Tanis von der Mosel – European Yachting Lawyers
info@ra-tanis.de+49 431 389 88 222DE

We see more – and think ahead.

The story of Tanis von der Mosel is the story of a field practised here with singular focus – grounded in first-hand experience and a profound understanding of maritime law.

The Roots

The story of this firm begins decades before it took its present name. In Kiel, on the fjord, Hans-Eckhard von der Mosel established a legal practice that committed itself early and without detour to one field alone: yacht law. What began as a niche developed over the decades into a discipline in its own right – with its own practice, its own language and clients from around the world.

From the outset, von der Mosel was both a lawyer and a deeply passionate sailor. As Vice Chairman of the Offshore Racing Congress and initiator of the Tanis von der Mosel Race, he has been a familiar figure in the professional community for decades. A visionary who knows yacht law not merely from case files, but from first-hand experience.

The Union

Ben Tanis founded his own firm with the same focus – also in Kiel and likewise devoted exclusively to yacht law. His path led from nautical studies, worldwide seafaring and years as a sailing instructor to the study of law; teaching appointments at Kiel University and work as an author for YACHT and BOOTE followed. Two firms, one field and the same industry: it was only a matter of time before the two practices became one.

The merger took place under the name that now carries both traditions: Tanis von der Mosel. Decades of experience and an eye for what lies ahead have since come together under one roof. Ben Tanis leads the firm; von der Mosel remains part of its backbone in both name and experience.

The Firm Today

From its home in Kiel, the firm has grown to advise owners, shipyards, insurers and the yacht industry throughout Europe. Through partner firms from Amsterdam to Piraeus, the team is present wherever yachts are at home: in the ports, shipyards and registries of eight European countries.

The core areas remain the same, while their depth has grown: the purchase and sale of yachts of every size, tax and customs matters through to reliable proof of Union status, insurance and casualty law, flag law, mediation and the administration of payments in yacht transactions. Swift, discreet and in steady hands.

The work itself has earned the firm its standing in this industry – client by client, over many years and across Europe. That standing is not a product of size, but of conviction: Hans-Eckhard von der Mosel and Ben Tanis have never regarded yacht law as simply an area of practice, but as a field they help to shape – through associations, professional debate and dialogue with the industry. This allows the firm to recognise developments early, understand patterns before they reach the file and advise where others must first begin their research.

Being one step ahead is not a slogan here, but a way of working. Those who approach the firm reach Ben Tanis personally – while also finding solutions unlike any others in this industry: through the specialist platform mwst-boot.org, proof of Union status can be applied for online, without struggling through complex forms and enduring long waiting times. What the yacht industry needs digitally is provided here before clients have to ask for it. The ambition remains the same as on the first day: to be the reference in yacht law.