General terms and conditions

Article 1 · Definitions

Leon Legal: the sole proprietorship of L. Schuitemaker, Streuvelslaan 2, 9721 WH Groningen, the Netherlands, registered with the Chamber of Commerce under number 50585282.

Client: the natural person, legal entity or public body that gives Leon Legal an assignment.

Assignment: the agreement that Leon Legal will carry out work for the client, such as advice, drafting documents, guiding procedures or an interim role.

Article 2 · Applicability

These terms apply to all quotes, assignments and follow-up assignments of Leon Legal.

Deviations only apply if agreed in writing. The client's own general or purchasing terms do not apply unless Leon Legal expressly accepts them in writing.

Articles 7:404, 7:407(2) and 7:409 of the Dutch Civil Code do not apply. Assignments are accepted and carried out exclusively by Leon Legal, even if the intention is that a particular person carries them out.

Article 3 · Quotes and formation

A quote is without obligation and valid for thirty days.

An assignment is formed once the client accepts the quote or engagement letter in writing (including by email), or once Leon Legal starts work with the client's consent.

Article 4 · Performance

Leon Legal carries out the assignment carefully and to the best of its ability. This is an obligation of effort: Leon Legal cannot guarantee a particular outcome, such as a successful objection or approval by the European Commission.

After consulting the client, Leon Legal may engage third parties, such as an attorney or another specialist. Leon Legal is not liable for errors made by those third parties.

Leon Legal is a lawyer, not an attorney (advocaat). If proceedings require an attorney, Leon Legal discusses this with the client in good time.

Article 5 · Client cooperation

The client provides Leon Legal in good time with all information and documents needed, and guarantees their accuracy and completeness.

The client reports deadlines, such as an objection or appeal period, as soon as the assignment is given. If a deadline passes because information was late or incomplete, this is at the client's risk.

Article 6 · Fees and costs

The fee is a fixed price or is based on time spent at the agreed hourly rate. All amounts exclude VAT unless stated otherwise.

Travel and accommodation costs, court fees and third-party costs are charged separately, after consultation with the client.

Leon Legal may adjust its hourly rate once per calendar year. For ongoing assignments, Leon Legal announces this in advance.

Article 7 · Payment

Leon Legal invoices monthly or on completion of the assignment. Payment is due within fourteen days of the invoice date.

If the client does not pay on time, the client is in default without notice being required. Leon Legal may then charge statutory (commercial) interest and reasonable collection costs, and suspend work.

Leon Legal may ask for an advance, which is set off against the final invoice.

Article 8 · Deadlines

Deadlines given by Leon Legal are target dates unless a strict deadline is expressly agreed in writing. Leon Legal monitors statutory deadlines, such as an objection period, once they have been made known to Leon Legal.

Article 9 · Confidentiality

Leon Legal keeps all confidential information of the client secret, also after the assignment ends, except where disclosure is required by law or a court ruling.

On request, Leon Legal signs an additional non-disclosure agreement.

Article 10 · Intellectual property

Leon Legal retains the intellectual property rights in opinions, templates and other documents it creates. The client may use them for the purpose of the assignment, within its own organisation.

Publication or use for other purposes requires Leon Legal's written consent. Documents intended for publication, such as a by-law or policy rule, may of course be adopted and published by the client.

Article 11 · Liability

Leon Legal holds professional liability insurance. Leon Legal's liability is limited to the amount paid out by the insurer in the case concerned, plus the deductible.

If the insurer does not pay out for any reason, liability is limited to the fees charged for the assignment in the six months before the event causing the damage, up to a maximum of €25,000.

Leon Legal is not liable for indirect damage, such as consequential loss, lost profits or missed savings.

These limitations do not apply in case of intent or deliberate recklessness on the part of Leon Legal.

Article 12 · Limitation period

A claim for damages must be submitted to Leon Legal in writing within one year after the client discovered or could reasonably have discovered the damage. After that, the right to compensation lapses.

Article 13 · Termination

Either party may terminate the assignment in writing. The client then pays the fees and costs for the work done up to the moment of termination.

Interim assignments have a notice period of one month unless agreed otherwise.

Article 14 · Complaints

Not satisfied? Please let Leon Legal know as soon as possible, and no later than thirty days after the work or invoice concerned, by email to leon@leonlegal.nl. Leon Legal responds within fourteen days and looks for a solution together with you.

A complaint does not suspend the obligation to pay, except for the part of the invoice the complaint concerns.

Article 15 · Personal data

Leon Legal processes personal data in line with the GDPR and the privacy statement on the website. If Leon Legal processes personal data on the client's behalf as a processor, the parties conclude a data processing agreement on request.

Article 16 · Governing law and disputes

All assignments are governed by Dutch law.

The parties first try to resolve any dispute together. If that fails, the District Court of the Northern Netherlands (Rechtbank Noord-Nederland), Groningen location, has jurisdiction, unless mandatory law designates another court.

If any provision of these terms is void or voidable, the other provisions remain in force. The parties then replace that provision with a valid one that comes as close as possible to its intent.