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On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
The Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate has introduced a draft law for the establishment of the Development Bank of Albania (“DBA”), a specialised public financial institution designed to facilitate financing for small and medium enterprises, start-ups, and underfinanced sectors. The bank is also envisioned as a key player in promoting exports of domestic products and services, as well as supporting public projects and various infrastructure developments.
Albania is aligning with EU regulations through new laws, including a data protection law in 2025 and a new updated electronic communications law, according to Ismailaj & Partners Managing Partner Erinda Ismailaj. With elections on May 11, legislative activity has slowed, creating uncertainties that can lead to a lack of predictability in a business environment.
Cerha Hempel has advised Flughafen Wien on a joint venture with international logistics company Bradford Airport Logistics to establish Vienna Airport Logistics GmbH. Sidley Austin and Schoenherr advised Bradford Airport Logistics.
Kinstellar has announced Maja Mayrhuber as the fourth Partner to join its new Vienna office.
Taylor Wessing has promoted Carmen Redmann-Wippel to Partner as part of its latest promotion round.
The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures.
Conduction of business activities is not possible without possessing a bank account. Business entities[1] are required to open bank accounts, manage all funds through these accounts, and make all payments via these accounts[2], with banks being the only authorized institutions to open and maintain bank accounts[3].
On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
CMS Partners Horea Popescu, Alexander Rakosi, and Ryszard Manteuffel discuss the ebb and flow of M&A deals in CEE, highlighting that the M&A landscape experienced a significant drop in overall deal values prompting strategic shifts amid ongoing geopolitical and financing challenges.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
CMS has advised Geosolar Kamenyak on licensing for the 75-megawatt Kamenyak photovoltaic project by the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission.
CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.
Lovric, Novokmet & Partners has advised Fortenova on the sale of Agrolaguna and Vinarija Novigrad to Badel 1862. Miskovic & Miskovic advised Badel 1862.
Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka has promoted Dina Salapic and Andrej Zmikic to Partner in a promotion round that also saw Sanja Novoselic and Dominik Glavina promoted to Senior Attorneys at Law.
Clifford Chance has advised Finep on the sale of its Stodulky Residential rental project to Reico Nemovitostni. Wilsons reportedly advised Reico Nemovitostni.
BBH has advised PPF Real Estate on a joint venture with Michal Strnad aimed at acquiring the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague.
Nedelka Kubac Advokati has successfully represented Orlen Unipetrol RPA in cassation proceedings before the Supreme Court against a judgment rendered by the Municipal Court in Prague.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
Contributed by Kyriakides Georgopoulos.
Papapolitis & Papapolitis has advised Evropi Holdings on the acquisition of a 65% stake in Europa Insurance.
In recent years, the European Union has paid special attention to the management of non-performing loans (NPLs), as these loans significantly impact the economic and financial stability of member states. As part of this effort, (EU) Directive 2021/2167 was introduced, which member states were originally required to implement into national law by 29 December 2023. However, in Hungary, the draft law aimed at implementing the directive was only presented to Parliament in March 2025.
On 11 March 2025, the Ministry of National Economy and the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary published an opinion regarding the taxation of assigning dividend claims into a trust structure.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
TGS Baltic Successfully Represents Neverhack in Public Procurement Dispute on Cybersecurity Services
TGS Baltic has successfully represented Neverhack Estonia in a dispute arising from the North Estonia Medical Centre’s Cybersecurity Services and Platform 2 public procurement.
TGS Baltic has advised Soldera on its approximately EUR 2.5 million investment round led by Nordic VC fund Lifeline Ventures.
Pohla & Hallmagi has advised Norway-based Karmsund Group on the acquisition of three production plots at Soodevahe industrial park as well as the Rail Baltic future maintenance center from Flebu Properties.
Kosovo is accelerating its energy transition, SEPA integration, and corporate transparency, aligning with EU standards to boost investment, competition, and economic stability, according to Nallbani Law Office Managing Partner Delvina Nallbani.
On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With 2024 behind us, we asked: Looking at transactional volumes for this year, would you say that 2024 was better or worse than what you originally expected it to be, and why?
Sorainen has advised Noda on registering its trademark in the European Union.
Cobalt has advised Creditreform Latvija on a multi-stage reorganization.
On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
Sorainen has successfully represented the Nordcurrent Group before the Court of Justice of the European Union in a case that clarified the application of dividend tax exemption rules.
TGS Baltic has advised a Sutntib Tewox subsidiary on its acquisition of two Lidl store buildings from Lidl Lietuva through a leaseback transaction.
On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.
On 6 March 2025, the European Payments Council officially accepted North Macedonia’s application and included North Macedonia in the Single Euro Payments Area (“SEPA”). With this, North Macedonia became the 39th member of SEPA.
On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
Contributed by Gladei & Partners.
Through its 27 February 2025 law ("Law 33/2025"), the Moldovan Parliament amended the current rules on control of investments into sectors important for the security of the state ("Law 174/2021" or the "FDI Law"). The amendments enter into force on 20 April 2025.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
Contributed by KBP Legal.
The word “fiduciary” originates from the Latin language and in translation means trust or pledge and dates back to Roman law and denotes a contract that is created when one party, the fiduciary (fiducians), hands over to another party a fiduciary (fiduciarius) something for ownership, and the fiduciary undertakes to return the same thing to the ownership of the fiduciary after the expiration of a certain term or the fulfillment of a certain condition. The fiduciary transfer of ownership rights i.e. fiduciary (“Fiduciary”) was introduced as a legal institute into the Montenegrin legal system through the Law on Fiduciary Transfer of Rights (“Official Gazette RCG No 23/96”) and after that, it continued to live under the Law on Property Relations (“Official Gazette CG No 19/09”).
Schoenherr has advised BPM Capital on providing mezzanine financing for a management buy-in acquisition of Medical Mazella while Gessel advised BNP Paribas Bank Polska on its co-investment in the buyout. Reportedly, Compliance Partners advised co-investor MedPack and Misiewicz, Mosek i Partnerzy advised Medical Mazella.
Allen Overy Shearman Sterling has advised CityFit Group on the sale of CityFit fitness clubs chain to Medicover. CMS advised Medicover.
Wolf Theiss, working with Hengeler Mueller, has advised Grenke on the sale of its factoring business to Teylor. White & Case advised Teylor.
DLA Piper has advised Autoliv on two Virtual Power Purchase Agreements with renewable electricity producers Alight and Eurowind Energy.
Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen has assisted MedLife on increasing its syndicated loan by EUR 50 million, reaching a total financing amount of EUR 330 million. Legal Ground advised the banking syndicate involved.
Legal Ground and 360Competition have advised APS Holding on its acquisition of IMO Property Investments Bucharest and its portfolio from Eurobank. Schoenherr reportedly advised Eurobank.
Contributed by Clifford Chance.
Contributed by Alrud.
The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures.
CMS has launched a new dedicated Corporate Crime team within its Dispute Resolution and Compliance practice in Belgrade with the joining of Denis Beciric as Of Counsel.
Gecic Law has appointed Jelena Bjelanovic as its new Head of Finance and a member of the firm’s Executive Management Committee.
Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in Cooperation with Schoenherr has advised Elixir Group on its recent green bond issuance totaling RSD 4.1 billion (approximately EUR 35 million).
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
Contributed by Legate.
CMS has advised the Debt and Liquidity Management Agency of the Slovak Republic on the issuance of its first retail government bonds.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
Contributed by Senica.
CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.
The final and binding nature of arbitral awards provides legal predictability to the parties while also allowing for the possibility of material errors or omissions in the arbitral decisions.
Turunc has advised Laboratoires Vivacy on a partnership with Burgeon Biotechnology. Allen Overy Shearman Sterling's Turkish affiliate law firm of Gedik Eraksoy reportedly advised Burgeon.
The Decision Amending the Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency (the “Decision”), published in the Official Gazette on March 15, 2025, has introduced significant changes to the financial regulations in Turkey. In this context, let us examine the newly introduced regulations and the updated provisions together.
On 9 April 2025, Law of Ukraine No. 4292-IX On Amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine on Enhancing the Protection of Bona Fide Owner's Rights (the "Law") came into force. The Law aims to enhance the protection of bona fide owners' rights by establishing a time limit for the reclamation of real estate of such bona fide owners and providing compensation to them for such reclamation.
CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.
Contributed by Kinstellar.