General terms and conditions

General terms and conditions of Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V.

1. These terms and conditions govern the use of our legal advice services provided through our website, by phone, e-mail, in person or by any other means. By accessing or using our services, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. These terms and conditions apply to every agreement for services between a client and Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V..
2. Our legal advice services encompass providing general guidance and information on legal matters, based on the information provided to us. Actions taken in reliance on our advice are solely responsibility of the client. Please note that we do not provide representation in legal proceedings.
3. An agreement for services between a client and Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. will only come into existence when we explicitly accept a client’s engagement for services.
4. If we are engaged to provide services together with another person, we will only be liable for the performance of those obligations that are explicitly Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V.’s obligations. Article 7:407(2) of the Dutch Civil Code will not apply.
5. As a client, you are responsible for providing accurate and complete information regarding your legal matter. You agree to cooperate with us, respond to requests in a timely manner, and disclose any relevant facts or documents necessary for us to provide effective advice. You shall provide us with any information that we may need to meet any obligations to establish the identity of clients and persons affiliated with clients.
6. Both you and Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. shall treat all confidential information received regarding the business, operations, internal documentation, analyses, and/or materials supporting our service provision confidentially. This information shall only be used for the purpose for which it was provided. Neither party shall make any public disclosure about an envisaged or completed transaction without prior consent from the other party, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld.
7. Notwithstanding the above, Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. reserves the right to, after the relevant transaction has been publicly announced, at its discretion and at its own expense, publish one or more advertisements and/or communications through any medium, stating that Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. has acted as your legal advisor.
8. Recording of meetings, telephone calls, or any other conversations, whether in video or minutes form, using AI or any other method, is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of your contact person at Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. Subsequently, any use of such recordings, beyond being used solely as internal reference material for the involved parties, may only take place after prior consultation and approval by Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. In such cases, Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. might require the reports to be sent to it for review before their intended use, to allow for necessary changes to ensure that they accurately reflect the input of Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. Any time spent on this review and modification will be invoiced at the agreed hourly rate (or higher if previously agreed upon, depending on the circumstances/request).
9. All our fees shall be determined based on the actual time worked multiplied by the relevant hourly rate from time to time, unless another fee structure has been agreed in advance. The applicable hourly rate will be agreed with the client in advance. Invoicing shall take place once per month and costs not incorporated in the hourly rate shall be passed on in the invoice and for the client’s account, including (but not limited to) travel expenses, courier costs, material telephone charges, translation costs and in general all costs of third parties retained in consultation. All amounts shall be exclusive of V.A.T. but will be increased with V.A.T. as required by applicable law. The client has fourteen days after the invoice date to notify us of any objections to the amount of the invoice. If the client fails to do this, the invoice will be deemed to have been accepted.
10. All payments by the client must be made in Euro within fourteen days after the date of invoice, by transfer of the amount payable to the bank account stated on the invoice or otherwise designated by us. In case of late payment of the invoice, the amount due will be increased with collection costs and, if payment is not made within 30 days after the date of invoice, a penalty of 10% will be applied to the total amount of the invoice.
11. Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. is entitled to request an advance payment on the expected fees, prior to the commencement of any work, subject to the discretion of Ace Amsterdam B.V. Any advance payment will be deducted from the final invoice for the relevant work carried out.
12. Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V.’s (or any of its employee(s)) professional liability is limited to the amount that is paid out for the relevant claim under Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V.’s applicable insurance. In the event of no amount being paid out by any insurer, the liability for the total damages arising out of or connected with the agreed-upon services shall be limited to the amount received by us from the client for such services in the year preceding the claim, and such damages can be claimed from Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. exclusively. Any other liability than aforementioned professional liability is excluded. Every compensation claim will expire one year after the date on which the client became aware of the damage and of Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V.’s liability for the damage.
13. All employees of Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. or other persons working for Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. may at all times invoke the provisions of these general terms and conditions for their own benefit as third-party beneficiaries of these clauses.
14. In providing the services, we may engage persons not affiliated with Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. (such as translators, experts and (foreign) counsel) where this is desirable for the provision of the services. We may engage those persons in our own name or, as an authorised representative, in the client’s name. The client is bound by the conditions agreed between Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. (in its own or the client’s name) and the other persons engaged by us.
15. In the event we retain the services of third parties in the performance of services, we shall not be liable for any damage that is caused by the actions, errors or omissions of such third parties.
16. Any engagement between us and any client may be terminated by either party by giving written notice, if desired with immediate effect. The client concerned shall be obligated to pay all fees for the services performed until the moment of termination and for any services we may need to do to transfer the matter to the client or a third party.
17. We reserve the right to modify or update these terms and conditions at any time. We will provide notice of any material changes through our website, by e-mail or by other means deemed appropriate. Your continued use of our services after such modifications constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms and conditions. If any provision of these terms and conditions is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
18. Any claims by a client under any service agreement must be brought within 12 months after the services to which the claim relates have been performed. All agreements and relationships and any non-contractual relationship with Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. are subject to Dutch law and any disputes between any client and Ace Legal Amsterdam B.V. shall be submitted to the competent court in Amsterdam.