‘Little things that are crucial for legal trainees’ (“Male stvari koje pripravnički život znače”) was the title of a lecture given on 10 May by Stankovic & Partners team members Sara Pendjer, Mitar Simonovic and Teodora Markovic at Belgrade University’s Faculty of Law.

The talk focused on the key qualities essential for success in the legal profession. In particular, the speakers covered issues like punctuality, having a sense of curiosity, taking responsibility, meeting deadlines and managing research efficiently.

Sara, Mitar and Teodora helped to convey complex legal principles in clear and relatable terms, as well as sharing their real-life career examples with the students. They outlined the day-to-day challenges faced by legal professionals and gave practical insights into potential career paths and tips on how to ensure success.

If you are passionate about pursuing a career in law, we would encourage you to consider applying for one of Stankovic & Partners’ own Legal Trainee roles by sending your CV to office@nstlaw.rs.

The application process for incorporating a company will be changing to an exclusively electronic format from 17 May 2023, in accordance with the latest amendments to the Law on the Registration Procedure at the Agency for Business Registers. There are a number of key issues arising from this change that we seek to clarify below:

Who can submit an e-application to register a company in the Register of Business Entities?

The e-application can be submitted by a natural person (founder – future shareholder of the company) or by a person who is authorised by the founder (for example, a lawyer) to submit the e-application to the Serbian Business Register Agency (“SBRA“). If the applicant is a founder, he would sign the e-application with his qualified e-signature. If the applicant is a lawyer, he would sign the e-application with his own qualified e-signature, and the attachment would need to include a power of attorney in the form of an electronic document (signed by the founder of the company with his e-signature or signed with the founder’s handwritten signature and then digitised by a lawyer/notary).

Does the document submitted with the electronic application need to be in electronic form?

In relation to the e-registration procedure, all submitted documents must be in electronic form. It is essential to understand the difference between documents that the founder (or his representative) himself originally draws up in electronic form (such as the shareholder agreement) and signs with his qualified electronic signature, from documents issued by third parties or by the authorities, which must be authenticated with the qualified e-signature of an authorised person within the organisation that issued the document.

If the founder registers a company and does not have any of the documents he is required to submit in electronic form, he […]

While the labour market is subject to constant change and evolution, the past four years (since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) have seen a considerable shift in the way that work is undertaken and managed. However, the existing regulatory framework has not kept pace with these rapid developments. In fact, the Law concerning the protection of health and safety at work in the Republic of Serbia has not changed substantially for the past 17 years. However, an entirely new Law covering this area came into force on 7 May 2023, which introduces some notable developments. In particular:

First, the new Law defines the term “workplace” with much greater precision, in contrast to the former definition which envisioned the place of work as an employer’s premises. This obviously raises questions relating to risk assessments for employees. The new definition will define the “workplace” as the location where an employee performs their role under the terms and conditions of their employment.

Secondly, the Law goes on to stipulate that an employer is obliged to confirm that standards of workplace health and safety are ensured for all employees working remotely/from their homes. An employer can document remote work risk assessments in writing (though they are not obliged to) with the cooperation of their employees. This will apply not only to employers but also to self-employed entrepreneurs.

Thirdly, the Law will also introduce a new (digital) reporting mechanism, through which employers can report injuries at work and occupational diseases. This information will be stored on a new unified electronic database streamlining the reporting process for employers.

Finally, the Law will also introduce a number of timely changes relating to the protection of personal data, including personal data related to employees’ medical examinations, as well as setting out the scope […]