Michael de Groot has been a partner with THNa since 2016, specialising in area development and public housing law. He was invested as a lawyer in 1991, and during the decades since then he has advised and counselled municipal and provincial authorities, housing corporations and property developers in connection with residential construction. Michael is an expert at negotiating real estate agreements, whether for a single party (a housing corporation or municipality) or realising agreements that balance the needs of multiple parties at the same time. He also provides legal advice on diverse matters from finding the right balance between social housing and more upscale development to public procurement, duty of care in real estate transactions, environmental and planning law and recovering costs.
Michael’s particular focus is on the unique position of Dutch housing corporations and their relationship to the authorities, particularly to meet housing needs. He plays a vital role in helping clients to succeed with their area development projects.
Michael chairs THNa’s Construction, Administrative Law and Public Procurement team and coordinates the separate Market Groups. Given the overlaps between area development and public housing, Michael often works with the Public Sector and Healthcare Market Groups, whose activities include housing needs and integrating housing and healthcare.
Michael obtained an LLM in Dutch Law from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1990. In 2024 he was a awarded PhD in Public Housing. His thesis is the only book dedicated to public housing law that has been published in recent decades. Besides lecturing on public housing law and residential construction, Michael also gives regular workshops and presentations.
Michael de Groot has a long list of publications about public housing, contract law and where they overlap with other areas of the law, including fundamental rights and government representation.