I obtained my master's degree with great distinction in 2021 (research master's with a focus on private law and criminal law). After that, I started a PhD thesis on ‘non-contractual liability for environment-related anxiety damage’ at the Institute for Contract Law at KULeuven. I'll defend that thesis on 6 January 2026.

My areas of expertise are non-contractual liability law and civil procedural law, with a specific interest in environmental and climate liability. At Aurion, I am also specialising further in association law.

Most relevant experiences:

• Doctoral assistant at KULeuven (October 2021 - October 2025)

• Guest lecturer for the master's course “Damages Law” at KULeuven

• Guest lecturer for the postgraduate course in liability law and insurance law at the University of Antwerp

• Trainee at the Court of Cassation.

Most relevant publications:

• VAN EEKERT S., VOET S., “De vorderingen van milieuverenigingen ten behoeve van milieubelangen bij de civiele rechter”, Rechtskundig Weekblad 2025, 803 – 821.

• VAN EEKERT S., Extrapatrimoniale milieugerelateerde schade: een pleidooi voor een eenvormig schadebegrip, TPR 2025, afl. 3, 1415-1472.

• VAN EEKERT S., “Presumptions of Law Concerning Causality in Environmental Cases: Towards Collective Presumptions of Fact?”, Journal of European Tort Law 2023, 235–271.

Most relevant presentations:

• VAN EEKERT S., Milieugerelateerde angstschade: schade, schadeloosstelling en redelijkheid, Gent, Gandaius Academy Omgevingsrecht, 2025.

• VAN EEKERT S., AUVRAY F., Preventive effects of delictual liability, Hamburg, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, 2025.

• VAN EEKERT S., VAN ROY, L., Recht in een moderne samenleving: wereldvreemd of wereldwijs?, Wachtebeke, Nerdland Festival, 2023

For a complete overview of all my publications and presentations, see: https://www.law.kuleuven.be/verbintenissenrecht/personeel/00148395/view?sortby=scdate&pubsonpage=50&pubtype=#pubs