About Hamza Atas
Hamza studied Dutch law at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. While studying, he worked at a law firm in Rotterdam as a legal assistant, where he encountered a variety of criminal and administrative law cases. After completing his master’s degree in Civil Law, Hamza joined Rozemond. He focusses on civil construction law and procurement law. He was sworn in as a lawyer in 2023.
Why construction law and procurement law?
Construction law
I became interested in civil construction law through in the final stages of my studies while writing my thesis on a property law topic. My research repeatedly took me to construction law literature. I realised I was more interested in those articles than what I actually needed for my thesis. And this was a cue for me to dive deeper into construction law.
An internship at Rozemond did the rest. I was thrown in at the deep end and allowed to fully participate fully in cases: from drafting litigation documents, writing opinions to reviewing contracts. It was not just the construction law specialisation that attracted my attention, I also find the ‘hardcore’ civil law that goes with this very fascinating. What I also like about construction law is that you can delve into the technical side of construction too.
Procurement law
I was introduced to procurement law during my internship and have enjoyed practising in this area ever since. I compare this to a legal jigsaw puzzle, where different parts of national and European legislation come together to form the ultimate picture. Other than an outsider might think, procurement law is very dynamic. That’s because of the constant stream of new developments. It’s also because of the way legal protection works, it almost always revolves around preliminary relief proceedings.
What is your favourite tool or finished work?
For me, the most beautiful work is that which lies hidden underground, a structure’s foundations. The foundations are literally the basis of every construction, and they carry the weight of everything built on top.
The strength and stability fascinate me. They not only bear the weight of the building on top; they also have to resist the forces of nature too. These underground pillars of strength must be carefully designed and constructed. The smallest shortcoming can have far-reaching consequences.
Registrations
Pertaining to article 35b, paragraph 1, of the Dutch Legal Profession regulations. Hamza Atas has registered the following areas of law in Netherlands Bar Association register:
- Construction law
- Procurement law
In accordance with the Netherlands Bar Association standards, this registration requires me to obtain ten training credits for each area of law registered.