Law Firm for
International Transport Law

The Office

Since 1989 the Fischer law firm has focused on international transport law. This includes the commercial inland navigation sector, the maritime sector, transport law in general, logistics and insurance law.

We have considerable experience in the field of professional advice and litigation on behalf of leading and internationally operating insurers, shipping companies and logistics companies. Not only do we represent the interests of our clients in Germany, we also regularly conduct international legal proceedings with the support of and in close consultation with specialised law firms and experts across Europe. In these proceedings expertise often plays a decisive role when dealing with nautical, logistics and technical issues. Assessing the factual circumstances of either a damage and/or loss case, an average case or a logistics situation can often be the basis for successfully handling matters.

Other key practice areas include drawing up transport and logistics contracts, as well as providing clients with advice and representation in matters which concern insurance coverage.

In the interest of the development and harmonization of the international law, we regularly participate in the preparation and execution of conferences and colloquia, including those of the Institute for Transport and Traffic Law at the University of Mannheim and the International Association for the Ship Register in Rotterdam.

You can write to us in German, English, Dutch or French.

International Shipping

Within our field of work there is strong emphasis on the international shipping sector and in particular the inland navigation sector. This field of work covers a variety of subjects, such as:

  • Averages
  • Cargo claims
  • Freight law
  • Environmental damage
  • International liability law (CLNI/HNS)
  • Permits under public law
  • State Taxes Act
  • Police Law
  • Defence in criminal cases and penalty payment matters
  • Yachts, sporting boats and pleasure craft

Transport Law

Within the framework of the general international Transport Law we deal with the following subjects:

  • Shipping
  • Road transport
  • Container transport
  • Multimodal transport
  • CMNI
  • CMR
  • Bratislava Agreements (BA)
  • IVTB, ADSp and other terms and conditions

Law of Contract

Our firm has already for many years successfully provided assistance during contract negotia-tions and we draw up shipping and logistics contracts independently, in particular:

  • Shipbuilding
  • Sale of ships
  • Bareboat charter
  • Chartering
  • Logistics
  • Storage facilities
  • Transhipment

Insurance Law

Our activity in insurance law includes the following specialised areas:

  • River hull
  • ADS
  • P&I/T&H
  • Water sports
  • Technical and construction insurances
  • Significant industrial damages

Dr Moritz Fischer

Dr Moritz Fischer (Europajurist, Univ. Würzburg) studied law at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main and at the Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, specialising in European law and international commercial law. He completed a PhD with a thesis on European competition law.

While working in Rotterdam and London, he dealt with practical and legal issues related to international transport and shipping law. In Brussels, he participated in consultations with the European Commission on reforms to inland waterways law. During his legal clerkship (Referendariat), Dr Moritz Fischer worked for the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva, where he was, among other assignments, designated to the Inland Transport Committee of the UNECE.

Publications+

  • Einstweilige Maßnahmen im Kartellverfahren, Reihe Wirtschaftsrecht und Wirtschaftspolitik, Band 312, Nomos, Baden-Baden 2022
  • La responsabilité civile des plateformes de crowdlending, Vortrag an der Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogota, Kolumbien, Oktober 2022
  • Solidarité et Indemnisation, in: La solidarité – Travaux de l’Association Henri Capitant, Tome LXIX année 2021, Larcier, Brüssel 2021, gemeinsam mit Prof. Dr Florian Bien (Maître en Droit, Aix-Marseille III)
  • Admissibility of Selective Distribution Systems in e-Commerce, Vortrag im Rahmen des ersten Malaysisch-Deutschen Symposiums zum Wettbewerbsrecht, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Juli 2019

Dr Martin Fischer

Dr Martin Fischer completed his legal studies at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, where he also obtained his PhD. His curriculum included philosophy of law and criminal law.

Since 1989 he has specialised in international transport and shipping law. In addition to his legal practice, Dr Martin Fischer is also involved in the development of law in this field. He is head of the Legal Commission of the IVR in Rotterdam and a member of the board of the Society for the Promotion of Inland Navigation Law at the University of Mannheim (GBM). As legal editor of the Binnenschifffahrt journal (ZfB), he regularly publishes and comments on judgments relevant to transport law.

Publications+

  • Prozessuale Besonderheiten schifffahrtsrechtlicher Verfahren in Deutschland, Festschrift Resi Hacksteiner, Eine Reise im Binnenschifffahrtsrecht, Herausgeber Frank Smeele, Krijn Haak, Martin Fischer, Willem Sprenger und Frank Stevens, Rotterdam 2020, ISBN: 978-94-6236-995-5, ISBN: 987-94-6094-520-5 (e-book), Rotterdam 2020, Seite 77 ff
  • Der Ladungsbeitrag zur Havarie-grosse und die Obhutshaftung des Frachtführers in der Binnenschifffahrt, Teil 1 – Materielles Recht, TransportR März 2019, Seite 115 ff; Teil 2 – Zuständigkeit, TransportR April 2019, Seite 167 ff.
  • Mengenermittlung in Tankschiffen und der strafrechtliche Vorwurf der Ladungsunterschlagung, ZfB 2017, Sammlung Seite 2481, Juli 2017
    Link
  • Schleppvertrag, nautisches Verschulden und Obhutshaftung, ZfB 2017, Sammlung Seite 2500 f, Dezember 2017
    Link
  • Der praktische Fall:
    Die Havarie des TMS „Avanti“ – Haftungsgrenzen bei Brandkatastrophen,
    TranspR September 2016, Seite 345 ff
  • Guidelines der IVR zum CLNI, Leitfäden zur Umsetzung des CLNI 2012 in nationales Recht, März 2016
    Link
  • Die Haftungsbeschränkung zwischen CMNI und CLNI und die praktische Bedeutung der IVTB sowie des BA, TranspR 10/2013, Seite 372 ff
    Link
  • Zur Entwicklung der Rechtsprechung in der Binnenschifffahrt, VersR 2010, Seite 436 ff
  • Wem gehört der Rest der Ladung? Rechte und Pflichten der Transportbeteiligten beim Laden und Löschen eines Schiffes in zivilrechtlicher und strafrechtlicher Betrachtung, Problem des Binnenschifffahrtsrechtes X, Hrsg. Eibe Riedel und Günther Wiese, Heidelberg 2004
  • Transport- und Haftungsrecht in der Binnenschifffahrt, Hrsg. Rolf Herber/Martin Fischer/Werner Korioth/Thomas Hartmann, Baden-Baden 2000, Leistungsstörung und Kostenlast im Frachtvertrag der Binnenschifffahrt, Seite 39 ff
  • Internationale Aspekte der Binnenschifffahrt, Entwicklung der Rechtsprechung in der Binnenschifffahrt, Hrsg. Prof. Dr Karsten Schäfer, Seite 31 ff
  • Wille und Wirksamkeit
    Untersuchung zum Problem des dolus alternativus, Frankfurter kriminalwissenschaftliche Studien, Band 42, Verlag Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main 1993

Jennifer Brohm

The lawyers are supported by Jennifer Brohm, legal assistent.

Her tasks in the law firm include:

  • Secretarial work
  • Handling correspondence
  • Arranging appointments
  • Office organisation
  • Financial administration

Contact

Fischer Rechtsanwälte
Ulrichstraße 8
60433 Frankfurt am Main

Tel+49 (0)69 60 32 62 60
Fax+49 (0)69 60 32 62 66
E-Mail post@fischerrechtsanwaelte.de