Meet Dries Deschuttere, Senior Associate, London

We asked Dries Deschuttere to give some insight into his role as a Senior Associate in our London office and to give an idea of what it’s like working for a global law firm.

For more insight into what a typical day in the life looks like working at Kennedys, visit our life at Kennedys page.

Q&A

Can you share some of the most memorable cases or achievements that have shaped your journey so far?

One matter that left an impression on me relates to the crash of a private jet. The client was the insurer of the private jet and we were asked to verify whether the incident was covered. As such, the question as such was not uncommon, it is a coverage review. The underlying events, however, were tragic, including loss of life. The report that we received from the client was quite literally a bloody one. It was a humbling experience and a reminder that our job is less abstract than it may seem to be for outsiders.

Another matter that I will remember was a high profile case that the press nicknamed ‘the diamond robbery of the century’. We represented an airline during criminal proceedings relating to the robbery of diamonds and gold from an airplane that was getting ready for departure at Brussels airport. It is needless to say that this matter got quite a bit of press and news coverage. Since lawyers in Belgium actually get to represent their clients in court, I got to attend the hearings and face an abundance of cameras on the way out of the court room. It is rather common for criminal lawyers in Belgium, but for me it was a rather unique experience.

One last achievement that I am proud of was being offered the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of the Belgian drone regulation. While at university, I wrote my thesis on the legal position of unmanned ground, air and nautical vehicles. It was a very hot topic back then already and it enabled me to cover all modes of transport. I was, however, rather critical of the existing Belgian drone regulation back then. The possibility to help shape the new regulatory framework was hence an achievement I am quite proud of.

What aspects of your role at Kennedys do you find most fulfilling, and how do you approach managing such diverse cases?

The first question is answered by the second question. It is the diversity that – for me – makes my job interesting. When I explain to friends and family what I do, the reaction is often that it seems “quite niche”. It is a logical reaction, but it could not be further away from the truth.

Transport companies - maritime companies, airlines, road transport companies, and all the stakeholders in their respective industries – are all very differently run companies and they are subject to an immense set of different legal provisions. We touch on many corporate and commercial law, but also insurance law, and different liability regimes. You hence cannot see the client in a vacuum where you only look at the – let’s call it – rules of transport. An enormous regulatory landscape applies. It is a very interesting job to navigate and guide your client through it in different jurisdictions.

My approach is to try and understand the client and how they run their business and what their concerns are. None of them are the same, so they may have a varying perspectives on the regulation or the issue at hand. It is good to be able to pivot and understand the client, in order to successfully assist them. It may be cliché, but successfully helping the client is the most fulfilling element. After all that is why – at least most of us – chose for this job.

And then there is of course the little boost when you sit on a beach somewhere and you see a ship float by that links to a matter you worked on. It is not very romantic, but it makes our job more tangible.

How do you feel about moving from Brussels to London, and what are you most looking forward to in this new chapter of your career?

I am very much looking forward to living in London. After so many visits during the last 6 years, I would like to think that I am starting to find my way around London. This city expresses a certain vibe that I have always found inspirational. It also has a perfect mix to offer of business and pleasure. Since Brussels is much smaller than London, I will have to get used to spending a bit more time on public transport, though, but it is a compromise that I am more than willing to make.

Career wise, spending time in London feels like spending time closer to the action and being part of it. Both at the office you are surrounded by some of the brightest in the industry, and our clients are often just a few buildings away. Looking forward to work closely together in real life.

With your focus on marine work in London, what unique challenges and opportunities do you anticipate in this area of law?

The marine industry is inherently an international environment. As lawyers, our job is to guide clients through the regulatory framework in different jurisdictions. Our clients are subject not only to many different jurisdictions, but also in a unique position of vulnerability.

Following the pandemic, an unstable geopolitical situation, and climatological changes, the vulnerability of this industry has become more visible. Insurers and companies in the transport industry not only have to take regulatory changes into account, but also anticipate events occurring around the world.

These are hence very interesting times and the questions received from clients in the last couple of years reflect that evolution. Preparing clients for the future and making sure they are resilient from all angles, in the existing and changing regulatory framework, to face future challenges has become more important than before.

As a Regional member for EMEA of the Kennedys Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, how do you see your role contributing to fostering a more inclusive environment within the firm and the legal industry as a whole?

Diversity and inclusion is here to stay and cannot be ignored. In the last decade, I believe it has become more than a buzzword or something we should try to take into account. We simply have to recognise diversity and be inclusive, full stop.

I appreciate that I may be quite young to assume a guiding role. Also, I am a young, white male who has thankfully been spared from disabilities. One could say that I am lucky or privileged. At the same time, in my private life I have been surrounded by strong women and men from very different backgrounds, people with a disability, people of colour and different ethnicity, and people with a different sexual orientation. This has shaped my view on the world and on how we should interact with each other.

Diversity and inclusion is simply our reality, but we also have to make sure that this diverse reality is as obvious for everyone and that no one is left behind. I would hence like to see my role as being a canary in the coal mine to ensure that we embrace diversity and battle inequality at every level.