In the Netherlands, in insolvency circles, my series Wessels Insolventierecht (‘Insolvency Law’) is a household name. It comprises of 10 Volumes and since 2018 I am working on its 5th edition. The first volume in the first edition was published in 1999. Presently I am finalising the updating and editing of Volume VIII (Legal moratorium; Postponement of payment). When the fully reworked manuscript of Volume IX (Debt reschedualing natural persons) will be sent to be published by Wolters Kluwer (planning: Summer 2021), Volume X (International insolvency law) will be on my desk.
Part I and Part II
What originally started, in the early 2000s, as one book (in Dutch), in the 2nd edition, published in 2006, the book appeared in English. Since then, successive editions have played their role in international insolvency literature and have been beneficial for my cross-border practice (legal opinions, invitations for advisory functions, lectures). Due to the tremendous developments in international insolvency law (including the gradual increase of sources and scholarly literature, as well as a continually growing body of court cases, especially in the US (Chapter 15) and the EU with its Insolvency Regulation), Volume X of the series Wessels Insolventierecht has been split in the 4th edition, becoming Volume X Part I and Part II (again written in English).
Part I was published end of 2015: Bob Wessels, International Insolvency Law Part I. Global Perspectives on Cross-Border Insolvency Law (Wessels Insolvency Law Volume X), Deventer: Kluwer, 4th ed., 2015, CXCVI + 527 pp. ISBN 9 789013 132243.
See https://bobwessels.nl/blog/2016-01-doc6-wessels-international-insolvency-law-part-i/
Part II was on the market the end of 2017: Bob Wessels, International Insolvency Law Part II. European Insolvency Law (Wessels Insolvency Law Volume X), Deventer: Kluwer, 4th ed., 2017, CCXXX + 950 pp. ISBN 9 789013 145021
Going forward
As mentioned, since 2018, I have been working on the 5th edition of my series. After Summer 2021, Part I will be on the top of my to do-list. With so much happening (active role of UNCITRAL, developments in Asia, Brexit etc.), a substantial revision will be undertaken. This time I am not the sole author. For Part I, I have invited Dr. Paul Omar, Barrister, Gray’s Inn (np), Senior Lecturer at De Montfort University (UK), Technical Research Co-ordinator of INSOL Europe and (among other things) Editor-in-chief of the International Insolvency Review as a co-author. Paul is also a driving force behind the Asian Principles of Business Restructuring. See https://bobwessels.nl/blog/2020-09-doc2-corporate-restructuring-in-asia/. Paul and I have been cooperating for the last 15+ years on several activities, including being on the board of the Academic Forum of INSOL Europe (2007-2010).
If all works well, Wessels/Omar, International Insolvency Law Part I. Global Perspectives on Cross-Border Insolvency Law can be expected in the first half of 2022.
Also for Part II, I will not continue as a sole author. I have invited Prof. Stephan Madaus from Germany as a co-author. Stephan has been a full Professor of Law since 2012, and since 2014 holding the Chair for Civil Law, Civil Procedure and Insolvency Law at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. He defended his Habilitation thesis in 2010 on the Insolvency Plan (on its doctrinal nature as a contract and its functional development in proceedings with minimal court involvement) (in German), published in 2011 by Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen (Band 157 Schriftenreihe Jus Privatum). Between 2013 and 2017, Stephan and I chaired a law reform project for the European Law Institute (ELI). In 2020, Oxford University Press has published all materials, see https://bobwessels.nl/blog/2020-09-doc4-book-launch-of-rescue-of-business-in-insolvency-law/.
Also here, with the caveat (if all works well), Wessels/Madaus, International Insolvency Law Part II. European Insolvency Law can be expected end 2022/early 2023.
That’s not all
In the 2017 edition of Part II, the method of ‘deliberate participatory writing’ was introduced. This is a writing process that aims to improve the quality of my publications and the depths of the sources used by interacting with persons active in the area of international and European restructuring and insolvency. Through my blog (www.bobwessels.nl) and via LinkedIn, I have published drafts of texts of Part II with the invitation to those interested to provide me with sources of literature, precedents, court cases or additional comments to these drafts. That has been such a success that I have adopted the process in 2018 in the 5th edition for all my Dutch volumes. The personal return for those who reacted to this invitation to contribute to the ‘live’ debate within the pages of my texts are the assurance that (i) contributions will be acknowledged by listing the names of the authors concerned, and (ii) in selected cases, the emailed comments may be cited in the text together with acknowledgement of the communicator. By working this way, one could say that, through a ‘deliberative public participatory drafting process’, I was able to draw on the expertise and practical experiences of these respondents. In this way, too, a broad spectrum of jurisdictions and insights could be included. An advantage being also that the developments and views included in my books result in an illustrative and thought-provoking treatment of the themes covered in the book. Please send contributions to: info@bobwessels.nl.
I would be most grateful to all contributors for their support in our future work.
A new dimension
Since early 2021 I have my own youtube-channel under the title Bob Wessels Vlogs – International insolvency law. You can subscribe to it. In the middle of February 2021 you’ll find a few vlogs in Dutch too, related to my Dutch books in the series. Particularly as from Summer 2021 I will post cross-border themes, especially in the context of my research and writing for the new editions of International insolvency law Part I and Part II. Via my blog or by my vlogs, I hope to meet you soon!