DEJONG HAS LANDED ON ST. MAARTEN

DEJONG HAS LANDED ON ST. MAARTEN

Having successfully opened its doors on Saba in 2023, law practice and consultancy DEJONG also establishes a permanent footing on sweet Sint Maarten land with a new physical office. We are centrally located at Front Street no. 28A in the former St. Joseph Convent building and next to the Tourism Office in Philipsburg. Our St. Maarten team consists (so far) of Ms. Valya Pantophlet, Ms. Angeline Laurence and Ms. Safira Ibrahim.

“In establishing a law office on St. Maarten that is here to ultimately serve St. Maarten, it was important that we have persons on our team who are deeply rooted in the island community and in its culture,” explains business development manager and DEJONG founder Gerald Simmons-de Jong.

Valya is our new managing partner and will spearhead the St. Maarten office and its further growth and presence on the island, Safira is our litigation powerhouse, and Angeline is our office manager and corporate business consultant.

VALYA PANTOPHLET LL.M

Valya officially joined the team of DEJONG on August 1st, 2024.  Her focus is on commercial law, government administrative law and legislation development trajectories. Together with Gerald, she will continue to build a strong base and team on the island with the goal of serving the St. Maarten community always in mind. Her vision for DEJONG is to foster meaningful and personalized client relationships, while above all providing effective and pragmatic legal services to the island of St. Maarten. This fits seamlessly into the DEJONG motto: ''Focused on relationships, driven on results''.

Described as a brilliant rising star in the legal field, Valya is the first to graduate with a Master’s in Law (LLM) from Curaçao’s law program on Sint Maarten. Next to her LLM, she holds two bachelor’s degrees: One in international hospitality and business management, which she obtained at the Eurocollege Hogeschool in Rotterdam in 2007, and one in law from the Da Costa Gomez University of Curaçao in 2023.  After having studied abroad in the Netherlands, Valya returned home to her beloved St. Maarten.

Valya, mother of three, boasts over 12 years of management experience, coupled with extensive experience in policy and legislative writing, legal advice, and government administrative law in working at the Sint Maarten government. She started her professional career at the Sint Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) as a project manager in 2007. In 2011, she took the helm as its executive director — a position she held until her transition to the Sint Maarten government in 2012. Over the years, she’s held numerous management positions at the Sint Maarten government, specifically within the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT).  For the last 4 years, she’s been the Head of the Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (ETT) Department.

ANGELINE LAURENCE

As office manager and business consultant, Angeline will spearhead corporate support services, organizing company setups and licensing services for local and international investors who wish to do business on either side of the island. Like Valya, Angeline was born and raised on the island. She has deep ties to both Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin.  With a background in tourism management from Centre de Management Hotelier in Paris and hospitality studies from University of St. Maarten, Angeline combines her international education with local experience to provide expert business services. Her 10 years of experience in the local hospitality sector along with managing her family’s farm and businesses on both sides of the island give her a unique understanding of the island’s business environment.

Through DEJONG, she offers comprehensive services to assist businesses in navigating the entire process of starting a business and ensuring your business seamlessly meets all local regulatory requirements. She provides tailored and personal one-on-one support throughout the entire business setup, licensing, expansion, guaranteeing a smooth and efficient experience. She also provides debt collection services and liaises with the attorneys at DEJONG and the bailiffs on the island if needed. With her experience she can effectively help businesses expand by opening branches on both sides of the island. Angeline is passionate about encouraging and welcoming both locals and international investors in doing business on St. Maarten and St. Martin (F.W.I).

SAFIRA IBRAHIM LL.M

Powerhouse and seasoned litigator, Safira Ibrahim joins DEJONG in September. Safira is no stranger to litigation. On a weekly basis, she handles various types of cases at the St. Maarten courthouse, where she fights for the rights and wellbeing of her clients. At DEJONG she will continue to build on her commercial and criminal litigation practice, while also exploring further her dream and desire to work on her PhD at the Da Costa Gomez University, in Curaçao.

Safira graduated from Leiden University in the Netherlands in 2010 with a Master’s Degree in (international) criminal law. Her final thesis, titled ‘The Special Tribunal of Lebanon,’ has been published for legal scientific purposes.

She started her legal career in St. Maarten at the law office Gibson & Associates, where she ran a general practice for over 4 years. In 2014, she transitioned to The Law Firm (formerly Duncan & Brandon) where she continued her general practice for the past 9 years. Throughout her career, she has specialized in commercial and criminal litigation, taking on high-profile, white-collar crime cases on tax fraud and embezzlement. Safira brings to DEJONG her broad knowledge of criminal law, hands-on experience in litigation, dedication to clients and justice, and motivation in the legal system. She is looks forward to being part of the team at DEJONG.

Safira shares in the office belief that power and strength come from being your true, authentic self. Moreover, she appreciates the inclusivity and diversity that DEJONG offers as core parts of its company culture. Next to upholding these values, DEJONG embraces the continuous development, not only of the organization itself, but first and foremost of the persons who form its team. In addition to being a fierce litigator, Safira also loves to express her artistic side. Both behind and in front of the camera, as a photographer and a model. She recently modeled one of the many impeccable and gorgeous carnival costumes of the ‘We Culture, Caribbean Carnival Museum’ and is one of its models.