In the current recessionary time, there is ever increasing pressure to provide high quality customer service to ensure business survival.  There are various legal procedures which, if properly implemented, will assist in strengthening customer loyalty and minimise the likelihood of complaints potentially resulting in litigation proceedings. Achieving consistently high quality throughout pre and post sales activities leads to a long and mutually beneficial business relationship.

A Dutch court has sent a number of questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (“ECJ”) concerning the correct definition of ‘genuine use’ under European trade mark law. There has been significant debate in relation to the issue of genuine use following a decision by the Benelux Intellectual Property Office in the Onel case last year.

The two principal ways of effecting a takeover of an Irish listed company are by general offer or by scheme of arrangement. Our Corporate Department discusses some of the main features of each structure and explains some of the issues a bidder and target may encounter during the course of a takeover.

Cheaper access to English Premier League football matches through the use of decoder cards purchased in other member states cannot be prevented as to do so would contravene EU competition law.

The European Commission has been advised that copyright owners should be required to register their ownership in order to receive all of their entitlements under copyright law.

In both the public and private sectors, there is a desire to embrace green issues in projects and construction activities. Green or eco development has the potential to contribute to a better environment, boost innovation, stimulate investment in eco-technologies and industry, and, in the long-term, save costs. However, environmental, social, legal, economic and commercial imperatives compete fiercely in the drive for green development.

So how is the desire to embrace green issues manifested in policies and legislation? What can parties to building contracts and other property and construction agreements do to best deal with the complexity of green issues? Most importantly, what lies ahead for green issues in 2011?

Please click on the pdf icon to download the Distressed Assets Departmental brochure.

The Sunday Tribune has been placed into Receivership with Independent News & Media (INM) withdrawing its financial support for the newspaper from the end of February, declaring that the business was no longer viable.

William Fry advised Trinity Biotech plc in relation to the sale of its coagulation product line for a profit of over $47 million. Trinity is a NASDAQ listed public limited company operating in the healthcare sector. Its principal activity is the development, manufacture and marketing of diagnostic test kits used in the clinical laboratory and point-of-care diagnostic markets. Trinity’s products are sold in approximately 75 countries by its own sales force and by a network of international distributors and strategic partners.