Birgit van Houtert

Birgit van Houtert is an Assistant Professor of Private International Law at the Faculty of Law, Maastricht University. She holds a cum laude Master of Laws in Dutch Law with a focus on Private Law from Maastricht University (1998-2005). Her research centers on jurisdictional challenges in cross-border cases, particularly copyright infringement under EU law, and the implementation of the Anti-SLAPP Directive to protect free speech targets. She completed her PhD on this topic in 2020.

Key research areas include European Union private international law, intellectual property rights, and legal mechanisms to counter strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Her work bridges theoretical analysis with practical implications for cross-border litigation.

Publications reflect a focus on EU legal harmonization challenges, digital platform regulation, and the application of international conventions like the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention. She contributes to academic journals such as Nederlands Internationaal Privaatrecht and blogs like Conflict of Laws.net.

Affiliated with the Maastricht EuropeanPrivate Law Institute (M-EPLI), she also collaborates with the Asser Institute on IPR-related projects. No formal advisees or grants are explicitly listed, though her research output suggests active involvement in legal policy and academic discourse.