Complaints Procedure

Version in force as of 16 May 2026

Article 1 Definitions

In this procedure, the following definitions apply:

• complaint: any written expression of dissatisfaction by or on behalf of a client or other directly interested party concerning the conclusion or performance of an engagement, the quality of the services rendered, the amount of an invoice, communication, accessibility, treatment, or any other conduct relating to the legal services provided by Law & More B.V.;
• complainant: the client or other directly interested party who submits a complaint;
• complaints officer: the lawyer of Law & More B.V. designated to handle complaints within the firm and who has not been involved in the services to which the complaint relates;
• firm: the private limited company Law & More B.V., having its registered office in Eindhoven and registered with the Chamber of Commerce under number 27313406;
• file handler: the lawyer or staff member who has performed the substantive work in the matter to which the complaint relates;
• Vova: the Regulations of the Netherlands Bar (Verordening op de advocatuur).

Article 2 Scope

This procedure applies to every engagement agreement between Law & More B.V. and its client. The firm ensures that this procedure is declared applicable to every engagement and that it is published in an easily accessible manner, through the firm’s website, the engagement letter and the general terms and conditions, in accordance with articles 6.28 and 7.4 Vova.

Article 3 Objectives

This procedure is intended:

• to establish a procedure for handling complaints from clients and other directly interested parties within a reasonable period of time in a constructive and careful manner;
• to establish a procedure for identifying the causes of complaints;
• to preserve and improve existing relationships through proper complaint handling;
• to train staff in client-oriented responses to complaints;
• to improve the quality of the services rendered by means of complaint handling and complaint analysis.

Article 4 Information at the start of the engagement

Law & More B.V. draws the client’s attention to this procedure when entering into the engagement agreement. Both the engagement letter and the general terms and conditions refer to this procedure and to the external escalation routes set out in article 14. The procedure is also permanently accessible on the firm’s website.

Article 5 Internal complaints procedure

Complaints that are made orally or through informal channels are initially handled by the file handler, with a view to a swift resolution by mutual agreement. If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant in that manner, or if the complaint has already been submitted in writing, the complaint is referred to the complaints officer. The complaints officer handles the complaint in accordance with the procedure set out below.

Article 6 Complaints officer

The firm has designated a complaints officer. The name and contact details of the complaints officer are stated on the website and in the engagement letter. The complaints officer is responsible for handling the complaint and for recording the handling in writing in the complaint file.

Article 7 Independence and replacement

The complaints officer has not been involved in the file or in the conduct to which the complaint relates. If the complaint relates (in whole or in part) to the designated complaints officer, the complaint is handled by another lawyer of the firm who has likewise not been involved. In the event of prolonged absence of the complaints officer, such as due to illness or holidays, the firm will promptly appoint a replacement so that the handling of complaints does not come to a standstill.

Article 8 Submission of the complaint

A complaint may be submitted to the complaints officer free of charge, in writing or electronically. Submission is preferably made by e-mail to [email protected] or by ordinary mail to Law & More B.V., for the attention of the complaints officer, Marconilaan 13, 5612 HM Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The complaint shall contain at least the name and contact details of the complainant, the name of the file handler or the matter reference to which the complaint relates, a description of the complaint and, where applicable, a statement of the desired resolution.

Article 9 Acknowledgement of receipt and first response

The complaints officer acknowledges receipt of the complaint in writing within two working days. The acknowledgement of receipt sets out the applicable procedure, the applicable time limits and the name of the complaints officer handling the matter. Within ten working days of receipt, the complaints officer provides either a first substantive response or a procedural notice setting out the further handling of the complaint.

Article 10 Hearing both sides

The complaints officer gives the complainant and the person about whom the complaint has been made the opportunity to provide an explanation regarding the complaint and the defence. This may be done in writing, by telephone or in a meeting. A written record is made of every hearing contact and is added to the complaint file. The complainant and the person concerned receive a copy of the hearing record upon request.

Article 11 Time limit and extension

Within one month of receipt of the complaint, the complaints officer informs the complainant and the person about whom the complaint has been made, in writing and with reasons, of the assessment as to the merits of the complaint, where appropriate accompanied by recommendations. If it is not feasible to comply with this time limit, the complaints officer will give written notice of the deviation, stating the reasons and the new time limit within which the assessment will be given.

Article 12 Confidentiality and free handling

The complaints officer and the person about whom the complaint has been made observe confidentiality in the handling of the complaint. The complainant is not required to pay any fee for the handling of the complaint. The handling of the complaint is moreover subject to the duty of confidentiality arising from the Dutch Act on Advocates (Advocatenwet).

Article 13 Written and reasoned decision

The decision of the complaints officer contains at least:

• a brief description of the complaint;
• a summary of the positions of the complainant and the person concerned;
• the facts as established by the complaints officer;
• the assessment per element of the complaint, with reasons;
• where applicable, any measure, resolution or (financial) correction to be taken by the firm;
• where applicable, an improvement measure for the organisation;
• a reference to the external escalation routes set out in article 14.

Article 14 External escalation routes

If the complainant does not agree with the decision of the complaints officer, the complainant may submit the complaint to the dean of the Bar Association in the district in which the firm has its registered office, in accordance with article 46c of the Dutch Act on Advocates.

Disputes concerning the conclusion and performance of an engagement agreement, the quality of the services rendered and the amount of the invoice will, where so agreed in writing, be submitted to the dispute resolution body designated in the engagement letter or general terms and conditions. In the absence of such a choice, these disputes will be submitted to the court having jurisdiction under ordinary rules of civil procedure. If the firm is affiliated with the Disputes Committee for Lawyers (Geschillencommissie Advocatuur), this will be stated on the website and in the engagement letter.

Article 15 Complaint registration

The complaints officer registers each complaint received in a central complaints register. The registration includes, at the very least, the subject matter of the complaint, the date of receipt, the date of disposal, the nature of the complaint, the assessment and any measures or improvement actions taken. The complaints officer reports periodically, in anonymised form, to the firm’s management on numbers, processing times, subjects and improvement measures.

Article 16 Processing of personal data

Personal data are processed in the course of handling a complaint. Law & More B.V. is the controller in this respect. The processing is based on the legitimate interests of the firm in the careful handling of complaints, in compliance with statutory obligations and in the performance of the engagement agreement. The data processed will, in principle, consist of name, contact details, file information and the content of the correspondence included in the complaint file. The data are not stored for longer than is necessary for the purposes set out above and in any event not longer than the retention period set out in the firm’s policy.

The data subject has the right to access, rectification, restriction, objection, erasure and data portability, in each case to the extent provided for by law and to the extent compatible with the lawyer’s duty of confidentiality. To exercise these rights and for other privacy-related questions, the data subject may contact the firm at [email protected]. For all other matters, the privacy statement of Law & More B.V. applies accordingly. The data subject also has the right to lodge a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).

Article 17 File management and retention period

A separate complaint file is opened for each complaint. This file contains, at the very least, the complaint and any annexes, the acknowledgement of receipt, internal notes and hearing records, relevant documents from the underlying file, any invoice information, the draft and final decision and the improvement measures taken or proposed. The complaint file is kept in such a way that it can be retrieved quickly and clearly, and is protected against access by unauthorised persons.

Article 18 Learning and quality improvement

Every complaint that is declared well-founded or partially well-founded is translated by the complaints officer into a concrete improvement measure. These improvement measures are discussed in the firm’s internal meetings and, where applicable, incorporated into the firm’s working methods, training planning and internal controls.

Article 19 Amendment and publication

This procedure may be amended by the management of Law & More B.V. Amendments will be published on the firm’s website. The version published on the website is the version that applies.

Article 20 Entry into force

This procedure entered into force on 16 May 2026 and replaces all earlier firm complaints procedures of Law & More B.V.

Contact details of the complaints officer

Complaints officer: mr. T.G.L.M. Meevis
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +31 (0)40 369 06 80
Postal address: Law & More B.V., for the attention of the complaints officer, Marconilaan 13, 5612 HM Eindhoven, the Netherlands