When should a pharmaceutical company apply for a trademark for its medicinal products?
The pharmaceutical market presents unique challenges to pharmaceutical companies seeking to launch new medicinal products. Before they can introduce a new medicinal product on the market, they must go through a lengthy process of executing clinical trials as a prerequisite for obtaining a market authorisation. A crucial question in this context is whether they could […]
UBO Register – Updated guidelines published on 19 July 2019
On 19 July 2019, the Federal Public Service of Finance published a new version of its FAQ on the register of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO Register). The previous update was made on 2 April 2019. In addition to answering some technical issues, the newly updated FAQ mainly provides clarification for listed companies, associations and foundations, […]
Variable remuneration: two recent decisions of the Supreme Court to keep in mind
1. Variable remuneration and computation of the indemnity in lieu of notice To calculate an indemnity in lieu of notice, not only the remuneration to which the employee is entitled when the employment contract is terminated is taken into account but also the benefits that were granted according to the employment agreement. The Law of […]
La fin du courrier sous film plastique ?
Le 28 février 2019, un arrêté du Gouvernement wallon favorisant la prévention de certains déchets et la propreté publique a été adopté. Il interdit les envois postaux sous film plastique, tout en prenant en compte la nécessité de laisser un temps d’adaptation aux acteurs. Il considère ainsi que « la mise sous film plastique des publications […]
Our Digital Finance Team interviewed on the latest FinTech Trends
Catherine Houssa, Partner in our Digital Finance Team, was interviewed on the latest FinTech trends by La Libre Belgique in a special edition dedicated to the take-off of tech in Brussels. An opportunity to also highlight the advantages of Brussels as a set-up point for FinTechs willing to reach all of Europe. The full article […]
Les services juridiques sont-ils soumis aux marchés publics?
Sur question préjudicielle de la Cour constitutionnelle belge (arrêt n° 43/2018), la Cour de Justice a été amenée à se prononcer sur la légalité de l’exclusion de la nécessité de soumettre les services juridiques d’avocats et d’arbitrage à des procédures de passation de marchés publics. Cette exclusion est prévue par la loi relative aux marchés […]
Le nouveau droit de la preuve civile en 10 points clés
La loi du 13 avril 2019 portant création d’un Code civil et y insérant un livre 8 « La preuve » a été publiée au Moniteur belge le 14 mai 2019. Elle contient un certain nombre de clarifications et de modifications du régime antérieur du droit de la preuve, dont les suivantes sont à retenir. […]
The transposition into B2B relations of the prohibition of unfair contractual provisions
Rafaël Jafferali shares thoughts on the new Belgian law transposing into B2B relations the principle of prohibition of unfair contractual provisions. A law adopted with discretion but which risks to disrupt well-established legal concepts and to raise substantial practical issues. Rafaël’s article was published in the law review RDC-TBH (February 2019) and is available here.
Has the ECJ just killed the Belgian judicial restructuring procedure by transfer under judicial supervision?
The Belgian judicial restructuring procedure by transfer under judicial supervision (“PRJ 3 / WCO 3”) regulates the transfer of all or part of the debtor’s undertaking under the supervision of a judicial trustee. One of the main added-values of this Belgian procedure is the “right of option”, which allows the transferee to choose which transferor’s […]
Is Brexit a regulatory opportunity for Belgian InsurTechs and the insurance market as a whole?
In theory, insurance services are harmonised at the EU level. Insurance companies and intermediaries alike may easily ‘passport’ their domestic licences across the entire EEA, thereby servicing the entire European market, either through the freedom to provide services or the freedom of establishment (e.g. through branches). In practice, however, the insurance market is not (yet?) […]
The new Code of Companies and Associations enters into force as from tomorrow
The new Code, which was published in the Official Journal on 4 April 2019, will gradually come into force as from tomorrow. The date of entry into force of the new Code is 1 May 2019. As from this date, each newly incorporated entity will have to comply with all the provisions of the new Code. For existing companies […]
La représentation en justice par un agent d’affaires en cas de petit litige
Un passager cherchant à être indemnisé par une compagnie aérienne pour cause d’annulation ou de retard de son vol peut-il être représenté par un agent d’affaires ? Marc Baetens-Spetchinsky analyse cette question au regard du Règlement européen sur les petits litiges, abordant aussi la notion de « circonstances extraordinaires » au sens du Règlement européen « droits des passagers » […]
