CEE Legal Matters

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  • Glimstedt Advises on Major Energy Acquisition in Lithuania

    Glimstedt has announced that its Lithuanian office has advised E.ON Ruhrgas on what it described as “a major energy deal” that closed on May 21, 2014.

    Glimstedt reports that it advised E.On Ruhrgas International on its sale of 38.9% of shares in Amber Grid, 38.9% of shares in Lietuvos dujos, and 11.76% of shares in LESTO, to Lithuanian state-controlled companies EPSO-G and Lietuvos energija. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

    Glimstedt contributed to the structuring of the deal, drafted legal documents, represented E.ON Ruhrgas International in negotiations, and rendered considerable assistance in the performance of the legal due diligence. The team was led by Glimstedt Partner Paulius Gruodis.

    The firm reports that it has been advising E.ON Ruhrgas International for 12 years, since E.ON first became a shareholder of Lietuvos dujos.

     

  • YKK Makes New Partners

    Yuksel Karkin Kucuk has announced the promotion of two lawyers to partnership. Ibrahim Yamakoglu, an Intellectual Property and Technology lawyer, and Onur Yalcin, a Dispute Resolution specialist, have both become Partners at DLA Piper’s Turkish affiliate.

    Yamakoglu is experienced in commercial agreements (distributorship, franchise and agency agreements, etc.) and commercial disputes. He provides legal advice primarily to pharmaceutical companies and other companies engaged in medical devices, consumer goods, cosmetics and other retail sectors. He was admitted to practice in 2004, and earned his LLM degree from London School of Economics in 2005. He graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Law in 2002. 

    Onur Yalcin’s practice focuses on litigation and regulatory work, law of contracts, banking law, and Islamic finance, insolvency, restructuring and debt recovery, and real estate. Yalcin is currently a Ph.D. candidate on Private Law at the Social Sciences Institute of Galatasaray University. He was admitted to practice in 2001, and he earned his LL.M. degree in private law at Galatasaray University Social Sciences Institute in 2005. He graduated from Istanbul University School of Law in 1999. He began his career with four years at Herguner Bilge Ozeke in Istanbul before moving over to Yuksel Karkin Kucuk in 2009.

    YKK now has 11 Partners and 110 lawyers overall. 

     

  • Sayenko Kharenko Advises on EBRD Financing for Danosha

    Sayenko Kharenko has acted as legal counsel to the EBRD on its provision of a EUR 35 million loan to Danosha, a major Ukrainian pig farming company.

    The firm explained that the funds raised will be used to expand Danosha’s operations, improve its waste disposal capabilities, and restructure its balance sheet. In addition, “with the help of the EBRD support, the company will improve its biological security and animal welfare standards in line with EU regulations.”

    Sayenko Kharenko’s team for the transaction was led by Partner Nazar Chernyavsky and included Senior Associate Igor Lozenko, supported by Associates Marta Hontaruk and Taras Shyb.

    The EBRD has been advised in other recent Ukrainian deals by Asters (see April 24, 2014 and December 20, 2013), Dentons (see March 17, 2014), and Vasil Kisil & Partners (see March 27, 2014 and May 22, 2014).

     

  • Velchev & Co Represents Gant in Bulgaria

    The Bulgarian Velchev & Co law firm has announced that it is representing the GANT clothing brand in Bulgaria.

    GANT currently has more than 4000 stores in over 60 countries around the world. Velchev & Co lawyers Pavel Velchev and Velislav Dramov will represent the company before the Bulgarian Central Customs Directorate regarding border control matters on goods bearing the brand. 

  • Pepeliaev Group Launches Korean Desk

    On June 1, 2014, the Pepeliaev Group launched what it describes as “a fully fledged service providing legal support for Korean investors in Russia.”  

    According to the firm, the Pepeliaev Group’s lawyers and Korean specialists will provide advice and support on matters including potential geographical regions for investment, minimizing tax burdens, dealing with state authorities, and other matters.

    The firm’s Korean Desk will be led by Cheong Noh-Chung. Noh-Chung is an experienced Korean lawyer specializing in both Korean and Russian law who — the firm claims — was the first foreigner admitted to the Moscow City Bar in 2006. Until recently Noh-Chung was a partner in the Korean Shin & Kim law firm. He obtained a bachelor’s degree of law in Seoul and an LLM in Moscow. 

  • BWW Law & Tax Changes Team, Name, and Logo

    As of June 1, 2014, the Polish BWW Law & Tax firm is going to market under a new name: “Bieniak, Wielhorski, Wojnar. Attorneys and Legal Counsels Professional Partnership”. Its abbreviated name and contact details remain the same.

    The firm is managed by Partners Jacek Bieniak, Michal Wielhorski, and Marek Wojnar, who are supported by over 40 attorneys, tax advisors, and administrative employees.

    The firm also changed its logo, and added three new Senior Associates (Marta Lobzowska-Werner, Pawel Zysko, and Kamil Kowalik).

    Lobzowska-Werner joins from the Warsaw office of an international law firm, where she participated in legal servicing of financial transactions of real estate investments, particularly including big commercial and developer projects, as well as financial transactions of several investment projects. She also possesses experience in the areas of retail lending, contract law, and labor law, gained in-house at the Polish branch of a lending institution.

    Pawel Zysko possesses over seven years of experience in legal counseling to the benefit of economic entities, which he acquired in the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), the Tebodin company, and with several well-known Polish law firms. He specializes in consultancy regarding real estate trade and investment processes, in particular advising in the scope of lease agreements, developer agreements and analysis of properties’ legal status. He also has substantial litigation experience.

    Kamil Kowalik is a tax advisor with nine years of professional experience gained mainly during his work in international and Polish consulting companies and tax authorities. 

     

  • FBK Represents Alexion Pharma to Russian Tax Authorities

    The Russian FBK law firm has announced that it has prepared notification on controlled transactions in 2013 on behalf of client Alexion Pharma.

    According to Oksana Soldatov, Director of FBK’s Department of Business Process Outsourcing, “In accordance with current legislation on transfer pricing companies are obliged to inform the tax authorities about transactions between related parties, and should send a special notice. FBK … provides qualified outsourcing processes for the preparation of the relevant documentation.”

    Alexion Pharma is the Russian representative of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, with offices and representatives in more than 20 countries.

  • Dorda Advises Frauenthal on Purchase of OAG

    Dorda Advises Frauenthal on Purchase of OAG

    Dorda (DBJ) has advised the Frauenthal Group on its acquisition of all shares in OAG, a leading Austrian wholesaler of sanitary and heating products.

    The transaction will enable Frauenthal Holding to push forward the expansion of its division for wholesale sanitary and heating products. Previously wholly owned by Wolseley, a British trade distributor of sanitary goods, OAG generated sales of around GBP 239 million during the last financial year.

    In purchasing OAG, the Austrian-owned Frauenthal Group will also acquire the OAG Kontinentale division, a leading distributor in the field of civil engineering and industrial pipework installations. This will expand Frauenthal’s product portfolio in this sector, which now covers all areas of the wholesale building services market. 

    The Frauenthal Group is a diversified group that is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. It has a workforce of around 3,000 and reported sales of approximately EUR 600 million in 2013.

    “We are delighted to have assisted Frauenthal Group in successfully concluding the share purchase agreement,” reported DBJ Partner Andreas Mayr, a lead lawyer on the deal. “The contract negotiations with the English sellers were rather challenging, which is all the more reason for us to wish Frauenthal every success as they expand their wholesale sanitary and heating division.”

    Mayr worked on the deal with DBJ Partner Jurgen Kittel.

     

     

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  • Drakopoulos Hires Partner to Head IP

    The Drakopoulos law firm has announced the addition of Michalis Kosmopoulos to head the firm’s Intellectual Property Department across SEE.

    Kosmopoulos joins from Giannoulas & Kosmopoulos, a IP and commercial boutique in Athens, which he co-founded and managed in 2008. Before that he was at Dontas Law Offices for 2 years, and spent another 2 years at Mikroulea, Chrissanthis and Partners. Kosmopoulos graduated from the University of Athens, where he also obtained his LL.M. 

    In an official statement, Drakopoulos announced that “we would like to welcome Michalis as a new Partner in our firm and we are looking forward to his appointment further strengthening our Intellectual Property practice and enhancing our firm’s service offering and leading position in the market.”

     

     

  • Chadbourne Adds Greek Partner in UK

    Chadbourne & Parke has announced that Greek lawyer Despina Doxaki has agreed to join the firm’s Project Finance Group in London as an International Partner. Doxaki joins Chadbourne from Greece’s largest law firm, Kyriakides Georgopoulos, which she left on May 16, 2014. 

    Doxaki focuses her practice on project finance work and a wide range of banking and finance transactional matters in southern Europe — primarily in Greece. She has particular expertise in the infrastructure field, and over the last two years she advised on two pioneering PPP projects, which were the first successfully to reach financial close in Greece.

    “Strengthening Chadbourne’s project finance capabilities in Europe is a critical component of our firm-wide strategy to enhance our position as one of the leading energy firms in the world,” said Adrian Mecz, Managing Partner of the London office. “With her experience and connections in southern Europe, Despina will play an important role in growing our practice. We are delighted to welcome her to the firm.”

    Doxaki is a member of the Legal Committee of Greek Banking Association’s Banking and Capital Markets Law Society, European Community Law Association, and European Lawyers Association.

    She earned her European Baccalaureate from the European Law School in Brussels, her LL.B. from Athens University Law School, and her LL.M. from the Institute for European Studies of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles.