Wim Fransen*partner
Wim Fransen (Kapellen, 26-07-1949) obtained a law degree at the Catholic University of Louvain (K.U.L.) in 1972. He obtained a postgraduate degree in maritime law and air law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.) in 1975.
He worked as a lawyer at the Brussels Bar in the law firms of Botson & Associés and Goffin & Tacquet from 1974 until 1979, where he concentrated mainly on commercial law and labour law.
In 1975 he completed a traineeship with Meuren & Meuren in Mainz (Germany). In 1976 he worked as in-house counsel in the legal department of the Brussels town administration.
In 1979 he undertook a traineeship at the West of England P&I Club in London and, at the request of a leading Belgian shipping company, he started his own firm in Antwerp in which he specialised in commercial law, with a particular emphasis on maritime law.
Over the years he has represented almost all the major Ship owners and P&I Clubs in the world.
Wim Fransen is regularly appointed as an Arbitrator in disputes regarding marine insurance law.
He advises the Belgian Ministries of Transport and Justice in general matters of maritime law and incorporation of International Conventions into Belgian maritime law. He is co-author of a bill of law concerning jurisdiction and carriage on deck of containers.
On 29th May 2007 he was appointed by the Minister of Transport as a member of the Royal Commission for revision of the Belgian Maritime Code.
He has written various articles in Belgian and international reviews on maritime law. He has organised or taken an active part, as president of a panel or as speaker, in numerous international conferences and colloquia on maritime and customs law.
Wim Fransen was the President of the Belgian Maritime Law Association from 1998 to 2003.
Since 1999 he has been a member of the Albert Lilar Foundation, which awards a price to an author of an innovative work on maritime law every two years.
He has been the Administrator of the Comité Maritime International (C.M.I.) since 2003.
Since September 2004 he has taught courses on "Principes généraux de droit maritime" and "Crédit et vente maritime" at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.).
He pleads in Dutch, French and English, is fluent in German and Spanish and reads Italian.
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