HBN Law

HBN Law is, with 25 civil law attorneys, the largest and trough continuation also the oldest law firm in The Dutch Kingdom in the Caribbean. HBN Law was founded in 1938 when Mr. S.W. van der Meer established Law office Van der Meer in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. At the end of the forties begin fifties of the 20th century, Van der Meer associated... with Mr. Ronchi Isa. The name of the firm was changed to Law office Van der Meer & Isa. In 1954 Van der Meer temporarily left the firm in connection with his appointment as Minister of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles. In 1959 Isa was in turn appointed Minister of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Van der Meer took up his old profession as an attorney. In the beginning of the sixties of the 20th century, the firm changed its name to Van der Meer and Govaerts, which name remained until 1965 when Govaerts became a judge and later the President of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in The Hague. In the beginning of the seventies of the 20th century, Van der Meer associated with Mr. Samfrits le Poole. Van der Meer retired in 1974. Le Poole continued the firm and associated with Mr. E. Zielinski. On January 1, 1978, the firm was continued under the name Zielinki and Halley, which was due to the joining of Mr. Lucius A. Halley as a partner in the firm. On January 1, 1991 Mr. Robert E. Blaauw became a partner in the firm and the name of the firm was changed to Halley & Blaauw. In 1993 the firm moved from its old offices in Pietermaai to Huize Belvedere in Otrobanda, Curacao, at which time Mr. Nelson N. Navarro joined as a partner. The name of the firm changed to Halley Blaauw & Navarro and in 1997 the firm opened offices in St. Maarten together with its local partner Mr. J. Verzijl. In the years following the firm opened further offices in Aruba and Bonaire, and Mr. Eric R. de Vries joined the firm as a partner. Subsequently Mrs. Mildred Schwengle became a partner of the firm in Aruba and Mr. Maarten Le Poole became a partner of the firm in St. ...Read More