Pieter van Welzen

Pieter van Welzen is a Consultant Attorney in the Banking and Finance practice at Thomson Wilks. He is a Dutch and English-qualified lawyer with more than 35 years’ experience in banking, finance, capital markets, structured finance and cross-border lending transactions. Pieter advises financial institutions, development finance institutions, institutional investors, private equity investors, corporates and public authorities on complex financing arrangements across Europe and Africa.

‍His experience in both common law and civil law jurisdictions enables him to assist clients on matters involving English law, European legal systems and African markets. Pieter is also able to advise and transact in English, Dutch, French, Portuguese and German, which adds practical value in cross-border transactions where documents, counterparties and legal concepts often move between languages and jurisdictions.

In addition to his banking and finance practice, Pieter has experience in matters connected with public international law, the law of the sea and maritime issues. He is a member of the International Law Association’s Committee on the Protection of People at Sea.

Pieter holds a Dr. iur from the University of Hamburg, an M. Litt. from the University of Cambridge (Magdalene College, Cambridge and an LL.M. from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

He was admitted as an advocaat in the Netherlands in 1990 and as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1999.

Pieter is the author of Beneficial owners of vessels and state responsibility for illegal fishing, published in Volume 3 of the Journal of Ocean Governance in Africa. The article examines the obligations of coastal, flag and vessel owner States in addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, with particular attention to the responsibility of the States in which the beneficial owners of fishing vessels are located.