Photo of Jan Herfkens

Jan Herfkens is a member of the Amsterdam real estate practice of Greenberg Traurig. Jan focuses his practice on real estate, administrative law, and environmental law. Jan holds a LL.M. from Leiden University. Besides his bachelor of Law, Jan studied Middle-Eastern Studies: Arabic, and he worked as a student-assistant for international labor law. Before joining Greenberg Traurig in October 2019, Jan was a trainee of political affairs at the Dutch Embassy in Beirut (Lebanon), and he was a lecturer on “Techniques and Methods of Jurisprudence” at Leiden University. Jan is admitted to the Amsterdam Bar.

Nitrogen deposits from construction activities (and the potentially required permit for such deposits on nature conservation areas) is an important element for real estate projects in The Netherlands. In short:

Continue Reading New AERIUS Method Released for the Calculation of Nitrogen Depositions from Construction Works

As of Jan. 1, 2021, all permit applications for new buildings in the Netherlands are being tested against new criteria which aim to ensure that these new buildings are (almost)
Continue Reading Every New Building in the Netherlands Must Be (Almost) Energy Neutral Starting Jan. 1, 2021

In its ruling of 6 April 2020 the preliminary relief court of the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State (Afdeling Bestuursrechtspraak van de Raad van State) suspended the
Continue Reading The Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Dutch Council of State Continues Operations During the COVID-19 Crisis

On 20 December 2019 the Dutch Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of Urgenda against the Dutch State. In 2013, the NGO Urgenda started a civil law procedure against the Dutch State for “knowingly exposing its own citizens to danger” by not taking sufficient measures to prevent climate change and therefore not preventing the foreseeable harm caused by climate change. The Dutch government acknowledged the potentially harmful consequences of climate change, but argued it could not be ordered to act via a court procedure.
Continue Reading The Dutch Supreme Court Obliges the Dutch Government to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions