Jan Kromhout News

Netherlands law firm AKD has appointed Jan Kromhout as a partner in its shipping and offshore team.Jan began his career in Rotterdam with the law firm Nauta Dutilh. In 2005 he joined the leading operator in the international market for heavy marine transport, where he became head of the legal department and where he also gained extensive experience of arranging contracts involving the oil and gas industry Jan works closely with shipping companies in drawing up transport contracts, arranging charter  parties, co-operation agreements, shipbuilding contracts and vessel financing arrangements.

In the wake of an independent report recommending the Netherlands government to provide Dutch shipowners with better levels of protection against piracy, including the hiring of armed guards, Netherlands law firm AKD says that shipowners who directly hire armed personnel themselves could face criminal prosecution. The so-called De Wijckerslooth Committee report was designed to assess the desirability and possibility of deploying private sector armed security to help protect Dutch ships from the threat of attack by (mainly Somali) pirates. It recommends that the Dutch government moves towards a higher level of protection of its merchant fleet including, “if necessary”, the use of armed private security guards.