Marcel Willems

I am a dispute resolution as well as restructuring and insolvency lawyer, with over 30 years of experience in advising clients in the Netherlands and abroad, on all sorts of contracts, disputes, and restructuring and insolvency matters. I studied law at the universities of Leiden and Nijmegen, the Netherlands, but also of Osnabrück and Berlin, Germany, where I also gained practical experience in private practice.

I also have 25 years of experience as an insolvency trustee. 

My work varies from restructuring all sorts of businesses in a variety of sectors, from start-ups to multinationals, both high-tech and bricks and mortar companies, to acquiring assets or entire businesses out of insolvency, and assisting clients in directors and officers liability cases and litigating against insolvency trustees. 

I have registered the following principal (and secondary) legal practice areas in the Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister): Insolvency Law (Insolventierecht) as principal area, with Bankruptcy (Faillissement) and Suspension of payment (Surseance van betaling) as secondary practice areas.

Based on this registration, I am required to obtain ten training credits per calendar year in Insolvency Law in accordance with the standards set by the Netherlands Bar.

The commercial contracting and dispute resolution sides of my practice involve drafting and negotiating all sorts of contracts and general terms and conditions, and litigation, arbitration and mediation in various contractual, corporate and liability matters.

Besides being a lawyer I have been a substitute judge at one of the four Courts of Appeal in the Netherlands for more than 20 years, dealing with general civil law matters and insolvency cases. 

I am the president of the Appeals Board of the Royal Actuarial Association.