Professor Eric Van Hooydonk
Professor Eric Van Hooydonk is the senior partner. He holds a licentiate in laws (UIA, 1988), a special licentiate in maritime sciences (UFSIA, 1988) and a doctorate in laws (UIA, 1994). In 1988 he was called to the bar at Antwerp. He established his own law firm in 1995.
In 1994 he became a lecturer on maritime and transport law, international law of the sea and related subjects at the University of Antwerp and continued as a part-time senior lecturer there until 2009. He has written numerous books about economic administrative law and transport law and is often invited to speak at conferences both at home and abroad. Between 2000 and 2009 he was President of the European Institute of Maritime and Transport Law. For recent presentations and publications, please visit the News page.
In 2007 Eric was appointed chairman of the Royal Commission for the Review of Belgian Shipping Law, an organization established on his initiative. In 2009 Eric joined the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghent, where is a member of the Maritime Institute and where, with the support of the College of Europe, based in Bruges, and the port authorities of Antwerp, Ghent and Zeebrugge he established the world’s first institute for international and European port law. This is the Portius institute, a portmanteau name formed from the Latin words for port, or Portus, and law, Ius.
Eric is a member of the management and editorial boards of The Journal of International Maritime Law (UK), Droit Maritime Français (France), the Tijdschrift Vervoer & Recht (Netherlands and Belgium) and European Transport Law (Belgium).
Eric is also a Titulary Member of the Comité Maritime International, a member of the Council of the European Maritime Law Organisation and a member of various learned societies and committees.
Eric has been awarded several honorary titles, including Knight of the Order of Leopold, Honorary Chairman of Water Heritage Flanders and Honorary Member of the Royal Belgian Seamen’s College.
Eric’s detailed CV is available on request.
Joris Van Raemdonck
Joris Van Raemdonck took a Licentiate in Laws at the University of Ghent in 2003 and subsequently took degrees of European Master in Law and Economics (University of Hamburg, 2004) and Master of Economic Analysis of Law (University of Ghent, 2004). Joris has been with Eric Van Hooydonk Lawyers since 2004.
Jorge Chávez Aréstegui
Jorge Chávez Aréstegui holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Antwerp in 2015 and a LLM in International Maritime Law from Swansea University’s renowned Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law in 2016, where he won the Ince & Co. prize for the best international student. Jorge has been with Eric Van Hooydonk Lawyers since 2016.