Benoît Goemans

Education and training

Benoît Goemans graduated at the University of Leuven as a Candidate in law (1984) and a Licentiate in law (Master) (1987), at the Tulane University (New Orleans) as a LL.M. in Admiralty (1989) and at the University of Antwerp (Master Maritime law and laws of the Inland Waterways, 1990). In 1988 – 1989 he clerked with O’Neil, Eichin, Miller & Breckinridge, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Main positions in practice, academics and legal science  (see list) 

For over a decade Benoît combined his legal practice with academic positions. He was called at the bar in 1987 and practiced subsequently in two major law firms until he co-founded Goemans, De Scheemaecker in 2006. He was a professor of maritime law at the University of Louvain, professor of Marine and Transport Insurance at the Hasselt University, professor of Maritime law at the Transport postgraduate degree of the University of Brussels and yearly guest speaker at the University of Antwerp.  Benoît occupied  and still occupies various functions in maritime law organizations such as Vice President of the Belgian Maritime Law Association, Executive councilor of the Comité Maritime International, Member of the Royal Commission to the revision of Belgian Maritime Law, etc.  Read more. 

Clients

The clients Benoît works for are ranging from the midsize traders to the world’s largest multinationals in the production, trade, finance, leasing, shipping and insurance industry. An important part of Benoît’s assignments originates from large reputable  law firms, both foreign and domestic, who have been relying for over two decades on his expertise and dedication.

Areas of Practice (see list) 

However, the legal practice occupied most of his professional time. His practice includes dispute resolution (negotiating settlements, litigation,  arbitration, local enforcement of foreign judgements and awards), drafting of legal instruments, otherwise prevention of litigation and law making, mostly related to transport and trade. (see details)  

Legislative and treaty work

At the request of the Belgian government (department of justice) Benoît  submitted amendments to the Belgian Code of International Private Law which the Belgian legislator adopted.  He participated in the drafting of the CMI Convention on the Recognition of the Foreign Judicial Sale of Ships, adopted in Hamburg in 2014.

Languages

Benoît drafts, litigates, publishes and lectures in Dutch, French and English.

Lectures

Benoît Goemans was a guest speaker or reporter on legal topics in Antwerp (1994, and yearly from 1997 up to present), Ghent (Colloque franco-belge, AFDM-ABDM 2015), Rotterdam (Belgisch-Nederlands colloquium, BVZ-NVZ 2014), Le Havre (Colloque franco-belge, AFDM-ABDM 2013), Dublin (CMI 2014), Brussels (1996, 2002), Buenos Aires (UCL-University of Buenos Aires 2000, CMI 2009), Athens (CMI 2008), Malmö (World Maritime University 2007) Bordeaux (CMI 2004), London (Lloyd’s of London Press 1997), Liège (Yachting Federation 1997). He reported at all the yearly meetings of the General Assembly of the CMI from 2001 to 2015.

Publications (see list)

Benoît Goemans

Ellermanstraat 46,
2060 Antwerp, Belgium,

Ph: + 32 (0) 3 231 54 36 
Mob: + 32 (0) 478 47 29 91 
benoit.goemans@GDSadvocaten.be