Contact information
Quinz BV
Medialaan 28 B
1800 Vilvoorde
Belgium
T: +32 (0)2 255 73 80; E: info@quinz.be
Crossroads Bank of Enterprises number: 0837.393.773
VAT number: BE 0837.393.773
Register of legal entities: Brussels
Legal form and business activity
Quinz BV is a limited liability company under Belgian law ("besloten vennootschap" / "société à responsabilité limitée") whose corporate purpose is the practice of law by exercising the profession of lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, legal counsel and legal representative.
Insurance
The professional liability of Quinz and its lawyers is insured with Amlin nv and Ethias nv, respectively, and through an insurance program with various insurers. The insurance provides worldwide coverage.
Professional organisations and rules of conduct
Quinz lawyers are authorised to practise law in Belgium. They are registered with one or more of the following professional organisations in Belgium:
- Dutch-speaking association of the Brussels bar: www.baliebrussel.be
- French-speaking association of the Brussels bar: www.barreaubruxelles.be
Quinz lawyers enrolled with the Dutch-speaking association of lawyers at the Brussels bar are, inter alia, subject to the code of conduct of the Orde van Vlaamse Balies, which is comprised of the Dutch-speaking bars (www.advocaat.be). Quinz lawyers enrolled with the French-speaking association of lawyers at the Brussels bar are, inter alia, subject to the code of conduct of the Ordre des barreaux francophones et germanophone de Belgique, which is comprised of the French and German-speaking bars (www.avocats.be). These codes of conduct can be consulted on the above-mentioned websites.
Quinz lawyers who are registered with the Dutch-speaking Bar Association in Brussels are, inter alia, subject to the Code of Conduct of the Orde van Vlaamse Balies, which comprises the Dutch-speaking Bar Associations (www.advocaat.be). Quinz lawyers registered with the French-speaking Bar Association in Brussels are, inter alia, subject to the code of conduct of the Ordre des barreaux francophones et germanophone de Belgique, which comprises the French- and German-speaking bar associations (www.avocats.be). These codes of conduct can be consulted on the above-mentioned websites.
Anti-money laundering obligations
In accordance with Articles 19 and following of the Belgian Anti-Money Laundering Act of 18 September 2017 (hereinafter the “AML Act”) Quinz BV is obliged to identify the client before entering into a business relationship and to verify its identity by means of a supporting document of which a copy is made on paper or an electronic medium. This obligation also extends to agents of the client, any other person authorized to represent the client (e.g. directors) and in some cases also to the final beneficiaries of the client.
The client accepts and agrees to communicating, upon the first request, to Quinz BV all the information it should seek and verify in the context of the aforementioned legal obligation. These data generally relate to the identity of the client, its agents, its representatives and any final beneficiaries, as well as the purpose and the expected nature of the business relationship.
If Quinz BV would not receive the information requested for within two weeks after written notice, it is, in accordance with the AML Act, not entitled to enter into a business relationship with the client, to maintain such relationship or to execute transactions for the client. In such circumstance, Quinz BV would also be obliged to inform the Head of the Bar hereof. When lawyers, in carrying out the work envisaged by the law, ascertain facts that they know or suspect are related to money laundering or terrorist financing, they must immediately report this to the Head of the Bar, except when their activities are intended to determine the legal status of their client or for the defence or representation of their client in (connection with) a legal action. The head of the Bar will decide whether or not to pass on the information received to the Financial Intelligence Processing Unit.
In accordance with the AML Act, Quinz BV is also required to update from time to time the identification data of its clients and their agents, representatives and any potential final beneficiaries. The provisions described above apply equally to such updates.
These obligations, of course, do not prejudice the professional secrecy that continues to characterise the relationship between the client and his or her lawyer.
Applicable law and competent courts
The relationship between Quinz and its clients shall be governed by Belgian law and any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Dutch-speaking Enterprise Court of Brussels or, as far as non-entrepreneurs are concerned, the Dutch-speaking Court of First Instance of Brussels.
