Wouter de Clerck
2316 WB Leiden
2301 RA Leiden
Attorney-at-law
Wouter de Clerck is a specialist in complex, cross-border disputes, acting as counsel in arbitration or before the national courts. Wouter also advises on civil fraud and associated claims. Many of his clients are active in the energy and technology sectors.
Specialisations
The disputes in which Wouter assists his clients often involve commercial contracts for the supply of services or goods (including energy, oil and natural gas), share purchase agreements, or joint venture agreements. Wouter has experience of arbitrations under international arbitration rules (NAI, ICC, PCA, LCIA and SIAC) as well as ad hoc arbitrations (UNCITRAL). In addition, Wouter regularly conducts proceedings before the Dutch courts in matters related to arbitration such as international jurisdiction or recognition and enforcement of arbitration decisions. Wouter also sits as arbitrator. He is included on the arbitrator lists of the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) and of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC).
Work experience
Wouter started his career as a lawyer in 2006 at Houthoff, following which he worked in the international arbitration practice of DLA Piper from 2012 to 2019. In 2020, he joined Legaltree. Wouter regularly writes and lectures on arbitration law, procedural law and of private international law. He is also a guest lecturer at Leiden University.
Below are some of the cases in which Wouter has recently been involved:
- Advising an investment fund on enforcement of EUR 1.6bn worth of claims against a foreign sovereign and its state companies;
- Acting for a former director of a Dutch joint venture company in a fraud dispute resulting from the nullification by a Dutch arbitral tribunal of a share transaction;
- Lead counsel in the Dutch leg of a cross-border fraud dispute over a USD 31.5m SIAC arbitral award.
- Co-counsel in EUR 1 billion enforcement proceedings pertaining to the nationalisation of an Eastern European bank;
- Acting for the former CEO of an energy company in a USD 590 million cross-border fraud dispute situated in Eastern-Europe and the Netherlands.
Memberships & ancillary positions
- Guest lecturer Arbitration law – Leiden University, 2016-present
- Lecturer of arbitration law – Law Firm School, 2014-present
- Member – Dutch Arbitration Association (DAA)
Education
- Bond University Australia – LLM International dispute resolution, 2005
- Leiden University – Civil law (with honours), 2004
Testimonials
'Very proactive approach, in-depth knowledge of the industry, out of the box thinking.’
‘The firm's business model of highly experienced individual practitioners working at Legaltree assures direct contact with the partner/practitioner without the overhead and more formalistic way of working of large law firms.’
Legal500 2025
International arbitration
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Dispute resolution
Specialisatie
