Born in Cologne, 1956. Studied law at the UniÂversity of MünÂster/Westf. Professor of Law at University of Bonn in 1989. 1990-2022 chair for Civil and General Procedural Law at University of Hamburg. Dean of the Law Faculty in 1993/1994 and Vice Dean (head of the Examination Office) 2005-2010. Robert S. Campbell Visiting Fellow at Magdalen College Oxford 2010/2011 and 2015/2016. Professor for International Insolvency Law, Radboud University Nijmegen 2019-2021. Senior Research Fellow, Commercial Law Centre, Harris Manchester College, Oxford/UK 2020-2026. Visiting Professor, Radboud University Nijmegen 2022-2027. Honorary doctor of Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil (2025) and Charles University Prague, Czech Republic (2026). Also served as a judge at the Upper State Court (Court of Appeal) in Hamburg. He has been invited for talks and as a Visiting Professor to various universities worldwide. He has broad experience as an arbitrator in national and international cases since 1994.
