Lawyer
Dominique Matthys
Dominique Matthys received his law degree and licentiate in criminology from Ghent University (UG) in 1976. His first steps into the legal profession, a then unfamiliar world, under the guidance of his then patron barrister Antoon Van Damme, went so smoothly that Dominique soon felt “at home” in the profession.
His patron encouraged him to pay attention to collective interests in addition to the profession in the narrow sense. So it is that Dominique very quickly became active in all kinds of professional associations. He was elected to the board of the Flemish Conference of the Bar in Ghent, of which he later became president, was a member of the Council of the Order of the Bar for many years, repeatedly assumed the position of secretary there, and finally, after two years of vice-chairmanship, was elected president of the Ghent Bar in 2007.
Dominique Matthys was also active in the Order of Flemish Bars, where he held various positions: he was a member of the General Assembly for many years, held two directorships of three years each, and was elected president in 2014, with a term of office expiring in 2017.
Over the years, Dominique Matthys has increasingly focused on matters in which he feels most at home, particularly contract and real estate law, contracting and construction law, urban planning law and civil service and disciplinary law.
Studies
Ghent University: degree in law – 1976
University of Ghent: degree in criminology – 1976
Bar
Member of the Bar of Ghent since 01-10-1976
Expertise
Languages
- Dutch
- French
- English
Specialities
Dominique in his own words
When I finished my classical humanities studies in 1971, I had a completely different profession in mind, and desperately wanted to become an engineer-architect. However, the realisation that – however interesting – the much-vaunted exact sciences would dominate my life led me to make the switch in time and take up law studies which, as they still say, can lead to anything.
Experience in our profession has taught me that lawyers are fiduciaries who have a duty to provide the best possible service to their clients.
The ever-increasing diversification of the law, and the ever-increasing impact of the law on our daily lives, mean that citizens need – sometimes more than they realise – thorough and reliable legal assistance, not only in court, but also and perhaps most often outside of it.
COTTYN’s mission and structure fully correspond to this vision, as they offer clients the best opportunity to be guaranteed quality service.
