Bastian Pöhler

Full Profile

Bastian qualified as a German lawyer (“Rechtsanwalt”) in 2020 and joined our offices in Hamburg the same year. In 2022 and due to his strong connection with the region, he re-located to our Cape Town offices in South Africa. From there, he supports both, our local and our German offices on all matters with German-law implications. 

His academic legal career started in 2011 in Leipzig and included studies at Stellenbosch University (South Africa) where he obtained a master’s degree in International Trade Law. Upon return to Germany, Bastian completed his legal clerkship in Hamburg. During this time, he already worked in our Hamburg offices and gained further experience at the 6th Senate of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg and the Municipality Department of Maritime Traffic.

In his professional career, Bastian focuses on the Trade, Shipping and Insurance Sectors. He specialises in casualty, warranty and insurance claims advising owners, shipyards, sub-suppliers/-contractors, as well as both, insurers and insureds.

Experience

• Advised and represented insurers of an international, France-based freight forwarder defending a multi-million-dollar transport casualty in South America (DIS-Arbitration) and enforcing corresponding recourse actions against their subcontractor (GMAA-Arbitration).
• Advised and represented an international, Germany-based insurer in defending multiple coverage claims based on COVID-19 -related business closures (eventually heard and decided by BGH IV ZR 144/21).
• Advised and represented Luxembourg-based owners in a multi-million-Euro yacht purchase (LG Hamburg) and subsequent refit project in the Turkish free trade zone.
• Advised and represented a Germany-based insurer in defending a multi-million coverage claim resulting from a yacht casualty in Croatia (Commercial Court in Split/Croatia).
• Advised and represented the insured of a Germany-based insurer defending a multi-million-dollar personal injury claim (Superior Court of California, Los Angeles).
• Advised a Sweden-based shipowner on a coverage dispute concerning a yacht sinking on her maiden voyage (LG Hamburg, OLG Hamburg).
• Advised an international, US-based logistics provider on European cabotage law and sanctions.