Dorothé Smits (born in 1966) studied law at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam (EUR) where she graduated in Private Law (1990) and in Business Law (1991). In 1992, she joined the Bar as a lawyer. Since then she has specialised in employment law.

Dorothé has an extensive domestic and international practice. SmitsDeLange is on the short List of Attorneys of the American Consulate as one of the recommended law firms. Dorothé publishes articles in renowned employment law journals and she is the national correspondent for the magazine EELC (European Employment Law Cases).

Dorothé is frequently invited to give lectures, seminars and conferences. She is also a lecturer for the Eggens Institute since 2004, which has ties with the University of Amsterdam. In this capacity she gives lectures to HR-managers and employment law lawyers about employment law development and topics like transfer of undertakings and employers liability concerning work related accidents.

Dorothé is a member of various national and international professional associations, such as the Association of Employment Lawyers in the Netherlands (VAAN), the Association of Employment Lawyers in Amsterdam, the Corporate Litigation Association, the European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA) and the International Bar Association (IBA). She is also speaker at international conferences (EELA and IBA). Furthermore, she serves since 2004 on an appeals committee for education that reviews dismissal and disciplinary issues in (non-confessional) primary, secondary and university education. Since August 2009 she is (deputy) Chairman of that Committee.

Employment law is not her only passion; entrepreneurship is another. In 2001, Dorothé founded one of the first specialised niche employment law firms in Amsterdam.