Clifford Chance to handle Shell’s appeal against sensational defeat in the Milieudefensie case
The following are translated extracts from an article published on 19 May 2022 by the Dutch financial newspaper, the fd.
By Martijn Pols and Joris Polman.
Oil company Shell has set aside house lawyer De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek after the sensational defeat against Milieudefensie. Exactly one year ago, the judge forced Shell to tighten up its climate policy.
Shell appealed but had no confidence in a good outcome with De Brauw by its side. Lawyers for British Clifford Chance can now make another attempt.
The switch to Clifford in this case comes at a time when Shell is withdrawing further from the Netherlands and becoming increasingly British. At the end of last year, the announcement that the Dutch head office is moving to London caused a stir in Dutch politics.
Shell would not say why it switched its team of lawyers and the firms involved have not commented.
‘Shell is fully anglicised’, says a lawyer with knowledge of the case. According to him, British ‘barristers’ after studying the Milieudefensie case advised the Shell board to drop De Brauw.
*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All created and supported by internet wizz, Nick Gill.
