In The Spotlight
The role of the Engineer has evolved through different versions of FIDIC Red Books, in particular FIDIC 1987, FIDIC 1999 and FIDIC 2017. Initially the Engineer was expressly determined as impartial (FIDIC 1987). However, the impartiality clause is excluded from FIDIC 1999 and FIDIC 2017 editions. Not only that the impartiality clause is excluded, the GCC of FIDIC 1999 and FIDIC 2017 editions state that the Engineer acts on behalf of the Employer. The only case in which the Engineer does not act in accordance with Employer’s interests is when deciding upon claims raised by the Contractor and the Employer.
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Harrisons has advised the EBRD on a EUR 120 million financial package for Banca Intesa Beograd, comprising a loan component and a portfolio risk participation structure.
Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has advised Omnia Capital on a series of transactions within the Romanian energy market, together with Premier Energy, consisting of simultaneous and reciprocal sales of stakes in multiple project companies where both entities served as joint partners. Bohalteanu si Asociatii advised Premier Energy.
Norton Rose Fulbright, working with Ontier Espana and Tegos, has advised Sun Invest Group on a EUR 32.5 million financing provided by Nord/LB for the acquisition, construction, and operation of a portfolio of 32 photovoltaic projects in Poland. Dentons advised the lenders.
Sayenko Kharenko has advised Kyivstar on its acquisition of Shtorm.
E+H has advised Wien Energie on the acquisition of Ella from WEB Windenergie. Taylor Wessing advised WEB Windenergie.
Addleshaw Goddard has advised Resi4Rent on the acquisition of a plot of land designated for the Resi4Rent Gdansk Stocznia project in Gdansk.
Wardynski & Partners has advised the Polish branch of Posco Eco & Challenge Co as the general contractor on the expansion and upgrading of the thermal waste treatment plant in Warsaw’s Targowek district.
Walless has advised Micar Assets on obtaining a crypto-asset service provider licence under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation from the Bank of Lithuania.
Pejovic Legal, working with Clarence & Partners, has advised Sparkassen International Development Trust on a EUR 2 million investment in Lovcen Banka.
CEE Attorneys Romania has advised Olympian Parks on a EUR 60 million financing for its industrial and logistics portfolio in Romania. CMS reportedly advised the lenders.
DWF has advised the consortium of NDI and Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret in tender proceedings for a section of Poland’s S6 expressway involving the construction of a five-kilometre road tunnel under the Oder River.
Walless has advised Inchcape Insurance Broker on obtaining authorization from the Bank of Lithuania to operate as an insurance brokerage company.
Sebastian Reiter has joined Kinstellar’s Vienna Office as a Partner.
Dentons has announced the appointment of eight Europe Sector Leaders for a three-year term from 2026 to 2028, including Istanbul-based Europe Consumer Products Sector Leader Partner Dogan Eymirlioglu and Warsaw-based Europe Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Sector Leader Partner Karol Laskowski.
Dorda has appointed a new Management Committee consisting of Partner and Head of the Health & Life Science Group Francine Brogyanyi, Partner and Co-Head of Banking and Capital Markets Andreas Zahradnik, and Partner Christian Ritschka.
Ionut Cofaru and Cristian Cealera have founded Cofaru & Cealera.
Krzysztof Kaczor has joined JDP as the firm's new Head of the Corporate and Commercial Disputes team.
Former Apex Litigation Finance Limited Head of Legal Gabriel Olearnik has joined SSW as a Partner.
Ahu Sazci Uzun has rejoined Herguner Bilgen Ucer as a Partner.
BPV Huegel has promoted Roland Juill to Partner.
BNT Attorneys and BSJP BNT have joined forces to form a new law firm called Lynx.
Ekin Sungur has joined Moroglu Arseven as a Partner.
CMS has promoted Cornelia Kreuth, Wolfgang Hellsberg, and Karmen Sinozic to Partner.
Czech Moska Murad, Slovak Credis Law, Hungarian Optima Legal, and Romanian Vlasin & Associates have founded Peers as a CEE law firm.
The role of the Engineer has evolved through different versions of FIDIC Red Books, in particular FIDIC 1987, FIDIC 1999 and FIDIC 2017. Initially the Engineer was expressly determined as impartial (FIDIC 1987). However, the impartiality clause is excluded from FIDIC 1999 and FIDIC 2017 editions. Not only that the impartiality clause is excluded, the GCC of FIDIC 1999 and FIDIC 2017 editions state that the Engineer acts on behalf of the Employer. The only case in which the Engineer does not act in accordance with Employer’s interests is when deciding upon claims raised by the Contractor and the Employer.
Building on our earlier overview of Hungary’s FDI screening regime, this article moves from theory to practice. While the legal framework explains when FDI screening applies, experience shows that the decisive question for investors is how FDI considerations reshape transaction structures, timelines, and ultimately deal outcomes.
In practice, we frequently encounter situations where the director of a limited liability company (SRL) has concluded, alongside the corporate mandate, an individual employment agreement with the same company.
Following a recommendation of the EU and a year of public consultations, on 15 February 2026 the Ministry of Economic Development of Montenegro adopted the amendments to the Montenegrin Competition Act.
Following the previous amendment to the Civil Code, consumer protection rules on defective performance have already been extended to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is now complemented by SMEs' eligibility for mandatory guarantee rights and their ability to initiate proceedings before the conciliation board.
On 19 February 2026, the President of Poland signed the amendment to the National Cybersecurity System Act (“UKSC”), implementing Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (“NIS2 Directive”) in Poland. Presidential signature marks the final legislative step before the new regime enters into force.
Exits from family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been on the rise in recent years due to the fact that the senior generations building up their companies are close to retire. Oppenheim has advised numerous domestic and international investors with respect to their investment in Hungarian family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises, also in the course of full acquisitions and also establishing some form of joint venture structures.
Sound societies are based on respect for the rule of law. Among other things, this principle means that the powers of government officials must be grounded in law and limited by law. In the case of costs incurred in official control procedures for imported food, for which the Ministry of Health is competent, the regulations provide that the costs are borne by the party for whom the decision rendered in the procedure is unfavourable. The state administration takes the position that the importer always bears the costs, regardless of the fact that laboratory analyses confirm that the imported food complies with the applicable regulations. This position is based on the argument that official control procedures carried out in the public interest are initiated at the request of the party — the importer, a view that is difficult to defend. The saga concerning costs has lasted for years, and all indications suggest that even the new Law on Official Controls will not resolve this issue.
On 12 February 2026, the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) announced the launch of two separate competition supervision proceedings in the over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical market (Case Nos. VJ/4/2026 and VJ/5/2026). The GVH suspects that anti-competitive conduct and potential abuse of dominance by certain market participants may be contributing to high OTC medicine prices in Hungary.
Following the requirements of Regulation 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste (the "Regulation"), a draft amendment to the Waste Management Act (WMA) concerning the creation of a deposit return system ("DRS") was submitted to the Bulgarian Parliament for consideration on 21 January 2026. The draft represents the first attempt to regulate public relations in the context of deposit systems. What is the proposal for the DRS implementation, and how have businesses reacted?
In 2025, Hungary continued its rapid rise as one of Europe’s most dynamic solar energy markets, achieving record deployment rates and a significant share of renewable electricity, while advancing its transition toward a low-carbon energy system. According to industry sources, Hungary added over 1 GW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of gigawatt-scale expansion, and bringing total installed capacity to approximately 8.3 GW.
The issue of conducting searches in urgent cases without a ruling by an investigating judge has long been one of the most controversial in Ukrainian criminal procedure. It is particularly relevant in the context of the application of the provisions of the current Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, which allow entry into a person's home or other property without a court order in exceptional cases. The legislator actually provides for three grounds for such entry:
Sabine Fehringer joins bpv Huegel as a partner in the firm’s IP/IT, Data Protection and Digitalisation practice group. She joins the firm together with her established team, further expanding the practice. Stefan Panic joins as Counsel and Elisabeth Bernegger as Associate.
bpv Huegel announces the appointment of Roland Juill as partner.
RTPR has provided advice to UniCredit Bank, as intermediary, in connection with the initial public offering for the sale of newly issued shares launched by Electro-Alfa International S.A. for admission to trading on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.
The competition practice of bpv Huegel secured a major success for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp (Wabtec) to obtain unconditional merger-control approval before the Austrian Supreme Court for the acquisition of Dellner Couplers.
bpv Huegel advised ams-OSRAM AG on Austrian law in connection with the sale of its non-optical sensor business to Infineon Technologies AG.
bpv Huegel has provided comprehensive legal and tax advice to the German investment company Odewald KMU and its portfolio company HiOffice Group in connection with the acquisition of Morawitz Consulting GmbH.
bpv Huegel advised ISS Austria, which is part of the international ISS Group and the domestic market leader for facility services, on the acquisition of the Austrian Franye group.
JŠK provided legal advice to the IT group EXPANDIA Digital on the acquisition of a majority stake in the Czech consulting and technology company Lundegaard a.s.
Michal Dobrowolski (45) has about 20 years of transaction experience in M&A and private equity. bpv Huegel continues its strong, dynamic growth in M&A and private equity with this team expansion.
RTPR advises Proinvest Group on construction materials sector deal, marking new project in the field
RTPR has assisted Proinvest Group SRL in relation to the sale of the insulating panel division to Lattonedil S.p.A., a leading Group in Europe in the production and marketing of insulating panels.
RTPR advised AROBS Transilvania Software, an important Romanian company that provides software services and solutions in various industries and the largest tech company listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, on the acquisition of majority stake in Global Engineering Services & Solutions S.R.L.
The law firm bpv Huegel provided comprehensive support to NÖM AG during its merger with Vorarlberg Milch.
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Bulgaria has entered 2026 with a rare mix of milestones and volatility, as Eurozone accession coincides with political turnover and heightened public scrutiny of institutions, according to Kinstellar Partner Diana Dimova, who says that despite the uncertainty, the business environment remains broadly resilient.
CMS Partners Horea Popescu and Alexander Rakosi unpack a standout year for CEE M&A, as the region posted a record number of deals and a sharp rise in aggregate values despite a muted start to 2025 amid overall geopolitical headwinds.
Last week, CEE Legal Matters’ sister publication CEE In-House Matters published an insightful piece on what general counsel are looking for in law firms. It lists seven criteria that keep coming up in conversations with in-house professionals.
On November 23, CEE Legal Matters reported that Cobalt had advised BaltCap Latvia Venture Capital Fund and funds managed by Imprimatur Capital, together with other shareholders, on the sale of Blue Bridge Technologies to Everfield. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Henning Schreiber, Head of Acquisitions at Everfield, to learn more about the acquisition.
