In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and stay up to date with the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas. 

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine hit the one-year mark, we asked Ukrainian law firms how they adjusted to the new circumstances, how their mandates and teams have evolved, and about the support they received from their colleagues abroad throughout this period.

A decade ago, Austrian law firms stood out in terms of their regional presence in CEE. Wolf Theiss Partner Claus Schneider and CMS Managing Partner Johannes Juranek share insights into the growth trajectory of these regional law firms and the current landscape of the Austrian legal market.

With many EU countries facing an energy crisis on account of the war in Ukraine and its associated geopolitical ramifications, European governments have sought to implement a series of measures to mitigate the fallout and protect their citizens. Selih & Partnerji Partner Spela Remec catches us up with the situation in Slovenia, provides a cross-section of the measures undertaken, and assesses their impact.

An in-depth look at Eugenija Sutkiene of TGS Baltic covering her career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about her as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

Considering the market size, Estonia sits at the forefront of CEELM’s technology deal rankings, with many of those deals involving a high degree of legal innovation. Magnusson Partner Elvira Tulvik, Fort Legal Partner Merit Lind, Hedman Law Firm Managing Partner Merlin Seeman, and Nove Head of IT and Cybersecurity Sten Tikerpe share their most innovative recent projects and pinpoint what makes the country a technology powerhouse.

Latvia’s commercial real estate market saw a high volume of transactions in the past few years, involving shopping centers, stores, offices, and other types of properties. Cobalt Managing Partner Dace Silava-Tomsone, Ellex Klavins Partner Ilga Gudrenika-Krebs, and BDO Law Head of Legal Raivis Leimanis chart the market’s performance in a foggy 2022. 

The life sciences industry is a rapidly growing market around the world and appears to have special importance in Lithuania. TGS Baltic Partner Dalia Tamasauskaite-Ziliene and Glimstedt Partner Ausra Maliauskaite-Embrekte explore the key developments in the field and the main drivers behind them. 

The past two years have brought about tectonic shifts across all industries, business sectors, and economies. Adapting to the ever-changing concept of a “new normal” became an everyday task, and law firms were no exception. Motieka & Audzevicius Partner Rokas Jankus, iLaw Lextal Managing Partner Tomas Bagdanskis, and Sorainen Managing Partner Laimonas Skibarka share how Baltic firms have managed to hold their own in these challenging times.

The war in Ukraine has irrevocably altered the face of Europe, and legislative landscapes are no exception. iLaw Lextal Partner Jolanta Liukaityte-Stoniene, Motieka & Audzevicius Partner Rimantas Daujotas, and Fort Legal Partner Ruta Radzeviciute-Meizeraite focus on the legislative updates in Lithuania.

2022 was a difficult year. To put a more positive spin on things, Rojs Peljhan Prelesnik & Partners Managing Partner Bojan Sporar, Deloitte Legal Senior Managing Associate Ened Topi, Redcliffe Partners Managing Partner Olexiy Soshenko, Drakopoulos Managing Partner Panagiotis Drakopoulos, and Polenak Partner Tatjana Shishkovska share what was, for them, the biggest positive surprise in 2022.

In “The Corner Office” we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With a rough year drawing to a close, and market uncertainties running high, the question this time: If you had a million dollars, what would you invest it in today?

With numerous reports of energy-related business shutdowns, we reached out to local experts across CEE to understand what different markets have been dealing with, in terms of work and production stoppages, and look into the broader impact.

Sipping on some Tamjanika wine, overlooking the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers on one side, and the Belgrade Waterfront on the other, I was once again amazed at how much the City of Belgrade has changed over the years.

It’s January 3 and the CEELM team is at it again. We’re all back in the metaphorical office. And most of us are back in our literal offices too. Ready to deliver a new issue of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine, in print (hence the black) and online, for those of you eager to get a head start on the new year.

An in-depth look at Aigest Milo of Kalo & Associates 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.

With Albania’s construction industry accelerating, we spoke with Hoxha, Memi & Hoxha Partner Andi Memi and Tonucci & Partners Partner Enklid Milaj to find out what is being built and where.

With interesting transactions taking place recently and an overall uptick in FDI numbers, it would appear that Albania is fertile ground for high ROI. Deloitte Legal Local Partner Sabina Lalaj and Kalo & Associates Co-Managing Partner Eni Kalo zero in on the status of FDI investments in Albania, explore the most appealing sectors and investors, and make predictions for the future.