Rutger heads the real estate group. He advises major international corporations on various real estate transactions involving leases, acquisitions and greenfield developments. In addition, he is a regular legal advisor to significant Dutch real estate businesses, including listed property funds, major developers, engineering companies and housing corporations. He has extensive experience in a variety of real estate related matters, including construction law, property finance, zoning, planning and environmental issues.

He joined DLA Piper in 1982 and was promoted to partner in 1988. He is a lecturer at Grotius on a post-doctoral specialisation course in real estate. Rutger regularly writes for real estate magazines such as Cobouw and Bouwrecht and has lectured at international seminars in Brussels and London on real estate issues. He is a member of several specialist associations and chairman of the Board of Appeal of the ANVR.