Legal Insights

In a recent decision issued on June 9, 2022, the First Civil Chamber of the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court) clarified the concept of spouses’ contribution to household expenses:

“The equity contribution, made by a spouse married under the separation of property regime, to finance the improvement, by way of construction, of an undivided property intended for family use, is not to be taken into account in the performance of his/her obligation to contribute to household expenses.”

In order to strengthen the protection of whistleblowers and prevent the risks of retaliation measures within their company, Law No. 2016-1691 of December 9, 2016 on transparency, the fight against corruption and the modernization of economic life requires companies with more than 50 employees to set up an internal whistleblowing system.

Law No. 2022-401 of March 21, 2022 designed to improve the protection of whistleblowers requires companies to update their internal whistleblowing system.

The “Protection of purchasing power” draft Bill dated June 27, 2022 reforms the so-called Macron bonus implemented in 2018.

As from August 1, 2022, companies will be entitled to to pay their employees an annual purchasing power bonus exempt from income tax and social security contributions under certain conditions.

Citroën can count on its chevrons, protected as a figurative trademark and confirmed as having a distinctive character by the Paris Court of Appeals in late 2021 and the EUIPO in April 2022, to block new competitor Polestar. Based in Sweden and car preparer for Volvo company, Polestar was unable to enter the French market of car manufacturers.

Insights on a two-stage legal battle and the distinctive signs that car manufacturers can use to protect their position and the related investments.

The French Ministerial Statistical Department for Internal Security has published, for the first time, a study on environmental damages.

The publication of these figures, which do not, however, cover all environmental crimes, is interesting.

What findings can be made?

In a decision issued on May 12, 2022, the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court) recalled that the filing by the employer of the optional profit-sharing agreement after the 15-day period following its conclusion results in the loss of the right to social security exemptions for the first financial year in which the agreement becomes effective.