mr. L.J.H. Gijbels mr. C.L.M. Smeets mr. F.M.J.A. Lohuis mr. W.A. van der Stroom-Willemsen mr. P.N.M. de Gier mr. L.S. Timmermans mr. M.E.L. Klein mr. J. Schoemaker mr. F. Oirbans mr. M. Baeten mr. E. Swiers mr. G.M. de Weerd mr. C. Mellema

Curriculum Vitae mr. L.J.H. Gijbels
e-mail: loes.gijbels@smeetsgijbels.com

Loes Gijbels graduated from the University of Leiden in 1976 following which she worked as a postgraduate researcher at the University of Berkeley in California, USA, and as a researcher at the Carol Ruth Silver law firm in San Francisco. She has been working as a lawyer since 1979. After her three year traineeship in general practice, she specialised in family law. She was one of the first divorce-mediators in The Netherlands and is co-founder of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators ( Vereniging van Familierecht Advocaten Scheidingsbemiddelaars, or vFAS). She was made an honorary member of this Association in 2003.

In the past years, Loes has taught many courses and workshops, has frequently delivered lectures and published many articles, on the subject of both family law and divorce mediation.

Since 1998, Loes’ name has been at the top of the ranking lists for top family law lawyers as drawn up by Elsevier’s magazine (in 1998,1999 and 2001), KSU (2004) and Elsevier Juridisch (2005). She was awarded the Sonja Boekman price for most approachable female lawyer in September 2006.

Since finishing a Counselling and coaching course at the Utrecht School of Governance (Utrechtse School voor Bedrijfs- en Organisatiewetenschap), Loes has decided to concentrate specifically on cases in which she acts as coach and counsellor. For these activities, see Coaching.

With regard to mediation activities, Loes is an absolute expert on extremely difficult mediations and leads 'marathon' mediation sessions for spouses who wish to settle their divorce in one long session, most often after earlier negotiations have failed or legal proceedings have been drawn out too long. The marathon session is preceded by a meeting with each of the spouses (who may bring their own lawyer). The marathon session starts at 9 AM. During the session, the parties may be assisted by their lawyers or other counsellors such as accountants or tax lawyers. The session will continue until the divorce settlement has been signed or when the session is broken off by one of the parties.

The hourly rate for mediations is € 350, not including office expenses (6%) and VAT.

Curriculum Vitae mr. C.L.M. Smeets
e-mail: carla.smeets@smeetsgijbels.com

Carla Smeets graduated from the University of Leiden in 1986. Before co-founding SmeetsGijbels in 2005, Carla worked for the law firm of Nauta Dutilh from 1987 until 1 September 2005, exclusively in the field of family law.

Carla is a member of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators (vFAS) and of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (IAML).

Apart from managing her practice, Carla is an active committee member of several legislative committees within the field of family law, and also teaches postgraduate courses at a number of Universities and acknowledged training institutes. Moreover, Carla is a deputy justice at the Court of Appeal in ‘s Hertogenbosch.

Her practice focuses on entrepreneurs and individuals of substantial means. She manages international divorce cases and regularly acts as mediator.

Curriculum Vitae mr. F.M.J.A. Lohuis
e-mail: florence.lohuis@smeetsgijbels.com

Florence Lohuis graduated from the University of Utrecht in 1985. After graduation, Florence worked for the law firm of Mannaerts and Appels in Breda until 1991, for CMS Derks Start Busmann from 1991 until 1996 and at AKD Prinsen van Wijmen in Rotterdam until 1 September 2005. For most of this period, she has worked exclusively in the field of family law.

Her practice focuses on entrepreneurs and individuals of substantial means. Her specialty is calculating maintenance and settling complicated matrimonial terms and matrimonial properties.

Divorce mediation forms a substantial part of her practice. She is a member of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators (vFAS) and is a certified Netherlands Mediation Institute mediator as well as a forensic mediator.

Apart from managing her practice, Florence is an active committee member of several committees within the field of family law, and also teaches postgraduate courses at the Professional Education Programme of the Netherlands Bar Association, at Universities and acknowledged training institutes. Additionally, she acts as deputy justice at the District Court and the Court of Appeal.

Curriculum Vitae mr. W.A. van der Stroom-Willemsen
e-mail: wendy.vanderstroom@smeetsgijbels.com

Wendy van der Stroom graduated from the University of Rotterdam in 1990. Wendy began her career as a family law lawyer at AKD Prinsen van Wijmen in Dordrecht and worked for NautaDutilh for six years before becoming a founding partner of SmeetsGijbels.

Wendy is mediator and forensic mediator and is a member of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators (vFAS).

Apart from managing her practice, Wendy has taught several workshops and courses, amongst which courses in the field of maintenance calculation and matrimonial terms. She was also a teacher in family law at the Professional Education Programme of the Netherlands Bar Association.

Wendy’s practice is extremely varied. She assists expats and has gained much experience over the years in cases concerning children, such as matters concerning custody and rights of access, descent and international child abduction. She also handles many cases with international aspects and cases concerning maintenance.

She acts as lawyer for expats on a regular basis.

Curriculum Vitae mr. P.N.M. de Gier
e-mail: paul.degier@smeetsgijbels.com

Paul de Gier graduated from the University of Rotterdam in 1992. After his graduation, Paul taught law at the School for Higher Education in Economics and Management (HEAO) in Breda. Five years later, he became a lawyer with the law firm of Haans Beijsens in Bergen op Zoom and subsequently worked at Nauta Dutilh in Rotterdam, where he specialised in family law.

He is a divorce lawyer and mediator and is a Board member of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators (vFAS).

He mediates and conducts legal proceedings in divorce cases and all related matters such as property divisions, maintenance, rights of access and suchlike. His practicie consist of entrepeneurs and top sport athletes.

Paul is also a member of the board of delegates of the Dutch Bar Association for the Rotterdam district.

Paul teaches on a regular basis. He has taught several workshops, for instance at the Alumni Association of Financial Planners, at Elsevier-Baard and Kluwer. He also regularly publishes articles in professional journals for lawyers, entrepreneurs and accountants.

His clients are mainly entrepreneurs.

Curriculum Vitae mr. L.S. Timmermans
e-mail: lonneke.timmermans@smeetsgijbels.com

Lonneke Timmermans graduated from the University of Tilburg in 1999 and has been working as a lawyer since 2001. Immediately after graduation, she spent a year working as a judicial clerk at the District Court in ‘s Hertogenbosch and the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam. On 1 January 2001, she began a career as a lawyer at Rassers Advocaten en Notarissen in Breda where she specialized in family law. She switched to the law firm of AKD Prinsen van Wijmen in Eindhoven in August 2004, where she also worked as a family lawyer. In February 2007, she joined SmeetsGijbels.

Lonneke is a member of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators (vFAS) and graduated from both the family law specialization course and the divorce mediator’s basic training course in June 2006. In July 2007, she completed the specialisation training course for vFAS divorce mediator.

In her practice, Lonneke represents the interests of private individuals and entrepreneurs in divorce cases and handles all related matters such as property divisions, maintenance, rights of access and suchlike. Lonneke teaches courses on family law to fellow lawyers.

Curriculum Vitae mr. M.E.L. Klein
e-mail: martine.klein@smeetsgijbels.com

Martine Klein graduated from the University of Leiden in civil law in 1996 and in international law in 1997. Martine began her career at the law firm of Wille & Donker Advocaten in Alphen aan de Rijn, where she specialised in the law of persons and family law. She joined SmeetsGijbels in 2006, continuing her career as a family law lawyer.

Martine is a member of the Association of Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators (vFAS) and she is a certified Netherlands Mediation Institute mediator.

Martine represents the interests of private individuals and entrepreneurs in family law cases, both as an advisor and as a litigator. She is also a divorce mediator.