About us

Collaboration and early involvement

The lawyers at Duet do not only work for clients, but above all together with clients. This means that the team does not advise from the sidelines, but is often closely involved in projects from an early stage. In doing so, our lawyers are just as likely to wear a hard hat as a gown.

Collaboration and early involvement enable Duet’s lawyers to gain a thorough understanding of projects and cases. This applies both to the legal aspects and to matters such as technology, finance, social interests and political and/or administrative sensitivities. Thanks to this approach, the team can provide fast and practical advice that is optimally aligned with clients’ wishes. Experience has shown that this approach leads to far fewer disputes and problems during implementation.

Procurement law

The Duet team has extensive experience in purchasing and procurement. Our lawyers guide procurement procedures from ‘A to Z’. This means they are involved from the preliminary phase of a procurement process through to the award. Duet advises on or helps draft procurement documents such as purchasing plans, tender guidelines, contract documents, notes of information and award decisions. Because Duet’s lawyers are well acquainted with the full procurement cycle, they are able to bridge the gap between policy, procurement and contract management.

Duet’s lawyers are experts across the full breadth of procurement law. They advise on a wide range of topics, such as (quasi-)in-house issues, waiver of rights (Grossmann) and legal protection, rectification of defects, the doctrine of ‘substantial modification’, and issues arising from the Didam case law.

Our experts have extensive experience with public contracts for works (including public buildings, infrastructure and civil engineering works), supplies (including office furniture, public transport vehicles, vending machines) and services (including facility services, engineering services, communication services and services in the field of personnel and assessments). Duet operates in many different sectors, including construction, healthcare and the social domain, and ICT.

Construction law

Within construction law, Duet’s experts focus on the construction, renovation or refurbishment of buildings and infrastructure works. They guide projects from the preparation phase through to the implementation and maintenance phase, preferably ‘from the site office’.

Duet’s lawyers advise on a wide range of construction law issues, such as delays and disruptions, claims for additional work, (hidden) defects, unforeseen and cost-increasing circumstances, and risk allocation.

Duet’s lawyers also have extensive experience in drafting and negotiating both traditional construction contracts (based on UAV 2012, UAV-GC 2005 or DNR 2011) and internationally oriented construction contracts (based on FIDIC and NEC4). Duet is particularly specialised in collaboration-oriented construction contracts, such as construction team agreements, alliance agreements, two-phase agreements and Cost+ contracts.

Litigation practice

If a dispute cannot be avoided, clients can rely on Duet’s extensive knowledge and many years of courtroom experience.

The Duet team has a wealth of litigation experience and a very extensive and successful track record in the field of procurement law and construction law.

Our lawyers conduct proceedings (in substantive proceedings and summary proceedings) before various courts and arbitration institutes, including the Board of Arbitration for Construction Disputes (RvA) and the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI).