Paul Pot, managing director N.V. Port of Harlingen:
“Halsten’s strength lies in pragmatic thinking: what can be done, which solutions are feasible and actually fit into practice. Halsten colleagues are up to date and involved in communication, so every question is taken up immediately. That works great, as it ensures that work does not remain on hold and we notice the value of a flexible source of knowledge.”
Dorien Rypkema, legal counsel at Halsten:
“After being involved in the independence of the Port of Amsterdam, we were asked by Port of Harlingen to provide advice in 2018. At the time, in the middle of the final phase of its independence, this gave us the necessary legal loose ends to tie up. The invitation to be the right-hand man of the board of directors is of course a nice compliment. Even after the independence, we continued to provide regular legal advice for Port of Harlingen. We incorporate the knowledge we have built up into our work and advice.
A company like Port of Harlingen is very diverse; topics such as corporate governance, area development through land acquisition, rental and leasehold issuance, tendering and construction of nautical infrastructure and enforcement of nautical laws and regulations have all been discussed in recent years. But we were also invited to think along about building the internal organization of the N.V., the business plan, the port vision and its sustainability ambition. The broad knowledge of the port in Harlingen and the experience with port companies that we have built up as Halsten in recent years, ensure that we work structurally and always offer appropriate advice. We think along at a strategic level and do not lose sight of important values of the organization. For example, part of the challenge with this client is to include both commercial and public interests in the advice. In my opinion, Port of Harlingen makes optimal use of the flexible deployment and the broad expertise of the Halsten team.”