These general terms and conditions shall apply to all services rendered by us. Clauses which depart from these terms and conditions shall only apply if and to the extent that they are expressly confirmed in writing by us.
We are subject, in our practice, to the professional rules of the Paris Bar and to the regulation of the profession under Law n°71/30 of 31 December 1971, as amended, and Decree n°91/1197 of 27 November 1991, as amended.
Other conditions may apply to the services rendered by our contacts or correspondents, as the case may be. In such a case, you will contract directly with them.
Three basic types of fee structure are applicable to our services.
1. Flat fee
Flat fees are in principle proposed for the following services: drafting of a model agreement, simple copyright search or investigation.
2. Time-based fee
We will charge hourly rates in business matters, such as negotiations, pre- litigation and litigation. The fee is calculating using the number of hours devoted to your matter multiplied by our hourly charges.
3. Contingency fee
A contingency fee is available only for known clients or established household names or companies and for specific services such a royalty tracking and recovery.
Note that under our professional rules, pure contingency fees cannot apply in case of litigation. Under French bar rules a contingency fee must be combined with a flat or hourly fee, and the rate of the contingency fee is limited. The possibility of a contingency fee may also be subject to other regulations, and notably professional rules, applicable in your jurisdiction, which may apply in case of transfrontier services (depending on the nature of service rendered and on your location).
All incidental expenses incured on behalf of the clients (copies, translation fees, stamp and registration duties, telecommunications, letters, transport, etc.) are payable by them. In addition, the client must pay directly the fees of the external suppliers (process-server, sworn translator, expert, …).
We reserve the right to request appropriate retainers, not only upon initial instructions, but also at later times, in order to cover the prospective fees and expenses.
We are covered by a professional insurance up to EUR 3,800,000 per liability. Our liability for damages due to a breach of contract or to any fault in the performance of our mission is limited to the amount of this insurance. We may buy additional insurance cover upon your written request, in which case you must pay the additional premium in advance, and the maximum amount will be set to the additional coverage.