Some of the Netherlands leading experts in privacy, ESG and class action cases have set up a new commercial law firm, to tackle a wide range of legal cases which “do no harm”.

The focus of Amsterdam-based Rubicon Impact & Litigation will be “taking on high stakes litigation cases which align with our values,” says co-founder Frank Peters. “We want to operate with respect for people and the planet.”

Peters has been involved in a number of high profile campaigns, including the recent KLM greenwashing case. He is currently involved in a privacy class action case against Google

The company includes a new initiative, Rubicon Lab, which focuses on ESG and has been set up to look into and possibly litigate in cases which other people feel are worthy of investigation.

These are cases which may seem to be too small or expensive to follow up, but which are having an impact on society. The aim of the lab, which will also involve outside experts, is to expose wrong doings and pursue those wrongdoings in court, the law firm says.

Rubicon Impact & Litigation claims to be the first Dutch commercial law firm founded on the premise that a business can only thrive by “understanding and acknowledging how your business impacts society”.

“We are using our expertise in commercial litigation as a vehicle for positive impact and we have collectively committed to a do no harm principle,” says co-founder Vita Zwaan. “Law firms can no longer look the other way,” says Zwaan who is taking complex legal action against Google.

In 2020 the Netherlands introduced new legislation setting up a comprehensive system for dealing with collective action cases. Since then, dozens of cases have been brought under the WAMCA legislation but none have yet been successfully completed.