Since 1 January 2023, professor Dr. M. Haentjens holds the chair for Civil Law.

More information about Matthias Haentjens

Studies and career

Professor Haentjens studied Greek and Latin at the University of Amsterdam (BA cum laude), and obtained his Master degree in 2001. He became a teacher of classics, but subsequently obtained a Master degree in Law (cum laude) in 2003, also at the University of Amsterdam. He obtained his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2007 and was a visiting scholar at Université de Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), Harvard Law School and New York University School of Law.

As of 1 August 2012 until 31 December 2022, Matthias was a professor of Private Law, specializing in Financial Law. Since 1 January 2023, he holds the chair for Civil Law.

Since 2016, professor Haentjens was a deputy judge in the Court of Amsterdam, and since 2020, he is a member of the Supreme Court Bar Committee. He advises several law-making bodies, both nationally and internationally. He was a member of the EU Commission’s Expert Group for the Law Applicable to Securities and Claims, and advised the Dutch government on the Securities Transfer Act. He has been a member of the UNIDROIT Working Groups for ‘Digital Assets and Private Law’ and ‘Bank Insolvency’, and is an elected member of several international professional organisations, such as the International Insolvency Institute, the European Law Institute and the European Banking Institute, of which he serves as Secretary to the Academic Board.

Prior to joining Leiden Law School, professor Haentjens was an attorney with De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek. In this capacity, he handled cases both as a transaction lawyer and as a (supreme court) litigator. Since 1 January 2023, he has rejoined De Brauw as an attorney (part time).

Research

Professor Haentjens is primarily interested in property law, tort law, private international law and supreme court litigation. His research focuses on how traditional systems of law cope with modern developments, such as digital assets and emission rights. Also, the interactions between EU law and national private law, and between private law and public law is a main point of interest. “Is our private law system ready for the next decades, when we will have to address climate change and digitalization?”

Professor Haentjens’ key publications include his legislative advice for the Assocation of International Insolvency Law ‘COVID-19 as a stress-test for insolvency law’ (2021, in Dutch), his book ‘Financial Collateral: Law and Practice’ (Oxford University Press, 2020) and his inaugural address for Ghent University entitled  ‘Incoherence United, Private Law Concepts under Pressure of EU Financial Law’ (Tijdschrift voor Privaatrecht 2017/III, in Dutch).

His research is part of the  Coherent Private Law research programme.

Teaching

Professor Haentjens is responsible for both undergraduate (Law and International Business Law) and graduate courses (Civil Law), and teaches various seminars.

Publications