About Pieter Kuypers

Pieter Kuypers is a partner and lawyer at AKD. He is part of the EU and Competition Law team. He specialises in European law and focuses, within this legal field, on procurement, competition (including private enforcement) and State aid law. Pieter has particular knowledge of procurement by the EU institutions (Regulation 2018/1046/EU). Having written a PhD on the choice of forum in private international law (University Leiden, 2008), Pieter also has wide-ranging knowledge of private international law, in particular in the fields of conflicts of jurisdiction and private enforcement of competition rules. He deals with and advises on cases involving care, energy, competition and the government.

Pieter represents businesses, government and semi-government bodies before European and Dutch courts. His clients include Dutch rail track owner ProRail and publishing company Malmberg (Sanoma). They appreciate his smart solutions, strategic advice and practical approach. Pieter’s broad experience and keen legal knowledge help him present compelling advice.

Recent cases

Recently, Pieter was involved in the litigation over the purchase of PCR tests. He represented ProRail in proceedings on the merits and injunctions about public procurement regarding the maintenance of the Dutch railway infrastructure. He also acted for all nature conservation societies in proceedings at the European Court of Justice regarding allegations that they received illegal State aid. In the field of procurement by EU institutions he acted for Imagina Audiovisual SL regarding exclusion decisions.

Education, activities and memberships

After obtaining his PhD in 2008, Pieter became a full professor in European and national procurement law at Radboud University Nijmegen, where he lectures on EU public procurement and competition law. In addition, he lectures on procurement law at the Europäische Rechtswissenschaft Akademie (ERA) in Trier, Germany, and at the Center for Post-academic Education (CPO). He is a professor at the Grotius academy for post-graduate education for public procurement lawyers, teaching public procurement law to lawyers of subnational authorities. He also gives guest lectures at other universities in the Netherlands and abroad.

Pieter publishes regularly and has written several books, for instance on private international law (Choice of forum in private international law, Kluwer 2008), public procurement law (Public procurement law, Boom Basics (2021)), State aid law (EU Staatssteunregels (2020)) and civil law (Garanties in de rechtspraktijk (2015)). In May 2022, his book on the market economy and regulation of social services will be published by Kluwer.

In addition to his work as a lawyer and lecturer, Pieter is a member of the Expert Committee on Procurement. This committee was set up by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to mediate in procurement procedures. The committee also issues independent non-binding advice to parties involved in public procurement procedures. At the request of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, Pieter evaluated the Dutch Public Procurement Act together with the Kwink Group.

Moreover, Pieter is an arbitrator or dispute adviser in disputes in relation to the legal fields referred to. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Roger BV.

Pieter is active in a social capacity as well. He is, for example, a member of the board of Les Amis de l’école Hamaide ASBL and a member of the Advisory Board of the Dutch Network Brussels.

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More about
Pieter

Education
  • University Utrecht: Dutch Law, International Law
  • King's College London: EC Law
Admitted to bar
  • The Netherlands
  • Brussels
Membership
  • IBA - International Bar Association
  • NVIR - Dutch Association of International Law
  • Belgian Association for European Law
  • AIJA - Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats
Legal practice areas the Netherlands Bar’s register

Pieter Kuypers has registered the following principal (and secondary) legal practice areas in the Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister):

 

  • Public procurement law
  • Civil procedural law
  • Economic law

 

Based on this registration, Pieter is required to obtain ten training credits per calendar year in each registered principal legal practice area in accordance with the standards set by the Netherlands Bar.