Erik Jansen earns his specialty degree as a restructuring expert

Hooray! With a "very good" rating for his paper, bankruptcy and restructuring attorney Erik Jansen is proud to call himself a certified restructuring expert. A mouthful for a specialist whose job is to offer an agreement to creditors in WHOA proceedings.

What does a restructuring expert (hd'er) do?

If a company is in dire financial straits, a restructuring expert can provide assistance. Through a WHOA proceeding, a debtor can reach financial agreements with creditors so that bankruptcy can be avoided.

"For companies that are struggling financially, WHOA is one of several options to get out of that situation. A company can choose its own WHOA procedure. We roughly distinguish five restructuring methods. However, it is necessary to seek legal advice to make the most appropriate choice. So as an insolvency expert it is important to know all the restructuring methods and in WHOA the whole restructuring process. And that's what we learned in this training," Erik said.

Why this specialization course?

So for Erik, the choice for this course was also an easy one. "As an insolvency lawyer at a full-service firm, you want to give your clients the best practical advice. Sometimes that's a WHOA, sometimes that can be bankruptcy. To be able to make that choice, you do need to know all restructuring methods through and through, and thus also the - relatively new WHOA.

The appointment as a restructuring expert is a great complement to this role as a spider in the web. You want to find a solution for business owners and creditors. That's why it's good to know all sides of the story and have that experience. It's like chess, you have to anticipate all possible moves."

The legal and business intersection

During the three-month course, where many of the topics were taught by renowned professors, you sit among other attorneys, accountants and business appraisers. They too can be appointed restructuring experts by the court. "It was nice to attend this course with a diverse group. Precisely because a WHOA restructuring lies at the legal and business-economic interface."

Would you like to spar with Erik Jansen about restructuring options? Contact us at e.jansen@pvdb.nl or 024-3810871 Want to know more about this topic? In the webinar 'restructuring of companies' we cover the 5 most important restructuring opportunities. Watch a free replay here.