Order of Oranje Nassau
BZSE is honored and proud to know that one of the founding fathers of the firm has been decorated in the Order of Oranje Nassau. Rik Bergman has been active in many foundations and public causes on Sint Maarten and Curacao.
Rik has spearheaded the idea of mediation in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom being the first licensed mediator on Sint Maarten. With this option now available on Sint Maarten, the Court has referred cases to mediation as a form of alternative dispute resolution, with other mediators following Rik’s example.
Together with other young lawyers, Rik has founded the Jonge Balie Curacao, as well as the Stichting Beroepsopleiding Advocatuur on Sint Maarten (Foundation for the training of junior lawyers), promoting the togetherness of the Bar as well as its professionalism. Rik has served as Dean of the Sint Maarten Bar Association and was also a member of the Disciplinary Board of Lawyers.
Of course, his membership of the Council of Advice and appointment as Honorary Consul of the United Kingdom to the Dutch Windward Islands shows Rik’s stature. But apart from these and many other achievements and contributions to Curacao and Sint Maarten, Rik is an excellent lawyer and mediator, eternal partner in the firm and just a great guy to call a friend.
Rik, congratulations on this well-deserved decoration.
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