Linklaters adds to Dutch banking nous

Koopal will be Linklaters' first dedicated banking partner in the Netherlands since the office was founded in April 1999. As revealed on www.the lawyer.com (1 June), he will head an initial team of three and focus on a range of banking work for investment banks and corporates. His start date is still under discussion.

Until now, Linklaters' local law banking offering has centred on former Allen & Overy (A&O) partner Pim Horsten, who joined in June 2004. But as Amsterdam partner Richard Levy put it, Horsten's "first love" is capital markets. "We're looking to build a focused offering in premium-end corporate and finance work," said Levy. "Martijn's arrival will help give us a very good base of areas we can cover." Levy added that, "in due course", the intention was to create a full-service office.

The hire follows that of Horsten and corporate partner Pieter Riemer, also from A&O, in January 2005.

Koopal joined DLA SchutGrosheide in 2001 from KPMG's former tied law firm, the now defunct Steins Bisschop Meijburg & Co.