KRALENDIJK - Real Estate lawyer Tom Peeters has been appointed partner with VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne as per 1 July. Tom joined the Dutch Caribbean firm in 2013 and heads the Bonaire office.

 

Under his wing, the branch has steadily grown and managed to achieve a permanent position as market leader on the island, with clients such as the (Central) Government, utility companies, the airport, and various international hotels.

 

To that end, Tom has invested a lot in know-how of and insight in the business community in Bonaire and the other Dutch Caribbean islands since his arrival. He regularly publishes, speaks and provides workshops, and is board member and supervisory director of various organizations, including BONHATA (the trade organization for tourism in Bonaire). For instance, Tom will host a seminar on procurement and contracting in Curaçao on 7 July, to be repeated in St. Maarten in August. He also raised questions and stressed the importance of the practical feasibility of the Electricity and Drinking Water Act BES with the government, resulting in important modifications in the final version of the law that was introduced on 1 July.

 

Tom is an experienced and specialized real estate lawyer, with special expertise in the traditional and sustainable energy sector. With his background as engineer, he advises on project development and procurement in a pragmatic way. He litigates as well, in matters concerning construction law and disputes on spatial planning and the environment. Tom is also qualified to act as a cassation attorney. Before his arrival in the Caribbean in 2013, he worked for international law firms, and he was director of a legal consultancy firm. He also fulfilled technical and legal advisory positions with the Royal Dutch Navy.

 

Tom responds as follows: “I am glad and proud to be part of the team (of partners) of VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne and to be involved in the challenging real estate developments in the Caribbean. The growth of our office in Bonaire is symbolic for the increase in business activity on this island, where the need for practical, practicable, and creative advice increases.”

 

Managing partner Focco Lunsingh Scheurleer adds: “Our firm has offices on all islands and invests in local know-how and commitment. The BES Islands get more and more regulations of their own. Local incorporation hereof provides a new dynamic. This requires advice with an understanding of local circumstances. In recent years, we have shown to be able to anticipate and advise in this respect, and Tom has had an important role in it, beside his role as branch manager in Bonaire.”