Ruben van Uden has been part of the Institute of Private Law (Department of Civil Law) since 1 September 2017, first as PhD Fellow and since April 2024 as an Assistant Professor.

More information about Ruben van Uden

About

Ruben van Uden (1992) studied Law (LL.B.) and Civil Law (LL.M. cum laude) at Leiden Law School. After completing his LL.M. degree in Leiden, he studied Comparative and European Private Law at the University of Edinburgh (postgraduate LL.M. with distinction).

Ruben has worked at the Institute for Private Law (Department of Civil Law) as a PhD Fellow since September 2017 and as an Assistant Professor since April 2024. His research interests primarily fall under property law.

PhD research

PhD research title: Ranking claims in insolvency. Justifications and explanations.

Ruben’s PhD research is about the rules on ranking claims in insolvency. When a company becomes insolvent, the value of the company's assets is usually insufficient to pay the claims of the creditors in full. This is where the rules on ranking apply, where according to Dutch law, secured creditors and the tax authorities hold strong positions.

This PhD research focuses on two perspectives. Firstly, the academic justifications for awarding preferential status to a claim (i.e. economic efficiency) will be explored. Secondly, the current Dutch rules on ranking will be the subject of historical and explanatory analysis in order to explain why the rules are as they are. Both perspectives will then be compared and the role of the legislator in this area of law will be evaluated. The research will conclude with recommendations for improving the law on ranking claims.

Prizes

- 2020 Meijers Best Article Prize
- 2020 Van Wersch Springplank Prize

Languages

Dutch, English, German

Publications