Jessie Pool has been an assistant professor of company and insolvency law at the Institute of Private Law of Leiden University since 2022. She focuses on company law in the broadest sense, and has particular expertise on topics at the crossroads of company and insolvency law. Her research has a strong interdisciplinary character and is focused on socially relevant issues. In 2022 she completed her empirical dissertation on the role of the bankruptcy trustee in dealing with irregularities.

More information about Jessie Pool

Jessie Pool has been an assistant professor of company and insolvency law at the Institute of Private Law of Leiden University since 2022. She focuses on company law in the broadest sense, and has particular expertise on topics at the crossroads of company and insolvency law. Her research has a strong interdisciplinary character and is focused on socially relevant issues. In 2022 she completed her empirical dissertation on the role of the bankruptcy trustee in dealing with irregularities.

Jessie is co-project leader of the Empirical Legal Studies Lab in Leiden and is committed to promoting empirical research in the legal domain at a national level. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Dutch Monthly Company Law Review (Maandblad voor Ondernemingsrecht) and editorial secretary of the Dutch Insolvency Law Review (Tijdschrift voor Insolventierecht). Jessie is also an active member of several academic associations for experts in company and insolvency law such as the Dutch Restructuring Association, INSOL International and INSOL Europe. In addition, she has been participating in the 'NextGen Leadership Programme' of the International Insolvency Institute since 2021. During her research she did a research internship at the supervision department of the District Court in Utrecht.

Research

Her research focuses on issues relating to decision-making and balancing (conflicting) interests in company law by, for example, board members. Insolvency law provides an extra dimension to her research, because extra pressure is placed on decision-making and balancing interests in times of financial distress. After all, when board members and supervisory board members are confronted with financial distress, they might be obliged to take different interests into account. Moreover, in the vicinity of insolvency, other actors such as bankruptcy trustees and administrators enter the playing field, who in turn can influence the decision-making processes within companies. At the crossroads of company and insolvency law, the question arises to what extent there is (and should be) space for societal interests in company and (international) insolvency law. Jessie investigates these issues in an empirical way, which makes her research of great value for legal practice and a valuable resource for legislative processes.

Jessie's research has a strong interdisciplinary character and is innovative in her field. In 2022, her research was awarded the Meijers Prize for best publication of the Coherent Private Law research programme as well as the Van Wersch Springplank Prize for talented and active young researchers within the legal research field.

Jessie frequently presents her research at international conferences, at practice organisations such as INSOLAD (the association for insolvency law lawyers) and Recofa (national consultative body of supervisory judges in bankruptcies and suspension of payments), and at government organisations (such as the Ministry of Security and Justice).

Teaching

Jessie is coordinator of the master's programme in Company Law and teaches various courses in the master’s programme in the field of company and insolvency law. In addition, she gives methodology and skills lectures to master's students. She also provides postgraduate education in company law and insolvency law on topics such as directors' liability, corporate governance, decision-making and insolvency law.

Jessie highly values educational innovation. In 2019, for example, in collaboration with Yorick van Benten, she set up the Legal Business Game for the master's programme in company law, in which students participate in a practical simulation. In 2020, the Legal Business Game was runner-up for the Gouden Zandloper price in the category Innovative Legal Education. In addition, from 2022 she has received funding to participate in the innovation project 'Flipped Classroom' with her masters’ course Advanced Company Law, with the intention of introducing new forms of education that better meet the needs of both students and lecturers.

Publications