David Diris, MA

My main field of expertise within the office is commercial cross-border litigation and advisory work, with special focus on distribution law (franchise, distributorships and agency agreements). I have extensive experience in dealing with complex international proceedings under various EU-Regulations (Brussels I, Rome I and II, Insolvency, etc.) and other international conventions (CISG, CMR, ...).

Because of my experience in international litigation, I have been appointed as co-arbitrator under ICC-rules.

I obtained my law degree at the University of Antwerp, as well as an additional Master in International Relations and Diplomacy (cum magna laude).

Board functions

• Member of the Extended Bureau of AIJA (2016-present)
• Co-Chair of the AIJA Forum of the Commissions (2016-present)
• Vice-President AIJA
• In-house Counsel Commissions (2016-present)
• President AIJA TRADE Commission (2015-2016)
• Vice-President AIJA TRADE Commission (2012-2015)
• Treasurer DAV Belgien (2019-present)
• Co-founder and Member of the Board DAV Belgien (2015-present)

Memberships

• DAV Belgien - German Lawyers Asosciation, Belgian Chapter
• AIJA - International Association of Young Lawyers
• IDI - International Distribution Institute
• DFA - Dutch Association for Distribution-, Franchise- and Agency Law
• DNRV - German-Dutch Lawyers Association
• NACIIL - Netherlands Association for Comparative and International Insolvency Law
• DSJV - German-Swiss Lawyers Association
• DGVR - German Association on Distributorship Law
• CDH - German Association of Commercial Intermediaries

Lectures

• EuropeFides, INsig2 LTEC 2015, "Legal Efficiencies - A Narration From The Trenches of Today’s Technology Hypes", October, 27th 2015, Brussels
• CDH, Internationales Rechtsanwaltsforum, "Änderungen des Gesetzes über vorvertragliche Informationspflichten durch Einführung des neuen Wirtschaftsgesetzbuches in Belgien und seine Folgen", October, 16th-18th 2015, Berlin
• Slovak Embassy, "Legal Pitfalls when doing cross-border business with Slovakia" at the seminar "Doing Business in Slovakia", September, 17th 2015
• Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Belgium, "Legal Aspects of Cross-border Investment", Seminar „Invest in Slovakia“, April, 23rd 2013
• AIJA, "Overriding mandatory rules with special regard to claims from the termination of distribution agreements", October, 11th -13th 2012, Munich
• AIJA, Franchising: How to adapt the standard franchising agreement to the laws of some European countries, October, 27th 2011, Distribution Law Seminar, Turin
• AIJA, Panelist in workshop 'Securities in cross border syndicate lending: Insolvency Issues', August, 24th 2011, 49th Annual Congress Amsterdam
• AIJA, "The commercial attack: direct sales, agency, and distribution agreements, exclusivity and non compete convenants", September, 24th 2010, Lissabon
• DIRO, Belgische Insolvenzgesetzgebung, Handlungs- und Verwertungsmöglichkeiten ausländischer Verwalter im Inland, May, 14th - 16th 2009, Ljubljana
• Rainbow, "Belgische Insolvenzgesetzgebung - Anfechtungsklagen", 2. internationale Rainbow Cross Border Business Law Konferenz, June, 3rd - 5th 2009, Baden-Baden
• DIRO, Belgische Insolvenzgesetzgebung, Anfechtungsklagen, DIRO, October, 16th - 18th 2008, Graz

Publications

• A. GLATZ & D. DIRIS, 'How to terminate a distribution relationship in France or in Belgium', ABASIL Newsletter Fall 2013
• C. KOCKS and D. DIRIS, 'Neuausrichtung der Vertriebsstrategie als schwerwiegender Kündigungsgrund eines Vertriebsvertrages in den Niederlanden und Belgien', ZVertriebsR 2012/4, 232
• Franchise Law in Belgium Part 1: Unilateral termination of franchise agreements, Newsletter n° 7, AIJA, March 2012
• The economic risk as determining factor for the qualification as distributorship agreement – the end?, Newsletter n° 6, AIJA, October 2011
• Less is more, more or less... - Recent developments concerning the length of the exclusive distributorship as criterion for the reasonable notice period under the Belgian Act of July 27, 1961 on the termination of exclusive distributorship agreements, Newsletter n° 5, AIJA, July 2011
• Comments under Belgian law to four recent cases of the European Court of Justice on commercial agency, Newsletter n° 4, AIJA, March 2011
• You can't always get what you want - From reinstatement to prescription in international commercial agency agreements, Newsletter n° 3, AIJA, November 2010
• Oh evidence, where art thou - Recent issues in international distribution litigation concerning the taking of evidence which is located in another European Member State, Distribution Commission, Newsletter n° 2, AIJA, July 2010
• Making and breaking license and distribution agreements. Risk and rewards, practical tips and lessons learned, National Report of Belgium, Distribution Law Commission, AIJA
• Belgische Insolvenzgesetzgebung - Anfechtungsklagen, Rainbow, http://www.rainbow-law.de, 2009, Baden-Baden

Moderator

• AIJA, Half Year Conference, Chair of Session I - Contracts, May, 28th 2015, Antwerp
• AIJA, Doing Business with the West: Franchise contracts in Europe, March, 26t-28th 2015, Shanghai
• AIJA, A practical exercise: An extra-EU client meets his lawyers for advice on the most convenient distribution strategy in the EU, Distribution Law Seminar, Turin, October, 28th 2011
• AIJA, Mock negotiation "GO GREEN expands..." Distribution Law Seminar, Lisbon, September, 25th 2011