Lebanese Criminal Lawyers & Attorneys – Mattar Law Firm, Beirut
Mattar Law Firm Provides full legal services in Criminal Law.
These services range from initial consultation up to clients’ representation.
MLF criminal lawyers represents individuals and companies in various criminal cases which vary from business crimes to the crimes on the individual.
Mattar Law Firm Criminal department offers a full and global assistance to its clients.
Trademarks and Intellectual Property Rights In Lebanon
Lebanon’s first intellectual property rights law dates
back to 1924.
A law of 1999 under the number of 75/99 regulates today the intellectual property rights matter.
Lebanon signed several international agreements and treaties concerning intellectual property rights and therefore protects the intellectual property rights to the highest level.
What are the intellectual properties right? and how can they be protected?
Trademarks
A trademark is a denomination, name, label, design and in general any distinctive sign to distinguish a certain product from others such as a commercial, industrial or any kind of products.
Registration of a trademark can be operated by any person or corporate bodies, and there is no difference between national and foreign requester.
Foreigners, however, are required to appoint a local agent to represent them and to proceed with all registration formalities and to receive the registration certificate .
The registration of a trademark is valid for 15 years renewable for an additional period of 15 years.
How a Trademark can be protected?
1)The trademark is in principle protected via registration at the Office of Intellectual Property in the ministry of economy.
The registration opens path to to initiate criminal action against any person who
infringes on a registered trademark.
2)The Office of Intellectual Property in the ministry of economy, when registering a trademark
checks its contents and makes sure that it is generic and may not lead to confusion with an existing registered trademark.
Opposition may be constituted in a certain delay, and there is a possibility as well to initiate a proceeding before the competent courts on the basis of unfair competition.
Lebanese Customs can be of help as well in trademark protection by examining the origin of the imported products.
Communication between Lebanese customs and the intellectual property office are helpful in detecting any infringement to any registered trademark.
Infringement in trademarks issue is considered by the courts to take place when it leads to a confusion in the spirit of the consumer and thus, he is mislead by the infringer trademark.
Trademarks can be nominative or a logo/design and they are registered and protected under diversified categories.
Needless to say that trademarks can be protected in more than one class.
Patents
On August 7, 2000 Lebanon’s parliament enacted a law to protect patents.
Based on the law and international conventions an invention can be considered as a patent under these conditions:
1- to have a new and not an existing invention
2-to be inventive
3-To be of use in industry
Who owns the patent?
The inventor is the person owning the rights for the patent.
If more than one person participated in one invention, the right for the patent shall be split equally
between these persons unless otherwise provided in a separate agreement.
In the event that many persons independently produce the same invention, the right for the patent shall be for the first applicant.
What are The conditions for obtaining a patent?
A request to the ministry of economy and trade should be presented and shoud include the following:
1) description of the invention provided that the invention is not contrary to public policy or morals.
2)the seriousness and novelty in the items for which the protection is requested.
The decision taken by the minister can be appealed before the Court of Appeal of Beirut.
The office of intellectual property have 60 days from the Minister’s
decision to issue the patent.
What is the duration of the patent?
The initial term of a patent is 20 years.
What Happens in case of Violations?
The penalties can have a criminal aspect which shows the importance of protected patents.
Copyrights
A new and modern Copyright Law was enacted on April 3, 1999, by the Lebanese parliament and entered into force on June 6, 1999.
The copyright protection covers a large scope of works.
Originally covering literary and artistic works, it is now extended to computer software, videos and a large variety of works.
In case of violation of copyrighted works, penalties of criminal aspects and civil compensations to the offended party shows to what extent the copyright is protected by this law.
Adoption Laws In Lebanon
Adoption in Lebanon can be made before spiritual courts in Lebanon.
Find Below some facts regarding the adoption:
The adoption is a ceremonial judicial agreement concluded between two persons and shall create civil relations between them for legitimate paternity and filiation.
The adoption is only allowed for the rightness reasons
and for the benefit of the adopter, after confirmation
of the good discipline of the adopter, with reserve to the provisions of the following:
Each secular person, a man or a woman shall have the right of adoption.
The adopted person can not be adopted by more than one adopter unless if he was adopted by one couple.
1-For the good adoption of the minor, he shall approve on the procedure, his parents or the one living of them or the guardian of the minor, in case his parents were separated due to permanent abandonment or annulment of the marriage.
2-In case they were either dead or they cannot show their opinion, then the Metropolitan of the Eparchy shall replace them.
Shall be void and with no value the following:
A-The parents’ adoption to their illegal children.
B-The adoption of the custodian to the one under his custody, and the keeper to the one under his safekeeping, and the one responsible of the management of his money, in case these persons were not definitively free and an accounting takes place before the court.
The adopted person shall have the family name of his adopter, and he shall also have the rights and the obligations regarding his father as if he was his legal son with reserve to the provisions of the following:
The adopted person shall remain a member of his original family, with all the rights and the obligations towards the same. However, the parent authority rights shall be restricted to his adopter in case he was still alive or enjoying capacity. On his death or if he lost his capacity, then he shall be replaced with the father of the adopter or his agent.
The original parents shall not be obliged to pay the pension to their adopted son, unless the adopter could not deliver the same.
1- If the adopter was dead without any descendants or offspring, then the adopted person shall inherit as if he was the legal son of the adopter.
2- If the adopter has descendants or offspring or sisters, then the adopted person shall inherit half of the legal son inheritance.
1- If the adopted person was dead without having legal descendants, he shall return what he received for the adopter to him or to his heirs. His other funds shall be distributed to his legal inheritors by virtue of public law.
2- The adopted’s right regarding the adopter’s inheritance shall be transferred to his descendants only, and shall be restricted to the adopter’s personal legacy. The adopted and his descendants shall not have any right in the legacy of the adopter’s parents or family.
The right adoption shall create a legal family relationship that abstain the marriage between:
A-The adopter and the adopted person and his descendants.
B-The adopter and his children born after the adoption process.
C-The adopter and his spouse and between the adopter and the spouse of the adopted person.
D-The adopted children by one adopter.
The adoption shall only be executed by virtue of a resolution issued by the ecclesiastic Tribunal ratified by the Metropolitan of the Eparchy.
The legitimate Tribunal authorized to decide the adoption shall be the Tribunal of the adopter’s residence. However, if the adopted person was minor, then the Tribunal of his residence shall have the right to do so also.
In all the cases, the Tribunal and before issuing its resolution shall listen to the declaration of the justice agent, and shall take into consideration the opinion of the adopted person’s parents.
1- The adoption shall be cancelled for dangerous reasons and with judicial judgment issued by the Tribunal after listening to the justice agent.
Shall be considered dangerous reasons that allow the cancellation of the adoption, the situation when the adopter misdeals the adopted person or vice-versa, when one of them shall cause moral or big financial damages, or when one of them behaves badly.
The right of filing the adoption cancellation lawsuit shall be restricted to the adopted person and the adopter only.
However, if the justice agent agreed that one of them can cause damage to the other or to his family or that he shall morally abstain him from the use of his freedom, then he shall also have the right to file the same.
1-The judgment to cancel the adoption shall eliminate all the effects related to this situation starting from the date of its execution.
2-In both cases of the issuance and the cancellation of the adoption, the Tribunal shall notify this to whom necessary in order to register the same next to the adopted person’s register in the baptism registers and in the civil census registers.
The adoption held in countries not having any specialization to the ecclesiastic Tribunals, shall be ruled according to its rightness or its cancellation according to the laws of these countries.
Debt Collection & Recovery Law Firm in Lebanon
Mattar Law Firm provides a full set of legal services in terms of debt recovery and has handled successfully numerous cases of debt collection of significant importance in the region.
With its experience, Mattar Law Firm has developed an efficient, cost effective approach to Debt Recovery which in most cases ends with the satisfactory collection of the debt.
This approach includes sending notification letters for payment and taking all necessary conservatory measures to guarantee the debts of the our clients up to the execution phase where the debt is collected in court or amicably.
MLF has recovered debts of significant importance to its clients and remains a pioneer in that field.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution Law Firm Lebanon
Mattar Law firm has an extensive experience of more than 50 years in litigation and alternative dispute resolution and has solved in that respect major cases in the Lebanese and MENA region.
MLF attorneys evaluate each case and advise clients on all resolution options available and provide an analysis of the most appropriate ways to resolve the conflict in order to choose the most cost-effective and timely dispute resolution option.
MLF attorneys inform the clients so that he can make an informed decision if a possible favorable settlement is possible with the other party.
A continual and ongoing assessment for the case is made by our team to constantly evaluate and protect the clients’ interest.
Oil and Gas Lawyers Assistance in Lebanon
Starting 2010 It has been confirmed by many trustworthy source that the Levant basin contains around 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 122 trillion ft³ of recoverable gas Meaning that significant oil and gas resources are available offshore in Lebanon.
Legal Frame
In January 2011 the Lebanese Parliament enacted the Offshore Petroleum Resources Law (2010/32) which provides the legal framework regarding the exploration and exploitation of offshore oil and gas resources in Lebanon.
The Petroleum Administration Body is the important player when it comes to the preparation for bidding and in the pre-qualification phase.
Lebanese cabinet appointed the six members of the Petroleum Administration Board (PAB), which will open the door for offshore oil and gas licensing.
The Lebanese Ministry of Energy & Water has announced the opening of the pre-qualification round as of 15 February 2013.
Our Services
Mattar Law Firm is known for the provision of legal services in the Oil & Gas industry.
Through Our presence in the sector , and our ties to the companies or regulatory bodies, we provide our clients with the services required through advisors and experts in the fields who are present for that purpose in our offices.
Our Legal Services in the Gas and Oil Industry covers essentially and in summary:
– Negotiating , Drafting, Contracts and agreements related to petroleum and gas exploration, Sales and Licenses.
– Joint Venture Agreements.
– Assistance to new bidders wishing to enter into the oil and gas exploitation market.
– Pre-Bid, Tenders Assistance, Follow up with regulatory and Administrative Bodies.
– Corporate and Taxation Advice tailored and customized to Clients needs.
– Due Diligence and Feasibility Studies.
– Legal and Expertise Counseling in the Field.
Mattar Law Firm will offer comprehensive legal advice and on the ground work and legal follow up to its clients on matters related to oil and gas industry in Lebanon and abroad such as regulatory framework and the pre-qualification phase ahead of the bidding process along with the subsequent steps to allow to its clients to benefit from a fruitful business through our offices.
We combine our expertise and presence in the sector to offer quality legal services in the sector of Oil and Gas.
Taxation Lawyers Services & Advice in Lebanon
Mattar Law firm offers a tax planning to local and international clients for their various businesses, assets and investments.
MLF advises clients in the best appropriate way in terms of tax mitigation and avoidance and to reduce the tax burden in the most efficient ways.
Our lawyers’ experience and deep knowledge enables us to have a full control and command of the tax laws in many jurisdictions.
We establish various tax-efficient structures which can benefit of a favorable tax regime such as certain specific Lebanese companies or entities which benefit as well from beneficial international tax conventions with Lebanon and which, as well, may benefit from Lebanon full banking secrecy and privacy.
Our tax department provides as well services such as nominee shareholders / directors, domiciliation and registered address, company legal secretarial services and insure to link our client with Lebanese or international institutions such as banks and other appropriate business partners and personnel.
MLF Tax Law team advises on various international and local taxation issues which makes our lawyers able to provide the appropriate tax solutions for both individual and business needs.
Business Lawyers & Attorneys – Mattar Law Firm, Lebanon
Mattar Law Firm offers specific business agreements and contracts tailored specifically to the clients’ need.
Our Lawyers have a large expertise in drafting a multitude of contracts and agreements to satisfy business needs and requirements.
With its experience, MLF will provide to its clients high quality legal services in the negotiation, drafting and execution of business agreements and contracts.
Financial Legal Servies – Lebanese Lawyers
Mattar Law Firm has advised and advises Lebanese and international banks, financial institutions and provides full assistance in all matters related to banking and financial issues.
MLF provides legal services to a wide range of clients in the banking sector from international banks to private investors.
Our lawyers provide the appropriate advice for banking and financial services transactions including lending, leveraged finance, private placements, real estate finance, capital markets, debt recovery, funds…
MLF provides a full and global assistance in the banking Law.
