Geert Van Calster
gavclaw.bsky.social
Geert Van Calster
@gavclaw.bsky.social

Geert is a practising lawyer and full professor at KU Leuven, and a visiting prof i.a. at Monash University, Melbourne. Mostly law. Just law. Blogs at www.gavclaw.com

Geert Van Calster is a Belgian lawyer and legal scholar, focusing on conflict of laws, international trade law, EU and international environmental law, EU economic law, and investment and commercial arbitration. He is full professor of Law at KU Leuven, was the head of its department of European and International Law for 11 years between 2009 and 2020, and is a senior fellow at KU Leuven's Centre for Global Governance Studies. He is a former director of the Centre for Advanced Legal Studies at KU Leuven and former program director for the Master of Energy and Environmental Law (2002-2012). He is also a visiting professor at Monash University (Melbourne), at King's College London, and a senior fellow at Melbourne University School of Law. He is adjunct professor at American University, a former visiting lecturer at the University of Oxford and a former visiting professor at the China-EU School of Law in Beijing and Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Between 1994 and 2015, he was affiliated as of counsel (practising) with international law firms, respectively SJ Berwin; Andersen Legal; Dibb, Lupton, Alsop; and DLA Piper. He now runs his own, independent legal practice. He was called to the bar in 1999. He hosts a blog posting mostly on international dispute resolution at www.gavclaw.com. .. more

Political science 30%
Law 23%

Blogged.

Municipio de Mariana v BHP. A groundbreaking liability finding with a sprinkle of conflict of laws: Rome II's evidence and procedure carve-out seen against required claim form detail relevant for limitation purposes.

gavclaw.com/2025/11/17/m...
Municipio de Mariana v BHP. A groundbreaking liability finding with a sprinkle of conflict of laws: Rome II’s evidence and procedure carve-out seen against required claim form detail relevant for limi...
[If you do use the blog for research, practice submission or database purposes, citation would be appreciated, to the blog as a whole and /or to specific blog posts. Many have suggested I should tu…
gavclaw.com

Blogged.
WeAreNature.Brussels: Brussels court halts further planning permits in Climate litigation first
Pleased to have Elias Van Gool post the 1501th post on the blog, discussing a breakthrough (yes I know there are caveats) climate judgment in Brussels.

gavclaw.com/2025/11/16/w...
WeAreNature.Brussels: Brussels court halts further planning permits in Climate litigation first.
[If you do use the blog for research, practice submission or database purposes, citation would be appreciated, to the blog as a whole and /or to specific blog posts. Many have suggested I should tu…
gavclaw.com

‘Wonders in jurisdiction, diminished reputation bar’

Big shout out to Thomas Goodhead and his team for their perseverance
www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/brazil-...
www.lawgazette.co.uk

Reposted by Geert Van Calster

My post on assignment of investment law claims gavclaw.com/2025/11/12/o...) is the 1500th post
Hip hip hurray to the blog!
1st post was released March 2012
gavclaw.com/2012/03/27/e...
Readers, feedback and recognition make it much worthwile.
To the next 1500 :-)
Operafund (in spe: Blasket) v Spain. In direct contradiction to the Australian view, the English High Court holds incorrectly in my view that ICSID, ECT awards are unassignable.
[If you do use the blog for research, practice submission or database purposes, citation would be appreciated, to the blog as a whole and /or to specific blog posts. Many have suggested I should tu…
gavclaw.com
Trump says he will sue BBC for between $1 billion and $5 billion despite apology www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Trump says he will sue BBC for at least $1bn over Panorama edit
The US president told reporters on Air Force One that he will take legal action against the broadcaster and will call Sir Keir Starmer over the weekend.
www.bbc.co.uk

Successful application for stay
ICC arbitrator must decide under Kompetenz Kompetenz principle whether she has jurisdiction (essentially whether valid ADR clause exist between the parties

Orange Transgroup Ltd & Anor v Shein Distribution UK Ltd [2025] EWHC 2966 (KB)
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
Orange Transgroup Ltd & Anor v Shein Distribution UK Ltd [2025] EWHC 2966 (KB) (13 November 2025)
www.bailii.org

Successful application for costs budgeting order, despite claimants' litigation funding & ATE (after the event) insurance
As I have said before: would love to have someone write a PhD with me on comparative cost law
White ea v Uber London Ltd ea [2025] EWHC 2972 (Comm)
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
White & Ors v Uber London Ltd & Ors [2025] EWHC 2972 (Comm) (22 October 2025)
www.bailii.org

Rome II, law applicable to issues of interest
(applying Nicholls gavclaw.com/2024/06/02/n...)

JSC Commercial Bank PrivatBank v Kolomoisky & Ors (Rev1) [2025] EWHC 2909 (Ch) www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...
Nicholls v Mapfre. The Court of Appeal takes an ‘intertwinedness’ approach to “evidence and procedure” in Rome II.
[If you do use the blog for research, practice submission or database purposes, citation would be appreciated, to the blog as a whole and /or to specific blog posts. Many have suggested I should tu…
gavclaw.com

Successful appeal, return order stayed, Hague Convention 'fundamental change in circumstances'

R (Children: Setting Aside Hague Return Order) [2025] EWCA Civ 1426
www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWC...
Access denied
www.bailii.org

Text of judgment is here www.judiciary.uk/judgments/mu...

EU internal, external trade 'ands'
CJEU finds HUN restriction of export of building materials are infringement of internal A35, 36 TFEU & external trade rules with GATT background
Cannot be justified on by public security

C‑499/23 Commission v Hungary
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in

Much attention is being paid to due diligence obligations viz CS3D
Consider this CJEU judgment last Thurs
To comply with EU Timber Regulation 995/2010, subsidiary must have its own due diligence system
Mere access to mother's DDS insufficient
C‑117/24 JYSK
curia.europa.eu/juris/docume...
CURIA - Documents
curia.europa.eu