For Linde Mayer, the beauty of liability law lies in its human side. She finds meaning in her work: she assists victims who have suffered injuries and advocates for large groups of affected individuals, sometimes for years on end. In this interview, she discusses her transition from commercial law, the day-to-day practice of personal injury and mass-casualty cases, and the future of the Act on the Settlement of Mass Claims in Class Actions (WAMCA).
The Transition to Beer advocaten
After earning a master’s degree in private law, Linde Mayer entered the commercial legal practice, where she completed her professional training to become an attorney. But something soon began to gnaw at her: ‘I realized that those kinds of cases left me cold—it was all about money, and it was just a matter of a million more or less.’ She asked herself what she was truly passionate about, and at this crossroads, her thoughts returned to a pivotal evening during her college days. A former Beer colleague was invited to speak at an event and made an indelible impression on Mayer. ‘He spoke about the families of victims he had assisted in plane crashes, such as the Turkish Airlines crash. I just thought, ’Wow, this is such special work, where you can really make a difference for victims and their families.’”
After several exploratory interviews, Mayer made the switch to Beer advocaten shortly after completing her legal internship. What appeals to her about personal injury law is that it’s always about people: ‘Liability law is a very human form of law.’ Mayer also talks about the way of working, which is completely different from what she was used to in commercial law. ‘At Beer advocaten, I was quickly given my own ’little shop‘ with cases of my own for which I am fully responsible. I found this particularly striking, because I was used to drafting briefs or doing the research.’ She emphasizes that in traditional personal injury cases, you represent a single individual “and as a lawyer, you do that yourself.”.
Two sides of the coin
Mayer speaks enthusiastically about the longer one-on-one processes she undertakes with clients: ‘Personal injury cases often take a long time, which is why you also become a trusted confidant for the client.’ Recently, a birth announcement for a client’s baby boy arrived on her doormat. ‘That’s what I do it for—after a long process that is now in the claims settlement phase, to see that my client has been able to get his life back on track and has become a father,’ says Linde Mayer.
That said, being a trusted advisor for clients also has another side to it. Mayer emphasizes that ‘you’re dealing with people who are really struggling.’ For her, the work is characterized by providing legal assistance to victims while setting limits on other forms of help. ‘That can be pretty tough at times, because you’re dealing with a lot of misery.’ The work lends itself to empathetic attorneys who set clear boundaries, It's not for the faint of heart.
Individual Cases and Class Actions
About half of Mayer’s work consists of individual personal injury cases, and the other half consists of cases involving large groups of injured parties. For example, she works on cases involving the Q Fever Outbreak and to procedures in which it assists the surviving relatives of Indonesian men who were executed by Dutch soldiers during the War of Independence (1945–1949). Both cases involve civil proceedings against the Dutch state.
Mayer’s ambitions lie in further expanding the mass torts practice: ‘I hope we can handle meaningful cases there that have a social impact and make a difference for large groups of people.’ At the same time, she wants to continue handling individual cases. These offer variety and allow her to move more quickly at times, for example, by arranging an advance payment or bringing in an expert.
The Future of WAMCA
The Act on the Settlement of Mass Damages in Class Actions (WAMCA) has, since 2020, made it possible for an advocacy group to seek collective compensation when a large group of people has suffered damages. Mayer sees opportunities in this: ‘It could be a very useful tool for achieving results for large groups of victims.’ In practice, a great deal of time is spent determining whether an advocacy group has standing and is authorized to represent the group. ‘Right now, there are a lot of legal proceedings regarding admissibility. As a result, it can take years before the merits of a case are addressed.’ Mayer understands that the law imposes requirements on advocacy groups. Still, she wonders whether the procedure works as intended. ‘If there’s still no substantive ruling after five years, you have to wonder whether the law is working as we had hoped. It would be great if, before too long, we could actually litigate the merits of the case.’
The freedom to choose your own path
Linde Mayer has found her place at Beer advocaten, and she hopes that the path she has taken might inspire other lawyers. She advises lawyers who are unsure about their work to take a critical look at the cases they handle. ‘Does it really make you feel passionate? There are a lot of smart people doing work that’s perfectly fine, but they aren’t necessarily passionate about it.’ Anyone thinking about making a career change is welcome to reach out to her. ‘Just get in touch for a cup of coffee—that’s what I did myself. You can meet us without any obligation and hear about the kind of work we do.’
