The transport and trade group at AKD has experience of shipping, including specific expertise in ship arrests, judicial sales and charter party disputes, road, aviation and rail matters, particularly in carriage of goods disputes, as well as logistic matters relating to storage and the forwarding of cargo. The team has a strong contentious capacity, with shipping litigation expert Haco van der Houven van Oordt and Jos van der Meché specialising in disputes relating to terminal operations, warehousing and logistics. Annemieke Spijker specialises in multi-modal transport, road networks and warehousing, often litigating in logistics and international transport matters. The practice is led by Jan Kromhout, an experienced transactional transport lawyer who has a focus advising on contracts in relation to shipping.

CMS fields a multi-disciplinary transport team, led by Petra Heemskerk and Herman Boersen, who focus on public procurement and tax law, respectively. The group is consistently involved in matters relating to the mobility and automotive sector, with clients including public transport companies, investors, parking management companies and car brand distributors. Its transport financing work relates to assets including ships, trains and aircraft. The team focuses on developments in electric transport, particularly in the automotive sector and related infrastructure requirements, and has broader experience in the aviation, shipping and rail network industries.

The team at NautaDutilh leverages the wider firm’s banking and finance capacity to offer strong transport asset financing services, which includes advice on financing shipping and port logistics. The group also assists with acquisitions, restructuring, and the construction of new vessels, acting on behalf of both shipowners and banks. Erik Geerling heads the shipping and port transactional element of the team, supported by Renate Punt-Huizer and associate Romy Mattens. In relation to aviation, Teun Struycken offers specific experience in a range of finance transactions including leveraged leases, capital markets and engine financing. Kasper Krzeminski is at the helm of the group’s litigation and arbitration capacity and the group is further supported by the regulatory expertise of Jolize Lautenbach, who heads the firm’s public law practice.

Ploum specialises in transport and logistics and advises shipping companies and logistic service providers. The group also has expertise in regulatory, corporate and administrative law, and with a notable focus on international customs and trade law. The multi-disciplinary team regularly advises on contract terms and conditions in logistics and shipping, supply chain management, value added logistics, warehousing, freight forwarding and maritime incidents, as well as handling any contentious issues arising from the same. The practice is led by Jikke Biermasz, who specialises in transport, customs, anti-dumping and trade-regulatory matters; Marijn van Tuijl, who is experienced in supply chain management, logistics and carriage of goods disputes; and Albert Wiggers, who focuses on M&A in the transport sector.

Based in Rotterdam, Van Traa Advocaten has expertise across key transport sectors including maritime, aviation and logistics. Practice head Leendert van Hee specialises in dry shipping, road transport and logistics and is an arbitrator in Fenex-arbitrations. Managing partner Vincent Pool has strength in road carriage, logistics dry shipping and rail transport. His clients include insurers, major logistics service providers and multinational companies, with an emphasis on contentious matters. Jolien Kruit is recognised for her expertise in transport litigation, focusing on dry shipping and general average matters, and associate Nol van Hal is regularly instructed on shipbuilding, charterparty, maritime casualties and ship arrest matters and has specific industry experience in maritime insurance and offshore construction. Aviation insurance expert Robert Pessers regularly acts for major insurers as well as airlines.

Clifford Chance has a strong following among aircraft manufacturers, airlines, helicopter companies, and aircraft operating companies for advice on aviation financing. The multi-disciplinary team is also able to leverage the wider firm’s corporate and M&A offering, as well as its global network of sector specialists, to provide full coverage in asset finance for aviation. The practice is led by Hein Tonnaer, who is a key part of the firm’s financial markets group and co-heads the renewables group, with a focus on project, asset and export finance.

Loyens & Loeff has a particular presence in the shipping finance domain, assisting banks, including Rabobank, ABN Amro and ING, shipowners, operators and manufacturers on the financing of a variety of vessels. The practice is led by Ehsan Shirzadi, who is a member of the firm’s banking and finance group and specialises in general secured financing transactions and restructuring in the shipping space. The team is also active in a number of cross-border transactional and restructuring matters in the shipping space.

The multi-disciplinary team at Norton Rose Fulbright is particularly active in the logistics and ship financing elements of transport, including offshore matters. Aside from its strong asset finance practice acting for banks, shipowners and leasing companies, the team also advises on restructurings, as well as green financing, investment and asset-based lending. The transport practice is led by Wouter Hertzberger, head of the banking group in Amsterdam who has experience of structured finance transactions and asset finance in shipping and projects more broadly. The firm’s restructuring capacity was recently bolstered by the arrival of Omar Salah from De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek.

Stek advises clients on the full spectrum of aviation-related matters both domestically and at an international level. The team specialises in transactional arrangements regarding leasing, acquisition and the sale and financing of commercial aircraft, helicopters and business jets. The team’s expertise is consolidated by experience in aviation regulation, specifically relating to Schipol airport. The firm acts for an impressive roster of aviation clients including airlines as well as financial institutions, which it assists with financing facilities. Jeroen Timmermans leads the team and has proficiency in all aspects of aviation law, including aircraft repossession and related contract issues.