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Senior Associate | Attorney at law
IT, Privacy & Cybersecurity
Jeroen van Helden acts as lead counsel in matters concerning IT transactions and IT disputes. He also advises clients in the event of cyber attacks and cyber incidents. Jeroen has specific expertise in software licensing, data protection, IT contracts and compliance issues, and enjoys sharing his IT law knowledge and enthusiasm for his field through professional journals, seminars and courses.
Jeroen works a great deal for IT companies ranging from cloud service providers, app builders and managed service providers, to cybersecurity experts. On the buyer side, he frequently works for government authorities, international organisations and companies in the education, healthcare and transport sectors. He is just as enthusiastic about engaging with a CEO on a strategic matter as he is about working with in-house counsel on a complex case. He takes a result-oriented, meticulous and discreet approach to his work.
Jeroen studied Law at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Michigan, graduating cum laude. In 2022, he successfully completed the Grotius specialist programme in Information Technology Law (also cum laude) and in 2023 the specialist programme in Cybercrime & Cybersecurity at Leiden Law Academy.
During his studies, Jeroen worked as a coach in European legal history, gained experience at a law firm in The Hague, and learnt website programming. After earning his Master’s degree, he worked for the government for several years as an IT lawyer, before joining the De Clercq technology team in 2018.
Jeroen’s daily practice involves providing advice and litigating in the field of IT law on matters such as transactions for cloud services (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), the implementation of ERP systems, or complex international privacy issues. He has extensive experience in resolving IT-related disputes, whether by mediation or arbitration, or before the public courts. He is also frequently called upon to assist in the event of major cyber attacks or other cyber incidents, including ransomware attacks, DDoS attacks, CEO fraud, or theft of trade secrets.
Lead counsel for an international organisation in relation to multi-million euro transactions for the use of Google Cloud and AWS (IaaS, PaaS).
Providing advice to a major Dutch e-learning provider regarding a transaction for using a learning management platform (PaaS, SaaS).
Lead counsel for a Dutch software developer with respect to transactions with various research institutions and technology companies in countries such as the U.S., Australia and Switzerland.
Providing advice to a managed service provider in the wake of a major ransomware attack.
Representing a Dutch IT company in a court case relating to a failed agile software development project, which resulted in the plaintiff’s claim of over a million euros being dismissed.
Providing advice to a Dutch company involved in a dispute with an American technology company about matters including unilateral modification of the licence metrics of a low-code platform.
Representing a Dutch/Spanish retailer in international mediation proceedings concerning a failed ERP implementation, resulting in damages from both the software supplier and the implementation partner.
Providing advice to a Dutch SaaS provider on the status of a SaaS solution developed for use in hospitals, under the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).
Providing advice to an international organisation regarding defence against a multi-million euro claim filed by a U.S. software vendor relating to additional use of on-premises software in connection with a data centre migration.
Representing a Dutch government organisation in a historical arbitration case concerning a failed IT project. It resulted in the recovery of tens of millions of euros from the IT supplier for the benefit of the Dutch taxpayer.
IT, Privacy & Cybersecurity
12 January 2026
Recently, it was reported that some customers of a Dutch bank can view the stock trading activities of their contacts through the app. This raises important questions about privacy and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). What are the obligations of data controllers such as a bank, and what should organizations take into account?
IT, Privacy & Cybersecurity
12 January 2026
On 17 December 2025, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, AP) imposed a fine of €175,000 on Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences (HAN) for insufficient protection of personal data. This decision follows a large-scale data breach in 2021, in which a hacker exploited a vulnerability in a web form to gain access to a database containing sensitive information of students and staff. The hacker demanded ransom, but HAN did not comply. Ultimately, among other data, names, addresses, passwords (with thousands unencrypted), social security numbers, and even medical data were exfiltrated.