CEE Legal Matters

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  • Schoenherr Advises IGT Services and Technologies on Acquisition of Connections Consult’s Service Delivery Division

    Schoenherr has advised IGT Services and Technologies on the acquisition of the Service Delivery division of Connections Consult.

    IGT Services and Technologies is a provider of digital and technology services.

    Connections Consult, established in 2005 in Bucharest, is known for its tech solutions and operations in Romania, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia.

    According to Schoenherr, via this transaction, IGT Services and Technologies assumed full control over Connections Consult’s group companies – Outsourcing Support Services in Romania, Connection Consult EOOD in Bulgaria, and Connections Consult doo Beograd-Vracar in Serbia.

    The Schoenherr team included Partner Madalina Neagu, Managing Attorney at Law Mihaela Popescu, Senior Attorney at Law Alina Cristea, and Attorney at Law Stefan Popa.

    Schoenherr did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

  • DLA Piper Advises Erste Group Bank and Raiffeisenlandesbank NO-Wien on Amendment and Extension of EUR 130 Million Term Loan Facility

    DLA Piper has advised arrangers and lenders Erste Group Bank and Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederiesterreich-Wien on the amendment and extension of an originally EUR 130 million term loan facility provided to GTC Galeria CTWA.

    The facility is intended for the “Galerija Jurajska” shopping center in Czechostowa, Poland.

    The DLA Piper team included Vienna-based Partners Marcell Nemeth and Dimitar Hristov and Senior Associate Lukas Krenn, Warsaw-based Partners Mariusz Hyla and Michal Pietuszko, Senior Associates Lukas Krenn and Anna Tomaszewska, and Associates Milosz Dykacz and Krytian Kurgan.

  • CMS Advises Alder Investment III on Acquisition of Majority Stake in Qcify

    CMS, working with Pierson Ferdinand, has advised Alder Investment III on the acquisition of a majority stake in Qcify. 

    Alder Investment III is a Nordic private equity fund building an ecosystem of technology-driven companies focused on vision-based automation for the food industry through its Austrian-based platform VSG Group.

    Qcify is a US- and Belgium-based high-tech company specializing in automated quality control solutions for the global food industry. 

    The CMS team included Austria-based Partners Peter Huber, Jens Winter, and Sibylle Novak, Senior Associate Christoph Birner, and Associates Livia Landskron, Thomas Aspalter, Tamina Elbl, and Caroline Pavitsits as well as further team members in Belgium.

    CMS did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

  • Karanovic & Partners and Harrisons Advise on BIG CEE’s EUR 72 Million Financing from the EBRD

    Karanovic & Partners has advised BIG CEE on a EUR 72 million financing – part of a EUR 100 million package from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – to expand its retail portfolio across the Balkans. Harrisons advised the EBRD.

    According to Karanovic & Partners, this financing supports BIG CEE’s strategic growth and reinforces its position in the regional retail market. 

    The Karanovic & Partners team included Partner Katarina Guduric.

    The Harrisons team included Head of Banking and Finance Ines Matijevic-Papulin and Senior Associate Mina Zeljkovic

  • Cerha Hempel and Wolf Theiss Advise on VIG’s EUR 300 Million Tier 2 Issuance and Tender Offer for Existing Subordinated Capital

    Cerha Hempel has advised Vienna Insurance Group on a two-fold capital restructuring transaction. Wolf Theiss and Linklaters advised the banking syndicate including BNP Paribas, Erste Group, HSBC, ING, and UniCredit.

    According to Cerha Hempel, VIG launched a tender offer on March 25, 2025, for its outstanding EUR 214.4 million subordinated notes due in March 2046 and EUR 200 million subordinated notes due in April 2047. Tier 2 notes totaling EUR 126 million were validly tendered and accepted for purchase by VIG, with settlement taking place on April 7, 2025.

    Moreover, Cerha Hempel reports that VIG has, in parallel, successfully placed EUR 300 million in new tier 2 notes, with a ten-year maturity, an initial coupon of 4.625% per annum, and denominated in tranches of EUR 100,000. The notes, listed on the Official Market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, were signed on March 31, 2025, and closed on April 2, 2025. 

    The Cerha Hempel team included Partners Volker Glas and Thomas Zivny, Senior Counsel Christian Aichinger, and Associate Sophie Schmid.

    The Wolf Theiss team included Partner Claus Schneider, Counsel Eva Stadler, Senior Associate Sebastian Prakljacic, and Associates Rainer Holweg and Magdalena Bertsch.

  • CK Legal Advises on PragmaGO’s PLN 50 Million Bonds Issuance

    CK Legal Chabasiewicz Kowalska has advised PragmaGO on PLN 50 million public bond issuance.

    PragmaGO is a Poland-based non-bank financial institution. According to CK Legal, the company planned to allocate 400,000 series D3 bonds; however, due to exceptionally high investor interest, PragmaGO increased the allocation to half a million bonds during the offer period. The transaction, which marks the largest public bond offering in PragmaGO’s history, achieved a total nominal value of PLN 50 million with a proportional subscription reduction of 21.64%. PragmaGO’s strategic investor is Polish Enterprise Funds SCA, managed by Enterprise Investors, one of the largest private equity firms in Central and Eastern Europe.

    The CK Legal team included Founding Partner Wojciech Chabasiewicz and Head of Capital Markets Anita Gwozdz.

  • Lovric, Novokmet & Partners and Miskovic & Miskovic Advise on Fortenova’s Sale of Agrolaguna and Vinarija Novigrad to Badel 1862

    Lovric, Novokmet & Partners has advised Fortenova on the sale of Agrolaguna and Vinarija Novigrad to Badel 1862. Miskovic & Miskovic advised Badel 1862.

    Badel 1862 is a Croatian producer of spirits and wines. According to Miskovic & Miskovic, with this acquisition “Badel 1862 has continued to consolidate the local alcoholic drinks production industry and strengthen its leadership position in the production of quality and premium wines on the Croatian market. Badel’s offer is now additionally rounded off with premium wines from Istria, and thus becomes Croatia’s only company with a portfolio covering all the key wine regions and additionally strengthens its market position, with new opportunities for the growth of wine production.”

    The Lovric, Novokmet & Partners team included Partner Pavo Novokmet and Senior Associate Katarina Simac Tot.

    The Miskovic & Miskovic team included Partners Pavo Miskovic and Maja Seat, Attorneys at Law Hana Fiala and Vanda Frcko, and Legal Trainee Darija Drempetic.

  • Jakub Ziolek Joins EY Law as Partner

    Former Crido Partner Jakub Ziolek has joined EY Law as a Partner.

    Before the move, Ziolek was with Crido Legal between 2013 and 2025. Earlier, he was a Partner with SSW Pragmatic Solutions between 2010 and 2013. Earlier still, he worked for Cream Property Advisors as an In-House Counsel.

    “We are happy that Jakub and his team are joining our law firm,” said EY Law Managing Partner Zuzanna Zakrzewska. “Their experience and knowledge will be invaluable in the further development of our legal services and will strengthen our position in the market.”

    “I am excited to join EY Law,” Ziolek added. “I believe that together with the team we will be able to provide our clients with the highest quality legal services and develop our competence in the area of transactions and real estate law. We chose EY because we believe this is the right environment to grow our business mindset – alongside wonderful people who think out of the box and act professionally at the same time.”

  • Martin Kluch Appointed as Head of CEE Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group at Horizons Alliance

    Horizons Alliance has appointed HKV Law Partner Martin Kluch as the new Head of CEE Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group with Erdos Partners Partner Balazs Varszeghi serving as Deputy Head.

    Martin Kluch has been a Partner with HKV Law since 2006. Earlier, he worked for White & Case between 2000 and 2006 as a Senior Associate and, earlier still, for Arthur Andersen as an Associate between 1999 and 2000.

    “The Central and Eastern European energy market is undergoing a rapid and complex transformation, driven by the urgent need for energy security and decarbonization,” said Kluch. “Geopolitical shifts have accelerated the region’s diversification away from traditional fossil fuel dependencies, leading to a surge in renewable energy deployment, significant infrastructure development for alternative supply routes, and a renewed focus on nuclear energy. The EU’s Green Deal and its regulatory framework are further shaping this landscape, creating a dynamic legal environment for investments in sustainable finance and cross-border energy projects. Our alliance, with offices strategically located across significant CEE jurisdictions, is agreeably positioned to serve our clients’ evolving needs, providing expert legal counsel on regulatory compliance, project development, and complex energy transactions throughout the region.”

  • Orrick Advises StepStone on Cyberhaven’s USD 100 Million Series D Funding

    Orrick has advised StepStone on leading a USD 100 million Series D funding round for Cyberhaven that also saw the participation of Schroders and Industry Ventures.

    StepStone is a private markets firm providing investment, portfolio monitoring, and advice to investors.

    Cyberhaven is a Palo Alto-based AI-powered data security company. It was founded by Romanians Cristian Zamfir, George Candea, and Radu Banabic and Ukrainians Volodymyr Kuznetsov and Vitaly Chipounov. The funds will be used to expand Cyberhaven’s platform through both M&A and organic innovation and to enhance its market reach via go-to-market investments.

    The Orrick team was led by Partner Shawn Atkinson.