Jack Berk

Jack Berk

Jack Berk
T +31 20 305 8888
[email protected]

Key area of practice: Corporate

Jack Berk has extensive international experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and shareholder matters for both strategic and private equity clients and family businesses.

He advised American and European companies on their international structure, their management and governance and on financial reporting obligations in the Netherlands and within Europe.

Jack has been involved in the set-up, structuring and documentation of a large number of successful buy-out, infrastructure, IT and biotech funds, but also advised on investment funds in distress.

Jack enjoyed a long career as a Dutch practising lawyer before joining Cleber.  In 2015 and 2016 Jack was General Counsel to Royal Boskalis Westminster, the leading dredging and off shore contracting company listed at the Amsterdam stock exchange. Before Boskalis, Jack was a partner at Loyens & Loeff for fifteen years, among other things as the Loyens & Loeff resident partner in New York. Earlier Jack was a partner at Trenité Van Doorne, where he started practicing in 1987. He was co-founder of Trenité’s Hague office, where he and Bart Voorvaart were colleagues. From 1995 to 1999 Jack was responsible for Trenité’s Caribbean offices.  Jack joined Cleber on 1 May 2017.

Clients appreciate Jack for his hand-on approach. He provides accurate legal guidance and workable solutions. Jack is a deal maker with an above average understanding for the financial, tax and business aspects of transactions and structures.

Publications

2014
  • Toegestane uitkeringen ondanks een negatief eigen vermogen (Permitted distributions despite negative equity), In: Tijdschrift voor Jaarrekeningenrecht, voorjaar 2014.
2008
  • De ongeoorloofde latere bekendmaking in het licht van de artikelen 403 en 408 boek 2 burgerlijk wetboek (Unauthorized late publication in the context of sections 403 and 408 book 2 of the civil code), In: Vereniging Jaarrekeningrecht. Bundel 2008/2009 (red. Van der Zanden). Boom Juridische Uitgevers, Den Haag, 2008, p. 127-140.
2007
  • Enkele opmerkingen bij artikel 403 boek 2 burgerlijk wetboek (Several remarks to section 403 book 2 of the civil code), In: Onderneming en Financiering Nr.76, augustus 2007.
2005
  • De richtlijnen voor de jaarverslaggeving – Dutch GAAP? (The guidelines of the Dutch Accounting Standards Board – Dutch GAAP?), In: Onderneming & Financiering, nr. 66, juli 2005, p. 10-16.
2004
  • Private Equity Returns & Corporate Governance: What Will Increased Corporate Governance Awareness Mean for the Industry. Speech at Superinvestor Paris, France, November 2, 2004.
2003
  • Debt push down and treatment of acquisitions costs. In: Buyouts in Europe. London: Investoraccess, 2003. Private equity law, nr. 1.

Education

  • Dutch law at the University of Amsterdam (1975-1976)
  • State Auditors Academy (at the time an independent part of the Inland Revenu Service) (in Dutch: Dienstopleiding tot adjunct-accountant 1e klasse bij de Rijksaccountantsdienst) in Utrecht (1976-1979)
  • Dutch law at the Katholieke Universiteit (currently: Radboud University) Nijmegen (1980-1986)


Admitted

  • Attorney-at-law, 1987
  • Foreign legal consultant in New York, 2010


Languages

Dutch, English and German



Memberships

  • International Bar Association
    – Closely Held and Growing Business Enterprises Committee
    – Investment Funds Committee (officer 2007-2016, Co-Chair 2014-2015)
  • Netherlands Association for financial reporting law

Corporate | Restructuring | Dispute Resolution