Disciplinary law

Robert Sanders is an expert in disciplinary law, and within the corporate law practice at De Clercq he assists in particular independent professionals with disciplinary rules in their field, such as lawyers, civil-law notaries, accountants and healthcare professionals. He likes to analyse content in detail, as this enables him to use the knowledge and insights he has acquired to help his clients.

Education and career

After completing his law degree at the University of Leiden and his military service as a reserve officer in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Robert began his career in 1995 as an editor and publisher. He spent fourteen years focusing on the publication of medical, fiscal, financial and legal journals, among others, at three leading publishing houses, whilst at the same time completing his Bachelor degree in History with honours at the University of Utrecht. In 2009, Robert made the switch to the Netherlands Bar, where he spent over six years focusing predominantly on disciplinary cases – first as a senior policy advisor, and later as a lawyer. In 2017, Robert obtained his PhD in Disciplinary Law at the University of Amsterdam.

Latest developments

“As a lawyer, I work on behalf of independent professionals facing a complaint or claim that may result in disciplinary proceedings and/or a professional liability claim. First, I investigate the legality and reasonableness of the complaint or claim, which is important, because I have learnt from practice that two-thirds of all disciplinary complaints ultimately turn out to be unfounded. Naturally I work closely with my client to decide what strategy is best to follow. Where possible, I strive to resolve a case in close mutual consultation: sometimes by using arguments to convince the other party of the untenability of his claim, and sometimes by reaching an agreement. As far as I’m concerned, going to court is the last step in the process, but if necessary, I won’t hesitate to take that step.”