History
The Trade & Transport Law Association was established by Emily Dérogée, Jan Verhaart, Vicky Blok and 
Elize Niemeijer in 2013 as a subsidiary of the faculty's study association Juridische Faculteitsvereniging Rotterdam (JFR). It was founded upon the idea that a platform was needed where students and companies involved in trade and transport sector could come together, in close vicinity to the largest port on the Western hemisphere, at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
The association is the successor of the Vereniging Vervoerrecht Studenten (VVS), which was established in 2012 and aimed to promote transport law amongst students by introducing them to the practice. In its current mission, the association expands this aim to the broader field of trade and transportation law from an international perspective. Over the past years, it has received a great amount of valuable support from students and professionals, in particular from Emily Dérogée-van Roosmalen of the Dutch Legal Network for Shipping and Transport.
Our patron: Emily Dérogée-van Roosmalen
Mrs. Dérogée-van Roosmalen is a former maritime lawyer and prominent figure in the Rotterdam maritime and transport sector. After working for several leading legal firms such as NautaDutilh and AKD, she has devoted the past years to promote the Dutch legal practice in the maritime & transport sector and Rotterdam as the legal center for trade and transportation affairs. Her contribution to the development of the Rotterdam legal sector has been of immense value to the city.
At the request of the first board of TTLA, Mrs. Dérogée kindly agreed to become a patron of the association. Her years of experience and continuous work in the Rotterdam maritime legal scene have proven invaluable to the organization. As a key figure in the founding of TTLA, she is the perfect woman to offer guidance and introduce students to the ins and outs of the maritime and trade industry in Rotterdam.
"Panta rhei, 'everything flows' the Greek say. With their impressive merchant shipping tradition, they know the full meaning of this saying. Indeed, that is certainly true for the transport and trade sector constituting a constant global movement of goods and commodities. The legal implications of all these transfers being equally complex. It is good to get support from T&TL to better understand this trade and to get a grip not only on the relevant laws and treaties but also on the actual practice during your student years. The flows of goods move very fast; the legal practitioners have to keep an equal pace, or rather: be ahead! Immediate action is a daily routine. Trust me, you will move a lot faster with the cooperation of other legal professionals whom you know from your own international network. It is a great opportunity to start your future here and now as a member of T&TL.
I wish you a safe and interesting journey, making many friends along the way!"
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- Emily Dérogée-van Roosmalen