wim.vanhemelen@bdvlaw.be
Direct Line: + 32 (0)3 201 22 02
Mobile: + 32 (0)477 21 84 45

Wim Van Hemelen



Profile

Wim’s expertise includes commercial and civil law in general and transport and insurance law in particular, with an emphasis on road carriage and rail transport, inland waterway transportation and customs law.

Areas of Practice

  • Commercial contracts and liability
  • International trade contracts and commercial disputes
  • Transport law
    • Domestic and international road haulage
    • Domestic and international transport by rail
    • Air carriage
    • Inland waterway transportation
    • Cargo claims and contract disputes
  • Logistics, warehousing and handling of goods
  • Transport insurance law
  • Customs law

Education

Wim Van Hemelen studied law in Antwerp and economics in Brussels. In 1993, he enrolled at the Antwerp Bar. In July 2005, he co-founded Bettens De Cocker Van Hemelen, together with Paul Bettens and Yves De Cocker.
Antwerp University, Belgium (Law degree, 1992)
Flemish School of Economics (VLEKHO), Brussels, Belgium (Postgraduate in Business Economics, 1993)
Antwerp College, Belgium (Bachelor in Customs Law, 2001-2004)


Memberships

Antwerp Bar
Belgian Maritime Law Association
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transportrecht
Universha (University & Port Antwerp)
I.V.R.
International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA)
Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA)
Officer Transport Law commission


Presentations

Speaker at the Seminar “Freight Forwarder’s Liability : an international comparison”, hosted by WALTERS & MORSE LLP on May 15th 2009 in London : “Freight Forwarder’s Liability in Belgium”

Speaker at the International Trade and Transport Symposium, hosted by AIJA on October 14th 2011 in Los Angeles : “Insolvency of the carrier : how to receive your cargo (in Antwerp)”

Presentation “Breaking Global Limits” on the AIJA – Seminar Limitation of Liability in Lissabon, Portugal on the 18th of October 2013.

Presentation “Sichere Lieferkette im Seeverkehr“ on the “Symposium über aktuelle Fragen des Transportrechts“ (Seminar on recent topics in Transport Law) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transportrecht (German Transport Law Association) in Bremen on the 14th of November 2013.

Non performance issues under logistic agreements”, AIJA, Antwerpen, 28 mei 2015

Limitation of liability in Belgium” – UIA Annual Congress, Valencia, 30 oktober 2015

Legal challenges of autonomous shipping”, UIA Annual Congress, Porto, November 2018

Risicobeheer in logistiek”, AON Seminarie, Havenhuis Antwerpen, 22 oktober 2018

Applicable law on carriage of good in international conventions, UIA Annual Congress, Luxembourg, November 2019


Languages

Wim speaks Dutch, French, German and English.

Wim Van Hemelen

"My feet always remain firmly rooted on the ground. No high-flown and endless discussions. After all, a down-to-earth and hands-on approach of issues provides the best opportunities for a satisfying conclusion."