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18 Apr

Happy Easter!

at ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ, we want to wish a wonderful Easter! May your baskets be filled with chocolate.ย ๐Ÿฐ

#easter #lawfirm #contrastvibes

contrast vibes
17 Apr

Let's celebrate Administrative Professionals Day!

We are truly fortunate to have a wonderful administrative support team at ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ. Letโ€™s be honest, itโ€™s not obvious working for a bunch of lawyers ๐Ÿ˜Š. And yet, we can always rely on their support when aiming to make a difference for our clients and the members of our legal team. And for that, we owe them a genuine โ€œthank youโ€ ! ๐Ÿ‘

#contrastvibes #teamwork #officeteam #lawfirm

People contrast vibes
15 Apr

M&A Chronicle - What's next?

๐Ÿ› ๐–๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐Œ&๐€ ๐‚๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐œ๐ฅ๐ž ๐ฌ๐ž๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ โ€“ ๐–๐ก๐š๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐๐ž๐ฑ๐ญ?

Over the past 7 weeks, our corporate and M&A team has shared some highlights from significant judgements from the ๐ฌ๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ž๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐Œ&๐€ ๐‚๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐œ๐ฅ๐ž, published in TRV-RPS : Revue pratique des sociรฉtรฉs - Tijdschrift voor Rechtspersoon en Vennootschap. Thank you for following along and engaging!

If you missed any of the highlights, you can catch up on our LinkedIn page. You can find the two editions of the M&A Chronicle, providing a comprehensive overview of ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ž๐ ๐Œ&๐€ ๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ž ๐ฅ๐š๐ฐ from ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ“ ๐ฒ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฌ, and our related annotations, on our website: https://lnkd.in/ez4HCPiN

But we are not stopping here!

๐Ÿ“Š ๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐ก๐ž๐š๐: ๐›๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง

As we gear up for the next big project โ€“ restarting the market research for the ๐Ÿ”๐ญ๐ก ๐ž๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ&๐€ ๐’๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฒ this summer โ€“ we invite you to be part of this collaborative project!

Are you an M&A professional active in Belgium and interested in participating (again)? Leave your contact details on this form so we can connect: https://lnkd.in/efm_czcH

Any ideas or suggestions? Share any must-cover recent trends/topics for this edition in the comments below or send us an email at survey@contrast.law.

Keep an eye on our page for any updates in this regard and stay tuned for the launch of the research phase this summer!

#MergersandAcquisitions #MA #Kroniek #Chronicle #Survey #mandasurvey #sharepurchaseagreements #CaseLaw

Publication
08 Apr

M&A Chronicle - Weekly case highlight #7

โ€œThe court considers the combination of the limitation in duration and territory to be unlawful [โ€ฆ] Consequently, the court reduces article 1 of the non-competition agreement to three years after the signing of the non-competition agreement, within the Benelux, France, and England.โ€

The judgement of the ๐œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ž๐š๐ฅ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐†๐ก๐ž๐ง๐ญ of 5 February 2018 offers an interesting and comprehensive application of the principles established through the (landmark) rulings of the Court of Cassation of the past decade. The non-competition obligation in question had a duration of 5 years and a territorial scope covering the entire European Union. Considering the concrete activities of the target company and their geographical scope, the court found the non-competition obligation to be excessive and decided to limit the duration and the geographical scope thereof, in line with the jurisprudence of the Court of Cassation.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Want to learn more about this judgement and other key Belgian M&A cases from ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ“ ๐ฒ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฌ? You can find them all here, together with our related annotations.

๐Ÿ“ŠBy the way, did you know that ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ“๐ญ๐ก ๐ž๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ&๐€ ๐’๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฒ (https://lnkd.in/efJUPcN7) shows that more than 80% of the examined acquisition agreements contained a non-competition covenant, and that the duration of the non-competition clause is typically three years? We will be organizing a ๐Ÿ”๐ญ๐ก ๐ž๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ&๐€ ๐’๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฒ this year. Leave your contact details on this form to participate and help us find out whether this trend has continued.

Follow along with our corporate and M&A team as we highlight more interesting case law in the coming weeks!

๐€๐ง๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ? Please contact the authors (Bart Bellen | Ine Schockaert | Kristof De Wael | Karlien De Ryck | Maarten Cnudde | Charlotte Van Weehaeghe | Ward De Byser | Marthe Wouters).

#MergersandAcquisitions #Kroniek #Chronicle #Survey #mandasurvey #sharepurchaseagreements #CaseLaw #noncompete

contrast update
07 Apr

contrast on campus @ Arteveldehogeschool

Last week, our counsel Eva Alboort and paralegal Marthe Wouters immersed law practice students from Arteveldehogeschool into the world of litigation from both a lawyerโ€™s and a paralegalโ€™s perspective, emphasising the role and importance of paralegals in a modern law firm.

On top of that, they also organised an interactive and practical workshop with tips and tricks for students to get a head start in their future internships and entry into the work field!

A big thank you to everyone attending and especially to Barbara Vande Putte for inviting us again. It is always a pleasure to head down to this beautiful campus in Ghent. We are looking forward to future collaborations!

#contrastoncampus #studentcorner #guestlecture #workshop #paralegal #litigation #arteveldehogeschool

contrast update Students
04 Apr

Are you our next summer intern in our competition team?

We do not only offer a safe haven for many insects in our new eco-friendly insect hotel, but also like to host talented interns at ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ during the summer months.

Are you also buzzing to join us in the summer? ๐Ÿ One spot for an internship in our Competition & EU team for the month of August just became available again.

Don't miss this unique opportunity! Send in your application here.

#contrasttalent #lawinternship #competitionlaw #insecthotel #ESG #sustainability
ย 

Students
03 Apr

Another important day for the Omnibus proposal

Today, the European Parliament voted on and adopted the โ€˜stop-the-clockโ€™-proposal of the European Commission to postpone the application of the CSRD by two years for โ€˜wave 2 and 3 companiesโ€™ within its remit and to delay the transposition and application of the CSDDD by one year. The postponement will allow European co-legislators to further discuss the substantive changes to the CSRD and CSDDD included in the Omnibus proposal.

As the European Council already announced its support of the stop-the-clock-proposal last week, its formal approval is expected soon. The Directive will thereafter enter into force the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Member States will have until 31 December 2025 to transpose the provisions into national legislation.

Stay tuned to be updated on further Omnibus developments. In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you would like a deeper dive!

#ESG #Sustainability #CSRD #CSDDD #Omnibus #CorporateResponsibility #contrastupdate #VCDO

contrast update
02 Apr

New edition of Vertical Agreements in EU Competition Law

Weโ€™ve just unboxed the 4th edition of our book on vertical agreements, and weโ€™re kind of proud. Pictured are Herlinde Burez (co-author of the chapter on motor vehicle distribution), Evi Noรซl (project coordinator with an unparalleled attention to detail) and Filip Tuytschaever (on the book cover).

Thanks to our co-author Frank Wijckmans, to Oxford University Press for making it happen, and to our readers for encouraging us!

๐€๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐? You can order your copy here.

#verticalagreements #competitionlaw #EUlaw #contrastpublications

contrast update Publication
01 Apr

M&A Chronicle - Weekly case highlight #6

โ€œWhile, in assessing the interests involved, the court must consider the circumstances governing the exercise of a right arising from the contract, it may not take into account the circumstances preceding the creation of that right.โ€

In its judgement of 20 December 2019, the ๐‚๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐š๐ฌ๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ruled that circumstances preceding the creation of a right may not be considered when assessing abuse of rights. As such, even if the buyer knew, prior to entering into the purchase agreement, that certain representations did not correspond to reality, this cannot be taken into account when assessing whether the buyerโ€™s claim for breaches of representations and warranties constitutes an abuse of rights.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Want to learn more about this judgement and other key Belgian M&A cases from ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฉ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ“ ๐ฒ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฌ? You can find them all here, together with our related annotations.

Want to know more about pro-sandbagging and anti-sandbagging clauses? You can read all about it in our book on Share Purchase Agreements.

๐Ÿ“ŠBy the way, did you know that ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Ÿ“๐ญ๐ก ๐ž๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ&๐€ ๐’๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฒ (https://lnkd.in/efJUPcN7) shows that nearly all of the examined acquisition agreements contained a contractual procedure governing the notification of claims by the buyer for breaches of the sellerโ€™s representations and warranties? We will be organizing a ๐Ÿ”๐ญ๐ก ๐ž๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ&๐€ ๐’๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ž๐ฒ this year. Leave your contact details on thisย form to participate and help us find out whether this trend has continued.

Follow along with our corporate and M&A team as we highlight more interesting case law in the coming weeks!

๐€๐ง๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ? Please contact the authors (Bart Bellen | Ine Schockaert | Kristof De Wael | Karlien De Ryck | Maarten Cnudde | Charlotte Van Weehaeghe | Ward De Byser | Marthe Wouters).

#MergersandAcquisitions #Kroniek #Chronicle #Survey #mandasurvey #sharepurchaseagreements #CaseLaw #representations #warranties

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