In the Inside Track, General Counsels across CEE share the nuances of their roles, challenges, and strategies for success. As summer is a time to unwind, we asked: With summer here, what is your one favorite yearly activity to disconnect and switch off?

As Pfizer’s Legal Director overseeing Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and Israel, Stathis Mihos explores EU health policy advancements and the complexities arising from the pandemic and examines how artificial intelligence is dynamically influencing lawyers’ work.

Overseeing diverse sectors across multiple countries, Petrol Group Director of Legal Affairs Mojca Logar discusses the challenges and strategies in managing the group’s legal affairs and navigating complex regulatory landscapes, while emphasizing internal legal expertise and collaborating with external firms for specialized projects and new legislation.

With a focus on keeping as much of the legal work in-house, Net-Connect Group Head of Regulatory Affairs Radu Culic discusses best practices for managing in-house legal budgets.

Photon Energy Group’s Deputy Group Legal Counsel Florina Mariana Homeghiu discusses her approach to managing legal budgets, including trends in costs and effective cost-cutting strategies.

Heureka Group CEE Head of Legal Gergely Szekely provides insights on his in-house legal team’s budget trends and management, considering the challenges inherent in the dynamic e-commerce sector.

Managing budgets in big companies could be seen at the same time as art and as a challenge. And art should never be under pressure.

In recent years, in-house legal teams have faced growing pressure to manage budgets more effectively while maintaining high standards of service. In this article, I will share best practices for managing legal budgets, and address trends, challenges, and strategies that have shaped the budgeting landscape for in-house legal teams.

M&A transactions involve numerous legal, financial, and operational challenges. As in-house counsel, we are responsible for businesses’ right risk allocation and risk mitigation, while we bear significant responsibility in ensuring the deal progresses smoothly and can be closed successfully. Given this high responsibility, effective collaboration with external counsel is crucial to navigating these high-stakes deals and ensuring a smooth and successful transaction. Drawing from my experience, I will share best practices for selecting, collaborating with, and managing external counsel during M&A projects to achieve optimal outcomes and make your life easier in the post-closing and integration stages.

Mondelez International Senior Counsel Competition Law Compliance Kameliya Naydenova emphasizes the importance of communication, trust, and practical expertise when working with external legal counsel.

Working with external counsel can be a crucial aspect of managing legal issues, especially for companies that need specialized expertise or extra support for their in-house legal team. To make the most of these collaborations, it’s important to follow some best practices that ensure efficiency, alignment with business goals, and cost-effectiveness. Here’s my straightforward guide to help work effectively with external legal experts.

Revetas Capital General Counsel Joanna Przybyl reveals her strategies for mastering relationships with external counsel, from choosing the right firms to keeping budgets on track.

From staying loyal to specific lawyers irrespective of the brand they work under to focusing on fixed fees, Selvita General Counsel and Executive Management Board Member Dawid Radziszewski shares his best practices in terms of working with external counsel.

From relying on chemistry to counting on reputation being representative, Zito Director of Legal Affairs and General Services Tamara Mohoric Selak talks about how she picks her external “firefighters” and how she nurtures long-term collaborations with them.

INSS Legal Director Elena Bosnidou shares her tips and tricks on selecting and instructing external counsel.

Bringing in external counsel can flip legal headaches into big wins, protecting your interests and pushing your goals forward. But how do you make sure your partnership with legal experts goes beyond just getting the job done? The magic happens when you master working with external counsel – mixing careful planning with lively communication to reach new heights of legal success.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Director & Associate General Counsel Yota Kremmida shares her strategies for effectively managing a diverse, geographically dispersed team through remote work.

Audax Renewables Head of Legal in Hungary Andras Nemeth talks about managing and working as a part of an international team.

I have always been passionate about learning languages, traveling, and getting to know people from different cultures. While studying in law school in my hometown Warsaw, Poland, I applied for the Erasmus Student Exchange scholarship. I went to Stockholm, Sweden, to study law for one year. This year turned into more than a decade, during which I earned an LL.M. in IP law and worked as in-house legal counsel and as Head of Legal for Swedish IT/SaaS companies with global operations. Now I am back in Warsaw, but I am still working internationally.

Pfizer Eastern Europe Cluster Legal Lead and Legal Director Lucie Kubenova talks about the importance of staying connected with colleagues when managing a legal team spread across 22 countries CEE.

Navigating the complexities of managing multinational legal teams requires a blend of strategic foresight, robust communication skills, and a profound understanding of diverse legal frameworks. Drawing on over two decades of experience, former Paysafe Associate General Counsel Christopher Fischer shared during the 2024 CEE General Counsel Summit his strategies for aligning diverse teams toward a unified goal, emphasizing the necessity of effective leadership in the globalized legal environment of the time.

Before COVID-19, the home office was not mainstream. It was used more as a benefit to avoid the need to get a day off when you had to stay home to wait for “the guy to get the annual meter reading.” Then came the pandemic which forced us to think outside of the box. Suddenly, everyone discovered that remote work could be a viable alternative. Organizations had to come up with technical solutions to make sure that every possible task could be done remotely. The legal profession by its nature was able to adapt quickly to remote work.

For much of the pandemic, remote working became part of everyday life for most of us. For some of us, it still is. Upstream – the company I work for – chose to keep a hybrid model. Even in a hybrid system, the idea is to offer flexibility, so I find myself now writing this piece in a village atop a Greek island. Is it that all I need to do my work are my laptop and a good internet connection? These are obviously the basics but there are other steps to make remote working really work.

Selin (Evrem) Pattni is the Head of Legal Global Purchasing and Supply Chain Operations of Henkel, and she is also on the Executive Committee of Henkel Global Supply Chain B.V. located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Selin reflects on her own career path and on strategies for training and developing her in-house team.

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.

On February 3, CEE Legal Matters reported that Walless had advised the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant on a project tender for reactor dismantling technology design services. CEE In-House Matters spoke with INPP CEO, Audrius Kamienas to learn more about the matter.

On February 16, CEE Legal Matters reported that Dentons had advised a banking consortium on their EUR 155 million financing for the 103.3-megawatt Krivaca wind farm project co-owned by Serbia’s MK Group and Slovenia’s ALFI Green Energy Fund. The lending consortium consisted of Erste Group Bank, Erste Bank Novi Sad, and other banks. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Ladislav Tolmaci, Executive Director at Erste Bank, to learn more about the financing. 

On March 3, CEE Legal Matters reported that BPV Grigorescu Stefanica has advised Omnia Capital on its acquisition of Dumagas from Bancroft. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Matei Ladea, Chief Evangelist at Omnia, to learn more about the acquisition.

On February 21, CEE Legal Matters reported that Tokushev & Partners and Musseva & Ivanov had helped MFG Ins obtain an insurance license from the Financial Supervision Commission of Bulgaria. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Ivelina Kavurska, Director of Strategic Projects and a member of the Management Board of MFG, to learn more about the matter.

On January 18, CEE Legal Matters reported that Fatur Menard had advised the Svetlik family on the sale of their 42% stake in Hidria owner H&R to Spanish corporation Gonvarri. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Gasper Svetlik, Co-Founder and CEO at Svetlik Family Office, to learn more about the matter.

On January 4, CEE Legal Matters reported that Dorda, working with Loyens & Loeff, had advised Croma-Pharma on entering into a business combination agreement with the European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Andreas Prinz, Managing Director at Croma Pharma, to learn more about the deal.

On November 16, CEE Legal Matters reported that Popescu & Asociatii had successfully represented the interests of the City of Sinaia in a construction dispute. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Vlad Oprea, the Mayor of Sinaia, to learn more about the matter.

On December 8, CEE Legal Matters reported that BDK Advokati had advised MediGroup on its acquisition of Konzilijum. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Mihailo Obucina, Director of Strategy, M&A, and Business Development at MediGroup, to learn more about the acquisition.

On July 4, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that Djingov Gouginski Kyutchukov & Velichkov had advised Maple Bear on its EUR 100 million investment program for the CEE region through a partnership with Vantage Capital. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Yann Bidan, General Manager at Maple Bear, to learn more about the matter.

On November 4, CEE Legal Matters reported that Gugushev & Partners had advised Blackpeak Capital on its acquisition of a stake in Telelink Bulgaria. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Kiril Ivanov, Investment Director at Blackpeak Capital, to learn more about the acquisition.

On August 23, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that JSK had advised Credit Value Investments on its investment in the Saunia Group through bond financing. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Radoslav Tausinger, Managing Director at Credit Value Investments (CVI), to learn more about the matter.

On September 9, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that PeliPartners had advised WDP on the acquisition of the Arad Business Park logistics center. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Adrian Vitelaru, Chief Operating Officer at WDP Romania, to learn more about the acquisition.

On August 30, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii had advised Meta Estate Trust on its IPO and listing of shares on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Raluca Dragan, CFO at Meta Estate Trust, to learn more about the matter.

On August 30, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that Boyanov & Co had advised Yara International on the sale of Bulgarian and Romanian businesses Yara Bulgaria and Yara Digital Romania to the Nik Group. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Sverre Hodnebo, Legal Counsel at Yara International, to learn more about the sale.

On July 28, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that ODI Law had advised Holding Slovenske Elektrarne on a EUR 350 million cross-border syndicated debt refinancing. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Matej Petrisic Assistant Head of Legal Affairs and Corporate Governance at Holding Slovenske Elektrarne, to learn more about the matter.

On August 9, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that Vukovic & Partners had advised ODM Collections on obtaining a purchase of receivables work license from the Central Bank of Montenegro. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Drazen Stevanovic, CEO at ODM Collections, to learn more about the matter.

On July 13, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that Onisko & Holesova, Planinic Soljic & Partners, and solo practitioner Klemen Ticar advised Kofola on its refinancing. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Martin Pisklak, Group Chief Financial Officer at Kofola CeskoSlovensko, to learn more about the matter.

On June 28, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that Motieka & Audzevicius, working with Osborne Clarke, had advised the Orion Private Equity Debt Fund I on its EUR 7 million acquisition of secured mezzanine bonds issued by Austrian real estate developer Soini Asset to finance its real estate projects in Germany. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Benas Poderis, Head of Investment Management Department at the Orion Private Equity Debt Fund I to learn more about the deal.

On March 1, 2022, CEE Legal Matters reported that KWKR Konieczny Wierzbicki had advised Knacks's owners on their sale of a majority stake in the company to RightBridge Ventures. CEE In-House Matters spoke with Dawid Szymanski, CEO at Knacks, to learn more about the sale.

Former Eurobank Head of Legal Services Division Alexia Kefalogianni has joined Bernitsas Law as Counsel.

Former Dogan Holding Chief Legal Counsel Ebru Ersoy has become the new Chief Legal Counsel at Nurol Bank.

Bittera Kohlrusz & Toth former Managing Partner Csaba Bittera has joined Fraport as its Senior Legal Advisor.

Former Baker McKenzie's Turkish affiliate Esin Attorney Partnership Senior Associate Ceyda Sila Cetinkaya has joined Merzigo as a Senior Vice President.

BBH Managing Partner has moved in-house and joined Kaprain.

Former Kuke CFO Jan Sarnowski has joined B2RLaw as the new Head of Tax Practice.

Former Clifford Chance Counsel Aneta Disman has joined Wikov as its Chief Legal Officer in the Czech Republic.

Former Mars Wrigley Head of Legal for Poland Magdalena Dedynska has become the company's new Senior Counsel for Central Europe.

Former Baker McKenzie Senior Associate Katerina Schenkova has joined Thyssenkrupp as its new Regional Compliance Officer.

Former Schoenherr Partner Jelena Arsic has joined MaxBet in Serbia as its new Chief Legal and Risk Officer.

Former Wolf Theiss Attorney at Law Georg Knafl and former OEBB-Holding Senior Compliance Expert Erika Stark-Rittenauer have joined E+H as Partners in the firm's public law department and the firm's compliance and investigations team, respectively.

Former Panattoni Legal Director Kamila Dutkowska-Wawrzak has joined Atlas Ward as Legal Director and Board Advisor.

Former DLA Piper Counsel Magdalena Zablocka-Foulkes has joined Orlen as its new General Counsel.

Former Estateguru General Counsel Artur Sanglepp has returned to private practice and joined Rask as an Attorney at Law.

Dragana Poljak has joined AirSerbia as its new Ethics, Compliance, and Corporate Law Manager.

Former LSW Partner Aleksandra Polak has joined Billtrust as a Director and Assistant General Counsel.

Hungarian Lawyer Peter Paroczi has been promoted to the Head of Compliance and Corporate Governance at the Qatar Fertilizer Company.

Aslihan Evcimen has joined Saint-Gobain as their Country Legal Director in Istanbul, Turkiye.

Former White & Case Associate Petra Zunova has become the Director of Legal Affairs at Phrase.

Wojciech Olszewski has returned to CEE to become the Legal Director for CEE & Strategic Commercial Affairs EMEA at Align Technology, in Wroclaw.

Turkish Lawyer Ozge Ayoz has been appointed to Vice President of Legal for Central Europe, South East Europe and Eastern Europe Market Operations at Procter & Gamble in Geneva.

Former Rowan Legal Of Counsel Lucie Smrkovska has joined CTP as its new Group Director of Legal Leasing in the Czech Republic.

Alexandra Ivancia has joined CTP Romania as its new Head of Legal Leasing.

Former Head of Legal Renewables for PPC Renewables Monica-Ileana Paraschiv has become the new Head of Corporate Governance, Compliance & New Business Support at PPC Romania.