Attorney-at-Law
Human Activities at Sea
Legal services for transport, navigation, and maritime activities
The LOONIS QUÉLEN Law Office operates in the fields of maritime law and law of the sea, providing both advisory and litigation services. The Office assists its clients with a wide range of issues, from maritime transport regulations to safety, security, seafarers’ labour law, and commercial disputes.
Thanks to its presence in both France and Switzerland, and to established ties with numerous stakeholders in the maritime sector at the international level, the Office provides legal support tailored to the technical, human, and environmental challenges of the contemporary maritime world.
The Office operates in the following areas:
- Legal Activities:
- Consultation;
- Drafting of legal documents.
- Litigation Activities:
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR);
- Court Representation.
Maritime Labour
The Office assists its clients with matters related to seafarers’ labour law, including conditions of employment, onboard safety, the responsibilities of shipowners or operators, and the prevention of occupational hazards and workplace accidents.
Particular attention is given to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006) and its implementation mechanisms in both individual and collective employment relations on board, serving the interests of employers and seafarers alike, within a complex international framework.
Safety & Security
The Office advises on matters related to ship safety and the protection of persons on board, including accident prevention, emergency response management, and compliance with international standards (ISM Code, SOLAS).
It also assists Clients with maritime security issues, such as the prevention of unlawful acts at sea, the implementation of the ISPS Code, and reporting obligations in ports and sensitive aras.
These services are provided to both private operators and public authorities, including port authorities and operators of specialized vessels, notably within the context of energy projects or critical infrastructure.
Law of the Sea
The Office assists its clients with matters related to freedom of navigation, maritime boundary delimitation, jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and marine environmental protection.
It also closely follows developments in international norms and their implementation, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the High Seas Treaty on Marine Biodiversity (BBNJ). The Office monitors the growing implications of the law of the sea in debates concerning energy, floating nuclear technologies, as well as issues surrounding the governance of maritime spaces and the conservation of marine resources.
Yachting, Transport & Disputes
The Office advises and represents clients - including owners and operators of yachts and pleasure vessels - in disputes related to recreational navigation, such as liability claims, casualties, construction or charter contracts, registration, taxation, and insurance matters.
It also handles commercial maritime disputes, including insurance contracts, conflicts between shipowners and charterers, and contractual issues related to shipping, cargo transport, and port logistics.
Maritime Engagement
LOONIS QUÉLEN Law Office actively takes part in various professional initiatives related to maritime law, the law of the sea, and ocean governance. This involvement ensures ongoing technical and legal monitoring, contributes to the development of international regulatory frameworks, and enables the Firm to offer its clients guidance informed by institutional practices within the sector.
CMI
An international umbrella organization founded in Antwerp in 1897, the Comité Maritime International (CMI) works to unify maritime law.
Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen contributes to its work through the international working group on maritime cybercrime and the French Maritime Law Association, actively participating in the development and interpretation of applicable legal standards.
French MLA
The French Maritime Law Association brings together nearly 400 maritime law practitioners.
Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen founded and chairs the permanent “Energy” commission, dedicated to legal issues related to transport, the offshore sector, and the energy transition. This involvement strengthens the Firm’s focus on the intersections between environmental matters, regulation, and maritime transport.
PCG
The Geneva branch of the international Propeller Club network brings together stakeholders from the shipping and maritime trade sectors.
Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen serves on the executive committee, actively contributing to the engagement of the regional maritime community and the sharing of professional best practices.
UMMU
A Geneva-based association active in international maritime cooperation, the Universal Maritime et Marine Union is committed to a balanced approach to the social, environmental, and economic challenges related to the sea.
Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen contributes to its work with a focus on international law and sustainable ocean governance.
Sfen
The French Nuclear Energy Society (Sfen) is the leading reference in France for civil nuclear energy.
While it does not yet address maritime applications, this area is becoming strategic with the rise of nuclear-powered vessels and floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs). These developments call for dialogue between nuclear experts and maritime law professionals, in response to growing legal and technical challenges.
ANAD
The National Association of Lawyers and Trainee Lawyers Holding a PhD in Law brings together law doctors and doctoral candidates, lawyers and trainee lawyers within a national and international network.
It promotes exchange, mentoring, professional integration, and recognition of the PhD in law. The association also organizes events, publications, and institutional partnerships, and works to highlight academic excellence in legal practice and to strengthen ties between universities and the legal profession.
Maritime Engagement
The LOONIS QUÉLEN Law Office actively participates in professional initiatives in maritime law, law of the sea, and ocean governance. This involvement ensures continuous technical and legal monitoring, contributes to the development of international regulatory frameworks, and provides clients with guidance informed by the institutional practices of the sector.
CMI — Comité Maritime International
The leading international umbrella association for maritime law, founded in Antwerp in 1897, the CMI works towards the unification of maritime law. Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen participates in its work through the international working group on maritime cybercrime and through the Association Française de Droit Maritime, actively contributing to the development and interpretation of applicable legal standards.
AFDM — Association Française de Droit Maritime
The AFDM brings together nearly 400 maritime law practitioners. Maître LOONIS QUÉLEN founded and chairs its permanent “Energy” commission, dedicated to legal issues related to transport, the offshore sector, and the energy transition. This involvement strengthens the Office’s focus on the intersection of environment, regulation, and maritime transport.
PCG — Propeller Club Geneva
The Geneva chapter of the international Propeller Club network brings together shipping and maritime trade professionals. Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen sits on the board of directors, contributing to the regional maritime community and to the sharing of professional best practices.
UMMU — Union Maritime et Marine Universelle
A Geneva-based association engaged in international maritime cooperation, the UMMU promotes a balanced approach to the social, environmental, and economic challenges of the sea. Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen participates in its work from the perspective of international law and sustainable ocean governance.
SFEN — Société Française d’Énergie Nucléaire
The French reference body for civil nuclear energy. While not yet focused on maritime matters, this field is becoming strategic with the rise of nuclear-powered vessels and floating production units (FNPP). These developments call for dialogue between nuclear experts and maritime law practitioners, in the face of growing legal and technical challenges.
ANAD — Association Nationale des Avocats et Élèves-Avocats Docteurs en Droit
The ANAD brings together holders and candidates of law doctorates who are practising or training lawyers, building a national and international network. It promotes exchange, mentoring, professional development, and recognition of the law doctorate, and organises events, publications, and institutional partnerships. It also works to promote academic excellence in legal practice and to strengthen ties between academia and the Bar.
Do You Reside in Switzerland?
Residing in Switzerland does not prevent a person from being subject to French maritime law, where a sufficient connection with France exists: French flag, actual port of operation, shipyard, or port of arrest of the vessel in France.
As a member of the Paris Bar and registered on the EU/EFTA List of the Geneva Bar, the Office handles all such matters from Geneva — without any need to instruct a second lawyer in France.
Switzerland is a party to the Lugano Convention of 30 October 2007, which means that the applicable rules of jurisdiction are closely aligned with those of the Brussels I bis Regulation. For seafarers domiciled in Switzerland under a French contract, the habitual place of work — determined by the vessel’s actual port of operation — generally establishes the competent jurisdiction (CJEU, Voogsgeerd, 15 December 2011). Where the employer is established in an EU Member State, the Brussels I bis Regulation allows the seafarer to bring proceedings before the court of that port of operation, even while residing in Switzerland.
For any dispute relating to a seafarer’s employment contract governed by French law, a prior conciliation procedure before the Director of Maritime Affairs (DDTM) is mandatory before any referral to the civil court — this is a condition of admissibility, the absence of which cannot be remedied during proceedings. The Office assists clients throughout this procedure from Geneva.
For vessels registered under the RIF (Registre International Français), the seafarer may choose between French courts, the courts of their domicile (in Switzerland), or the courts of the place of establishment of the employing entity. In the event of a precautionary arrest of a vessel in a French port, the proceedings are governed by French law of the port of arrest (forum arresti), subject to applicable international conventions.
Maître Dr. Loonis Quélen also teaches maritime law.
Looking for legal support in maritime law?
The LOONIS QUÉLEN Law Office provides rigorous advice and representation in France, Switzerland, and internationally.