White & Case has confirmed that Partners Michael Smrek and Damian Beaven, along with Local Partner Ales Zidek, are leaving the firm’s Prague office to join R2G, which White & Case describes as "a family office established by Oldrich Slemr, a former shareholder of Ceska Gumarenska group, a major global industrial tire manufacturing business.”
According to Czech Managing Partner David Plch, “all three lawyers have been valued members of the firm and we fully understand their decision to pursue this exciting opportunity. We wish them every success and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future – but as clients rather than colleagues.”
In an official statement released by White & Case, Smrek commented: "White & Case has the unique advantage for CEE players with regional and global ambitions of combining a top tier M&A team in Prague with a strong presence in both London and New York. In my new role I fully expect to instruct my former colleagues at White & Case on a regular basis, because it’s the firm in the Czech and wider CEE market that’s best suited to advising on large, complex, cross-border M&A and other deals and matters."
