Tag: bonaire

LIABILITY OF COMPANY DIRECTORS

No derivative suit It is considered a general rule of Dutch Caribbean corporate law that the management board (a.k.a. board of directors) must act in the best interests of the company (an NV or BV) in the performance of its duties, even when acting on instructions from others (e.g. shareholders). This includes the interests of… Continue reading LIABILITY OF COMPANY DIRECTORS

SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL REQUIRED FOR SELLING ALL ASSETS

In particular circumstances this rule may be set aside Generally speaking, the management board of a company (NV or BV) is not entitled to sell the company’s business or a substantial part thereof, without the approval of the shareholders’ meeting. The Enterprise Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam confirmed this in its decision… Continue reading SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL REQUIRED FOR SELLING ALL ASSETS

LEGAL DOCUMENTS ARE HARD TO READ DUE TO LEGALESE LANGUAGE

Lawyers must learn to communicate with their clients Communication skills are particularly important for lawyers. On the one hand lawyers have to accurately debate legal issues with like-skilled/trained people and on the other hand they have to explain all this to people without any legal education, many of which are vulnerable. That is not as… Continue reading LEGAL DOCUMENTS ARE HARD TO READ DUE TO LEGALESE LANGUAGE

KNOWLEDGE CEO CAN BE IMPUTED TO CORPORATION

Interesting opinion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Knowledge can be both actual and constructive. The question is under what circumstances actual knowledge, for instance the CEO’s knowledge, can be imputed to the corporation. This question was addressed by the Ninth Circuit in its opinion of 23 October 2015 (securities… Continue reading KNOWLEDGE CEO CAN BE IMPUTED TO CORPORATION

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

Speech Karel Frielink – Conference of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association Ladies and Gentlemen! I have only half an hour, so I won’t travel back in time to the early days of mankind. I just start with Plato (427 – 347 B.C.E.). You may have heard of this philosopher. And of ‘Platonic love ’ of course.… Continue reading CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET ME

Amsterdam, The Hague & Vienna I am going to attend the following conferences: Consular Conference – The Hague, 22 September 2015 InterExpo / 20th Trade Mission – Amstel Hotel Amsterdam, 23 – 25 September 2015 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), FraudNet Conference – Vienna, Austria, 1 – 3 October 2015 IBA (International Bar Association) International Conference… Continue reading OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET ME

FRAUD (part II)

Legal forms of fraud The person who forges a diploma, agreement or identity document is guilty of a criminal offence. Although the concept of ‘fraud’ is only mentioned in relation to human trade in the Criminal Code of Curaçao, there are various offences which can have a relationship with fraud in the sense meant herein:… Continue reading FRAUD (part II)

FRAUD (part I)

Curaçao Fraud is an everyday occurrence. It is of all times, and a phenomenon that happens in every country. In discussions about fraud (and corruption) in Curaçao you regularly see that people refer to other countries, in particular to the Netherlands, to downplay this phenomenon here somewhat. The small number of criminal prosecutions and convictions… Continue reading FRAUD (part I)

NO DERIVATIVE ACTION IN CURACAO

A claim based on tort is possible though Curaçao corporate law does not provide for any derivative suit mechanism (and neither do the laws of Aruba, St. Maarten and the BES-islands). This matter was first decided in the cases of Poot v. ABP, Hoge Raad (Dutch Supreme Court) 2 December 1994, NJ 1995, 288, and… Continue reading NO DERIVATIVE ACTION IN CURACAO

FRAUDNET – THE POWER OF ONE GLOBAL NETWORK

FraudNet in action According to The Irish Times, lawyer Antenor Pereira Madruga Filho (a member of FraudNet) is hired by the Irish Government to represent it in a high-profile case involving a lawyer who fled Ireland in 2007 with debts of €80m. The lawyer was arrested in Brazil almost two years ago and has been… Continue reading FRAUDNET – THE POWER OF ONE GLOBAL NETWORK

PRE-TRIAL MOTIONS IN CURACAO

Differences with the United States Curaçao civil proceedings differ substantially from those in the United States. In Curaçao there are, for instance, no juries. In principle, legal proceedings are basically conducted in writing. Oral pleadings are customary in preliminary relief proceedings, but optional in proceedings on the merits. Discovery proceedings like those in the United… Continue reading PRE-TRIAL MOTIONS IN CURACAO