Litigation in Rotterdam offers many benefits compared to other countries.

The clustering of maritime jurisprudence in Rotterdam gives the city on the Maas an excellent starting position, says Connie Roozen, chair of the Rotterdam Maritime Services Community (RMSC). Ms Roozen emphasizes that litigation in Rotterdam offers many benefits compared to other countries.

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“Litigation here is quick and efficient, and the quality is high; the costs are much lower and it can also still be done entirely in English. On top of that, companies can also opt for arbitration here. That gives them a nice alternative.” Another difference with other countries is the access ability of the judges themselves, according to the chairperson. “The maritime court is very accessible, very approachable. You can discuss things here with the judges a lot. The Netherlands is quite unique in that.”

In order to bring more cases to the Maritime Chamber in the Netherlands in practice, the Rotterdam Maritime Services Community is making efforts to raise awareness of the maritime legal system in Rotterdam. “We promote Rotterdam as a Maritime Chamber at every international opportunity there is. People need to be more aware of our unique position in the legal system.” How successful Rotterdam will be in the future as the place for Maritime jurisprudence will ultimately stand or fall by that awareness, Roozen emphasizes.

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“And we need help getting Rotterdam on the map in that regard. Not only from lawyers but also, for example, from P&I clubs and insurers. And what about Dutch shipping companies? They should be backing our legal system much more. In the end, you also hope that the shipping company with positive experiences of Rotterdam is going to encourage that.”