My firm is registered under the name mr. A. Hoekstra-Wagemans, advocaat, which stands for Anne Hoekstra-Wagemans, LL.M, attorney at law. I am Anne Hoekstra. I majored in Dutch Law (LL.M. ) and in English language and literature (M.A.), both at the University of Leiden, and took an additional minor in Communications. Subjects, obviously, which can all be put to good use in a lawyer’s practice.

I work in the field of law because I like to make a difference. It is a sentiment that, for me, never changed over the years—it is very gratifying to give one’s clients the advantage of exactly that little bit of extra zeal and professional knowledge to actually substantiate their rights and get them what they are entitled to. That can make the difference for any company (especially when it is not very large), the difference in the ability to conduct one’s business, the difference in company results, and for private clients, the difference in one’s very life. I still find that rewarding.

I started my own law firm in August 2008, so I can work exactly the way I feel best fit for the particular case and client. In the legal services I offer, I try to combine the best of the knowledge and experience I gathered over the years. The experience of different sorts of law firms – ranging from small to very large – the experience I had as a Judge in the District Court, as well as the experience of being a lawyer’s client – and it is safe to say that the latter, too, is a valuable experience for any lawyer, if not an eye-opener.