In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With the first quarter of 2023 wrapped up, we turned to the future and asked: In which practice area do you expect the most growth – in terms of work volume – in the next 12 months?

The CEELM Top 10 series looks back over the past ten years and celebrates the milestones we have achieved together. First up: most-read Briefings, with each article featuring a short description reflecting the authors’ opinion at the time.

With ESG gradually coming into focus, companies, industries, and whole countries are looking to the TMT sector for guidance. CMS Ukraine Partner Olga Belyakova and CMS Bosnia and Herzegovina Counsel Sanja Voloder share their insights.

Congratulations to CEE Legal Matters on its ten-year Anniversary.  It’s an impressive feat, and it exemplifies what I love about the CEE region – if you can dream it, you can do it!

Where: Why in Istanbul, of course. The size of a couple of New Yorks, Istanbul is one metropolis that made the right decision on urban wildlife. Mice and rats can be unseemly and dangerous, and dogs tend to leave a mess in the middle of the street. Cats, on the other hand, are clean, take care of the rat problem, are reasonably well-behaved, and are just exceedingly cute. Well done, Istanbul!

Setting the stage at the recently held CEE Legal Matters GC Summit in Istanbul, top-tier legal professionals at prominent companies and law firms alike – from across CEE and beyond – shared their insights on what General Counsels must have in their toolbox to guarantee the delivery of high-quality work. Specifically, the experts considered the importance of the GC role as a trusted advisor, getting the most out of negotiations, and the specifics of client service from a GC perspective.

CEELM: Tell us a bit about the deal and your firm’s role in getting it across the finish line. 

CEELM: First, congratulations on winning the DOTY! Tell us a bit about the deal and your firm’s role in getting it across the finish line.

CEELM: First, congratulations on winning the DOTY!

Nicoara: First, congratulations on winning the Deal of the Year award in Moldova!

CEELM: Tell us a bit about the deal and your firm’s role in getting it across the finish line. 

CEELM: First, congratulations on winning the Deal of the Year award in Austria!

Peterka & Partners has been steadily expanding its reach across Europe for more than 23 years, with the recent addition of Croatia to the firm’s network. Peterka & Partners Managing Partner Ondrej Peterka and the Croatian firm’s Main Contact Person, Attorney-at-Law Anja Haramija, share details about the firm’s vision and its recent expansion.

The Macedonian real estate market reached its greatest growth and development in the last ten years. As a result of the increased investments in the real estate market, the legislation that regulates the respective matter is constantly changing to meet the amended conditions resulting from the growth, so we can see simplified procedures for obtaining building permits and simplified procedures for the transfer of ownership rights.

The real estate market in Greece has risen the most in the last years, creating attractive incentives for institutional investors, who are constantly seeking optimal investment structures to implement their large-scale real estate projects. A highly popular investment vehicle among seasoned real estate players has been the Real Estate Investment Company (REIC), which promises investors financial benefits and a more stable and favorable tax regime.

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic led to growth in the commercial real estate market in Bulgaria. So far, the biggest winners are the office, industrial, and logistics sectors, since most investors and retailers are still hesitant about the future of shopping centers. According to the latest reports, the available office space in Bulgaria increased by 7% in the second half of 2022, and more than 180,000 square meters of office space were leased during the same period, the highest amount since 2017.

In the complex administrative apparatus and historical diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a complex system of Real Estate Registries was developed. What does a buyer need to know in order to protect themselves from the risks that can arise in the purchase of real estate?

The laws of Ukraine define force majeure as an extraordinary and unpreventable event, man-made or act of God, which objectively makes impossible the performance of contractual obligation(s) by one or both parties to a contract. Force majeure exempts a non-performing party from liability (penalties) for breach of contractual duty if caused by force majeure rather than from the performance of contractual obligations.