Our Board of Trustees (BoT) has a new member! Danny Hoekzema, founder of New Paradigm, a not-for-profit law firm using the power of law to create a more sustainable and fair future, joined us as the new secretary of our BoT. We spoke to him about his journey from a corporate environment to New Paradigm, using law for social justice, being an ecofeminist parent, and his aspirations at WECF!
With a large smile and can-do attitude, Danny Hoekzema introduced himself by enthusiastically holding up various books on feminism that he loves. A lawyer by workday, and a father and husband on nights and weekends, Danny aspires to change how lawyers do law – moving away from pure financial gain towards social and environmental solutions.
Danny’s legal background includes expertise in digital law, data protection, and artificial intelligence. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Law and Technology from Tilburg University and completed a post-graduate specialization in Privacy and Data Protection at Grotius Academy. After starting his legal career at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands, and later working at De Roos Advocaten, Danny realized that something was missing, particularly when reflecting on his role as a lawyer and the birth of his first daughter:
“So I started with the regular journey of a lawyer – chasing reputational and financial success. But after seven years I realized: wealth doesn’t guarantee happiness or personal growth – you’re just drinking more expensive wine. That’s when I realized I needed to find something else. Moreover, when my daughter was born, I wanted to contribute to her future – making the world a better place. So the best I can do is ensure her future, and that we live in a safe society. That’s when I decided to use my skills differently.”
Upon these two life events, Danny decided to leave his life as a corporate lawyer and start New Paradigm – a law firm committed to using legal expertise for social and environmental good.
New Paradigm
A not-for-profit law firm with a mission: helping organizations accelerate their transition to a sustainable future, where economic, environmental, and social interests are in balance.
That is how the New Paradigm website describes itself on its home page. Unlike traditional law firms, it embraces capped salaries, reinvests profits in social and environmental causes, and promotes participation and collaboration.
When asked about the core philosophy behind New Paradigm, Danny said the following:
“Lawyers hold a lot of power and privilege, but too often our services are reserved for the few. I’m passionate about redefining our role: using our skills to strengthen society, not just protect private interests.”
Danny also founded Recht voor Klimaat (“Right for Climate“), a collective of lawyers and legal experts working to create a new ‘business as usual’ for the use of the law in accordance with the nine planetary boundaries, where he acts as founder and chair.
In other words, Danny’s vision is for law to contribute to society.
Danny on ecofeminism, system change & WECF
What do ecofeminism and system change mean to Danny? Removing the barriers to addressing systems of power and inequities. Seeing himself in a position of power, Danny finds it critical to address global challenges by talking directly to the people working on, and experiencing, them.
However, in order to make lasting impact, Danny acknowledges the importance of system change, highlighting the need to “change the game, rather than the players.” He wants to support marginalized groups to have access to critical decision-making spaces and solution creation. In his belief, system change is about arriving at a world where anybody can have the opportunity to participate in societal decision-making, rather than being handpicked from the crowd as a diversity hire.
This is also why Danny is excited about WECF. After an invitation by Aniek Moonen, our very own co-chair from our Board of Trustees, Danny quickly realized that WECF was working on similar topics and networks as he already was, and therefore knew he wanted to get involved.
What does Danny find appealing about WECF? He values our approach as an NGO in navigating global power dynamics, such as climate injustices and colonial legacies between the Global North and South, and our broad, complex network.
“I want to break out of my own bubble and be more globally connected to people and their challenges. I think WECF does a great job at finding, amplifying, and supporting people and organizations working on global solutions, and I want to be a part of this.”.
Since October 2024, Danny has therefore joined as our new secretary. Inspired by the book ‘Radical Justice’ by Nani Jansen, he believes his role will be to use his expertise in strategic legal thinking for social justice to foster conversations and spaces between powerful people and changemaker’s towards a better society.
At WECF, Danny hopes he can have the following impact:
“I realized that the political environment WECF is working in is tense, with budget cuts in the Netherlands and increasing radical right politics. I really hope that through my position on the BoT I can support WECF in navigating these harsh political winds and continuing their resilience into the future.”
So what gives Danny joy and hope for the future?
His daughter. Throughout the whole conversation, Danny kept referring to the inspiration that becoming a parent had on his feminist approach to the world. Proudly showing his copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book, Dear Iljeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, a feminist parenting book, Danny highlighted the impact feminism has had on his approach to raising his child and to the work he does and wants to do.
Welcome to WECF and our Board of Trustees, Danny!