Sjef Bartels – Partner
Sjef provides legal advice and conducts litigation on issues related to contracts, forms of collaboration, financing and the enforcement of security interests. He assists both buyers and sellers in M&A transactions and he has advised a number of scale-ups in financing rounds with investors.
In addition, Sjef advises shareholders and directors in distressed scenarios: reorganisations, restructurings and insolvencies. Because he has regularly been appointed bankruptcy receiver by the court he is in a good position to assess what receivers consider important. Finally, Sjef has extensive experience with directors’ liability proceedings.
Sjef speaks Dutch, English, Italian and German, which means that he can service a very broad client base, from small to large businesses , both at home and abroad. Furthermore, he acts for shareholders, funders and investors. In his approach, Sjef focusses on resolving a conflict rather than on escalating it. However, if legal proceedings are taken, he will be hard on the case, but soft on the people. His clients have indicated that they appreciate his approachability and accessibility.
Sjef Bartels graduated from Radboud University Nijmegen in 1999. As part of his degree programme, Sjef studied at the University of Bologna for a year. After graduating, he worked as in-house Counsel at ING Group for a number of years. In 2001, he made the switch to the legal profession and worked at a number of firms, including NautaDutilh, which involved two years at their London office.
Sjef completed the Grotius Insolvency Law course (INSOLAD). He is a member of the European (INSOL Europe) and Dutch (INSOLAD) Insolvency Lawyers Associations and also of the Netherlands Association of Comparative and International Insolvency Law. On behalf of INSOLAD, Sjef advised on the Act on the Confirmation of Private Restructuring Plans (WHOA).
Mr. Bartels has registered the following principal (and secondary) legal practice areas in the Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister): Insolventierecht and Ondernemingsrecht (Bestuurdersaansprakelijkheid en Vennootschappen). Based on this registration, he is required to obtain ten training credits per calendar year in each registered principal legal practice area in accordance with the standards set by the Netherlands Bar.