Employers Associations

Examples of Representative Work & Clients

• Exclusive counsel to UGIR-1903 for five years, handling operations, advocacy, and negotiations in Social Dialogue Committees (SDCs) on justice independence, insolvency laws, Labor Code, and EU transpositions; Ioan Mararu served as VP Legal Affairs. Some of the laws we helped drafting and/or negotiating in SDCs on behalf of the industry confederations, federations and associations we represented:
• • the Law 359/2004 regarding the simplification of the Trade Register procedures for company registration
  • the Insolvency Law 85/2006
  • the Law 317/2004 regarding the Superior Council of Magistrates
  • the Law 304/2004 regarding the organization of the justice system of Romania
  • the amendments to the Fiscal Code (2004)
  • the amendments to the Labor Code enforced by the Emergency Ordinance 65/2005 and by the Law 371/2005
  • the Emergency Ordinance 47/2006 amending and completing the Law 293/2004 regarding the Public Clerks Statute
  • the Project of the Law 441/2006 for the amendment of the Law 31/1990 on trading companies and other incident legal regulations
• Successfully represented 37 employers' confederations (including all five CES members) against a rival emerging alliance on representativeness grounds, safeguarding industry interests.
• Won annulment of Government Decision No. 519/2004 in the contentious administrative and the appeal court of Bucharest for the PATROSEC security industry association (80% market share), saving €10+ million in costs.
• Assisted international NGOs like Bloomfield College and the Al Thani Foundation, custodian of world’s largest private art collection, on Romanian operations, including IPRs, cultural asset management and compliance.

We have proudly served leading organizations, including UGIR-1903, the oldest and largest employers' confederation in Romania, representing 80% of the workforce across industries, as their exclusive counsel for five years. Affiliates assisted include

• The National Union of SME (CNIPMMR)
• The National Association of Chemical and Petrochemical Industries (FEPACHIM)
• The National Federation of Transports Industry (FNPTRR)
• The National Federation of Industries for Environment (FEPIMEDIU)
• The SME Federation (FEPIMM), The National Association of Accreditors (RENAR)
• The National Association of SME (UNIMM)
• The Alcohol & Tobacco National Association (GARANT)
• The Cadaster, Geodesy and Cartography Business Association (APCGC)
• The National Medical Devices Business Association (IGEEA)
• The Business Opportunities for Women Association (BOW)
• The Book-Publishing Houses and Editors Association (ADEPC)
• The Romanian Literature-Publishing Houses and Editors Association (APLER)
• The Pedagogical Publishing Houses Association (AEPP)
• The National Oil Industry Association (PPR)
• The National Gas Industry Association (PRG)
• The Publishing Houses Association of Romania (SER)
• The Bucharest Mass Media Broadcasters & Publishers Association (ADPR)
• The National Electronics Industry Association (ELECTROROM)
• The National Jewellers Business Association (ABR)
• The Medical-Pharmaceutical, Employers Association (OPMFU)
• The HIPOCRAT Health Industry Employers Association (PSH)
• Environmental Technologies Producers Association (UNIMED)
• The Film and Audiovisual Producers Association (UPFAR)
• The Cosmetics Industry Association (OPIC), The National Wine and Wineries Industries Association (PNVV)
• The Security Industry Association (PATROSEC)
• The Armed Forces Suppliers Association (ACFFAROM)

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Comprehensive Legal Support and Strategic Assistance

Our firm offers a full spectrum of legal and strategic services, and actionable support tailored to the unique needs of industry associations, employers' associations, NGOs, and enterprises in Romania. Services include:

• Formation and Governance: Advising on entity setup under Romanian Law No. 367/2022 on social dialogue, including bylaws, registration with authorities, and compliance with EU standards for non-profits and associations. For emerging sectors like space, we facilitate innovative branch associations, integrating synergies with aviation (e.g., drone regulations) and defense (e.g., PATROMIL affiliations).
• Operations and Compliance: Drafting internal policies, ensuring adherence to Labor Code amendments on remote work and digital tools, and conducting audits for GDPR, anti-discrimination, and health/safety regulations. In tech and telecom, we address AI-driven labor issues like algorithmic bias in hiring; for energy, we handle green transition compliance, including renewable energy workforce training under EU Green Deal.
• Policy Drafting, Advocacy and Negotiation: Crafting and advocating policies, frameworks, and legislation with social partners, including unions and government ministries. We negotiate collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) at national/sectoral levels, transposing EU directives (e.g., work-life balance). Cross-overs include advocating for space industry incentives, linking with defense for dual-use tech labor policies, and arts/media for cultural asset protections under Romanian Copyright Law and the Law 35/1994 on the stamp on literary, cinematography, theatral, musical, folklor, visual arts, architecture and entertainment productions.
• Governance and Compliance Advisory: Ensuring adherence to Romanian social dialogue and NGO laws, EU directives (e.g., GDPR, NIS2 for digital advocacy), and sustainability mandates, with audits for financial reporting, anti-corruption, ESG integration in association operations, and applications for industry branch recognition or acquiring the status of representativeness or public utility recognition.
• Membership and Operational Support: Developing innovative member services, from AI-enhanced facilitations to cross-sector alliances, including economic missions, know-how transfers, and state aid schemes for affiliates in high-growth areas like renewables and space tech.
• Economic Missions and International Relations: Supporting foreign economic missions, trade delegations, and cross-border collaborations, leveraging US trends in global supply chains. For NGOs, we facilitate partnerships in cultural assets and insurtech, ensuring compliance with international standards.
• Labor and Employment Support for Businesses: Comprehensive advice on individual/collective employment contracts, terminations, layoffs, and restructurings amid Romania's demographic shifts. We handle remote/hybrid work setups in AI/tech, freelance contracts in digital media, and energy sector transitions to sustainable jobs. Insurance synergies include advising on employee benefits and liability in high-risk industries like aviation.
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Representing in labor courts for strikes, unfair dismissals, and discrimination claims. We specialize in strike litigation, collective disputes, and EU-compliant resolutions. Spillovers: Defending tech firms in AI-related privacy suits, energy companies in environmental labor disputes, and cultural NGOs in IP enforcement.
• Specialized Synergies and Cross-Overs: Deep commitment to Romania's space sector, aiding associations like potential ROSA affiliates with innovative services (e.g., satellite tech labor frameworks). Links to aviation/defense via OPIAR for drone workforce regulations; AI/telecom for skills gap mitigation; arts/media for cultural IP in digital assets; energy/minerals for green job CBAs; insurance for risk management in emerging tech.
• International and Cross-Border Strategies: Facilitating global partnerships, FDI, and EU funding for NGOs, with expertise in cross-sector synergies like insurtech for association risk management or space industry emergence through next-gen services.

Clients & Matters

We have proudly served leading organizations, including UGIR-1903, the oldest and largest employers' confederation in Romania, representing 80% of the workforce across industries, as their exclusive counsel for five years. Affiliates assisted include

• The National Union of SME (CNIPMMR)
• The National Association of Chemical and Petrochemical Industries (FEPACHIM)
• The National Federation of Transports Industry (FNPTRR)
• The National Federation of Industries for Environment (FEPIMEDIU)
• The SME Federation (FEPIMM), The National Association of Accreditors (RENAR)
• The National Association of SME (UNIMM)
• The Alcohol & Tobacco National Association (GARANT)
• The Cadaster, Geodesy and Cartography Business Association (APCGC)
• The National Medical Devices Business Association (IGEEA)
• The Business Opportunities for Women Association (BOW)
• The Book-Publishing Houses and Editors Association (ADEPC)
• The Romanian Literature-Publishing Houses and Editors Association (APLER)
• The Pedagogical Publishing Houses Association (AEPP)
• The National Oil Industry Association (PPR)
• The National Gas Industry Association (PRG)
• The Publishing Houses Association of Romania (SER)
• The Bucharest Mass Media Broadcasters & Publishers Association (ADPR)
• The National Electronics Industry Association (ELECTROROM)
• The National Jewellers Business Association (ABR)
• The Medical-Pharmaceutical, Employers Association (OPMFU)
• The HIPOCRAT Health Industry Employers Association (PSH)
• Environmental Technologies Producers Association (UNIMED)
• The Film and Audiovisual Producers Association (UPFAR)
• The Cosmetics Industry Association (OPIC), The National Wine and Wineries Industries Association (PNVV)
• The Security Industry Association (PATROSEC)
• The Armed Forces Suppliers Association (ACFFAROM)

International NGOs: Bloomfield College (US), the Al Thani Collection Foundation (Qatar), the International Tennis Federation (U.K.), and the Hope of Survivors (US).

Our support can naturally cover emerging space associations, aviation groups like OPIAR, defense via PATROMIL, tech/telecom federations amid AI growth, arts/media associations under new cultural worker laws, energy groups for renewables, and insurance bodies navigating EU compliance, on a wrath of legal matters, including but not limited to:

• Formation of space industry associations with defense cross-overs;
• CBAs for AI/tech workers addressing skills shortages;
• IP litigation for digital media cultural assets;
• Energy sector layoffs during green transitions;
• Insurance employment disputes on benefits;
• Strike resolutions in aviation;
• Advocacy for EU transposition in telecom labor;
• NGO governance for international cultural projects.

Service Features

Mararu & Mararu stands out with global expertise, serving clients from 53 countries, blending international best practices with profound local insights into Romanian labor law.

• Our tech-savvy strategies incorporate AI tools for compliance and dispute prediction, aligning with EU and US trends.
• We offer cross-sector synergies, linking aviation/space with defense, tech with energy, and arts with media for holistic solutions.
• Tailor-made approaches ensure customized advice, from startup NGOs to multinational corporations.
• Throughout a longstanding, prior unique experience, we can operate at Romania's highest levels, including the Social and Economic Dialogue Commission, and the Social Dialogue Committees with Ministries of Justice, Labor, and others, influencing policy directly.