Paul Verbruggen appointed Professor of Tort Law
As of July 1, 2022, Dr. Paul Verbruggen of Tilburg Law School is Professor of Private Law, in particular tort law. In his new position, he will explore the interaction between civil liability and modalities of market regulation.
Paul Verbruggen specializes in Dutch and European private law. His other areas of interest include legal methodology and the use of data science techniques for doctrinal legal research.
Over the coming years, Verbruggen will focus on the allocation of responsibility regarding health, environmental, and safety risks in international value chains and production networks.
One relevant theme is the civil liability of multinationals for damage suffered by consumers, employees, and others who are exposed to risks created by these multinationals’ products and production processes. Another is the liability of businesses for greenwashing or of online marketplaces for unsafe consumer goods. To address such issues, Verbruggen uses comparative legal analyses and studies the influence of European law on national private law.
Verbruggen’s research contributes to one of the four multidisciplinary Signature Plans of Tilburg Law School: Connecting Organizations: Private, Fiscal and Technology-Driven Relations in a Sustainable Society. This Signature Plan investigates how new models and strategies of economic activities driven by sustainability and digitization are regulated by law.
Verbruggen’s research themes are reflected in the classes he teaches in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in Law and in the Global Law Bachelor’s program. As of July 1, he also serves as the Academic Director of the latter program.
Geert Vervaeke, Dean of Tilburg Law School: "The Faculty Board of TLS is pleased with the promotion of Dr. Paul Verbruggen to Professor at our Law School. Dr. Verbruggen is a very talented academic and an active and engaged member of our academic community. We look forward to his continued contribution to our teaching and research, particularly within the signature plan Connecting Organizations."
Dr. Paul Verbruggen (1983) studied law at Tilburg Law School and defended his PhD thesis at the European University Institute in Florence. He worked as a guest researcher at LSE Law School and at the Faculty of Law of Oxford University. Verbruggen received an NWO VENI grant for the project 'The constitutionalization of private regulation' and held the Tijdschrift voor Privaatrecht (Private Law Journal) rotating chair at KU Leuven.
Note to editors
For more information about this appointment, please contact press officer Corine Schouten at +31 (0) 13 466 2993 or through c.h.schouten@tilburguniversity.edu.