Bibliographie sélective OHADA

A presente tese de doutorado aborda a hipótese de segredo de negócio enquanto direito de propriedade industrial em sentido estrito. A introdução do trabalho versa sobre a relevância dossegredos de negócio na prática empresarial. Por sua vez, o Capítulo 1 é dedicado à disciplina jurídica dos segredos de negócio como atualmente firmada. Aborda, nesse sentido, as propostas de justificativa apresentadas para fundamentar a proteção jurídica conferida aos segredos de negócio. Em sequência, o Capítulo 2 do trabalho trata dos problemas observados em referidas propostas de justificativa da proteção a segredos negociais, demonstrando como as citadas propostas se mostram insuficientes e inadequadas para tanto. O Capítulo 2 também aborda como a insuficiência e inadequação das citadas propostas é prejudicial, pois gera insegurança jurídica. O Capítulo 3 apresenta a hipótese da tese, de justificativa de proteção aos segredos de negócio enquanto um direito de propriedade industrial em sentido estrito, equiparável, enquanto tal, a direitos de propriedade industrial já reconhecidos, como patentes, marcas e desenhos industriais. Para tanto, o Capítulo 3 aprofunda os conceitos de Direito de Propriedade Intelectual, de Propriedade Industrial, bem como as justificativas para a existência jurídica de direitos de Propriedade Industrial. Apresenta, ao final, a hipótese objeto da tese. Por fim, a conclusão traz considerações finais acerca do tema.

Cette recherche traite de la contribution de l’Initiative Panafricaine de la Grande Muraille Verte pour le Sahel et le Sahara à l’évolution normative dans son tracé géographique au Burkina Faso. L’Agence Panafricaine de la Grande Muraille Verte pour le Sahel et le Sahara en tant qu’organisation intergouvernementale se positionne comme acteur institutionnel de la lutte contre les changements climatiques et la désertification. Cependant, la multiculturalité des pays membres interroge sur le modèle juridique apte à répondre à l’urgence écologique. A cela s’ajoutent la preuve de la légitimité et de la légalité de l’institution qui pourrait justifier une approche systémique du droit de préservation de la biosphère au Burkina Faso. Il est capital que soit posée la question de l’existence d’ordre juridique non-étatique et son interaction avec le droit positif. S’appuyant sur une démarche anthropo-juridique combinant l’exégèse par l’examen des textes législatifs et règlementaires, l’ethnographie juridique de la Grande Muraille Verte (GMV) et des systèmes de régulation chez les Moose, cette thèse a permis de réaliser une ethnologie juridique du droit endogène du vivant au Burkina Faso dans le tracé de la GMV. Les analyses anthropologiques font la preuve de l’existence de système de régulations juridiques endogènes chez les Moose. Cette régulation s’étend depuis l’ère précoloniale à l’époque de la cogestion coloniale pour enfin échoir sur l’ère postcoloniale par un pluralisme normatif tacite. La prise en compte de cet ordre juridique non-étatique est un facteur de renforcement du système de résilience des populations locales face aux changements climatiques. Pour les gestionnaires de la GMV, il se présente une solution à trois facettes pour le Sahel et le Sahara : elle consistera à l’émergence d’un droit des pratiques, d’une reconnaissance des traditions juridiques locales et d’une réhabilitation des ayants droits coutumiers. This research deals with the contribution of the Pan-African Initiative of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and the Sahara to the normative evolution in its geographical layout in Burkina Faso. The Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and the Sahara as an intergovernmental organization is positioned as an institutional actor in the fight against climate change and desertification. However, the multiculturalism of the member countries raises questions about the legal model capable of responding to the ecological emergency. Added to this is the proof of the legitimacy and legality of the institution which could justify a systemic approach to the right to preserve the biosphere in Burkina Faso. It is essential that the question of the existence of a non-state legal order and its interaction with positive law be raised. Based on an anthropo-legal approach combining exegesis through the examination of legislative and regulatory texts, the legal ethnography of the Great Green Wall (GMV) and regulatory systems among the Moose, this thesis has made it possible to a legal ethnology of the endogenous law of life in Burkina Faso in the layout of the GGW. Anthropological analyzes demonstrate the existence of endogenous legal regulation systems among the Moose. This regulation extends from the precolonial era to the era of colonial co-management to finally fall on the postcolonial era through a tacit normative pluralism. Taking this non-state legal order into account is a factor in strengthening the resilience system of local populations in the face of climate change. For the managers of the GGW, there is a three-faceted solution for the Sahel and the Sahara: it will consist in the emergence of a law of practices, recognition of local legal traditions and rehabilitation of the beneficiaries of customary rights.

Cette thèse est relative aux notions de propriété et domanialité publiques en droit guinéen. L'État guinéen étant le fruit d'une longue histoire (pré-coloniale, coloniale, post-coloniale), il est indispensable de faire une présentation de la situation juridique des biens publics guinéens en tenant compte des réalités de chaque période de l'histoire du pays, afin de mettre en lumière le caractère particulier de leur traitement juridique.Le droit domanial est une discipline en pleine évolution, mais malheureusement méconnue dans le paysage guinéen, ce qui explique d'ailleurs en partie l'échec constaté dans le processus de gestion et d'utilisation des biens publics par les décideurs politiques et administratifs. Ce travail mené dans une approche interdisciplinaire et empirique sur le droit administratif local - qui met en avant les difficultés contemporaines et propose des perspectives pour une gestion domaniale plus saine - ambitionne d'offrir des pistes d'amélioration de la gouvernance en la matière. This thesis aims to examine the notions of public property and domaniality in Guinean law. As the emergence of the Guinean State results from a long history (pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial), it is crucial to study the legal situation of Guinean public property, considering the realities of each period in this country's history, to highlight the nature of the legal framework developed in this field.Public property law is a rapidly evolving discipline, but unfortunately, it is not well know in Guinea, which explains in part the failure of political and administrative decision-makers in the management and use of public property. This research, adopting an interdisciplinary and empirical approach of the administrative law of Guinean property - which highlights contemporary difficulties and proposes perspectives for a good management of public property - aims to suggest improving ways of governance of public property.

EU’s competence over FDI: European technological sovereignty. Definition, origins, and scope of EU foreign investment law. EU competence over foreign direct investments. European technological sovereignty. Regulation 452/2019–screening mechanisms in national legislation with a focus of the Italian regime. Structure of regulation 452/2019. Implementation in national legislation. The screening regulation as a tool to enforce technological sovereignty. EU technological sovereignty in practice. First and second annual report on the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union. A first appraisal of the problematic interplay between FDIs and technological sovereignty.

Les progrès de l’intelligence artificielle issus de la croissance de la puissance de calcul, des mégadonnées et des nouveaux algorithmes de plus en plus puissants ont permis l'automatisation de certaines activités intellectuelles humaines. Les créateurs sont donc directement concernés, car il est désormais possible d'automatiser le processus d’exécution de création humain. Ainsi, Il convient donc d'effectuer une étude approfondie sur les oeuvres automatisées afin de déterminer si elles sont conformes au droit d'auteur et, si ce n'est pas le cas, si le droit d'auteur doit être adapté pour s’adapter à ce nouveau phénomène. Cette étude soulève plusieurs questions fondamentales, notamment celle de savoir si une œuvre automatisée est licite et comment évaluer son originalité. Elle suscite également une interrogation quant au statut de l'auteur de l'œuvre automatisée. Ces problématiques sont davantage importantes, en raison de l'utilisation croissante des systèmes d'IA en tant qu'outils de création.

Le basculement vers une nouvelle approche de la santé au travail se traduit par un ascendant de l’entreprise et des partenaires sociaux pour améliorer la prise en charge de la santé des travailleurs. La prépondérance de la logique conventionnelle cumulée au besoin d’une dimension multidisciplinaire pour gérer ces problématiques semble indiquer une certaine influence du dialogue social en matière de santé. Le législateur s’est donc progressivement tourné vers le dialogue social et professionnel ainsi que l’acteur syndical pour laisser la possibilité aux parties prenantes d’une entreprise de s’immiscer dans sa gestion. Les entreprises s’intéressent désormais de plus près à la qualité de vie au travail et au bien-être en régissant les problématiques relationnelles, matérielles et organisationnelles de l’activité. Privilégier une approche dialogique et collaborative génère une vision commune des problématiques et permet de tirer profit du partage de l’expérience de chacun. Avec cette promotion d’une gestion participative il est difficile d’échapper à la question de la responsabilité. A ce jour, les textes sont clairs, l’obligation de prévention reste exclusivement de l’apanage de l’employeur. Néanmoins la jurisprudence a démontré à plusieurs reprises qu’un employeur proactif pouvait s’exonérer de sa responsabilité transformant le résultat attendu de l’obligation de sécurité. A la lumière de l’autopsie de cette obligation, s’ensuivent les prémices d’une responsabilisation accrue du salarié et de son représentant.

La zone CEMAC (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale) dispose d’innombrables ressources minières solides et liquides. Dans cette zone, l’exploitation minière est considérée comme un véritable levier stratégique de développement socio-économique. C’est pour cette raison que la vision 2025 ainsi que le Programme Économique Régional de cette zone communautaire l’ont érigé comme pilier de l’émergence économique et initié, entre autres, la création d’une académie minière, les projets transfrontaliers d’exploitation minière ainsi que l’adoption d’un code minier communautaire. Au-delà des commodités économiques qu’apportent l’exploitation minière aux pays membres de la CEMAC, il sied de souligner que cette activité demeure concurremment une des principales sources de dégradations environnementales dans cette sous-région. En effet, l’exploitation minière se déroule en plusieurs phases. Pendant la phase dite de concassage ou de broyage, des contaminants tels que le cadmium, le plomb, le sélénium et l’arsenic, utilisés pour extraire les minerais, sont rejetés dans l’air. Au contact de celui-ci, ces contaminants subissent des transformations physico-chimiques et finissent par polluer l’air. Lors de la phase dite de lessivage, certains de ces constituants toxiques composés généralement d’azote, de cyanure, d’ammoniac, de nitrate ou de nitrite sont, quant à eux, déversés dans des eaux domestiques utilisées par les communautés locales. Ces substances chimiques ne se dissolvent pas dans ces eaux. Au contraire, elles y restent pendant plusieurs années et finissent par devenir des foyers de pollution des eaux domestiques. Aujourd’hui, ces répercussions environnementales, qui constituent indéniablement une violation du droit à un environnement sain (DES), menacent non seulement la santé mais également la survie de plusieurs communautés locales vivant dans les pays de la zone CEMAC. Compte tenu des préjudices qu’elles subissent, ces dernières sont légitimement en droit de demander réparation. Selon certaines recherches dont celles effectuées par le Centre de ressources sur les entreprises et les droits de l’homme, malgré la multiplication des atteintes du DES du fait de l’exploitation minière et les dénonciations de la société civile dans cette sous-région d’Afrique, les principales victimes, en l’occurrence les communautés locales, n’entreprennent que rarement voire quasiment jamais une action en réparation devant les juridictions compétentes. C’est fort de ce constat qu’à travers une analyse positiviste de certains éléments règlementaires et socio-contextuels, cette thèse s’est proposée dans un premier temps d’identifier les principaux obstacles à l’origine de cette quasi-absence d’actions en réparation des communautés locales. Dans un second temps, elle s’est astreinte à proposer deux grandes pistes de réforme en la matière. Un double objectif sous-tend cette proposition. Elle vise d’abord à ménager le mécanisme d’action en réparation en la matière afin de faciliter voire encourager les communautés locales victimes des violations de leur droit à un environnement sain par l’exploitation minière à saisir les juridictions compétentes. Ensuite, elle vise également à garantir une obtention effective de l’indemnisation des préjudices qu’elles subissent du fait de l’activité minière. The CEMAC zone (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa) has countless solid and liquid mining resources. In this zone, mining is considered a real strategic lever for socio-economic development. This is why the 2025 vision and the Regional Economic Program of this community zone have established it as a pillar of economic emergence and initiated, among other things, the creation of a mining academy, cross-border mining projects and the adoption of a community mining code. In addition to the economic benefits that mining brings to CEMAC member countries, it should be noted that this activity remains one of the main sources of environmental degradation in this sub-region. Indeed, mining takes place in several phases. During the crushing or grinding phase, contaminants such as cadmium, lead, selenium and arsenic, used to extract the ores, are released into the air. In contact with the air, these contaminants undergo physical and chemical transformations and end up polluting the air. During the leaching phase, some of these toxic constituents, generally composed of nitrogen, cyanide, ammonia, nitrate or nitrite, are discharged into domestic water used by local communities. These chemicals do not dissolve in these waters. On the contrary, they remain there for several years and end up becoming sources of domestic water pollution. Today, these environmental repercussions, which undeniably constitute a violation of the right to a healthy environment (DES), threaten not only the health but also the survival of several local communities living in the countries of the CEMAC zone. Given the damage they suffer, these communities are legitimately entitled to claim compensation. According to some research, including that carried out by the Resource Center on Business and Human Rights, despite the multiplication of DES violations due to mining and the denunciations of civil society in this sub-region of Africa, the main victims, in this case the local communities, rarely, if ever, take action for compensation before the competent jurisdictions. It is with this in mind that, through a positivist, comparative and interpretative analysis of certain well-known regulatory and socio-contextual elements, this thesis first proposes to identify the main obstacles at the origin of this near absence of reparation actions by local communities. Secondly, it has attempted to propose two major avenues of reform in this area. The aspiration of this singular proposal is twofold. Firstly, it aims to spare the mechanism of reparation action in this matter in order to facilitate and even encourage local communities who are victims of violations of their right to a healthy environment by mining operations to bring their case before the competent jurisdictions. Secondly, it also aims to guarantee that the damages suffered by these communities as a result of the mining activity are effectively compensated.

Groups of companies are a complex corporate structure, whose regulation can be problematic, especially when it comes to liability. Indeed, liability within corporate groups draws forth a series of issues principally due to the principles of separate corporate personality and limited liability. In the context of limited liability, which is based on the notion of separate legal personality, the main issue waxes the protection of the creditors, in particular the creditors of the subsidiaries. One can find three regulatory templates for handling corporate groups and their liability: policing via general company and/or civil law (such as the English model); policing via special group legislation (such as the German model); and policing via branches of law such as insolvency law, antitrust law, and contract law, among others (which is the case in numerous jurisdictions, either coupled with the first or the second model). Lifting the corporate veil has come as an answer to corporate separateness, by permitting to ignore the shareholders’ limited liability and hold them personally liable for the debts of their companies in specific circumstances. However, one can hardly find cases in which the corporate veil has been successfully lifted, due to many factors. Other important questions that are posed in the scope of corporate groups liability are the parent company’s liability for the payment of its daughter companies’ debts when insolvency strikes and other respects, besides the matter of group liability. Furthermore, liability is as well a key player in terms of tort law, and corporate social responsibility has therefore found a place in the sun in the present climate.

L’instrumentalisation des procédures collectives par les groupes de sociétés se manifeste au travers de deux affaires emblématiques : Cœur Défense et Sodimédical. Dès lors, l’instrumentalisation semble recouvrir les situations dans lesquelles l’effort collectif mis en place au sein de la procédure pour traiter les difficultés du débiteur n’apparaît pas légitime. La question de savoir à quel titre ces situations sont perçues comme illégitimes conduit à reconstituer le système formé par le droit des entreprises en difficulté afin de déterminer ce qui fait sa légitimité. Sa cohérence, son ordre tiennent à sa finalité essentielle : le traitement d’une entreprise en difficulté. Or, les conditions d’ouverture de procédures collectives n’étant pas appréciées à l’aune de cette finalité, une procédure collective peut être ouverte à l'égard d'un débiteur qui n’est pas une entreprise. Dans ces circonstances, la légitimité de l’application du droit des entreprises en difficulté est mise en cause. Ce droit est instrumentalisé dès lors qu’il bénéficie à un débiteur qui n’est pas une entreprise, ce qui trouve à se réaliser particulièrement au sein des groupes de sociétés où le principe de l’autonomie de la personne morale ne permet pas de se saisir de l’entreprise. La problématique révélée par l’instrumentalisation des procédures collectives par les groupes de sociétés démontre une crise de légitimité de l’application du droit des entreprises en difficulté.

Le procès pénal n’est pas qu’un assemblage de règles techniques. Il est irrigué par les garanties du droit à un procès équitable qui implique un équilibre des droits des parties au procès. Dans la mesure où ces garanties ont été développées avant tout au bénéfice de la personne poursuivie qu’il fallait protéger face à un ministère public représentant la société et disposant de prérogatives considérables, l’équilibre procédural était surtout recherché entre ces deux parties principales au procès pénal. Cependant, avec l’action civile exercée devant les juridictions répressives, de plus en plus de parties défendant des intérêts variés, individuels et collectifs participent à la procédure pénale. La présence de ces parties civiles au cours du procès pénal, pour ancrée qu’elle soit dans le système juridique français, est une source de transformations de la physionomie du procès. En effet, compte tenu de leur diversité et de l’accroissement de leurs prérogatives ces dernières décennies, la configuration du procès pénal change : de bipartite il tend à devenir véritablement tripartite ce qui influe sur l’équilibre recherché entre les parties. Il devient donc nécessaire de déterminer et d’apporter des réponses à l’impact de l’action civile française sur l’économie générale du procès pénal au regard des garanties du droit à un procès équitable. Partant, un constat s’impose : la fragilisation du droit à un procès pénal équitable en présence d’une ou plusieurs parties civiles. Il apparaît ainsi que l’économie générale du procès pénal ne peut pas être envisagée à travers le prisme de rapports symétriques entre la ou les parties civiles, le ministère public et la défense. Les caractéristiques propres à chaque catégorie de parties civiles doivent être prises en compte pour adapter les règles du droit à un procès pénal équitable. The criminal trial is not just a collection of technical rules. It is guaranteed by the right to a fair trial which implies a balance in the right of each parties during the trial. So far, those guarantees have been developed for the benefit of the defendant who had to be protected against a public prosecutor representing society and having considerable prerogatives, the procedural balance was above all sought between these two main parties in the trial. However, with the civil action brought before the criminal courts, more and more parties defending various interests, individual and collective, participate in the criminal procedure. Although the presence of these civil parties during the criminal trial is rooted in the French legal system, it is a source of change for the structure of the trial. Indeed, given their diversity and the increase in their prerogatives in recent decades, the configuration of the criminal trial is changing: from bipartite it tends to become truly tripartite, which influences the balance sought between the parties. It therefore becomes necessary to determine and provide responses to the impact of French civil action on the general economy of the criminal trial with regard to the guarantees of the right to a fair trial. Therefore, one thing is clear: the weakening of the right to a fair criminal trial in the presence of one or more civil parties. It thus appears that the general economy of the criminal trial cannot be considered through the prism of symmetrical relationships between the civil party or parties, the public prosecutor and the defence. The specific characteristics of each category of civil parties must be taken into account to adapt the rules of law to a fair criminal trial.

Un juge en droit de la concurrence est un juge qui est chargé de veiller à ce que les lois sur la concurrence soient respectées. La difficulté est que cette définition peut s’appliquer autant à un juge qu’à une autorité. En effet, le choix de ne pas adapter l’appareil juridictionnel pour une juridiction spécialisée s’est traduit par la création d’une Autorité de la concurrence aux pouvoirs proche d’une juridiction. S’expliquant par une forte prégnance du fait économique dans l’analyse des pratiques anticoncurrentielles, à l’avantage notamment de l’Autorité de la concurrence, le rôle du juge a pourtant évolué au fil des ans. Finalement, est apparu un clivage entre une action publique qui vise à prévenir, à dissuader et à sanctionner les comportements anticoncurrentiels et une action privée qui favorise la réparation d’un préjudice causé aux victimes de pratiques anticoncurrentielles. Il en résulte un rôle différencié dans l’application du droit de la concurrence qui renouvelle la réflexion sur la définition d’un juge du droit de la concurrence

A avaliação para fins de apuração de haveres do sócio, decorrente de dissolução parcial de sociedades limitadas, deve apreciar ativos intangíveis da sociedade para aferir o seu valor patrimonial e da quota parte do sócio retirante, por força do art. 1.031 do Código Civil e do art. 606 do Código de Processo Civil. Essencialmente, o valor dos ativos intangíveis reside na sua expectativa de rentabilidade futura, que pode ser adequadamente avaliada por método econômico, sob a técnica do fluxo de caixa descontado. A doutrina e a jurisprudência são divididas em relação a admissão da avaliação de ativos intangíveis, via de regra analisada no âmbito da avaliação da sociedade, sob critério de continuidade e perenidade. A tese defende que os ativos intangíveis avaliados com base em expectativas de rentabilidade futura devem ser admitidos no escopo da avaliação para fins de apuração de haveres, desde que sob os estritos termos da avaliação conforme determinada pelo direito. O critério de avaliação aplicável é o da dissolução total ficta; o escopo da avaliação abarca todos os ativos sob controle da sociedade, escriturados pela contabilidade ou não, bem como os passivos; tais ativos e passivos são individualmente considerados e avaliados a preço de saída, de modo que o avaliador deve fazê- lo pelo método que retrate da forma mais adequada o preço de mercado do recurso sob avaliação. Deste modo, a tese propõe: a interpretação dos artigos 1.031 do Código Civil e 606 do Código de Processo Civil baseada na técnica dos termos e expressões empregados, bem como na análise do desenvolvimento do tema na legislação brasileira; critérios de reconhecimento dos ativos intangíveis para fins de avaliação; e interpretação pela adequação da avaliação econômica do preço de saída em relação a finalidade almejada pelo regime jurídico atual. The valuation for the purpose of calculating the partner\'s assets, resulting from the partial dissolution of limited liability companies, must assess the company\'s intangible assets to assess their equity value and the share of the withdrawing partner, pursuant to art. 1.031 of the Civil Code and art. 606 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Essentially, the value of intangible assets resides in their expected future profitability, which can be adequately evaluated by the economic method, under the discounted cash flow technique. The doctrine and jurisprudence are divided in relation to the admission of the evaluation of intangible assets, as a rule analyzed in the context of the evaluation of the company, under the criterion of continuity and perpetuity. This thesis argues that intangible assets evaluated based on expectations of future profitability should be admitted in the scope of the evaluation for the purpose of calculating assets, provided that under the strict terms of the evaluation as determined by law. The applicable evaluation criterion is the fictitious total dissolution; the scope of the assessment covers all assets under the company\'s control, whether or not recorded in accounting, as well as liabilities; such assets and liabilities are individually considered and valued at the exit price, so the valuer must do so using the method that most adequately portrays the market price of the asset under valuation. Thus, the thesis proposes: the interpretation of articles 1031 of the Civil Code and 606 of the Code of Civil Procedure based on the technique of terms and expressions used, as well as on the analysis of the development of the theme in Brazilian legislation; criteria for recognizing intangible assets for valuation purposes; and interpretation for the adequacy of the economic assessment of the exit price in relation to the purpose sought by the current legal regime.

Tese de doutorado de Direito Comercial desenvolvida em forma de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, com a utilização preponderante do método analítico e, em alguns momentos, do dialético, que objetiva investigar a recuperação judicial dos concessionários. A pesquisa almeja elaborar uma teoria que mapeie e segregue os vários interesses públicos e privados que orbitam em torno do contrato de concessão, visando encontrar um ponto de equilíbrio na relação existente entre o Concessionário e o Poder Concedente, assim como dos princípios da preservação da empresa e do interesse público no curso de uma recuperação judicial. Para tanto, o trabalho será dividido em três etapas: (i) a primeira parte dedicada à apresentação da estrutura funcional da recuperação, bem como às particularidades deste procedimento de reestruturação; (ii) a segunda parte dedicada ao estudo das concessões, apresentando as particularidades aplicáveis a esta figura jurídica, seus diferentes tipos e seus aspectos comuns; e, finalmente, (iii) a terceira parte cuja exposição é centrada no desenvolvimento da teoria investigando as particularidades da recuperação judicial dos concessionários. As principais questões a serem dirimidas neste trabalho são: (a) qual seria o tratamento dispensado à concessão na recuperação judicial; (b) teria o devedor em recuperação judicial o direito de ser e de se manter concessionário; (c) seriam sujeitos à recuperação os créditos derivados das multas administrativas ou as obrigações do contrato de concessão; (d) quais os efeitos do despacho de processamento sobre as prerrogativas do Poder Concedente e teria o juízo da recuperação judicial poderes de limitar tais prerrogativas; (e) como o Poder Concedente seria convocado para a recuperação judicial e qual seria a consequência desta convocação; (f) seria possível prever a venda da concessão como meio de recuperação, inclusive em forma de unidade produtiva isolada, e qual seria a consequência desta alienação; (g) teria ou não o Poder Concedente o dever de se manifestar de maneira fundamentada na recuperação judicial, considerando as regras do procedimento aplicáveis para outros credores e o seu regime próprio; e (h) considerando a fase de controle de legalidade, seria legal a previsão de tratamento mais favorecido para o Poder Concedente pelo devedor considerando a importância estratégica da concessão; e qual seria a extensão dos poderes do juízo da recuperação judicial para controlar manifestações e decisões do Poder Concedente no curso da recuperação judicial. Corporate law doctoral thesis developed in the form of bibliographic and documental research, with a preponderant usage of the analytical method and, in specific chapters, the dialectical method, focused on the investigation of the bankruptcy of public utilities\' grantees. The research aims to elaborate a theory that captures and segregates the multiple public and private interests that orbit over the public utility contract, looking for a middle ground in the relation between the public utility\'s grantor and the public utility\'s grantee, as well as the concerns over public interest and going concern preservation amidst a bankruptcy reorganization proceeding. In order to achieve such goals, the research was structured in three different parts: (i) the first one dedicated to the presentation of the functional structure of bankruptcy reorganization and the exposition of its specificities; (ii) the second part focused on the study of public utilities, taking into account all their particularities, different kinds available, and looking to identify their common aspects; (iii) the third part centered on the construction of a theory investigating the special aspects applicable to the bankruptcy reorganization of public utilities\' grantees. The major topics addressed in this work were: (a) how should the public utility contract be treated in a bankruptcy reorganization; (b) should a Debtor-in-Possession have the right to become a public utility\'s grantee or maintain such status after filing for bankruptcy reorganization; (c) should credits owed by the Public Utility\'s Grantor comprised in administrative fines or derived from the public utility\'s agreement be subject to bankruptcy reorganization effects; (d) which effects does the bankruptcy\'s automatic stay produce over Public Utility\'s Grantor entitlements and could the bankruptcy court impose some limitation to its usage; (e) how is Public Utility\'s Grantor summoned to bankruptcy court and what consequences could this summoning produce; (f) could a bankruptcy restructuring plan set a provision selling the public utility as a recovery strategy, even as a fire sale, and what consequences such sale could produce; (g) should or not Public Utility\'s Grantor manifest its positions reasonably and thoroughly while on a bankruptcy reorganization, taking into account restructuring procedural requirements imposed to all creditors and special legal regime applicable to Public Utility\'s Grantor; and (h) during procedural phase dedicated to checking legality and adequacy of all workouts prior to granting of reorganization, should bankruptcy court accept provision set on restructuring plan providing more favorable treatment to Public Utility\'s Grantor in relation to all other creditors, taking into account its approvalstrategic importance for debtor\'s duly restructuring; and what is extend of power of bankruptcy court as to challenge or control reasoning and decisions brought on by Public Utility\'s Grantor during reorganization.

Le démembrement est traditionnellement défini comme un acte juridique entrainant le partage des attributs du droit de propriété sur un bien. L'usufruitier aura le droit d'user du bien (usus) et d'en percevoir les fruits (fructus). Sa seule limite est de ne pas porter atteinte à la substance du bien puisqu'il devra le restituer au nu-propriétaire à la fin du démembrement, celui-ci en deviendra alors pleinement propriétaire. Pendant la durée de l'usufruit, le nu-propriétaire ne détiendra que l'abusus qui est le droit de disposer de la chose. Mais il ne pourra pas exercer ce droit sans l'accord de l'usufruitier, en effet, le nu-propriétaire ne doit pas porter atteinte au droit de jouissance de l'usufruitier.Il existe des biens dépourvus d'usus ou dont l'usus et l'abusus se confondent. Il s'agit des choses consomptibles pour lesquels l'usufruit prendra la forme d'un quasi-usufruit. L'usufruitier n'aura plus pour obligation de restituer le bien démembré mais un bien de même quantité et qualité ou sa valeur estimée à la date de la restitution.Les droits sociaux n'étant pas des choses consomptibles, il existerait un usus des droits sociaux. La présente étude aura pour objectif de démontrer que les droits sociaux sont nécessairement dotés d'un usus puisqu'ils constituent des biens meubles fongibles mais non consomptibles et que le lien unissant l'associé à ses droits sociaux est un rapport de droit réel. La présente étude aura ensuite pour ambition de repenser le partage des prérogatives politiques dans le cadre d'un démembrement de droits sociaux, en distinguant celles qui relèvent de l'usus et celles qui relèvent de l'abusus. Ce nouveau partage sera l'occasion de s'interroger sur la qualité d'associé en cas de démembrement de droits sociaux et de proposer une solution à mi-chemin entre la théorie moniste et dualiste de la qualité d'associé : le nu-propriétaire et l'usufruitier partagent la qualité d'associé. Une telle approche nécessitera d'avoir un regard critique sur la position récemment adoptée par la jurisprudence qui refuse la qualité d'associé à l'usufruitier.

Competition law and intellectual property law share the objective of incentivising innovation. However, this objective is achieved in different ways, which, at times, can create tension between the two areas of law. It is imperative that this tension at the interface of competition law and intellectual property law is resolved in a manner that encourages innovation. Issues regarding the licensing of intellectual property, Standard Essential Patents, pay-for-delay agreements and no-challenge clauses are instances where the tension between competition law and intellectual property law is especially prevalent. These instances will be discussed in detail, and what is learnt from how the European Union and Australia handles it, will be applied to South Africa. The European Union, Australia and South Africa have different ways of dealing with situations where the exercise of intellectual property rights has an effect on competition. The European Union has block exemptions, which contains “safe havens” for conduct in specific circumstances. The block exemptions are often accompanied by guidelines, providing firms and individuals with greater detail in order to self-assess their compliance with the exemption. Australia has authorisation, notification and class exemption procedures. Firms can apply to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to authorise conduct that might potentially breach the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Exemptions may also be granted more broadly by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in terms of the class exemption procedures. In South Africa, the law concerning the interface between competition law and intellectual property is still in its infancy, and a lot can be learned from jurisdictions like the European Union and Australia regarding the most efficient way to handle this tension. Currently, the Competition Act 89 of 1998 in South Africa contains Section 10(4), the intellectual property exemption clause. A firm can apply to the Competition Commission for an intellectual property exemption from the application of Chapter 2 of the Competition Act “to an agreement or practice, or a category of agreements or practices” which pertains to the exercise of intellectual property rights. However, it is submitted that Section 10(4), by itself, is not the most efficient mechanism to resolve the tension that arises at the interface of competition law and intellectual property law in a way that incentivises innovation. It is proposed that the exemption provision can be made more effective if it is properly applied in conjunction with class exemptions and guidelines.

This study investigates the impact and importance of the legal regulation of trade union recognition and associated challenges in South Africa. It evaluates the current regulation of trade union recognition, including legislation and judicial attitudes apparent from the interpretation, application, and enforcement of such legislation, to ascertain its continued appropriateness in the current South African industrial relations environment. The study considers the policy choices of both voluntarism and majoritarianism underlying the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (“LRA”) and the “workplace” constituency to which it applies as factors that might be contributing to challenges experienced in the current regulation of collective bargaining in South Africa. It evaluates the current model of trade union recognition and representativeness as it applies to the acquisition by trade unions of organisational rights, collective bargaining rights and trade union recognition for purposes of retrenchment consultation. It recognises that the specific model chosen to regulate the representative status of trade unions has a significant effect on the ability of trade unions to organise and conclude collective agreements and, as such, on the distributive effects of such agreements in the labour market and broader society. The study commences with an historical overview of the regulation of trade union recognition under the 1956 LRA and thereafter considers the 1995 LRA as a product of criticism against the 1956 LRA. Specific issues considered, largely based on the analysis of the relevant decisions by the Constitutional Court, include the following: the impact of Constitutional Court jurisprudence relating to trade union recognition on the process of collective bargaining and on the legal regulation of the right to strike; the role of representativeness and its link with the workplace as the constituency for recognition and acquisition of organisational rights; the often winner-takes-all effect of the current model on collective bargaining as a major cause of labour unrest; the reactive role the legislature has played over the past, almost three decades to address challenges; the extent to which intervention should take place to safeguard the institution of collective bargaining from being undermined as well as the regulation of collective agreements as the product of collective bargaining and as the primary source of terms and conditions of employment. The comparative review of Canadian law focuses on a number of issues selected specifically for their potential to provide insights into how the weaknesses in South African regulation may be remedied. This includes insights into the accommodation of special or significant minority interests and how to address recognition in the context of multi-location employers. The thesis concludes with remarks on the insights gained from the Canadian model and the 1956 LRA. Where appropriate, suggestions are made on the way forward for South Africa as to the appropriate regulation of trade union recognition and representativeness.

For several decades, environmentalists have raised the alarm regarding the impending environmental catastrophe that results from the Anthropocene. Much attention has been given to the role that States play in contributing to ecological damage being wrought upon the Earth. However, we have only looked at the environmental destruction perpetrated by multinational companies (“MNCs”) in the past decade. Natural disasters like the Deepwater Horizon explosion have placed MNCs' dangerous impact on the environment in sharp relief. At the same time, revelations in the Carbon Majors Report and global litigation quantify the damage MNCs cause to the environment. Multinational companies (“MNCs), as a result of globalisation and trade liberalisation, are powerful entities within the global economy. Despite their size, MNCs remain primarily unregulated in international human rights law. Debates regarding who bears the duty for human rights intersect with a battle of political will between the Global North and Global South for developing binding human rights duties for MNCs. As a result, they can commit environmental harm, especially in the Global South, with relative impunity due to a lack of effective liability mechanisms. The doctrine of separate legal personality creates specific issues for holding MNCs liable for environmental harms in the Global South. Domestic courts in home States struggle to exercise jurisdiction over the environmental harms MNCs commit. In contrast, systemic barriers in host States create situations where victims are unable to seek redress within their State. To address these concerns, this thesis proposes a global liability regime founded on the principle of integrated regulation. This regime will utilise regulation at the institutional, national and international levels to enforce the environmental obligations of MNCs, rooted in the right to a healthy environment. This gives rise to multiple intersection human rights obligations which will regulate the behaviour of MNCs. This thesis recognises that such a framework requires a drastic reform in how the law and companies are conceptualised. However, such a reform would have wide-reaching implications for vindicating human rights violations.

This thesis investigates the relationship between cross-country mandatory environmental, social and governance (ESG) regulations and firm-level outcomes, such as ESG performance, corporate finance, and investment, for both developing and developed countries. ESG performance is initially examined to determine whether mandatory ESG regulations affect it and to what extent. Second, the study investigates the impact of mandatory ESG on corporate finance and investment. Lastly, the study explores whether mandatory ESG regulations affect firm-level outcomes based on countries' governance and economic systems, and industries. The study uses a large sample of 69,010 firm-years across 73 countries, over the period 2005 – 2020 to address the foregoing issues. In addressing the impact of mandatory ESG regulations on ESG performance, the study employs a difference-in-differences (DiD) design. The DiD technique can isolate the effect of regulatory shocks to firm-level outcomes. According to the DiD analysis conducted, cross-country mandatory ESG improves firm-level ESG performance in developed countries, but not in developing countries. The study also concludes that mandatory ESG regulations have a positive impact only on ESG components in developed countries and have a more dominant impact on environmental (E) component. The findings are robust to a range of checks and test cases, including a triple DiD design set-up and propensity score-matched sample. The study employs an investment Euler equation framework and generalised method of moments (GMM) estimators to explore how mandatory ESG impacts corporate finance and investment. Euler frameworks account for the dynamic nature of investment, whereas GMMs account for endogenous dynamics in dynamic models. The study demonstrates that mandatory ESG increases corporate investment by increasing firms' access to external funds. The findings are robust to a battery of tests, including a triple DiD design set-up, propensity score-matched sample and the parallel trends assumption. Using an investment Euler equation framework and the GMM estimators, the study explores whether the impact of mandatory ESG on corporate finance and investment is dependent on a country's governance and economic system. When mandatory ESG is affected by country factors such as governance systems and economic well-being, the effect of mandatory ESG on investment via internal finance channel persists, according to the study. However, while consistent results are found in developed countries, inconsistent results are found in developing countries. According to the study, oil, gas, and mining firms are likely to respond effectively to mandatory ESG regulations because of increased scrutiny and pressure. Overall, the findings from the study imply that cross-country mandatory ESG has had a positive impact on corporate ESG performance, finance, and investment. For firms located in developed countries, these findings hold consistently, while for those located in developing countries, the opposite holds true. Also, the study reveals that firms in the oil, gas, and mining industries effectively respond to regulatory requirements. As a result, this study provides policy makers and accountants with an understanding of how mandatory ESG impacts firm ESG activities and performance, which is crucial for regulatory reforms.

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have recently gained prominence in global markets and feature among the world’s most influential enterprises. The aim of this research project is to analyse the international norms in force regulating whether SOEs are considered state or non- state actors, and their conduct state or non-state conduct, the interpretation and application of these norms by adjudicators in different international regimes, and to provide alternative prisms through which these rules and decisions can be assessed and re-thought by political actors. I show that, in relation to SOEs, the concepts ‘state and ‘act of state’ have been ascribed diverse meanings by adjudicators and other international actors, who have employed legal standards with divergent wording and thresholds when dealing with similar questions. I argue that the fragmented meaning of these terms should be understood, in part, as a result of the inherent malleability of these terms and the different expert vocabularies employed across regimes. It is exhibited that adjudicators in the international trade and investment regimes are more inclined towards piercing the corporate veil of SOEs, potentially evidencing the existence of biases against SOEs, which are perceived as inherently economically inefficient and politically motivated actors in an indiscriminatory manner. In the last chapter, I introduce alternative lines of thought regarding the regulation of SOEs in international law. I suggest that, instead of engaging in theoretical discussions on the proper delineation between the public and the private sector, it is more useful to focus on the distributional impact of international rules on various actors, especially on developing and emerging economies where the presence of SOEs is very high. Such alternative prisms of analysis open paths for future research and practice, with the goal of designing an international economic order that incentivises institutional experimentation in the pursuit of economic development and distributional equity.