Am Law 100 firm Arnold & Porter has moved to bolster its life sciences offering with the launch of a new office in Amsterdam. 

The office, the firm’s third in Europe after London and Brussels, will be led by partner Carla Schoonderbeek, who has joined from Dutch firm Hoyng Rokh Monegier along with newly-minted partner Bart Jong.

Though small compared to centres like the UK and Germany, the Netherlands’ life sciences industry is growing steadily and the country has become more prominent as a regulator since the EU relocated the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London to Amsterdam in the wake of Brexit.

Richard Alexander, chairman of Arnold & Porter, said the office would enhance the firm’s ability to serve its life sciences and healthcare clients and expand its European life sciences regulatory capabilities. 

“Carla and Bart’s track record of success in handling sophisticated EU life sciences regulatory matters are a natural fit with our regulatory practices in London, Brussels, China and the US,” he added. 

Schoonderbeek advises on European law and the regulation of medicinal products, including pharmaceuticals and biologics, as well as medical devices. She focuses her practice on issues of EU marketing authorisations, regulatory exclusivities such as regulatory data protection, orphan designation and paediatric research rewards, as well as EU market access and on issues surrounding clinical trials. 

Jong, meanwhile, is a former judge in the District Court of Amsterdam in the Ministry of Justice and specialises in European and Dutch regulatory matters concerning pharmaceuticals and biologics. A counsel at Hoyng Rokh, he represents companies operating in Europe on medicinal product development and also brings experience in administrative law relating to procedures against authorities such as the Dutch Ministry of Health, as well as review of decisions of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). 

The duo join Arnold & Porter after a decade Hoyng Rokh, having previously worked together at Hogan Lovells and Dutch firm NautaDutilh. 

“We are thrilled to join Arnold & Porter’s life sciences and healthcare regulatory practice,” Schoonderbeek said. “We have a long history of working with the firm on behalf of mutual clients and look forward to collaborating across the firm’s international platform to enhance its life sciences offering to clients in Europe and beyond."