Graduated Erasmus university 1973 (law), PHD Leyden University 1981, Attorney at Bar of Rotterdam until 1977, lecturer private law Leyden University until 1981, company lawyer Unilever 1982-1989, Professor Tilburg University 1989-1999 (as from 1997 part time) (civil and commercial law), Advocate-General at the Dutch Supreme Court (1997-2016), honorary professor Maastricht University 1999-2016, University of Amsterdam (2016-2018), University of Stellenbosch (as from 2016), Senior Fellow Global Justice Program Yale, Founder and honorary President of European Group on Tort Law, founder and member of international expert groups which have published the Oslo Principles and two editions of the Climate Principles for Enterprises, fellow of ECTIL (European Centre of Tort and Insurance Law, member advisory board of ClimLaw University of Graz and of the Green Blog for Diplomats Blog, author of many books and other publications in the realm of tort law and since 2000 mostly on climate change, Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion
