DUTCH CARIBBEAN BANKS AND REGULATORY ISSUES
A bank has less freedom than an ordinary legal entity
What would be the requirements, from a regulatory point of view, if a Curaçao or St. Maarten bank wished to sell its entire business or a substantial part thereof? Would it require approval from the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (‘Centrale Bank van Curaçao en St. Maarten’)?
Generally, if the activity at a bank is characterized as some form of financial reorganization, for example, the prior approval of the Central Bank is required. The bank is also obliged to immediately inform the Central Bank in writing of any …
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LEGAL FEES: CHANGING LANDSCAPE
Alternative billing arrangements
According to Larry Primeaux, the construction of legal fees is undergoing a metamorphosis in reaction to changing economics. Fact is, indeed, that you read everywhere that law firms (lawyers, advocates, attorneys) have to change. The system of “hourly rate billing” in particular has to take the rap. “In this economy, at least for the short term, it appears that law firms will be forced to agree to alternative fee arrangements if clients demand those arrangements.” (2013 ABA Publication).
According to the website AMPulse, “the success of flat rate fees is dependent …
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LAW FIRMS SEE ALTERNATIVE FEE ARRANGEMENTS AS HERE TO STAY
“I don’t think the billable hour is dead, but I think it has company”
According to an article by Kim Lyons of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “the billable hour has long been the mainstay of law firms and their pay structure. But in recent years, firms have had to become more creative in how they get paid, as they compete for business with ever more cost-conscious companies.
Enter the “alternative fee arrangement.” Whether it’s a flat fee, a capped fee, a blended rate or some other variety, alternative fee arrangements are giving the billable hour a run for its money.”
THINK LIKE A LAWYER, DON’T ACT LIKE ONE
The essential rules for the smart negotiator
Aernoud Bourdrez is a lawyer and conflict negotiator. The approach of Bourdrez differs from traditional advocacy. Where traditional lawyers focus on the legal aspects of the conflict, Bourdrez puts emphasis on the patterns that characterize the conflict and ways to break through these patterns.
On preventing and resolving conflicts Bourdrez wrote the book Think Like a Lawyer, Don’t Act Like One. For this book he followed the famous course Program on Negotiation at Harvard and he read standard works like Getting to Yes, The Theory of Conflict and The Art …
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ADVOCATEN EN DECLARABELE UREN
Wat is daar eigenlijk mis mee?
Overal lees je dat advocatenkantoren moeten veranderen. Ze zijn te conservatief. Ze houden vast aan het verleden en zijn alles behalve innovatief. Naarmate het economisch slechter gaat wordt de roep om verandering steeds sterker.
Met name het systeem van ‘uurtje factuurtje’ moet het ontgelden. Advocaten wordt verweten dat zij tijdschrijven met een vork. Dat zij niet efficiënt werken. Dat zij te duur zijn. Het syteem zou verkeerde prikkels meebrengen, mede omdat de controle op het daadwerkelijke aantal nuttig besteedde uren niet goed mogelijk is.
Wie deze kritiek tot zich laat doordringen kan niet anders …
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LAWYERS AND BILLABLE HOURS
What is wrong with this exactly?
You read everywhere that law firms (lawyers, advocates, attorneys) have to change. Lawyers are too conservative. They hold on to the past and are anything but innovative. As the economic climate deteriorates the call for change becomes increasingly stronger.
The system of “hourly rate billing” in particular has to take the rap. Lawyers are reproached for billing hours with a fork, not working efficiently and being too expensive. The system apparently has the wrong incentives, partly because it is difficult to check the actual number of hours spent efficiently.
Anyone who becomes aware of …
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THE COURT OF LAST RESORT
Curaçao court as court of last resort for civil matters
An attachment on assets located in Curaçao generally establishes jurisdiction over the cause of action for which the attachment is made, also if neither of the parties involved are domiciled in Curaçao.
According to Section 767 of the Curaçao Code of Civil Procedure, the Curaçao court is competent to hear a case on the merits (i.e. has (international) jurisdiction) if there are no other means of obtaining an enforceable order in Curaçao (first condition).
This condition will not be met if, for instance, in respect of a claim an arbitrator …
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150 JURIDISCHE PUBLICATIES
Een persoonlijke mijlpaal
Afgelopen donderdag was het dan zo ver: mijn 150e juridische publicatie zag het levenslicht. Het gaat om mijn bijdrage aan het Liber Amicorum ‘Christels Koers’ dat toen werd aangeboden aan prof.mr. drs. C.M. Grundmann-van de Krol: “Openbaarmaking door de financiële toezichthouders”. De volledige lijst met publicaties is hier te vinden.
Nummer 151 is overigens al geschreven en is in het komende nummer van het Caribisch Juristenblad te vinden. De meer dan 850 stukken die op deze weblog staan heb ik uiteraard niet meegeteld…
Karel Frielink Attorney (Lawyer) / Partner
(2 December 2013)
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CHALLENGING THE VALIDITY OF A CONTRACT
Based on error, fraud or undue influence
The validity of a contract can be challenged on various grounds, including error, fraud or undue influence. In the case to be discussed here a contract was entered into by an intermediary. Appellants in cassation (Van Eendenberg) were owners of the parcels on which a preferential right was established pursuant to the (Dutch) Municipalities (Preferential Rights) Act. In view of the sale of those parcels, in so far as municipalities should need them for house construction, they have entered into a brokerage agreement with Agromak BV.
Its director then acted as an intermediary …
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INDEPENDENT SUPERVISORY BOARD IN ST. MAARTEN
Should be mandatory for government-owned entities
Under the laws of St. Maarten, the main task of a board of supervisory directors is to supervise the board of managing directors of a limited liability company (NV or BV).
The St. Maarten Corporate Code provides for two different kinds of boards of supervisory directors, a “regular” board of supervisory directors and the so-called “independent” board of supervisory directors (Section 2:139 Civil Code). Within this context the word independent means that the supervisory directors are independent of the shareholders, interest groups (“belangengroepen”) and to a certain extent from the shareholders’ meeting.
An independent …
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US LAW GOVERNED AGREEMENTS
Curaçao and St. Maarten Courts will accept the choice of laws
One of the questions frequently asked is whether the Courts in Curaçao or St. Maarten, if an action is brought before them, will pay deference to a “choice of governing law” and/or venue provision in an agreement, in particular when the parties have chosen US Law, and a US Court to resolve their disputes.
The choice of the laws of (a particular State of) the United States of America as the laws governing an agreement is valid and binding under the laws of Curaçao/St. Maarten, and will therefore be …
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