The lawyers on our Transport / Customs team possess extensive knowledge and skills in the specific areas of law relevant to the national and international carriage of goods:
national and international road transport law,
maritime law,
rail transport law,
air transport law,
transport insurance law (transport liability and cargo insurance).
Furthermore, our lawyers are perfectly knowledgeable in the regulations and usages governing all activities closely related to transport services such as freight forwarding, logistics, warehousing, handling and stevedoring, and vehicle leasing (with or without driver).
We therefore offer a complete range of services from the drawing-up of transport and logistics contracts or specific transport-related clauses for other contracts (international sales, group insurance, etc.) to the representation of transport professionals, loaders, and insurance companies in judicial and arbitration litigation.
We have also developed a specific expertise as advisory and trial lawyers in customs matters.
The teams lawyers work in French, English, and German. Involved at all stages, the partners are responsible for the general conduct of the case and the elaboration of procedural strategies in close contact with clients.
What We Do
We represent loaders, insurance companies, carriers, shipping companies, freight forwarders, both French and foreign (mainly German) before the judicial and arbitration courts: Paris Maritime Arbitration Chamber (CAMP), ICC, etc.
We draw up, negotiate, and revise transport, forwarding, and logistics contracts, transport-related insurance contracts, vehicle leasing contracts (with or without driver), and we draw up specific transport-related clauses for other contracts.
We conduct transport-related debt collection or indemnity claim proceedings following the termination of business relationships as well as proceedings for the seizure of transport vehicles.
We conduct litigation in customs-related matters.
Highlights
Transport:
- Representation of a German insurance company for a direct action against a French loader resulting in a ruling that established the conflict of law rules for the direct action of victims against liability insurers
- Sentencing of a railway company on behalf of a tobacco manufacturer and its insurer to reimburse the duties paid to the customs authorities by the manufacturer following the theft of goods during the transport (COTIF, the Bern convention, was modified as a consequence)
- Action brought by a German forwarding agent before the Paris Maritime Arbitration Court (CAMP) in litigation relating to the performance of a maritime charter contract (project cargo)
- Representation of the Mexican subsidiary of a German forwarding agent in a dispute relating to the maritime transport of industrial equipment
- Counsel to a French forwarding agent in litigation following the sudden termination of a strategic alliance agreement with a carrier
- Drawing-up and negotiation of logistics and related service contracts on behalf of (chemical, life sciences, etc.) corporations
- Drawing-up and revision of road transport contracts and freight forwarding contracts (life sciences industry)
Customs:
- Counsel to a financial institution in a dispute with the customs authorities about a financing scheme for the acquisition of an aircraft
- Counsel to a service provider specializing in the aeronautical sector following the seizure of an aircraft by the customs authorities
- Counsel to a tobacco manufacturer in several cases of litigation against the French customs authorities following transport incidents and customs seizures
