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Tim Sweerts

Senior Associate

Tim specializes in complex litigation and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on class actions, corporate disputes and ESG litigation.

He has extensive experience in defending class actions litigation involving consumer protection, miss-selling, data privacy and antitrust and securities litigation. He secured high profile wins for clients in several landmark class actions in the Netherlands. Clients include large corporations and financial institutions. He also helped secure favorable collective settlements. Tim is part of our class action group and an award-winning author and regular speaker on mass litigation and class actions, in and outside the Netherlands.

Tim’s corporate disputes practice focusses on the representation of corporations and directors in disputes and litigation involving mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance disputes and securities litigation and class actions. He has notable experience in advising and representing clients in litigation on transformative change of their corporations. Notably, he successfully defended the first court-tested pre-wired asset sale after a public offer in the Netherlands in mass shareholder litigation. He also successfully defended the Netherlands’ leading telecom provider in litigation before the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on the integration of the first internet provider in the Netherlands. Tim also often advises clients in pre-litigation dispute resolution.

As part of his ESG litigation and risk mitigation practice, Tim advises, amongst others, on litigation risk on disclosures, climate plans, green claims / greenwashing, grey washing, climate change and other high impact litigation risk.

Tim graduated with honors and cum laude in Civil Law and Company Law from Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He attended the National University of Singapore and is an INSEAD alumnus (MAPB’21).

Experience

Representative matters

A listed insurance company on several class actions and class settlements re securities leasing products.
 
A telecom company in enquiry proceedings before the Dutch enterprise chamber on the integration of the first internet provider in the Netherlands.
 
The importer of Volkswagen group in several class actions on Diesel emissions.
 
The target/seller in litigating the first court-tested pre-wired asset sale following a public offer.
 
An energy company in a class action on pricing for high-usage clients.
 
A financial institution in collective FX antitrust litigation.
 
An international electronics company in a follow-on class action regarding televisions.
 
Several listed and non-listed companies on ESG risk mitigation.

Published Work

  • Sweerts. T.M., Vermeulen. E.C.A. (2023) “Kroniek collectieve acties en schikkingen 2022” in Geschriften vanwege de Vereniging Corporate Litigation 2022-2023, Deventer: Wolters Kluwer
  • Van der Velden. B.W.G., Sweerts. T.M., Aarts. S.R.F.(2023) “Procederen over duurzaamheid in de bancaire sector” in Duurzaam Bankieren, Deventer, Wolters Kluwer
  • Van der Velden. B.W.G., Sweerts. T.M., (2016-2023) “Introduction to Non-US Class Actions” and section “The Netherlands” in Litigating securities class actions, USA, Lexis Nexis
  • Sweerts. T.M., Hackeng. J.F. (2022) “Eén voor allen en allen door één: over representativiteit in het collectieve actierecht” in Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Burgerlijk Recht 2022/33, Deventer, Wolters Kluwer

Speaking Engagements

  • Regular speaker on class actions and mass litigation in and outside of the Netherlands
  • Regular speaker on ESG litigation and risk mitigation in and outside of the Netherlands
  • Guest lecturer Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen on ESG litigation in the financial sector

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

Member, Vereniging Corporate Litigation

Awards

  • Publication Price on Class Actions 2022 (award from Stichting Onderzoek Collectieve Actie)

Qualifications

Admissions

Advocaat, Netherlands, 2014

Listed in the register of legal practice areas of the Dutch Bar Association for [Rechtsgebied] Burgerlijk procesrecht (Litigation)

Academic

Management Acceleration Programme, INSEAD (Fontainebleau, France)

LLM. Corporate Law, Utrecht University (the Netherlands)

LL.M. Civil Law, Utrecht University (the Netherlands)

LL.B. law, Utrecht University (the Netherlands)

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.