Dirk Noels graduated in 1984 with a law degree from the KULeuven.

He started his career with the Antwerp Bar in 1984 at the renowned maritime law firm R.&L. Wijffels, Geuens, De Paep - Advocaten, after which he founded the firm FV KEGLS-NOELS in 1997, trading under ' Kegels & Co Advocaten' and leading the firm until 2021. He is co-founder of Quadrant Advocaten (2022).

From 1986 to 1996, he was co-editor of the magazine 'European Transport Law' (ETL), and since 2015 he has been a co-founder of the core editors of 'Internationale Trade and Transport' (IHT), Larcier.

Dirk Noels published several legal handbooks on transport law ('De tussenpersonen in het transportrecht' (1996), 'De commissionair-expediteur' (2006), 'Transportrecht. De tussenpersonen' (2018)), and he is also the author of some 50 legal articles on logistics intermediaries, ship seizure, customs law, collateral rights, road transport etc.

In 2020, he was included on the list of ship and fund liquidators at the Antwerp Commercial Court, Antwerp department. Dirk Noels was previously a member of the Committee of Experts for the Reform of the Belgian Maritime Law, and he is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (VBO-FEB) with the Belgian ICC representation for the review of the INCOTERMS. He is also a member of the Belgian Maritime Law Association ('Belgische Vereniging voor Zeerecht'; BVZ) and the International Bar Association (IBA).

Legal 500 EMEA awarded Dirk Noels the ranking 'Leading individual' and 'Top tier' in the field of 'Industry focus: Transport in Belgium' in 2021 with the comment: '…recommended for his "very commercial and solution-oriented approach" to naval disputes'. He also received several legal awards from Global Legal Experts, The Lawyer Network, Lawyer Monthly and Corporate INT for 'Shipping & Maritime Expert of the Year', 'International Trade Expert of the Year' and for 'Commodities and Trade Law – Belgium'.

Dirk writes and speaks Dutch, French and English, reads German and regularly publishes in various legal journals.

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