Fields of practice description
Below you will find the description of several areas of practice and explanations intended to help you understand the importance of seeking specialized legal advice.
Industrial property rights
Industrial property rights are an essential component of intellectual property law and aim to protect intellectual creations with economic and industrial applicability. This branch of law encourages innovation, fair competition, and investment by granting right holders exclusive rights over their creations for a limited period of time.
The main objects of industrial property include invention patents, trademarks, industrial designs and models, geographical indications, and semiconductor product topographies. An invention patent protects new technical solutions that involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application. The patent holder acquires the exclusive right to exploit the invention and to prohibit third parties from using it without consent.
Trademarks serve to distinguish the goods or services of one undertaking from those of others. They may consist of words, logos, colors, shapes, or combinations thereof. Trademark protection contributes to strengthening commercial identity and consumer loyalty. Industrial designs and models protect the aesthetic appearance of a product, such as its shape, lines, or ornamentation.
Geographical indications and designations of origin protect products that are closely linked to a specific geographical area, whose qualities or reputation are determined by their origin. They play an important role in protecting local traditions and regional producers.
Industrial property rights are generally territorial, with protection granted through registration with competent authorities, such as the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks (OSIM) at national level or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). International treaties also exist to facilitate global protection.
The infringement of industrial property rights entails civil, administrative, or criminal liability, as applicable. Thus, this branch of law ensures a balance between the interests of creators and those of society, stimulating technological progress and economic development.
Civil Law
Civil law is one of the most important and extensive branches of law, regulating legal relationships between subjects of law who are on an equal legal footing. It constitutes the common law for other branches of private law and provides the general framework governing everyday legal life.
Civil legal relationships may be proprietary or non-proprietary. Proprietary relationships have economic content and can be valued in monetary terms, such as ownership rights, contractual obligations, or successions. Non-proprietary relationships concern personal values, such as the right to a name, honor, reputation, or private life.
Civil law includes several fundamental institutions, such as persons, property, obligations, and successions. The regulation of persons establishes the legal capacity and capacity to exercise rights of natural and legal persons. The rules on property classify and regulate the legal regime of assets, including ownership and other real rights.
Obligations represent a central component of civil law and usually arise from contracts, legal acts, or the law itself. Civil law establishes the conditions for contract validity, their effects, and the means of performance or extinction of obligations. It also regulates tort liability for damages caused by unlawful acts.
Succession law, an integral part of civil law, governs the transfer of a deceased person’s estate to heirs, establishing the order of succession and the rights of each category of successors.
Through its general and flexible nature, civil law ensures the stability and predictability of legal relationships, contributing to the protection of legitimate rights and interests and to the proper functioning of society.
Family law
Family law is a branch of private law that regulates legal relationships arising within the family, founded on marriage, kinship, filiation, and adoption. This branch of law aims to protect family values and the best interests of the child.
The central institution of family law is marriage, defined as the freely consented union between two spouses. Legal rules establish the conditions for marriage, its effects, as well as the grounds and procedure for its dissolution through divorce. Family law regulates both the personal effects of marriage, such as fidelity and moral support, and its property effects, such as matrimonial regimes.
Relationships between parents and children constitute another essential area of family law. The rules on filiation establish the legal bond between a child and their parents, while parental authority governs the rights and obligations of parents toward their children. The best interests of the child represent a fundamental principle guiding all decisions in this field.
Adoption is a legal institution designed to protect children deprived of parental care by creating a relationship of filiation between the adopter and the adoptee. Family law regulates the conditions, effects, and procedure of adoption, aiming to integrate the child into a stable family environment.
Family law also regulates the legal obligation of maintenance between family members, as well as property relationships between spouses and relatives. Through its rules, this branch of law contributes to the stability of family relationships and the protection of vulnerable persons.
Criminal Law
Criminal law is a branch of public law that regulates acts considered criminal offenses and the sanctions applicable to persons who commit them. Its main purpose is to protect the fundamental values of society, such as life, bodily integrity, property, and public order.
A criminal offense is an act provided for by criminal law, committed with guilt, and presenting social danger. Criminal law defines the constituent elements of an offense, including the objective and subjective elements, and establishes the conditions of criminal liability.
Penalties are coercive sanctions applied by the state, having a preventive, corrective, and punitive role. They may be principal, complementary, or accessory and include, among others, imprisonment, criminal fines, or educational measures applicable to minors.
In addition to penalties, criminal law also regulates safety measures, which aim to remove states of danger and prevent the commission of new offenses. Criminal law is governed by fundamental principles such as the legality of offenses and penalties, the presumption of innocence, and the personal nature of criminal liability.
Through its rules, criminal law ensures the rule of law and the protection of society, contributing to the maintenance of social discipline and respect for the law.
Insurance Law
Insurance law regulates legal relationships between the insurer and the insured, aiming to protect persons and property against future and uncertain risks. This branch of law plays an important role in the modern economy, contributing to financial stability.
The insurance contract is the legal act by which the insured undertakes to pay a premium, and the insurer undertakes to pay compensation or an insured sum in the event of the insured risk occurring. Insurance law establishes the conditions of validity, as well as the rights and obligations of the parties.
Insurance may cover persons, property, or civil liability. There are also mandatory and voluntary insurance policies. Insurance law further regulates the activity of insurance companies and their supervision by competent authorities.
Through its rules, this branch of law protects the interests of insured persons and contributes to the efficient management of risks.
Commercial Law
Commercial law regulates economic activities carried out by professionals, aiming to facilitate trade and ensure legal certainty in business. Although many commercial rules are integrated into civil law, this branch retains its own specific characteristics.
The subjects of commercial law are professionals, namely natural or legal persons who carry out organized economic activities. Commercial law regulates acts and deeds of commerce, commercial companies, commercial contracts, and payment instruments.
Commercial companies represent a central institution, being regulated according to legal form, share capital, and the liability of associates. Commercial law establishes the rules regarding their incorporation, operation, and dissolution.
Commercial law also regulates insolvency proceedings, designed to protect creditors and offer debtors the opportunity for recovery. Through its rules, commercial law contributes to the development of the business environment and the proper functioning of the economy.