Willem’s practice includes advising and litigating for various parties within the areas of planning and environmental law and real estate law. He advises clients both from a legal as a strategic perspective in projects or transaction. Eventual civil and administrative litigation is second nature to Willem. He specialises in spatial planning law, environmental law related to facilities (inrichtingen), REACH, substances of very high concern, land use policy, in particular expropriation, the Dutch Act on Preferential Rights of Municipalities (Wvg), long-term ground lease, and land exploitation, and energy law.

Willem acts on behalf of property developers, investors, businesses in the (chemical) industry, utility companies, and parties active in (sustainable) energy projects. His clients further include local and regional authorities, such as municipalities, provinces, and environmental services.

Because of his broad range of expertise and experience, Willem quickly perceives strategic interrelationships, making him the right sparring partner for his clients. Also, his clients value his practical solutions and unambiguous language. Not to mention his extensive knowledge of the market and of the relevant areas of law which enable him to get to the heart of the matter quickly, and to find the right solutions for his clients.

Willem is the author of books on planning and environmental law (VIND Omgevingszaken (Grondexploitatie)) and administrative law (VIND Bestuursrecht (Wvg)), and multiple Dutch law journals regularly publish his comments on court decisions. Additionally, Willem enjoys lecturing on various subjects related to his practice (inter alia long-term ground lease on account of the Berghauser Pont Academy, and on land exploitation for the Dutch Academy for the Practice of Law (Academie voor de Rechtspraktijk)). In 2012, Willem completed the Grotius Academy course on Environmental and Planning Law with honours.

Industry focus

• (Sustainable) energy
• Industrial sector
• Government
• Real Estate

Areas of expertise

• Construction Law
• Constitutional and administrative law
• Energy
• Land acquisition and exploitation
• Real Estate
• Spatial planning and environmental law

Experience

Willem’s work includes:

• Advising various project developers on natural gas-free building and construction;
• Advising Tata Steel regarding the emissions of dust and graphite, which are released during the handling of iron slags and have regularly spread to neighboring communities (Wijk aan Zee) and caused unrest under its inhabitants ("graphite rain"), thereby also causing much media attention;
• Advising both strategically and legally on various areas for development, including the areas of Wickevoort Haarlemmermeer and Koningsoord Berkel-Enschot in Tilburg, Noorderhaven in Zutphen, and Othene in Terneuzen;
• Representing the province of Zuid Holland concerning the environmental permits of Chemours/DuPont in Dordrecht related to the desired reduction in the exhaust of GenX;
• Acting on behalf of the Municipality of Dordrecht with regard to the establishment of the zoning plan “Zuidrand van Dubbeldam”. Pursuant to this zoning plan, the development of Belthure Park (a project consisting out of 220 houses and a golf course) Is no longer possible. The Judicial Division of the Council of State, has ruled that the Municipality was authorized to amend the existing zoning plan in favour of maintaining the green polder landscape.

Awards

• PropertyNL Top-60 Real estate lawyers
• Ranked lawyer in Chambers Europe 2022 Public Law: Planning and Environment, Band 3: One client states: "He is a very knowledgeable and business-savvy counsel and an expert in the field of environmental law. He is capable of providing thorough but practical legal advice in complex matters, while always keeping a close eye on our business interests."
• Chambers Europe 2022: Public Law: Band 3, Planning & Environment: Band 2: Strengths: Reflecting on the firm's increasing market presence. One client says: "pragmatic and hands-on legal support", another source admires its "commercial understanding of a transaction."
• Chambers Europe 2022 Energy & Natural Resources: Regulatory, Band 3
  
• Legal 500 2022 Environment and Planning (Tier 1): ‘Van der Feltz has shown not only in depth knowledge of specific (fields of) laws and regulations, but also the ability to integrate insights from various fields into their advice.‘ ‘They have shown the ability to provide a structured overview of applicable regulations and the ways in which they interconnect.‘

• Legal 500 2022 Real Estate (Tier 5): ‘The work produced was of a high standard, despite tight deadlines.’ Individual members are highly specialised, thus offering a wide breadth of expertise as a team.’

Professional associations

• Visiting lecturer at Amnesty International
• Member of the Dutch Association for Expropriation Lawyers
• Member of the Dutch Association for Expropriation Law
• Member of the Dutch Association for Construction Law
• Member of VAR (Association for Administrative Law)
• Member of the Dutch Association for Environmental Law