28 Feb 2018

Mandatory Registration of Invoices to Public Sector Entities Officially Introduced

The rule according to which business entities will have to register invoices1 issued to entities in the public sector is set to enter into force on March 1, 2018. Business entities will be obliged to register the invoices with the Central Registry of Invoices whose management has been entrusted to the Treasury of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia, and if they fail to carry out the registration they will not be able to settle their claims and may even be charged with a misdemeanor. This obligation is envisaged in the Amendments to the Late Payments in […]

Details
14 Feb 2018

We Are Hiring Associates and Senior Associates

Gecić Law is looking for competent Associates and Senior Associates to join our young, talented and dynamic team. Gecić Law is one of the foremost innovative law firms in Serbia. We have achieved this by building long-term relationships with clients based on reciprocity, trust and the highest standards of professional ethics. By adopting new models for the delivery of legal services, we have redefined the role that a law firm plays in an emerging regional market, which has produced truly exceptional results. Our team shares a joint vision to create a true corporate meritocracy dedicated to excellence in the practice of […]

Details
05 Feb 2018

Possible Savings in the EU: New Study by the European Parliament Published

In December 2017, European Added Value Unit of the European Parliament published the Fourth edition of its report “Mapping the Cost of Non-Europe 2014-2019” (the “Study”).  The Study is especially relevant if placed in the context of challenges the EU is facing today such as: impact of Brexit on the EU Budget and the consequences for the EU’s political and economic interests, the rise of populist parties within the EU Member States and rather sluggish European economic growth. The aim of the Study is to analyze potential increases in annual EU GDP, if different policy initiatives made by the European […]

Details
01 Feb 2018

EU Antitrust: Let’s (Not) Be Exclusive – Qualcomm Ruling

On January 24, the European Commission imposed a EUR 997 million fine on the world’s largest supplier of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) baseband chipsets, Qualcomm, and once again unequivocally confirmed that abusive market practices by dominant players were the eyesore of the EU competition law.  By levying one of the highest fines in history, the Commission reproached the renowned US chipmaker for making financial concessions to Apple, its biggest customer, on the condition that it would buy LTE baseband chipsets exclusively from Qualcomm.  This penalty came as one piece of puzzle currently surrounding the American tech giant – Qualcomm lost a […]

Details
30 Jan 2018

Spotlight on IT Companies Part II – Alterations of the Software

In our previous piece (link), we discussed the relationship between IT companies and developers in the field of material copyrights over computer programs (“software”) in context of commercial usage of software by IT companies. However, the relationship between IT companies and developers in the field of copyrights might be of particular importance when it comes to amendments, adaptations, adjustments and other changes to the software as a copyrighted work. Namely, IT companies often modify, customize, upgrade and/or update software developed by their employed developers and/or external developers, or deliver the subject software to their clients for further modifications, customizations, adaptations, adjustments and […]

Details
25 Jan 2018

Non-Material Damage to Legal Entities – How It Manifests and How It Is Compensated?

Law is not a perfect system.  In other words, given that the legislation of any given country is tasked with regulating a vast and varied specter of areas, it not uncommon for issues to surface that either are void of regulation, or governed by a multitude of rules at once, albeit differently.  Namely, applying rules to particular “real-life” situations may unearth certain issues that are not regulated clearly enough i.e. that are disputed, while some of them snowball due to the frequency with which they arise. Undoubtedly, one such issue is the right of legal entities to compensation of non-material […]

Details
24 Jan 2018

Gecić Law Contributes to the first ever Serbia chapter of the Transnational Litigation Guide

We are excited to announce that Gecić Law, contributed to the first-ever Serbia chapter of the Transnational Litigation Guide, December 2017 update.  Published by Thomson Reuters, the most recent guide offers comprehensive overview and detailed analysis of litigation procedure as well as insight into the tactical, substantive and procedural issues of Serbian litigation system along with more than 27 other major legal systems. Authored by Ognjen Colić and Jovan Rajković, senior counsels at Gecić Law, the Serbian chapter includes detailed information and insights into Serbian litigation rules and covers topics such as: structure of courts, obtaining jurisdiction and choice of forum, […]

Details
18 Jan 2018

Spotlight on IT Companies – Have You Settled Your Rights and Obligations with Your Developers?

Over the past decade, Serbia witnessed an unprecedented growth of its IT/ICT market, becoming one of the most attractive outsourcing and R&D destinations in Eastern Europe (link).  Key players such as Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle, Google, HP, SAP, IBM, Siemens, Intel, Cisco, NCR Corporation, Telenor, Erickson, Endava and others grabbed this opportunity, either by establishing development centers in Serbia or outsourcing services to local IT companies.  This resulted in two prevailing models – providing services through employed programmers/system architects/etc. (“developer/s”), or by engaging external developers (primarily registered entrepreneurs), a rather novel development.  Because software may, as an original intellectual creation, represent […]

Details
18 Jan 2018

Innovation and Creativity Earn Gecić Law a Nomination for the Law Firm of the Year Award

Following a landmark year that saw Gecić Law truly challenge the role that a law firm plays in an emerging regional market through our innovative approach and high-end service, we are honored to announce that these efforts were rewarded as the Firm was shortlisted for the Lawyer European Awards 2018 in the category Law Firm of the Year: Eastern Europe and the Balkans.  Awarded by the renowned UK-based industry publisher The Lawyer, these awards recognize extraordinary representatives of the legal industry, groundbreaking deals and leading individuals through its 24 distinct categories.  The decision, made by the panel of 21 distinguished […]

Details
17 Jan 2018

Transport Community Becomes a Reality – Here’s What You Need to Know

At the end of last year, the Act on Ratification of the Treaty Establishing the Transport Community (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia – International Agreements“, No. 011/2017) (the “Act”), concluded by and between the European Union (the “EU”) and the South East European Parties—i.e. the Republic of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Albania and Kosovo [1]  (the “South East European Parties”)—came into force, which effectively implies that Serbia has already joined the EU, at least with respect to rail, road, inland waterway and maritime transport sectors. The aim of […]

Details