managing partner

reinier.russell@russell.nl
+31 20 301 55 55

Reinier Russell

Reinier Russell advises national and international businesses on all facets of their day-to-day business operations. He has a broad range of specializations in questions regarding businesses, personnel, real estate, and government. He has been a lawyer since 1990. In addition, Reinier is certified as a mediator.

Recommended lawyer Legal 500 EMEA 2026Reinier Russell has been managing partner of Russell Advocaten since 1999. A business owner himself, he knows how to combine legal knowledge with the requirements of entrepreneurs. That makes him the ideal advisor of entrepreneurs. As a lawyer he is always looking for practical legal solutions that remain effective for a long period of time. He is also an experienced boardroom advisor and mediates conflicts between managers, shareholders, supervisory directors and works council. In addition to advising and litigating for business owners, Reinier also supervises mediations. Reinier Russell’s client base includes international ICT-businesses, importers of high-end fashion and hotels.

And besides…
Reinier is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms. In addition to being a lawyer, Reinier participates in the management of numerous charitable organizations and he was Honorary Consul of Brazil for over 30 years.

Specialisms

  • Corporate law
  • Executive advice (boardroom counselling)
  • Franchise, distribution and agency agreements
  • Employment law and dismissal
  • Real estate
  • Charity law

Reinier W.L. Russell, LL.M. has registered the following legal areas in the register of legal areas of the Netherlands Bar:

  • General practice
  • Corporate law
  • Civil litigation law

According to the standards of the Netherlands Bar the registration obliges me to obtain ten training credits per year in each of the registered legal areas.

Specialist memberships

  • Dutch Bar Association
  • Trade Law Association
  • Dutch Association for Litigation Law
  • Chair EMEA Executive Committee, International Society of Primerus Law Firms (2018 – 2020)
  • Board of Directors, International Society of Primerus Law Firms (2014 – 2015, 2021 – 2022, 2025 -)
  • Chairman Practice Group International Outside Corporate Counsel, International Society of Primerus Law Firms (2012)

Training

  • 2001 mediation training (NMI)
  • 1990 LL.M. in Civil Law (VU University Amsterdam)
  • 1990 M.S.L. (VU University Amsterdam)

Social commitment

  • Honorary Consul of Brazil (1994 – 2025)
  • Chairman Corps Consulaire Nederland (2004 – 2007, 2016 – 2023)
  • Secretary of the Corps Consulaire à Amsterdam (1996 – )
  • Co-founder and lecturer of the post-graduate training programme Governing Charitable Funds (VU University Amsterdam)
  • Member of the advisory commission of the post-graduate training programme Governing Charitable Funds (VU University Amsterdam)
  • Chairman Stichting Network Young Philanthropic Professionals (2011 – )
  • EMEA Chair Primerus Worldwide Lawyers (www.primerus.com) (2018 – 2020)
  • Chairman Advisory Board of Foundation Bradutch: Dutch-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam (2015 – 2022)
  • Board member of Holland America Friendship Foundation (2005 – 2022)
  • Advisory Board member of MoWIC (www.mowic.org) (2000 – )
  • Advisory Board member of the Foundation Friends of the Ignatius Gymnasium
  • Secretary of the Roman Catholic Foundation for the Promotion of Welfare work (1993 – )

Honours

  • Knight of the National Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil) (2011)
  • Knight of the Order of Orange Nassau (Netherlands) (2018)
  • Knight of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (2023)
  • Honorary member of Netherlands Consular Association (2008)
  • Honorary member of Belgian Consular Union (BCU) (2016)
  • Honorary Member of the  “Maurits van Nassau” Cultural Institute (1996)

Invited speaker