Lexters, in consortium with the Belgian law firm Strelia, is proud to announce its role as legal counsel for the Romanian State, through the Ministry of Finance, in a landmark legal dispute against the pharmaceutical consortium Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.
The litigation, currently pending before the Francophone Court of First Instance in Brussels, involves a claim for approximately €615 million. The dispute originates from the centralized EU COVID-19 vaccine procurement framework and concerns Romania’s decision to contest the delivery and payment of approximately 28 million surplus vaccine doses.
This mandate represents one of the most significant public-sector litigations in Central and Eastern Europe, involving complex intersections of:
- EU Procurement: Interpreting the multi-state vaccine purchase agreements negotiated by the European Commission.
- International Contract Law: Addressing cross-border obligations undertook in unprecedented global pandemic conditions.
- Intellectual Property: Analyzing the complex IP rights associated with mRNA production technology and how these proprietary frameworks impact the contractual delivery and production obligations.
Following the first procedural hearing in Brussels, a comprehensive calendar has been established, involving six phases of written submissions. The Lexters-Strelia team is leading the strategic defense, focusing on the validity of the contractual mechanisms and the specificities of the Romanian context within the broader EU framework.
Given the high financial stakes and legal complexity (high-stakes, cross-border, EU involvement in formation of the contract), a first verdict could be reached in a few months, though the exact timing depends on the court’s workload. As this is the first instance, the judge may still request more evidence or reopen debates on specific legal points if necessary.
By handling this landmark case, Lexters continues to demonstrate its capability to act as a legal powerhouse for sovereign clients and multinational corporations alike, providing clarity and confidence in high-stakes cross-border litigation.
Media coverage of the case
In Romania:
In international press:
