On Tuesday 26 July 2016, junior associate Seyed Navid Zahedi was sworn in by the Joint Court of Justice of Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. Seyed Navid started at the Curaçao office of VANEPS on 1 April 2016. The team in St. Maarten has also expanded; associate Stan van Liere joined the firm on 1 June 2016.

Seyed Navid Zahedi obtained a Master’s degree in Public Law and in Private Law. He gained experience as a law teacher at the ROC in Amsterdam and worked as a lawyer at Rabobank. During his studies, Seyed Navid also founded a law clinic. He interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several renowned law firms in Amsterdam as well. His diverse background is characteristic for his broad legal interest and entrepreneurship, which is a perfect match with the VANEPS team: “As a junior associate at law at VANEPS I was involved in many different cases at a high level from the first day. That gives me plenty of opportunities to develop and that suits me well.” On taking the oath, Seyed Navid remarks: “It was a beautiful ceremony and quite a special moment. By working in different kinds of legal positions, I discovered that my real ambition, in the end, is being an attorney at law. Therefore, I am glad that my career as an attorney has now officially begun.”

Before he moved to VANEPS in St. Maarten in June 2016, Stan van Liere worked as an attorney at law and bankruptcy trustee with Davids Lawyers in Amsterdam, and before that with Holland van Gijzen/Ernst & Young in Utrecht. He assisted clients in several civil procedures with regard to directors’ and officers’ liability and shareholder disputes. He also advised clients on restructuring, transactions, and financing and securities. In 2014, Stan participated in the European Lawyers Programme in Edinburgh, gaining experience in a common law system. He also took several post-academic courses, for example in the field of corporate governance, insolvency law, and drafting and reviewing commercial contracts. About his move to St. Maarten, Stan says: “In St. Maarten I am able to use the knowledge and experience I gained in the Netherlands in an international setting, and provide my clients with thorough and hands-on legal advice. St. Maarten is a unique island and offers a challenging and inspiring environment to continue my career as an attorney at law.”