Business law

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Commercial law is a key part of what we do. We provide our business customers with a wide range of legal services.

Unlike other law firms, we do not have a department specialized in the management of legal proceedings because we consider that our advisory and litigation management roles complement one another. Our experience in the field of litigation and our in-depth knowledge of jurisprudence are crucial elements that help us to help our clients avoid falling foul of legal action in the first place, negotiate the minefield of ever-more complex and onerous regulation, understand when it’s best to take a case to court or keep negotiating, or draw up water-tight contracts that protect your interests over the long-term.

Our clientele ranges from micro-enterprises to multi-nationals.

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We offer legal consulting and management services in the following fields:

Corporate law

Incorporation, the setting up of branches and subsidiaries, audits (‘due diligence’), change in business structure, drawing up of company Articles of Association and Memorandum and shareholders’ agreements, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, share transfers, partnership disputes, removal of directors, voluntary winding-up, legal secretariat services, etc.

Property, assets and issues relating to tax and legal status

Sale and purchase of business assets, businesses and client/patient lists; drawing up and managing commercial leases (change of use applications, lease renewal, rent adjustments, notice to quit/notice of leaving, forfeiture of lease and evictions, assignment of lease) and lease agreements for properties used by professionals, advice on tax and legal issues for sole traders, directors and husband-wife/civil partner business partnerships.

Distribution agreements

Drawing up, reviewing or scrutiny of distribution, franchise, dealership and selective distribution agreements, commission-based contracts or distributor-supplier agreements relating to marketing support, beer distribution contracts, self-employed contractor agreements (sales), advice on choosing the most legally advantageous model of distribution network, drawing up of pre-contract information documents as required by the loi Doubin (disclosure), assistance with contract termination, negotiating an end to business relationships without falling foul of sudden termination of established commercial relationships legislation, management of disputes arising from the termination of contracts…

Regulations and legislation governing sales

Advertising, labelling, door-to-door sales, MO/TO, e-commerce, cold-calling, pricing, waste disposal management, selling abroad, terms and conditions of sale, collecting and managing personal data, regulated professions…

Competition law

Cartels/anti-trust law, abuse of a dominant position and its associated buyer power, concentrations (mergers), unfair competition, assistance to clients with cases before the Autorité de la concurrence (equivalent of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority).

Intellectual property and intellectual rights

National and European Union trade marks, patents, copyright, design right, copyright protection for software, drawing up trade mark licence agreements, assignment and pledging of trade marks…

Consumer protection

Abusive clauses, guidelines relating to customer prospection, regulations relating to sales at trade shows and exhibitions, online sales, after-sales service and seller obligations (guarantees), consumer credit…

Regulations

Negotiable instruments, assignment of receivables, outstanding debts, letters of credit and other payment guarantees relating to trade receivables.
Economic and financial criminal law: assistance during audits and investigations, negotiations with the relevant authorities with a view to avoiding custodial sanctions, assistance for those involved in criminal and civil proceedings.

Bankruptcy law

Support and advice to businesses going into receivership as well as to prospective buyers, protecting creditor interests, special mediation, safeguard proceedings, winding-up by decision of court, personal bankruptcy governed by local law in Alsace-Moselle, cross-border collective insolvency proceedings, lodgement of claims, filing of proofs of debt, presentation of rescue plans and takeover bids.

International business law

Drawing up and reviewing of international commercial contracts, private international law, assistance with and advice relating to the setting up or closure of representative offices and branches and subsidiaries of foreign companies, assistance and advice to foreign companies operating on the French market.

Transportation law

In-depth assistance in the niche areas of transportation and logistics law, customs law and road traffic legislation and in all areas where these cross over, in France and elsewhere, both for cases settled out of court and in court proceedings; drawing up and reviewing of contracts of carriage, freight forwarder contracts, safety protocols relating to loading and unloading operations and charter terms and conditions, ad hoc advice on current issues, assistance with expert appraisals, advising and representing clients in criminal proceedings.

Lawyers working in this domain

Xavier DE RYCK

Admitted to the bar of Paris

Katrin HAUPTMANN-NICKLIS

Admitted to the bar of Strasbourg

Grégory KOWALIK

Admitted to the bar of Strasbourg

Marie-Paule WAGNER

Admitted to the bar of Strasbourg

Paul LUTZ

Admitted to the bar of Strasbourg