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Environmental law

Michael Klijnstra

Lawyer,

Partner

m.klijnstra@lexence.com
+31 20 573 6776
+31 6 5152 1161

Chambers 2026

"Michael Klijnstra has tremendous experience, and is down to earth and incredibly knowledgeable. If I had to recommend anyone in my network, it would be Michael!"

About Michael

Michael Klijnstra specialises in administrative and environmental law. In this capacity, he advises clients on matters such as area development, (inner-city) redevelopment, and urban transformation projects. Michael provides guidance on spatial planning procedures and regularly litigates before the courts and the Council of State. He also handles cases concerning, for example, nature conservation (nitrogen emissions), flora and fauna, noise pollution, soil contamination, environmental activities, enforcement, and public access to government information.

Michael has been with Lexence since 2008. Previously, he worked at the Centre for Environmental Law at the University of Amsterdam, among other positions. He studied public and private law at the University of Groningen and obtained his doctorate in 1998 with a thesis entitled ‘Transparency in Environmental Law’. Michael was admitted to the bar in 1997.

 

International listings

Chambers (2026): "Michael stands out for his deep involvement and exceptional expertise in our field, always providing clear, solution-oriented advice and honouring agreements reliably."
Legal 500 (2026): " Michael Klijnstra is dedicated, highly specialised and a pleasant person to work with."
Legal 500 (2026): "In particular, working with Michael Klijnstra has been an outstanding experience—he is highly skilled and deeply knowledgeable in environmental and planning law, with an impressive understanding of the real estate market."
Legal 500 (2025): "Michael Klijnstra was the primary reason for our firm to choose Lexence for legal advice. He is a great person to work with and in addition to his legal knowledge, he knows what is going on in the real estate market. In court, he can really make a difference with his pleas. "
Chambers (2025): "Michael Klijnstra has in-depth knowledge and is pragmatic at the same time. His responsiveness and availability are incredible. It is a pleasure to work with him. "
Legal 500 (2024): "Michael Klijnstra and Pelin Oztürk are a good team – it is pleasant to work with them. Michael fully trusts his associates"
Legal 500 (2022): "Michael Klijnstra is extremely good in his file knowledge, he knows all the details and is perfectly aware of the latest regulations. We have been working successfully with Lexence for 20 years in environmental court cases, in the end we have won every case. The team is well coordinated and the qualities of each team member are used extremely well. Every problem is coordinated with the right person."
Legal 500 (2021): "The many years of cooperation with Michael Klijnstra on environmental issues has resulted in detailed file knowledge in often complex subjects, which, in combination with the legal input, leads to successful cooperation."
Chambers (2021): "The lawyers have a very strong and in-depth knowledge throughout all real estate-related legal topics."
Legal 500 (2020): "Michael always pick up his phone and takes the time to understand the issue. The key succes of Michael is that even how big or difficult the situation is. Michael can explain it in simple words so everybody can understand it."
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