Having used the internet to search for a smaller Dutch firm with expertise in international law, a new client from the Netherlands contacted the member firm of TEN Advocaten for assistance after some sling bags had broken, causing damage to the company’s goods during transshipment. The bags had been bought in Greece, filled in Russia, and transported to Belgium.
Van Ewijk Advocaten Mediators analysed the entire chain of events and evaluated the liability of all the parties to determine the best course of action for its client, collaborating with Lexetera in Belgium, as the incident had occurred in the Port of Antwerp, and TEN France, because the company responsible for the goods at the time of breakage was of French origin.
Both firms provided expert consultancy services in regard to their respective national laws through their Dutch counterpart to give its client a single point of contact and centralise all the relevant information. In the end, the client decided to sue the French shipping firm for damages, explains Egbert van Ewijk, the managing partner of TEN Advocaten, and a settlement was reached.
“The client, who is still one of our clients today, was very happy with the solution,” van Ewijk recalls. “Being part of TEN really helped in this case, as four other countries were involved. While we don’t have a member in Greece or Russia for now, being able to rely on a network of lawyers who I know personally and who know me meant that I, and my client, could completely trust what they told us.”