The Government of the Republic of Serbia recently adopted a Decree on Additional Requirements for Placing on the Market Products Containing Palm Oil, Palm Fat, or Other Vegetable Oils and Fats ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 47/2025), which entered into force on 7 June 2025 (“the Decree”).

Greenberg Traurig has represented Animex Foods and Agri Plus on the sale of part of their goose processing business to Cedrob.

The Commission for Protection of the Competition of North Macedonia (CPC) has significantly intensified its enforcement activities in the food retail sector, signalling a stricter regulatory approach toward potential anti-competitive behaviour.

Fort Legal has advised Axiology on obtaining a license enabling the company to operate as a depository, exchange, and broker in Lithuania.

Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in Cooperation with Schoenherr has advised UniCredit Bank Serbia and Structured Invest on the establishment of UniCredit Invest JSC, a UCITS management company licensed in Serbia.

Karanovic & Partners has advised Paysera North Macedonia on obtaining an Electronic Money Institution license.

Kinstellar has advised Halyk Bank on a USD 237 million partnership with Click. Dentons reportedly advised Click.

Sayenko Kharenko has advised Deutsche Bank on a EUR 23.6 million term loan facility extended to Northern Iron Ore Enrichment Works.

Schoenherr has advised HPI GMA, operating under the Trasti brand, on a EUR 21 million equity investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Zavarovalnica Triglav. Dentons advised EBRD and Triglav. DLA Piper reportedly also advised Triglav.

Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners, member of Eversheds Sutherland, working with Clifford Chance, has advised the Republic of Bulgaria on its dual-tranche EUR 3.2 billion sovereign bond issuance under its EUR 27 billion global medium-term note program. Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov, working with Linklaters, reportedly advised joint lead managers Citigroup, ING Bank, J.P. Morgan, and UniCredit. 

Clifford Chance has advised the joint bookrunners Citi and ICBC Standard Bank on Turkiye Halk Bankasi’s issuance of USD 700 million Reg S 9.300% perpetual fixed rate resettable Additional tier 1 notes.

Sorainen has advised Entrum on its EUR 15 million bond issue program, which saw its first tranche raise EUR 2.5 million from investors. 

The long-awaited Bulgarian foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regime is now fully operational.

RTPR has obtained a final decision reducing a fine imposed by Romania’s Competition Council on Zenith by over 85%.

Budapest-based Dentons Partner Rob Irving has been reappointed as the Co-Head of Corporate and M&A, while Warsaw-based Partner Agnieszka Stefanowicz-Baranska has been appointed the Co-Head of the Competition and Antitrust practice.

In a significant development for the personal data protection landscape in Albania, the Council of Ministers has adopted Decision No. 347, dated 19 June 2025, establishing a new state database titled “Electronic Registry of Data Protection Officers” (DPO Registry). This marks a major milestone in the country’s efforts to align its data governance infrastructure with international and European standards, in line with the newly reformed legal framework on personal data protection.

On 10 June 2025 Latvia completed the transposition of Directive (EU) 2024/1226 by amending three key statutes: the Criminal Law, the Law “On the Procedures for the Coming into Force and Application of the Criminal Law,” and the Law on International and National Sanctions of the Republic of Latvia.

As Brussels adopts one of the most ambitious environmental regulations in recent years, Albania once again finds itself at a familiar crossroads. The country faces pressure to align but still lacks the institutional capacity and market readiness to act meaningfully.

Kinstellar has advised Halyk Bank on a USD 237 million partnership with Click. Dentons reportedly advised Click.

Ellex has advised Vok Bikes on its USD 6 million series A funding round led by SQM Lithium Ventures. Sorainen, working with DLA Piper, reportedly advised SQM.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised Spire Capital Partners on the sale of its controlling stake in Thulium to SALESmanago. Squire Patton Boggs reportedly advised SALESmango.

Lexist, working with Twenty Essex Chambers and Sovereign Arbitration Advisors, has successfully represented the Republic of Turkiye in an ICSID case brought by Enel over the cancellation of its pre-license for a solar power plant project in the Isparta province by Turkiye’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority.

Kinstellar has advised Hungary’s state-owned energy company MVM on the acquisition of a majority stake in Serbia’s Energotehnika Juzna Backa and Elektromontaza Kraljevo from Maneks, increasing its shareholding from 33.4% to 60%.

Karacam & Sir and Donmez Law have advised Remus Enerji on its latest investment round, which values the company at USD 6 million.

Musat & Asociatii has won an appeal before the High Court of Cassation and Justice against a prior decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, allowing the retrial of the review application in the case concerning the torturers of Romanian anti-communist dissident Gheorghe Ursu.

Ellex has offered pro bono representation in a same-sex parenthood case before the national courts in Lithuania, resulting in the first-ever recognition of same-sex parents.

On April 22, 2024, Everlegal announced it had been appointed to provide legal support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – the UN Refugee Agency – for its activities in Ukraine.

Law Office Zornada and Law Office Krehic have jointly advised Croatia Osiguranje on two related transactions carried out with Adris Grupa, including the sale of a minority shareholding in Professio Energia, listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange, and the acquisition of a minority stake in Sava Re, an insurance company listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has represented Centralny Port Komunikacyjny before Poland’s National Chamber of Appeals, securing a favorable outcome in sectoral procurement proceedings concerning the construction of a new passenger terminal.

Law Office Zornada and Law Office Krehic have jointly advised Metkovic on the merger of five regional water suppliers, a capital increase, and the contribution of water supply infrastructure into the company’s share capital.

Czech insolvency law provides multiple options for resolving corporate insolvency. Alongside liquidation and reorganisation—which aim to wind down or rehabilitate a business—the law also offers preventive restructuring tools. These early intervention mechanisms allow a company to address temporary financial difficulties without initiating formal insolvency proceedings. 

Freshfields has advised Traton on the implementation of a new joint group R&D organization across its brands Scania, MAN, International, and Volkswagen Truck & Bus.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has secured the admission of a revision against a final judgment ordering the dissolution of the Bucharest Municipal Football Association, as well as the definitive rejection of the applications for dissolution of the association.

At the meeting of the Social-Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia, a decision was made on an extraordinary increase in the minimum wage in Serbia, which enters into force on 1 October 2025.

It’s mid-July, the summer is in full swing, and most of us are either on annual leave or eagerly counting down the days until we can finally unplug and recharge. That’s why I decided to dedicate this light, summer-friendly topic, perfect for reading in the shade at +35°C, to reminding us that the right to paid annual leave is not only one of the fundamental human rights, but also a necessary response to the lifestyle we lead.

In light of a judgment rendered in proceedings for the annulment of an unlawful decision terminating an employment contract upon expiry of the probationary period, a question has arisen which, from the standpoint of legal theory and the fundamental principles of labor law, arguably should not be a matter of dispute: should a termination decision issued upon the expiry of the probationary period include a statement of reasons?

Kyriakides Georgopoulos has advised Petsiavas on its acquisition of the oral and dental care business of ABC Kinitron.

Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov has advised on the EUR 2 million seed investment round into Blue Longevity Holdings led by Eleven Ventures and supported by Sofia Angels Ventures as well as several private investors.

Greenberg Traurig has advised TMF Poland as the Polish security agent in connection with notes issued by the Bausch Health Companies, as part of its USD 7.9 billion refinancing.

Former Lambadarios Partner Sotiris Dempegiotis has joined Calavros Law Firm as Partner and Deputy Head of the International Arbitration Department.

Lexist, working with Twenty Essex Chambers and Sovereign Arbitration Advisors, has successfully represented the Republic of Turkiye in an ICSID case brought by Enel over the cancellation of its pre-license for a solar power plant project in the Isparta province by Turkiye’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority.

In June 2025, a foreign currency (Swiss franc) loan agreement was annulled by the Pest Central District Court, since the creditor bank had failed to properly inform the debtor (who had been a consumer) about the exchange rate risk arising from the agreement. As a consequence, the whole agreement is invalid retroactively from the date of its conclusion, so that the bank is only entitled to recover the amount it lent to the debtor; beyond that, all repayments, interest and charges must be repaid to the debtor.

Law office Zornada has advised DDL Zagreb and its shareholders on the sale of a majority shareholding in the company to Neftys Pharma. Miskovic & Miskovic, BDK Advokati, and ODI Law advised Neftys Pharma.

SRC has advised MLP Group on the lease of 24,000 square meters of warehouse space to Sarantis Poland within the MLP Pruszkow II logistics park near Warsaw.

SSW has advised Eika Asset Management on securing financing from Santander Bank Polska for the development of a logistics facility in Sochaczew, Poland. DLA Piper reportedly advised Santander Bank Polska.

Pohla & Hallmagi, working with Wikborg Rein, has advised Marine Energy Solutions on its acquisition of the PRIME oil tanker. Reed Smith reportedly advised the unidentified sellers.

Kyriakides Georgopoulos announced that the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund's sale of a 67% stake in the Heraklion Port Authority to a consortium consisting of Grimaldi Euromed and Minoan Lines (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 11, 2024) closed on September 18, 2024.

PeliPartners has advised Bogdan Idu and his group companies on the sale of an LPG maritime terminal in Romania to Nawaf Salameh Family Office Group.

Ellex has advised Vok Bikes on its USD 6 million series A funding round led by SQM Lithium Ventures. Sorainen, working with DLA Piper, reportedly advised SQM.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised Spire Capital Partners on the sale of its controlling stake in Thulium to SALESmanago. Squire Patton Boggs reportedly advised SALESmango.

Dentons has advised the founders of Adastra Group on the sale of a majority stake in the company to global investment firm Carlyle. Clifford Chance, working with Latham & Watkins and Ropes & Gray, advised Carlyle.

Pekin & Pekin has provided pro bono advice to Fenerbahce SK, Fenerium, Fenerbahce Futbol on its partnership with Adidas.

Sayenko Kharenko has provided pro bono support for a cultural initiative that aims to set war-time poems, written by Ukrainian defenders, to music. 

Musat & Asociatii has won an appeal before the High Court of Cassation and Justice against a prior decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, allowing the retrial of the review application in the case concerning the torturers of Romanian anti-communist dissident Gheorghe Ursu.

Ellex has advised Norway-based Orkla Eiendom and Latvia-based Orkla Latvija on Orkla Eiendom 's acquisition of Latvian real estate companies Artilerijas 55 and Miera 22 from Orkla Latvija.

PFP, working with PwC Legal, has advised Investika on its entry into the Austrian real estate market via an asset deal, acquiring the CAE Aviation Training Centre from Proper Industrial. Dorda advised Propel Industrial.

Sorainen has advised Entrum on its EUR 15 million bond issue program, which saw its first tranche raise EUR 2.5 million from investors. 

Octavian Ionascu has joined DLA Piper's Romania office as a Tax Director.

The Hungarian Parliament adopted a tax package in June, amending the Financial Transaction Tax Act to close existing loopholes and ensure that all market participants are subject to the tax.

Integrites has joined the Diia City Union as a legal partner, aligning itself with the professional association of resident companies within Ukraine’s Diia.City legal and tax framework.

Kinstellar has advised Halyk Bank on a USD 237 million partnership with Click. Dentons reportedly advised Click.

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised Spire Capital Partners on the sale of its controlling stake in Thulium to SALESmanago. Squire Patton Boggs reportedly advised SALESmango.

Dentons has advised the founders of Adastra Group on the sale of a majority stake in the company to global investment firm Carlyle. Clifford Chance, working with Latham & Watkins and Ropes & Gray, advised Carlyle.

Anagnostopoulos has successfully represented a former director of Werfen Hellas before the Athens Criminal Court, which cleared the defendant of healthcare fraud charges related to product pricing practices for healthcare organizations.

On 10 June 2025 Latvia completed the transposition of Directive (EU) 2024/1226 by amending three key statutes: the Criminal Law, the Law “On the Procedures for the Coming into Force and Application of the Criminal Law,” and the Law on International and National Sanctions of the Republic of Latvia.

Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners has promoted George Alexandris to Partner.