In November, two master's theses in Corporate Law were awarded prizes. Yentl Coenradie, alumna of the Master programme Corporate Law and currently working as a lawyer at Houthoff, received the Hermes Kring London Thesis Prize. Carly Baas, alumna of the Master programme Corporate Law and currently a master's student in Tax Law, received the BUREN Thesis Prize for Insolvency Law.
Erik de Kloe, Assistant Professor of Corporate Law and Insolvency Law at Erasmus School of Law, expresses his pride in the prize-winning theses: "I am particularly proud of the achievements of Yentl and Carly. Both theses are extremely relevant from both a societal and scientific perspective. It is incredibly rewarding to see students from our master's program receiving awards!"
Hermes Kring London Thesis Prize 2023
The Hermes Kring London Thesis Prize is awarded annually to the best thesis addressing a current issue and outlining the relationship between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coenradie's thesis, De implementatie van ESG-normen in het vennootschapsrecht, delves into the legislation on corporate social responsibility. Coenradie focuses on companies' corporate social responsibility, comparing the national and European obligations in the Netherlands with those in the UK.
Yentl Coenradie
Coenradie is thrilled to win the prize: "It is not only a tremendous compliment to receive an award for my research, but it is also great to see that this topic (corporate sustainability) is gaining more attention. Being able to make a small contribution to that feels good." The idea to write her master's thesis on this topic originated from her bachelor's studies. During her bachelor's, Coenradie wrote about a similar subject. "Thanks in part to Professor Schwarz's guidance, the thesis process went very smoothly. Additionally, during lectures, I could ask questions to various teachers and professors who deal with this topic - that is extremely useful and makes the process more dynamic and enjoyable. Of course, that does not mean it is always easy to put the right words on paper, but overall, I look back on it with a very positive feeling."
Currently, Coenradie works as a lawyer at Houthoff. She emphasizes that she is open to further exploring corporate sustainability: "Perhaps this could serve as a good starting point for doctoral research in the future!"
BUREN Thesis Prize for Insolvency Law 2023
The BUREN Thesis Prize for Insolvency Law has been awarded for the sixth time this year. Carly Baas secured this prize in 2023 with her thesis titled De wenselijkheid van gifting in het licht van de absolute priority rule. Her thesis focuses on the absolute priority rule introduced into Dutch law through the Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord (Whoa).
The rule originates from the United States, and because it is a new rule, it is not immediately clear how the rule should be applied. Additionally, the Dutch rule differs from the American absolute priority rule.
Carly Baas
Initially, Baas was unaware of the existence of the thesis prize. After the final discussion, her thesis supervisor informed her about the prize, prompting Baas to submit her thesis. Baas says she was incredibly surprised when she heard she won the thesis prize: "I had not expected it at all - I already felt honoured to be nominated."
Baas comments on writing the thesis: "Initially, I was apprehensive about the thesis process because I found it challenging to find a topic that truly suited me. Once I had found that and started the research, I became increasingly enthusiastic, making it not very difficult for me to write the thesis. I especially found it challenging to keep the research limited! What I found particularly interesting was drawing parallels between the American legal system, where an extrajudicial agreement procedure has been facilitated for years, and the Dutch system."
Currently, Baas is completing her second master's degree in Direct Taxes. She is expected to graduate in the summer of 2024.