Job van Hooff

Job van Hooff advises clients in complex restructuring, insolvency and dispute resolution matters, typically in situations that are time-critical, where positions are entrenched and the stakes are high. He is often asked to step in when matters require strategic clarity, sound judgment and clear communication.

With over twenty years of experience, Job acts as a trusted adviser to companies, boards, shareholders and lender groups in complex legal and strategic situations. His practice focuses on navigating financially distressed and contentious situations and on structuring viable solutions, both in and outside formal proceedings, often where legal, financial and governance issues converge. Recent work includes advising KKR portfolio company Accell on its €1.2 billion restructuring and advising the management board of HEMA.

Job has extensive experience with WHOA proceedings and was appointed by the Rotterdam District Court as restructuring expert (herstructureringsdeskundige) in an undisclosed WHOA. He has been appointed by the Amsterdam District Court as bankruptcy trustee in high-profile bankruptcies, including Amsterdam Trade Bank N.V., where he liquidated assets exceeding €800 million, and Mirage Holding B.V., the holding company of the Dutch retail group Blokker. He was also the first ever appointed by the Minister for Climate and Energy as administrator of a grid operator under the Dutch Electricity and Gas Act, a role in which he resolved a long-standing dispute and an unlawful operational situation.

Alongside his restructuring work, Job represents clients in complex corporate and commercial disputes before Dutch courts, including the Enterprise Chamber (Ondernemingskamer), and in international arbitration. He has acted as counsel in ICC and NAI arbitrations concerning investment and supply contract disputes. His dispute work frequently involves sensitive boardroom dynamics and significant reputational interests.

Prior to founding VHL, Job was a partner at Stibbe, where he headed the Restructuring & Insolvency practice and served as a member of the firm’s board for several years. He is a Fellow of INSOL International and a member of INSOLAD, INSOL Europe and the Dutch Association for Corporate Litigation.

Job has held various ancillary positions, including as a member of the bankruptcy trustees’ committee of the Amsterdam District Court and as a member of the INSOLAD review committee, where he assessed complaints against bankruptcy trustees under INSOLAD practice guidelines. He also served as coordinating lecturer of the Restructuring & Insolvency Course at the Law Firm School.

Job regularly teaches and publishes on subjects within his field of practice.