Law Firm for
International Transport Law

The Office

Since 1989 Dr Martin 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 a 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 interna-tional 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 deal-ing 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 suc-cessfully handling matters.

Other key areas are drawing up transport and logistics contracts as well as providing advice and representing clients of matters concerning insurance legislation and insurance cover.

Correspondence can be conducted in German, English, Dutch and 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. Martin Fischer

Dr Martin Fischer, lawyer, was born in Frankfurt am Main. He completed his law studies at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, where he also obtained his PhD. His curriculum included philosophy of law and criminal law.

The Dr Martin Fischer law firm was established in 1989 and maintains close contacts with the transport and shipping related city of Mannheim. It also collaborates intensively with the ‘Institut für Transport- und Verkehrsrecht‘, [institute for transport law and traffic law] at Mannheim University by means of periodic and active participation in preparing and organising academic conferences, lectures and meetings.

Within the international IVR Association that is established in Rotterdam, Dr Martin Fischer is closely involved in the international application of the law, including the organisation of colloquia and regular publications about subjects in the field of inland navigation and transport law.

Unpaid Activities

His unpaid activities include:

  • Chairman of the Legal Committee of IVR in Rotterdam
  • Board member of ‘Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Binnenschiffahrtsrechts an der Universität Mannheim e.V. (GBM)‘
  • Specialist editor responsible for the legal inland waterways column (Zeitschrift für Binnenschifffahrt (ZfB), Hamburg, with periodic explanatory notes on legal decisions with regard to the inland waterway law and transport law
  • Membership of various interest groups in the field of shipping law and transport law, such as IVR, VBW, DTG, GBM and MSV.

Publications

  • Resi Hacksteiner, A voyage through the law of inland shipping, editors 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)
  • Prozessuale Besonderheiten schifffahrtsrechtlicher Verfahren in Deutschland, in Festschrift Resi Hacksteiner, 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 for transposition of CLNI into national law, 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
  • Monatliche Veröffentlichung, häufig mit Erläuterungen und kritischen Anmerkungen, in Binnenschifffahrt, ZfB, „Rechtsseiten“
    Link

Jennifer Brohm

Lawyer Dr Martin Fischer is supported by Jennifer Brohm, legal assistant.

Her tasks in the law firm include:

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

Contact

Kanzlei Dr. Martin Fischer
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@drmartinfischer.de