Marjolein van Rest

Marjolein van Rest is a partner at VANEPS and co-founder of its Amsterdam office. She specialises in corporate and commercial dispute resolution, with a focus on preventing and resolving complex national and international disputes within and between companies and joint ventures.

Her practice covers the full spectrum of corporate litigation: shareholder and director conflicts, directors’ and officers’ liability, takeover disputes, trade disputes, and joint venture disagreements. Marjolein has extensive experience conducting proceedings before the Netherlands Enterprise Chamber, in interim relief proceedings, before state courts, and in national and international arbitration (ICC, NAI). The Enterprise Chamber regularly appoints her as an officer in inquiry proceedings — reflecting the trust that courts and parties alike place in her judgment and independence.

Marjolein’s approach is characterised by a clear, pragmatic strategy developed in close consultation with her clients. She is analytically sharp and direct, with a keen eye for the human dynamics that often drive corporate disputes. Her clients describe her as:

“Sharp and skilled, quick and patient at the same time. Keeps on to her strategy, but flexible when necessary.” – Legal 500, 2023

“Dedicated and highly motivated to represent and help us on the case. The time and effort is never too much or too difficult for her. The sense of humour and team spirit help a lot along the way.” – Legal 500, 2024

Marjolein has worked across a wide range of sectors, including private equity, healthcare, telecoms, retail, logistics, real estate development, and development cooperation — for both commercial clients such as family businesses and private equity firms, and non-profit organisations.

Work highlights include:

• Assisting the founder of a major restaurant chain in a post-M&A dispute with a large private equity firm.
• Assisting a Dutch NGO in internal and international investigations regarding allegations of fraud and corruption in South-Central Asia and the relationship with its major funder.
• Assisting a Dutch privately owned corporate as lead counsel in proceedings in three jurisdictions against a former CEO and minority shareholder, including proceedings before the Enterprise Chamber and separate proceedings regarding the annulment of a shareholders’ resolution.
• Assisting a foreign company in a joint venture dispute regarding one of the largest construction projects in an Eastern European country in ICC arbitration proceedings.
• Assisting one of the largest telecom providers in the Netherlands in arbitration proceedings before the NAI regarding an earn-out.
• Assisting the cooperative of medical specialists of one of the major hospitals in the Netherlands in a demerger process involving insurers, banks, patient counsels, and other cooperatives.
• Assisting a medical specialist in a dispute with fellow shareholders and a hospital, resulting in interim relief proceedings, inquiry proceedings before the Enterprise Chamber, and proceedings regarding the forced transfer of shares.
• Assisting a professional representative in interim relief proceedings against the so-called serial sperm donor.

Related activities

• She is the author of a handbook on inquiry proceedings before the Enterprise Chamber (Enquêterecht, Ars Aequi libri, 2024) and co-author of Sdu commentaar Burgerlijk procesrecht (written commentary on the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure).
• Member of the Academic Programme Committee and the Litigation Commission of the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA).
• Member of the Private Law Book Publishing Editorial Board of Ars Aequi.
• Member of the Corporate Litigation Association (Vereniging Corporate Litigation).
• Member of the Dutch Arbitration Association.

The Netherlands Bar Registry

Marjolein has registered the following principal legal practice areas in the Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister): Corporate Law & Civil Procedural Law.

Based on this registration, she 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.