Today, AmCham hosted the webinar 'A Transatlantic Discussion on the Expansion of U.S.-Style Litigation in the Netherlands,' an initiative of AmCham's Legal Committee.
On January 1, 2020, the Act on the Resolution of Mass Claims in Collective Action (Wet Afwikkeling Massaschade in Collectieve Actie) (WAMCA) entered into force in the Netherlands. This law enables Dutch courts to order companies to pay damages to large groups collectively. In addition, at the end of last year, an EU Directive on Representative Actions was adopted in Brussels for consumer-related matters, which must be transposed into Dutch rules in the next two years. It is understood that the EU rules will be integrated into the WAMCA.
Scévole de Cazotte, senior vice president of international initiatives at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) and Branda Katan, partner in Stibbe’s Dispute Resolution practice, addressed the WAMCA and EU Directive developments and their impact on companies. They also elaborated on what kind of claims are out there, how we can improve the Dutch litigation environment and how we can stay away from the excesses of US-style class actions.
AmCham The Netherlands cordially thanks Scévole de Cazotte and Branda Katan for their valuable insights this afternoon.
