Disputes

We advise diplomatic missions and international organizations in legal disputes before Belgian courts and, if necessary, represent them vis-à-vis the Protocol Service.

We also manage cases handled at the level of the Commission des Bons Offices (CBO), a body created in 2013 to intervene in disputes relating to labor law and Belgian social security between foreign diplomatic missions, and members of their staff.

This commission helps to resolve individual or collective problems through information, conciliation, or mediation, and provides advice in order to find amicable arrangements.

Corporate Law

Company and association law is the branch of private law that studies legal persons. It includes all the rules applicable to the creation, operation and possible liquidation of companies and associations. This branch of law is also interested in the relationships between the actors of legal entities (notably the shareholders, members, and directors) and those that the latter have with third parties.

We support Belgian and foreign legal persons wishing to develop their activities in our country at all stages of their development while protecting their interests in the event of litigation.

S-Team lawyers and their experts support and advise, among other aspects of corporate law, with:

  • Constitution of Belgian companies or associations;
  • Creation of branches of foreign companies;
  • Operations on the capital and issues of securities such as the reduction and increase of capital and the sale of shares;
  • Shareholders’ agreements;
  • Mergers, demergers, joint-ventures and other corporate restructurings;
  • Dissolutions and liquidations of companies;
  • Corporate legal secretariat;
  • Disputes in company law, such as disputes between shareholders (action for the forced repurchase of securities or action for withdrawal), or disputes relating to the responsibilities and duties of directors,
  • Advice on various issues related to the Companies and Associations Code (CSA) and other specific company law regulations.

Where appropriate, our lawyers can also advise you in cases where your company is faced with insolvency law, as governed by book 20 of the Code of Economic Law. Thus, we regularly intervene in bankruptcy or judicial reorganization (PRJ) proceedings on behalf of creditors or debtors.

Enterprise Law

We provide legal support to enterprises (legal or natural law doing business) in the context of the opportunities or difficulties they may encounter in carrying out their activities with their partners, customers, or competitors. Thus, we ensure, among other things:

  • Management of disputes between enterprises;
  • Assistance in the context of market practices and consumer protection;
  • Proactive advice for the structuring of the activities of our entrepreneur clients;
  • Drafting or auditing of national and international contracts including the main distribution contracts such as distributorships, commercial agency, commission, license, franchise or, more generally, commercial partnership contracts;
  • Debt collection, both in Belgium and abroad;
  • Support in the negotiation and conclusion of commercial transactions;
  • Creation and drafting of tailor-made general conditions.

 

Real Estate Law

Real estate law is a branch of law that governs legal issues relating to real estate. It therefore intervenes when real estate is in question, whether it is its sale, rental, and more generally any legal act, disposal or administration.

In real estate law, our lawyers intervene on behalf of national or international investors, owners, tenants, contractors, architects, real estate agents, public authorities and other players in the real estate sector in the following non-exhaustive areas:

  • The acquisition of real estate;
  • Questions specific to real estate promotions drawn from the application of the Breyne law (Loi Breyne);
  • The negotiation and drafting of commercial leases, office leases, main residence leases, precarious occupancy agreements or even operating concession agreements;
  • Drafting of construction agreements and public-private partnership contributions;
  • Issues of co-ownership law;
  • The rules governing the regulated activities of real estate agents, architects, promoters and property dealers; in particular with regard to their liability;
  • Management of disputes specific to real estate law before state or arbitral tribunals.