allowed me to gain first-hand experience of both the legal aspects and the organisation behind the practice. What has stayed with me most is the open and supportive culture. You’re given a lot of responsibility, can always turn to colleagues for help, and there’s plenty of scope to learn and develop yourself. There’s also a focus on the human side: successes are celebrated together and there’s always time for a chat. Thanks to the varied nature of the work and the great collaboration with colleagues, I look back on my time at LVH with great pleasure. It’s a place where you can learn a lot and where you really feel part of the team.

I have been working at LVH Advocaten with great pleasure since 2018. For me, it’s the people that make all the difference. We work hard and are fully committed to our clients every day, but there’s also plenty of scope for personal interaction and a friendly atmosphere. The atmosphere in the office is open and welcoming. Colleagues find it easy to get in touch with one another, doors are always open, and everyone is keen to help each other out. Whether it’s having lunch together, a chat by the coffee machine or bouncing an issue off someone: you really feel part of a team here. What’s more, at LVH you’re given the space to develop yourself and take the initiative. That combination of committed colleagues, an informal working atmosphere and challenging work means I enjoy going to the office every day.