Criminal lawyers

Meijers Canatan Advocaten, established in 2008, is a law firm specialised in criminal law. We handle large (international) criminal cases, but we also take on smaller cases. From our offices in Amsterdam, Schiphol and Groningen, our criminal lawyers assist suspects throughout the Netherlands. We do so at every stage of the criminal process, whether prior to a police interrogation or during a hearing at the criminal court.

We're a full service criminal law office. This means, among other things, that we not only provide legal assistance in court, but also in appeal before the court of appeal and in cassation before the Supreme Court. Michael Berndsen also litigates at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

By full service, we also mean that we can help you with all kinds of procedures related to the criminal process. Think of deprivation of unlawful advantage, the return of confiscated goods, TBS, juvenile delinquency cases, review, WOTS cases, extradition and surrender. As long as it has to do with criminal law, we have the right knowledge and experience in-house. Clarice Stenger is the only one in the office who handles so-called BOPZ cases, a field of law that has common ground with criminal law.

Operating nationwide

From the centre of Amsterdam, at one of the most beautiful locations in the city, we serve clients throughout the country. But also from our Schiphol branch we assist both national and international clients. With the addition of an office in Groningen, we have expanded our national coverage. We will be happy to speak to you at our office, but will also travel to you if necessary. Naturally, we visit detained clients on a regular basis, especially before important hearings or events.

We understand how far-reaching persecution can be. Because of our experience with the hundreds of cases we deal with each year, we have seen almost everything you can deal with. Because we only focus on criminal cases, we are highly specialised. We regularly handle large, complex criminal investigations or media-sensitive cases. The size of a case is never a problem for us, we regularly work as a team.

In order to be able to practice criminal law at the highest level, we focus on both quality control and quality improvement. For example, Kerem Canatan and Michael Berndsen have been admitted as members of the Association of Cassation Lawyers in Criminal Matters and several lawyers have completed the Specialisation course in Criminal Law. All our attorneys attend several compulsory and non-compulsory courses on criminal law subjects each year. We attend congresses and meetings at home and abroad. Not only to gather and share knowledge, but also to maintain our network. We are affiliated with all the leading associations in our field, such as the Dutch Association of Defence Counsel and the European Criminal Bar Association and the Dutch Association of Young Defence Counsel. Naturally, we are also affiliated with the Dutch Bar Association.

Our firm consists of 10 lawyers. That is small enough for a personal approach and short lines of communication between the lawyers, but also big enough to work as a team and to cover for each other. If your own lawyer is not available, we will always provide a replacement. The lawyers are supported by a highly experienced and expert secretariat who have been with our firm since its establishment.

Because criminal law problems are not tied to working hours, you can reach us 24 hours a day via our general number (020-6383606), also in the weekend. During office hours, you will be assisted by our secretariat and outside office hours you can be put through to our lawyers directly. You can always leave a message if your lawyer is busy or temporarily unavailable. He or she can then take action as soon as possible. All clients receive the mobile number of their own lawyer. They can also be found on this site, on the profile pages of the lawyers.

You can also contact us if you are not satisfied with your current lawyer. With the right instructions, we will ensure a quick and efficient takeover of the case. Are you looking for a (new) lawyer for your partner, family member, friend or colleague? We can help you, as long as it concerns a criminal case. If you call us, we can tell you immediately if we can do something for you.

Our work consists of advising, informing and assisting. The client's interests always come first, without losing sight of our professional task as lawyers. We always strive for the maximum result, but also give you a realistic assessment of your chances. If necessary, we will litigate up to the highest court. Sometimes with an entirely new defence strategy and if necessary as a team.

The basis of any lawyer-client relationship is trust. You can be confident that your lawyer is an expert and will get the most out of your case. And, of course, you can trust us to handle your case confidentially. We take professional confidentiality very seriously, not only because confidentiality is our legal duty.

Our experience has taught us that criminal proceedings can be very drastic. The efforts of the police and the judiciary are often overwhelming. We make sure that you get a fair trial. Every suspect has this right and we do not take this lightly. The fact that our firm has repeatedly achieved results for our clients after years of litigation up to the European Court of Human Rights is an example of this.

We're accessible lawyers. We listen carefully to you, but know how to filter the information we need. You will hear from us what awaits you and what our plan of action will be. In addition, you can expect us to inform you honestly about your opportunities.

On this website we have tried to inform you as well as possible about our office. Only when you meet us and we get to work can we really show what we can do. Because we understand that a good lawyer is not good because he says so himself, but because of what he does and what he can do.

We are Kerem Canatan, Clarice Stenger, Christian Visser, Pepijn Slewe, Eric Steller, Michael Berndsen, Sylvester Römer, Tom Gijsberts, Paul van Jaarsveld, Micha Boucher, Karen van Buuren (secr), Jacqueline Zwarthoed (secr), Tom Coulier (reception), Anouk Schol (reception) and external advisor Gabriel Meijers.

We are Meijers Canatan Advocaten.