An in-depth look at Viliam Mysicka of Kinstellar covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.
Career:
- Kinstellar; Partner; 2018-present
- Kinstellar; Counsel; 2015-2017
- Kinstellar; Managing Associate; 2012-2015
- Kinstellar; Senior Associate; 2011-2012
- Kinstellar; Associate; 2009-2011
- Kinstellar; Junior Associate; 2008-2009
- Linklaters; Junior Associate; 2007-2008
- Procter & Gamble – Central Europe South; Legal Counsel; 2006-2007
Education:
- Harvard Law School Executive Education; Accelerated Leadership Program, Law; 2023
- BPP Law School; Solicitor (England & Wales), English Law; 2011
- Comenius University, Faculty of Law; Master of Law (Mgr.); 2005
Favorites:
- Out-of-office activity: Running, rock climbing. Spending time with my kids.
- Quote: “If someone asks you to walk a mile with them, do more. Go two miles.” – from the Bible
- Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Movie: The Shawshank Redemption and John Wick.
Top 5 Projects:
- Advising AIP Asset Management, a Seoul-based asset manager, and London real estate investment manager The Valesco Group on the EUR 125 million acquisition of the Twin City Tower project in Bratislava.
- Advising Dan Slovakia – AGRAR on the acquisition of several small farms in Slovakia within a distressed sale organized by UniCredit and Danish Export Bank.
- Advising Stada Arzneimittel, an international pharmaceutical company, on the acquisition of Walmark, a leading manufacturer of consumer health products in Central Europe, from Mid Europa Partners.
- Advising Sygic, a Slovak leading developer of car and truck mobile GPS navigation technology, on its strategic cooperation with the Czech company Eurowag and their mutual M&A process.
- Advising Veolia Energia Slovensko on the acquisition of PPC Investments (part of Avant Energy), which owns and operates a combined cycle natural gas-fired power plant near the Slovak capital, Bratislava.
CEELM: What would you say was the most challenging project you ever worked on and why?
Mysicka: From the last years, I would mention the advice provided on the proposed acquisition of US Steel in Kosice and later also in relation to the sale process, or the recent work for Veolia on a significant M&A project in Slovakia, but there are, of course, many more. The areas that may typically be challenging for lawyers are the cross-implementation of other transactional workstreams into a share purchase agreement, such as the correct implementation of acquisition financing, insurance, and the like.
CEELM: And what was your main takeaway from it?
Mysicka: The market and legal practices keep changing – you have to be ready to cope with new standards and developments. Quick adaptability is probably even more significant now, with new technologies evolving faster and faster each day.
CEELM: What is one thing clients likely don’t know about you?
Mysicka: I am primarily an M&A lawyer, but most clients usually do not know that I am heavily involved in the restructuring of companies as well. In fact, I’m very active in the area of restructuring & insolvency, and not just as a lawyer – I’m also a member of the Association of Bankruptcy Trustees of the Slovak Republic, and I serve as the chairman of the Slovak desk of the Turnaround Management Association, the only international non-profit association dedicated to corporate renewal and turnaround management. The Slovak branch was established in 2023 with the aim to improve the awareness level of the management of companies facing difficulties or insolvency and thus enable local businesses to be inspired to act in these situations.
CEELM: Name one mentor who played a big role in your career and how they impacted you.
Mysicka: I actively seek advice and cooperation with mentors. Professionally, Patrik Bolf – as the Managing Partner of the Linklaters and later Kinstellar office in Bratislava – taught me all the basics in M&A, but I also respect him as a role model when it comes to leadership and interpersonal relationships.
CEELM: Name one mentee you are particularly proud of.
Mysicka: That is definitely Lukas A. Mrazik, my colleague from the Bratislava office who was promoted to Managing Associate last year and who also serves as the firm-wide co-head of the TMT sector, together with me. Lukas is a true star in the technology space, having advised a number of domestic and international companies, from startups to the largest players in this area. I am very proud that I hired him and have supported him on his career path ever since.
CEELM: What is the one piece of advice you’d give yourself fresh out of law school?
Mysicka: Law is a lifelong journey – be patient. I would also emphasize getting experience and internships during law school (with law firms or associations like Nexteria, Socrates/Erasmus, or ELSA) – these are the best ways to get in touch with the legal world and ensure a smooth career start.
This article was originally published in Issue 11.3 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.
