Programme partner: LexQuire International Tax & Law
Interview with Branko Reumkens, partner/notary and lecturer
16 May 2023Each month we’re going to give one of our Programme Partners the floor and introduce themselves and their services so you can ensure you’re getting the most out of life in the Maastricht Region. This month we interviewed Branko Reumkens, partner/notary and lecturer in (international) family law and personal law at LexQuire International Tax & Law.
As a new Expat Centre Maastricht Region Programme Partner, how do you feel we complement each other and how did this collaboration come about?
LexQuire is a very international firm. We do not only have employees from across the border, we also have a multitude of international cases. This is what makes us unique in the Netherlands. A collaboration with Expat Centre Maastricht Region enhances our cooperation with individuals and companies across borders. Simply put, it fits in line with our type of work.
What exactly do you do and how can you be of service to expats and international residents in the Maastricht Region?
On the one hand, we are a law firm. LexQuire provides legal assistance in several fields of law (except for criminal law). Besides litigation, LexQuire also offers other services such as legal advice, guidelines, legal opinions, etc. for entrepreneurs dealing with questions such as for example: How do you buy a company in the Netherlands? What should you do if you are a Dutch citizen buying a company in Germany? Belgium? or places further afield such as Hungary? We offer that guidance.
On the other hand, we are a notary office. The notaries deal with both national and international cases. The latter is quite a special service that we offer at LexQuire. What about inheritance law for a Dutch citizen in, say, Romania? How do you make sure a marriage is properly arranged? What happens if a Dutch citizen, living in France, passes away ?
Next to our notary office and legal practice, we also have our tax experts who can help you with questions about taxation matters in the Netherlands such as: income tax (inkomstenbelasting), estate planning (vermogensplanning) or matters such as inheritance tax (erfbelasting).
So,not only are you internationally oriented in terms of advice and clients, you also have several offices in Europe?
We are a team of some 70 employees including 45 lawyers. Our head office is located in the business park near Maastricht-Aachen Airport and our second-largest office is located in Düsseldorf. We also have offices in Heerlen, Paris and Bucharest and we’ve just opened a new office in Brussels. We have a pop-up (rep-office) office in Amsterdam that we are going to expand. Moreover, we have several partnerships, with firms in places such as Belgrade and we are expanding all the time.
How did all of this begin?
I had my own notary office here in Zuid-Limburg and when I decided to focus more on international law, I started collaborating with a like-minded lawyer with the same goal. Due to the advantages of the creation of synergies, we made the decision to build this up together.
What is the best thing about Maastricht Region in terms of living and working?
The fact that we have no physical national borders here in the Maastricht Region. We can easily go to Germany or Belgium, be it for work or leisure. Moreover, I have the feeling that due to free movement and close proximity, residents in the Maastricht region have the best connection with our Belgian and German neighbours.
Besides, I was born and raised in this region. It feels like home. I travel a lot for my work, I teach all over the country and also outside the Netherlands – but Zuid-Limburg is home, and this is where I always like to come back to.
