Press & Publications
On 23 November 2015 the Rotterdam District Court – Private Law Division announced it is ready to accept the usage of English as the working language in proceedings on the merits in the areas of maritime and transport law as well as the international sale of goods. Provided only professional parties are involved counsel to the plaintiff and defendant may agree to apply for conducting legal proceedings in the English language. The court will then follow the parties’ choice whereby certain rules of procedure have been developed to ensure smooth proceedings.
Avra Towage B.V. in Rotterdam (“Avra”) operated seven seagoing tugs (‘North’, ‘East’, ‘South’, ‘West’, ‘Compass’, ‘Northwind’ and ‘Southwind’) through seven single-ship-companies owning the respective vessel. Avra went bankrupt on 20 May 2014 and it then transpired Avra had failed to maintain adequate pension arrangements for the seafarer’s crewing the tugs. Eleven seafarer’s started a legal battle against Rabobank, the first mortgagee of the seven tugs involved, arguing that their claims may be recovered from the proceeds of sale of the vessels they served on.
Getting The Deal Through - Ports & Terminals 2016 is the first edition of this publication published by Law Business Research Ltd. in London. Our firm has contributed to the publication of Getting The Deal Through – Ports & Terminals 2016, which provides for an international comparison of legal concepts throughout 22 jurisdictions, and which provides answers to a large number of questions of relevance for an initial judgment in the environment of ports and terminals in those respective countries.
When it comes to the majority of commercial new building, including superyachts, construction invariably demands substantial funds and it will take the yard considerable time to deliver the vessel under the Building Agreement with the buyer. In Issue 19 of The Superyacht Owner, Arnold J. van Steenderen answers some of the most pressing questions surrounding the subject.
In a letter to Parliament, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen confirmed that the Dutch State is currently considering to acquire an ownership interest in the Port of Amsterdam. All stocks in the Port of Amsterdam are currently being held by the Municipality of Amsterdam.
On 2 September 2015 the District Court North Netherlands (Assen) ruled that a Natural Gas company (Nederlandse Aardoliemaatschappij B.V. or “NAM”) owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobile must compensate homeowners for declines in the value of their properties caused by repeated earthquakes linked to production of gas at the Groningen field (ECLI:NL:RBNNE:2015:4185 Stichting Waardevermindering door Aardbevingen Groningen (and 3 others) v.
Getting the Deal Through - Shipping 2016 is the 8th edition of this well-received publication. This publication provides an overview of the law in seventeen international jurisdictions. It is published by Law Business Research Ltd. and it is an indispensable guide for all those in-house lawyers and other key decision makers that are dealing with shipping and transport around the world.
Royal Imtech N.V. announced on 11 August 2015 it had filed a request to the Rotterdam District Court to be granted a suspension of payments (in Dutch: “surseance van betaling”). The Court has granted the request and has appointed administrators. It is expected filing for suspension of payments may optimize the chances that substantial parts of the Imtech Group may continue doing business. This will be primarily in the interest of Imtech’s employees and possibly also in the interest of other stakeholders. What about the position of secured and unsecured creditors?
Van Steenderen MainportLawyers has contributed the Dutch chapter for the 2015 edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to Shipping Law.
"This article appeared in the 2015 edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Shipping Law; published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London.” (www.iclg.co.uk )