Regulatory information

Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with number OC304378. Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is regulated and authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and is subject to the SRA Code of Conduct. Its registered office address is 4 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AU.

VAT number: GB 858 6988 38.

Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates as Gowling WLG (UK) LLP (Dubai Branch), a Recognised Limited Liability Partnership with Registered Number CL0457. Gowling WLG IP LLC, a wholly owned affiliated business of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP which operates outside of the DIFC, is engaged on a subcontract basis to provide support in Dubai on trade mark/patent searches, enforcements, registration and ancillary administrative support services which can only be undertaken by an onshore entity in the U.A.E. Gowling WLG IP LLC operates under Professional Licence Number 759390, and has a share capital of AED100,000.

Client account interest policy of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP for client monies held in UK client bank accounts

In this part of the Legal Notice, "we", "us" and "our" refer to Gowling WLG (UK) LLP.

Gowling WLG (UK) interest policy is available here.

Complaints Procedure

We aim to provide a high-quality service to all of our clients at all times and we wish you to be fully satisfied with all aspects of the service we provide to you.

If you have any concerns with our service, the level of our fees, or with the way in which we have dealt with any job, please first contact the person dealing with the matter. If you prefer, you can contact his or her supervising partner by telephone, email or post. Their details will appear on any Gowling WLG (UK) LLP correspondence you have received. You might alternatively contact your client partner.

We treat complaints very seriously and make every effort to deal with them effectively. We will investigate your complaint, and respond fully as soon as possible. Your complaint will be handled by the supervising partner or your client partner.

We aim to acknowledge your complaint within two working days from the date of receipt and send an initial response within 10 working days. Should a substantive response be required, we aim to send this to you within 20 working days. If, for any reason, we are unable to respond fully within 20 days we will tell you why, and when we expect to reply to you in full.

We aim to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible and in any event within eight weeks from the date of receipt.

If we are unable to resolve your difficulty in this way, you will be offered the opportunity of an internal review. This will usually be handled by our General Counsel, Michael Luckman, our Chair, Emma Pioli or our Chief Executive, David Fennell.

If you do not believe that we have responded to your complaint within a reasonable time, or you are not satisfied with the response, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman. The helpline number is +44 (0)300 555 0333, and the address is PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH. If you are calling from overseas, the contact telephone number is +44 (0)121 245 3050. You can email the Legal Ombudsman at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within a year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

Further information can be found on its website at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

Please note that the service provided by the Legal Ombudsman is only available to certain types of clients/organisations. Further details of those eligible for the service can be found on the Legal Ombudsman's website. Alternatively, you should contact the Ombudsman on the helpline number given above. You may also complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Further information on how to do this can be found at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/.

The EU Regulation on Consumer Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) enables clients who have a complaint about a service that they bought online to submit a complaint to an ODR platform via an online form. Further information can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/index.cfm.

Non-client complaints

If you are not a client of the firm and wish to complain about the conduct of the firm or its employees, please write to our Compliance Team at Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, Two Snowhill, Birmingham B4 6WR, who will contact you and explain how they will deal with your complaint.

Insurance Distribution Activities

The scope of our engagement will not include advising you on the merits of entering into any transaction or investment, as our role is ordinarily limited to providing legal advice. However, we may carry out work in relation to regulated mortgage contracts and insurance distribution activity as an ancillary insurance intermediary.

We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. However we are included on the register maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority so that we can carry on insurance distribution activity, which is broadly the advising on, selling and administration of insurance contracts. This part of our business, including arrangements for complaints or redress if something goes wrong, is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The register can be accessed via the Financial Conduct Authority website at www.fca.org.uk/firms/financial-services-register.

The insurance providers with whom we currently do business are listed here.

Service provider

Our services from our office in France are provided by Gowling WLG (France), AARPI which is an Association d'Avocats à Responsabilité Professionnelle Individuelle - AARPI at the Paris Bar. Gowling WLG (France), AARPI is a party to a transnational agreement with Gowling WLG (UK) LLP and a member of a recognised association. It is also an affiliated business of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP. VAT number: FR41 522 695 600. More information about the structure of Gowling WLG can be found on our Legal Information page.

Contact details

Our office is located at 38 avenue de l'Opéra, 75002, Paris. Tel +331 (0)1 42 99 35 00, Fax +331 (0)1 42 99 35 01. Further contact details of our Paris office can be found in the Global Reach section.

Regulation

Partners in Gowling WLG (France), AARPI are Avocats à la Cour in France, registered with the Barreau de Paris (Paris Bar Association). Regulations applicable to members of the Paris Bar are available through the Ordre des Avocat de Paris at www.avocatparis.org or by contacting the Direction de l'Exercice Professionnel (+ 33 (0)1 44 32 47 76).

Paris office may also have lawyers from other jurisdictions who are members of foreign Bars or who are dual qualified. Further information on our people and their professional qualifications can be found on this site in Our People.

Professional liability insurance

Lawyers registered with the Paris Bar are covered by an insurance policy provided by the Paris Bar, details of which can be supplied by the Bureau des Assurances of the Ordre des Avocat de Paris (+33 (0)1 44 88 59 84).

In addition, Gowling WLG (UK) LLP maintains global professional indemnity insurance cover for itself and all affiliates provided by a consortium of Underwriters at Lloyd's, policy number LBQ 060/15, arranged by Tindall Riley & Co Limited, trading as Libra Managers, Regis House, 45 King William Street, London EC4R 9AN. Its professional indemnity insurance covers appropriate territories.

Our services

We are committed to providing the highest quality services to all of our clients. Should you have any specific question regarding the services, please feel free to contact the matter partner responsible for the work or the French country managing partner.

The EU Regulation on Consumer Online Dispute Resolution enables clients who have a complaint about a service that they bought online to submit a complaint via an online form. Further information can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/index.cfm.

The Paris Bar Association (Ordre des Avocats de Paris) provides various procedures for dispute resolution. Consumer mediation is free of charge, except for the expenses provided for in 3 ° and 4 ° of article R. 612-1 of the Consumer Code. Details of the procedures can be obtained from the Paris Bar at http://www.avocatparis.org (exercice de la profession/textes sur la profession/décret no.91-1197). You can contact directly Mr Jérôme Hercé, mediator of the legal profession, address: 22, rue de Londres - 75009 Paris, email: mediateur@mediateur-consommation-avocat.fr - website: https://mediateur-consommation-avocat.fr. Alternatively, you can contact one of the two Mediators appointed by the Paris Bar (currently approved) to the following address: Mediator of the Paris Bar, 11, place Dauphine 75053 Paris cedex 01.

We practise law in Germany through Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in the commercial register (Companies House) of England and Wales with registered number OC304378. Its registered office address is 4 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AU.
Information pursuant to Sec. 5 German Tele Media Act (Telemediengesetz) and the Regulation on Service Information Requirements (DL-InfoV)

• Contacts
• Bar admission
• Professional regulations
• Tax identification number

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Contacts

Information required to contact the German offices of Gowling WLG can be found under the Germany global reach page.

Bar admission – Lawyers (Rechtsanwalt)

Unless otherwise stated, all lawyers practising in the German offices of Gowling WLG are admitted to practise as lawyers (Rechtsanwalt) in the Federal Republic of Germany and are members of the Bar Association (Rechtsanwaltskammer) for their respective offices which is also the competent supervisory authority for them:

• Munich: Rechtsanwaltskammer München
• Stuttgart: Rechtsanwaltskammer Stuttgart
• Frankfurt/Main: Rechtsanwaltskammer Frankfurt am Main

Support Lawyers (Wirtschaftsjuristen)

Wirtschaftsjuristen and Support Lawyers are employees which support lawyers in their services without being lawyers (Rechtsanwälte) themselves.

Professional regulations

The following professional regulations apply in particular to German lawyers:

• Bundesrechtsanwaltsordnung (BRAO)
• Berufsordnung für Rechtsanwälte (BORA)
• Fachanwaltsordnung (RA-FVO)
• Gesetz über die Vergütung der Rechtsanwältinnen und Rechtsanwälte (RVG)
• Berufsregeln der Rechtsanwälte der Europäischen Gemeinschaft (CCBE)
• Gesetz über die Tätigkeit europäischer Rechtsanwälte in Deutschland (EuRAG) v. 9.3.2000 (BGBI. I S.182)
• Law implementing the Directives of the European Community pertaining to the professional law regulating the legal profession

More information about the professional regulations that apply to German lawyers (Rechtsanwälte) is available on the website of the German Federal Bar Association (Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer) at http://www.brak.de/fuer-anwaelte/berufsrecht/.

Gowling WLG (UK) is regulated and authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Further information can be found on the website of the Solicitors Regulation Authority

Professional Indemnity Insurance

In Germany the lawyers practicing in the Frankfurt am Main offices are insured with AXA Versicherung AG, Colonia-Allee 10-20, 51067 Köln, Policy Number: 6026920292.

The lawyers practicing in the Stuttgart and Munich office are insured with R+V Allgemeine Versicherung AG, Voltastraße 84, 60486 Frankfurt, Policy Number: 404 84 347248380.

The following information is provided on the basis of the German decree on information obligations for services provided dated 12 March 2010.

Gowling WLG (UK) LLP maintains a Professional Indemnity Insurance policy with QBE Insurance Europe Ltd, 30 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 3BD, Policy Number: P3A53040. This policy applies to all Gowling WLG (UK) LLP offices worldwide. In addition local insurances are maintained if required under local law.

Tax identification number

DE 261 816 253

Information pursuant to sec. 36 of the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (Verbraucherstreitbeilegungsgesetz - VSBG)

In Germany, the relevant dispute resolution body with power to hear consumer disputes for claims involving an economic interest arising out of the lawyer-client relationship is the Schlichtungsstelle der Rechtsanwaltschaft (German Conciliation Body for the Legal Profession), Neue Grünstraße 17, 10179 Berlin, www.schlichtungsstelle-der-rechtsanwaltschaft.de. Members of the legal profession are not obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings brought before a consumer dispute resolution body. Gowling WLG (UK) LLP does not participate in any dispute resolution proceedings brought before consumer dispute resolution bodies, including the Schlichtungsstelle der Rechtsanwaltschaft.

Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates as Gowling WLG (UK) LLP (Dubai Branch), a Recognised Limited Liability Partnership with Registered Number CL0457. Gowling WLG IP LLC, a wholly owned affiliated business of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP which operates outside of the DIFC, is engaged on a subcontract basis to provide support in Dubai on trade mark/patent searches, enforcements, registration and ancillary administrative support services which can only be undertaken by an onshore entity in the U.A.E. Gowling WLG IP LLC operates under Professional Licence Number 759390, and has a share capital of AED100,000.