On October 17, 2017, National Parliament of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Act on Electronic Document, Electronic Identification and Trust Services in Electronic Business (the “Act”), which comes into force today, and thereby replacing the current regulations on electronic business, i.e. Electronic Signature Act and Electronic Document Act. The Act represents another step forward with planned and ongoing process of digitization and modernization of public administration in general, providing citizens and business entities with a simpler approach to services of public authorities, i.e. a faster, cheaper and more efficient business performance. A change of current practice, with high number of […]
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About the Scholarship The Taboroši Scholarship is established in memory of Professor Svetislav Taboroši, by family and former students who have been inspired by the Professor’s work and dedication to academic research and innovative problem solving in the practice of business law. A brilliant teacher and scholar, Professor Taboroši strived to educate his students on the most recent trends in legal academic thought and the importance of critical thinking in academic and professional analysis of international law & economics. The Scholarship is awarded annually to a student of the senior year at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law who, […]
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(Update: 02.25.2022.) CJEU Reaches Final Decision in Landmark Anti-Dumping Case The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) reached a final decision in a landmark anti-dumping case, with far-reaching implications for HBIS Serbia and the Serbian economy. The CJEU sided with the General Court’s ruling which confirmed the European Commission’s (EC) decision not to impose anti-dumping measures on steel producers from Serbia in 2017, simultaneously imposing these measures on products originating from Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine, following months of investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices (link). Gecić Law was legal counsel to the Government of Serbia and the Smederevo […]
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Photo courtesy of Aleksandar Milutinović, photographer On October 4, 2017, the Bar Association of Vojvodina (BAV) held a panel in Novi Sad (city known as Serbian Athens) on the topic, “The proceedings of the Commission for Protection of Competition (Commission) against the Bar Association of Serbia (BAS), possible implications for the BAV and constitutional challenges against the Protection of Competition Act”. The speakers on this complex and news-worthy topic were Isidora Nikolić Savin, attorney and specialist for civil and EU business law, and Bogdan Gecić, partner at Gecić Law. Great attendance and interest by attorneys and associates specialized in various fields […]
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Although it seemed that the tension over Lex Agrokor had somewhat calmed down—and that Mr. Ante Ramljak, in the capacity of extraordinary administrator by the Croatian Government, will lead the Croatian company in the forthcoming period—the public has been alarmed by the recent announcement by ex-owner, Mr. Ivica Todorić. On his personal blog, which was visited by more than 180,000 readers in the first 24 hours, Mr. Todorić, in a series of articles, criticizes the conduct of the Republic of Croatia (RC) and points to the unconstitutionality of Lex Agrokor. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia (“Constitutional Court”) […]
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The trust buster himself, President Theodore Roosevelt, looks on as a trust is squeezed by Treasury Secretary George B. Cortelyou Illustration by Udo J. Keppler, courtesy of Library of Congress In 2015, Professor Dijana Marković Bajalović, one of the founders and renowned presidents of the National Competition Authority (NCA), and the country’s most respected trust-buster – during her tenure at the NCA, Professor Bajalović took on Delta, for the illegal takeover of C Market, and other major incumbents, a feat unheard off at the time (and was eventually removed from office in 2010) – along with others, filed a constitutional challenge […]
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We want to kindly thank CorD Magazine for the recent interview of Bodgan Gecić published today, in their October 2017 issue (link). Some of the questions posed in this interview include: what are the challenges of building a creative law firm in Serbia and the West Balkans, and innovating in a profession viewed by many as traditional; what are the major legal & business challenges ahead during the course of Serbia’s EU accession negotiations; and how we as a firm give back to the community with our pro bono work, our scholarship and counseling students regarding application to US universities. […]
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The public debate on the Draft of Amendments of the Companies Act, suggested and prepared by the Ministry of Economy in April, will take place in Belgrade on 4th October 2017. As part of the drafting procedure, the Ministry tried to identify and address business sector`s concerns regarding the Companies Act and identify areas where amendments to current regulatory framework might be needed. In order to facilitate the above-mentioned, the working group also included representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, with more than 60% of the comments submitted by the companies to the Ministry, being adopted. […]
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On September 20, 2017 the Court of Justice of the European Union (the “CJEU“) issued so far the most significant judgment concerning the loans denominated in Swiss francs (the “CHF”). Namely, by judgment in case C-186/16 (Ruxanda Paula Andriciuc and Others v. Banca Românească SA), the CJEU ruled that a financial institution which grants a loan denominated in a foreign currency is liable to provide the borrower with sufficient information, in order to enable him to make a thorough assessment of economic risks and consequences of entering into such contract, and to make a prudent decision on this issue. The […]
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For the first time since Agrokor—one of the leading regional companies with almost 60,000 employees, became the biggest national news in the Balkans for facing liquidity issues—former Agrokor owner, Ivica Todoric, broke his silence, claiming he gave up control “under duress” and that “this is not Parmalat” indicating a potential and broader legal battle against the Croatian state on multiple fronts? Possible ramifications may include EU law, state aid & competition issues, constitutional claims, ECHR and even more. The extensive public announcement issued today and signed by Mr. Todoric points to “an unconstitutional and illegal nationalization” and states he “will […]
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