La tierce décision obligatoire : quand y faire appel ?
Les modes alternatifs de règlements des conflits (“MARC”) ont gagné du terrain depuis quelques années. Tant les entreprises que les justiciables préfèrent une justice plus rapide, efficace et à moindre coût. En janvier 2021, le Barreau de Bruxelles a mis la tierce décision obligatoire (“TDO”) à l’honneur en la consacrant dans son règlement déontologique. Le […]
Bad faith trademark registration: what about pre-existing relations?
The “Earnest Sewn” Case A (former) distributor who files an identical or similar EU trademark to foreign trademarks or protected signs, is in a more uncomfortable position when defending a registration in bad faith claim than a random third party. When there are indications of a pre-existing relationship between the parties (e.g. where the applicant […]
Illegal uploads – CJEU’s landmark ruling for the platform economy
On 22 June 2021, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) issued a ruling on the liability of platform operators with regard to illegal uploads of copyrighted content by their users. In this much-awaited decision (available here), the CJEU confirmed to a large extent the opinion of its Advocate […]
Climate change litigation in Belgium is on the march
On 17 June 2021, the Brussels Court of First Instance ruled that the Belgian federal and regional governments failed to meet their climate obligations. The Court found that the non-profit organisation “Klimaatzaak – Affaire Climat” and the 58,000 citizens it represents have a “direct and personal interest” in the action. Despite Belgium’s federal structure, the […]
Global rise of Buy Now Pay Later: state of play in Belgium
Deferred payment methods, often called “Buy Now Pay Later (“BNPL”) solutions”, allow customers to acquire goods immediately while spreading the payment of the purchase price over time. The interest for consumers is obvious and consists in softening the impact of a purchase on one’s finances. For merchants, the solution is also advantageous. It allows them […]
Covid-19 vaccines: AstraZeneca did not make its “best reasonable efforts”
Simont Braun is proud to represent the European Commission and the 27 Member States in the judicial proceedings against AstraZeneca to deliver millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses. On 18 June, the Brussels French-speaking Court of first instance ruled that AstraZeneca grossly and intentionally breached its agreement with the EC. It ordered the company to comply […]
Simont Braun welcomes a new tax team
Simont Braun is delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Gernay as partner and Guillaume Delfosse as counsel in our tax department. They will develop the tax practice together with Jacques Malherbe, of counsel. Thomas Gernay (partner) and Guillaume Delfosse (counsel) “We are pleased to have Thomas and Guillaume on board to lead the development […]
The European Commission vs. AstraZeneca – What will happen in Round 1?
Simont Braun is proud to represent the European Commission and the 27 Member States in the judicial proceedings against AstraZeneca for the delays in supplying millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses. (see our previous press release here). Today, Simont Braun is pleading before the French-speaking court of first instance of Brussels in the emergency proceedings. In […]
Pièges de la procédure : la Cour de cassation étend la théorie de la concentration des moyens
L’avocat qui oublie d’invoquer certains arguments dans ses conclusions peut-il se rattraper dans la suite de la même instance après le prononcé d’un jugement définitif ? La Cour de cassation semble étendre l’application de la théorie de la concentration des moyens, consacrée par le nouvel article 23 du Code judiciaire relatif à l’autorité de la chose […]
Simont Braun assists the European Commission against AstraZeneca
Simont Braun is proud to represent the European Commission and the 27 Member States in the judicial proceedings against AstraZeneca for the delays in supplying millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses. The action is based on the breach of the contract terms and the lack of a reliable strategy by AstraZeneca to timely ensure the delivery […]
EU Recovery Prospectus – A new temporary short-form prospectus for secondary issues of shares
To support the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has introduced a new temporary short-form prospectus for certain types of issuers (the EU Recovery Prospectus). This measure aims at helping such issuers raise equity as quickly and with as little administrative burden and costs as possible. The EU Recovery Prospectus is enacted in the […]
The Code of Good Governance: a new toolkit for entrepreneurs and SMEs
On 19 March 2021, UCM and UNIZO published a Code of Good Governance. The Code of Good Governance is presented as a corporate governance “toolkit” for entrepreneurs and SMEs to create awareness on the importance of sound corporate governance to be competitive, effective and resilient. General principles The Code of Good Governance (available here in […]