Speaker details

Biography

André Kegels studied law at the Belgian Leuven Law School. Following training at the Brussels Bar, he worked in the UK for an English law firm and marine insurers. He then joined the Antwerp Bar, where he has practised maritime, transport and trade law ever since. He is the head of Kegels, a niche maritime and ITC (international trade and commerce) law firm with centuries of experience in this field. His publications, including 'The Belgian Law on Salvage' and 'European Principles Regarding Maritime Law', are cited by courts and scholars. His Dutch, English and French publications cover all aspects of maritime and transport law. He is also a regular speaker at international conferences and a guest lecturer at universities, primarily on ship arrest law, port logistics, and increasingly, the law on autonomous vessels. He is listed as a Tier 1 attorney in directories such as The Legal 500, and his peers consider him to be the top specialist in both blue and brown water. He assisted in drafting the new Belgian Maritime Code, particularly with regard to the law on inland waterways enacted in 2024 and applicable from 1 January 2025.