Areas of expertise
Industries
Languages
English
Hindi
French
Reshad Forbes has worked at Van Bael & Bellis since 1997. He has almost three decades of experience advising international clients on a wide range of high-profile issues.
These include compliance issues in EU Member States with chemicals legislation, product safety and environmental laws. Reshad leads VBB’s product safety and EU environmental practice, fields which he has been working in since 1997.
Reshad frequently conducts trainings, both inhouse – to the firm’s lawyers, on developments in EU law – as well as externally at clients’ premises.
He works across a broad range of sectors, with particular expertise in the chemicals, electronics, toys, packaging, construction products, automotive, textiles, foodstuffs, and fast-moving consumer products sectors.
Representative matters
- Issuing expert advice to more than thirty different clients regarding compliance with the REACH and the CLP (classification, labelling and packaging) regulations with regard to registration, restrictions, hazardous substances and mixtures, communications in the supply chain, safety data sheets, and the identification of applicable REACH requirements and data gaps, among many other issues, as well as assisting clients, including the European Chemicals Agency, with disputes.
- Advising Japanese companies in the electronics industry on the restriction of substances in electrical and electronic equipment (the RoHS Directive), the radio equipment Directive, ecodesign legislation and shipments of waste, including, in the case of RoHS, the reporting of incidents to all Member State competent authorities in cases of supply chain non-compliance.
- Advising one of the world’s largest carton manufacturers on the single use plastics Directive: reviewing the compatibility of this legislation with EU law; providing extensive advice on the scope of the Directive, examining other internal market issues, and analysing exemptions for certain polymeric materials.
- Acting frequently for a major global portable batteries manufacturer on the batteries legislation, including on issues concerning CE marking and other labelling and packaging matters, as well as on contractual issues with OEMs in the supply chain.
- Advising the firm’s automotive clients on developments in legislation concerning CO2 emissions targets, and devising legal strategies to ensure compliance as the legislation is rolled out.
- Providing expert assistance on internal market law (free movement of goods case law and principles of EU law) to manufacturers of materials in the constructions industry, including in relation to potential disputes with competent authorities.
Professional
- Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 1995
- Admitted to the Brussels Bar, 2019
Academic
- Law Society Finals, Guildhall University, London, 1995
- LL.B., London School of Economics (LSE) 1988-1991
- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Xavier’s College, Mumbai, 1985-1988
- Van Bael & Bellis’ monthly newsletter, “The European Monitor”, which analyses the EU’s latest newsworthy events in the Trade, Internal Market and Competition fields.
