Free trade

Brexit for business

The United Kingdom continues to be a member of the EU as well as the Common Market and the Customs Union. This situation will persist at least until the end of March 2019, i.e. the end of the two year negotiation period stipulated by Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which governs the withdrawal […]

Brexit – Einige praktische Hinweise

Das Vereinigte Königreich ist weiterhin Mitglied der EU, des Gemeinsamen Marktes und der Zollunion. Dies wird mindestens bis Ende März 2019, dem Ende der zweijährigen Verhandlungsperiode gemäß Artikel 50 des Vertrag von Lissabon, unverändert bleiben. Von daher sind noch keine Änderungen am rechtlichen oder regulatorischen Rahmen für hier ansässige oder tätige Unternehmen eingetreten. Es ist […]

Seminar: Next Station Brexit – Mind the Gap

3 November 2017 Wherever you stand on the issue itself, what happens (or doesn’t happen) on Brexit day will affect every business in the UK. Although some margins have come under pressure and some projects been shelved, the 250 Austrian subsidiaries in the UK have so far mostly adopted a “keep calm and carry on” […]

Seminar: Brexit – Planning for the Unknown

Tuesday 9 May 2017 The UK Government finally delivered its Article 50 notice to the European Council on 29 March. The contents of that letter created much disagreement across the continent almost as soon as it was taken out of the envelope. The prospects for a harmonious two-year negotiation period are therefore rather slim. But […]

Brexit: Take it or leave it?

The contents of European treaties do not generally achieve public notoriety. But – after acrimonious parliamentary debates, Supreme Court challenges and yards of press coverage – everyone has now heard of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. As part of a deal to secure Parliamentary approval to trigger the EU withdrawal process under Article 50, […]

“Brexit” means “Brexit”?

On 17 January, the Prime Minister gave her long-awaited speech on the UK’s strategy for Brexit. It is fair to say that her comments received a mixed reception, both in the UK and the EU. The main point is that “soft” Brexit and continued UK membership of the single market are now definitely off the […]

Do you want a hard or soft-boiled Brexit?

Charles Proctor explains how the UK could declare itself a free trade zone by ceasing to impose tariffs on imports immediately after its split from the European Union. UK politicians have spent the last few months arguing over the shape of a post-Brexit deal with the EU: will it be ‘hard’ or will it be […]

Brexit countdown – legal update as leave approaches

Charles Proctor joins the commentary about the Brexit countdown in The Brief. Kiss tariffs goodbye As the most recent Nobel prize winner did not quite sing at Desert Trip in California last weekend: “It’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard Brexit gonna fall.” Indeed, writes Edward Fennell, there’s a good chance that the […]

Hard Brexit and UK Trade: A Bold Step?

The recent Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham has served to reinforce expectations of a “hard Brexit” when the UK seeks to negotiate withdrawal arrangements with the other EU Member States. The discussions are likely to be difficult and protracted, with no guarantee of a satisfactory outcome. In view of that situation, Charles Proctor has been […]

A look at post-Brexit trademark protection

The fashion powerhouse Christian Louboutin (Louboutin) has been litigating to protect its iconic red-soled shoes since 2011. It began in the United States and has meandered through various courts in Europe, finding its way to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Here we take a brief look at Louboutin’s fight to protect its trademark and […]