Fields of work
COMPANY AND COMMERCIAL LAW
The law office supports its clients in commercial activities, providing ongoing legal advice and protecting their rights and interests before public authorities and courts. Together with our clients, we have participated in the establishment of startup companies and successful privatizations both domestically and internationally. Throughout our creative solutions and proposals, we have managed to create situations where clients can lawfully exercise their rights and protect their legitimate interests, even in circumstances where judicial and governmental practices do not favor such interests. This has typically resulted in changes to established business and regulatory practices across various sectors of economic activity. In the field of contract law, attorneys in our law office have developed numerous solutions that have been accepted by both businesses and public authorities.
MEDIA
We have represented and continue to represent several print and electronic media outlets in the country, as well as journalists, editors, media owners, and professional associations in this field. Our primary focus has been the protection of freedom of expression as a fundamental human right, as well as the legitimate business interests of the media. We believe that without free media, there can be no democracy, and that the pluralism of opinions is an essential foundation for the functioning of any society. Likewise, we hold that there must always be a fair balance between exercising this freedom in practice and protecting the fundamental human rights of individuals, which is often achieved through compliance with high professional standards in the interaction of public interest in receiving information.
COMPETITION LAW AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
We take pride in the fact that we were among the first to actively participate in the creation and implementation of consumer rights in our country, and that we sought, and continue to seek and align the application of competition law with standards that apply in other legal areas. From the first ruling made in Serbia regarding the standards applicable to advertising messages, through judgments related to the protection of financial service users, to initiating serious legal questions concerning the standards for protecting fundamental human rights in the area of competition law, we have contributed to the development of relevant case law. In both competition law and consumer protection law, we have identified very important legal issues, some of which still remain open.
LABOR LAW
While it is challenging to effectively represent the interest of employees and employers in an environment where it is still unclear whether we have a socialist, neoliberal, or exploitative relationship towards employees’ rights, and where judicial practice varies not only among the inspection bodies and courts but also within the appellate courts themselves, we strive to provide our clients with the highest possible level of predictability regarding the application of the law. Given that in this area of law, legislation and judicial practice tend to align more closely with the factual application of the law by the courts rather than being based on legal solutions designed to anticipate the causes and efforts of such solutions, and considering that often unreasonably lengthy court proceedings lead to contradictory outcomes, we believe that this is a very sensitive legal area, and we approach it with the utmost care.
CRIMINAL LAW AND OFFENSES
The law office in the field of criminal law restricts representation to clients with whom there is a mutual relationship of trust. Although we also take on defenses ex officio, primarily in the interest of the fundamental right to defense for all citizens, the majority of our defenses arise from the prosecution of individuals suspected of committing crimes against the economy or official duty. We are not proud that, in vast majority of cases, our clients have been unjustly accused of crimes they did not commit; rather, we are saddened by the fact that people’s lives have been severely disrupted due to baseless accusations. We fight and will continue to fight against all forms of political, lobby-driven, or negligent accusations, believing that Serbia must be a country where prosecutorial errors are rare and where judges and prosecutors are dedicated to protecting public order rather than accepting a situation in which the accused is seen not as a person, but solely as a subject.
CIVIL LAW
Representing clients in civil law matters is always a challenge. Due to the drastic changes in the legal system of the Republic of Serbia, entire areas of law are poorly or inadequately covered by judicial solutions. For this reason, in the field of civil law, the legal profession has the opportunity to participate more than in any other area in the creation of relevant case laws. We are pleased that in our cases, this practice has developed across various fields, from banking relations to the protection of personal rights, such as the prohibition on discrimination. Unfortunately, due to organizational and other issues faced by the judiciary in the area of civil law, legal certainty and predictability have been reduced to a minimum, and judicial practice primarily focused on aligning individual typical cases with the same or similar factual circumstances rather than harmonizing the interpretation of legal concepts. We have made, and will continue to make, every effort that contributes to the creation of a more consistent, professional, and harmonious system, where every citizen can anticipate the final consequences of their actions or inactions, provided they consult a lawyer in a timely manner.
EU LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The founder of the law office has been studying the achievements of EU law for nearly two decades, engaging in both theoretical and practical activities in this field. Therefore, it can be said that the law office’s experience in the area of community law extends beyond our legal practice. In terms of education, publishing, scholarly and professional works, as well as the initial application of EU law in judicial and other proceedings, we have played a pioneering role. The fact that we do not hesitate to offer constructive criticism of certain solutions due to the often-politicized nature of this area does not change the reality that we seek solutions to each specific problem within the framework of positive law, particularly in line with the existing practices of the ECJ and ECHR.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
We are of opinion that finding solutions that are in the best interest of our clients in any field of law, is not possible without a solid understanding and knowledge of constitutional law. In an era where the concept of human rights, due to its direct applicability, increasingly finds its place in judicial reasoning, it appears that this concept has opened the door for other constitutional institutions, leading to a situation where there is no longer an exclusive role for the Constitutional Court in their application. It is also a fact that diverse and often opposing viewpoints on the application of constitutional institutions by both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Cassation, as the highest courts in the country, as well as the differing opinions within the Constitutional Court itself on the same legal issues, create a significant risk of a slippery slope with unpredictable consequences for the public order of the Republic of Serbia. Therefore, we strive, in every constitutional judicial proceeding and in every discussion on constitutional issues, to establish a harmonious and functional system where the Constitution is applied consistently and universally, both in practice and in law.
BANKING LAW AND FINANCE
We take great pride in our extensive experience in this field of law, which encompasses not only the largest and most significant banking disputes but also substantial projects where our partners and attorneys serve as legal consultants. We are particularly proud of our active involvement in nearly all major events that have transformed banking practices, as well as the legislative and regulatory framework.
ELECTORAL LAW
Whether it involves drafting legislative texts or the practical application of electoral laws, the partners from the law office have made a significant impact in this area of law. From our creative solutions in representing clients during the electoral process, which have completely changed the academic perspective on certain procedural issues, to our ideas being incorporated into existing laws, the law office has contributed significantly not only to the interest to its clients but also to the social and legal framework.
TAX LAW AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
The partners from the law office have made a significant impact in the development of various development strategies, primary for local governments, while participating in teams that carried out these projects.