What do a gown, a helmet and a pair of cap boots have to do with each other? Everything!

You have to be a little crazy to join forces as lawyers specializing in providing legal assistance to companies in the infrastructure sector.

Crazy about civil engineering indeed. Lenneke Muller, Robert Jan Kwaak and Edwin van Dijk share this passion and are partners within Construct Advocaten. Standard in the trunk? A pair of wellies and a helmet. After all, you sometimes have to 'go into the field' to assess a situation.

It all started in late 2017, during a lunch walk. Lenneke and Robert Jan, then "just" colleagues of each other, wondered what it would be like to operate as business partners in the world of construction law. At the kitchen table -end of 2017- at Lenneke's house, the final plan was forged for Construct Lawyers. "We had been colleagues for 7 years, so it was exciting to see if the click was good enough to also go through life as business partners. In early 2018, we took the real step."

A different dynamic

There was room for a third person within the partnership. Robert Jan: "The world of construction law is not that big. Edwin and I once started as lawyers at the same time in 2000 and we met regularly. So we were not strangers to each other." Edwin adds: "When this initiative came into the picture, I was immediately interested. The dynamics behind Construct Lawyers are very powerful and I wanted to be part of that. I met Lenneke at a construction law meeting and started the conversation with her, with an open mind. That in turn generated new conversations. The great thing is that when you work at a construction law firm and that firm actually portrays construction law as a specialty, some puzzle pieces do fall into place."

Everything is going as planned

Is there a certain evolution within Construct Lawyers? Robert Jan answers, "We can safely say that the 'kitchen table plans' are going exactly as planned. From the beginning, our ambition has been to provide legal assistance to serious parties in the construction industry. Our firm therefore has a very clear signature within the construction world." Lenneke hooks up: "It all goes fast. Yes, we are still on the path we mapped out back then, but things are going much better than we had dared to dream back then."

By giving the right advice in advance, you save your client from mistakes that can be costly later.

The common thread within the method

Construct Advocaten's client portfolio is a nice reflection of the industry. Lenneke: "For example, we serve construction companies, installation companies and supply companies, from small to large. We also regularly assist professional clients. The common thread within our working method is that the three of us value the same things. Fine cooperation, among ourselves and with the client, for example, with a passionate attitude." Edwin agrees and complements Lenneke: "Job satisfaction, a joke in due course and having confidence in each other are things that give you energy. We simply rely on each other's passion for the profession and for the industry we are in."

Robert Jan outlines that the stakes in construction are high and, as a result, there is never an overnight meeting in the office. "Then it is important to value each other's opinions. Together you know more. Again, that is only possible if you trust each other 100%. If Lenneke were to say to me that she wouldn't handle it the way I suggested, then an alarm bell rings with me. Then we just go back to the drawing board!"

"Hiring a lawyer only costs money!"

A common saying. This does not hold true when working with Construct Attorneys at Law. Edwin: "A good lawyer should save money. By giving the right advice in advance, you protect your client from mistakes that can prove costly later on. That's why we prefer to make sure that our clients record things properly in their construction reports and that matters don't escalate."

To work that way, you have to know how everything works in the industry. "That's exactly why we only do construction law," says Robert Jan. "We just have two feet in the middle of the industry. We act quickly and flexibly for the client so they can move on quickly in the right way. That also saves a lot of money!" Lenneke: "If things do escalate unexpectedly, we also go full steam ahead. Then it makes a huge difference that you have already looked at the customer at an early stage. Scaling up to a procedure is then easier because of all the inside information.

Training and courses

Clients who want to work more efficiently and get everything right from the start can call on Construct Advocaten for courses and lectures. Edwin says: "During these courses and lectures that we give at clients' premises, we work intensively with our clients' employees. You get to know each other in a completely different way and automatically click. That makes working together afterwards very accessible. That again benefits the speed of action 100%!"

Robert Jan sees it as a nice interaction with the client. "We provide them with legal knowledge, they provide us with the technical knowledge. All three of us particularly enjoy being able to manifest ourselves in a technical environment and we do so successfully. As a result, we are able to make a perfect translation to the court. Knowledge makes construction more than fun," he concludes.