CEE Legal Matters

Author: admin

  • Greenberg Traurig Advises Buglo Play on Acquisition of Elverdal and LeikkiSet

    Greenberg Traurig has advised Resource Partners-backed Buglo Play on its acquisition of Elverdal and LeikkiSet.

    Buglo Play is a Polish playground equipment manufacturer.

    Elverdal is a Danish company specializing in tailor-made projects.

    LeikkiSet is a Finnish company selling playground equipment, outdoor fitness solutions, and urban furniture.

    The Greenberg Traurig team included Local Partner Mateusz Zalenski, Senior Associate Wiktor Zien, and Associate Szymon Swierszcz.

    Greenberg Traurig did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

  • Mihai Selegean Moves Into Private Practice by Joining Rizoiu & Asociatii

    Former BRD – Groupe Societe Generale Deputy CEO and Head of Legal & Administrative Mihai Selegean has joined Rizoiu & Asociatii as Of Counsel and the firm’s new Head of Financial and Banking Law practice.

    According to Rizoiu & Asociatii, in addition to the Financial and Banking Law practice, Selegean will also be ”expanding our expertise in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.”

    Before joining Rizoiu & Asociatii, Selegean was with BRD – Groupe Societe Generale as a Legal Executive Director between 2009 and 2019 and as a Deputy CEO and Head of Legal & Administrative between 2019 and 2024.

    “Having known Mihai for more than 30 years, I am excited for us to work together again in this new structure,” commented Partner Radu Rizoiu. “Mihai brings a new perspective on modern organizational culture, understanding the useful and safe way of integrating technology into everyday work while respecting the limitations imposed by the increasingly regulated work environment.”

    “Why Rizoiu & Asociatii? Simple: their reputation for breaking the mold,” said Selegean. “In a world of template solutions, they’ve built their practice on something different: the perfect blend of scholarly depth and real-world practicality. The future of legal services lies at the crossroads of traditional expertise and technological innovation. I’m looking forward to helping our clients navigate this intersection, ensuring they can embrace digital transformation while staying firmly within the guardrails of compliance and best practices.”

    Rizoiu & Asociatii was established recently as a result of the split of Rizoiu & Poenaru (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 14, 2025).

    Originally reported by CEE In-House Matters.

  • Tamara Mohoric Selak Joins LON as Head of Compliance

    Former Skupina Zito Director of Legal Affairs and General Services Tamara Mohoric Selak has joined LON as its new Head of Compliance.

    LON is a banking, personal banking, and finance company located in Kranj, Slovenia.

    Before the move, Mohoric Selak was with Skupina Zito between 2024 and 2025. Earlier, she was with Lidl Slovenija as its Compliance and Personal Data Office between 2013 and 2018, Legal & Compliance Consultant between 2018 and 2024, and finally as its Data Protection Office and Compliance Consultant in 2024. Earlier still, she was a Manager with MojaDekca.si between 2018 and 2021 and a Legal Advisor with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia between 2011 and 2013.

    Originally reported by CEE In-House Matters.

  • Long-Awaited Changes in Pharmaceutical Promotion in Hungary

    Several amendments to pharmaceutical promotional laws in Hungary came into effect on 1 January 2025, with others following on 1 February 2025. Some of these amendments have long been urged by the pharmaceutical industry.

    The changes primarily affect the following areas:

    • the promotional regulation of the Act XCVIII of 2006 (“Medicines Thrift Act”) and Decree No. 3/2009 (II. 25.) of the Ministry of Health (“Promotional Decree”) which addresses
      • the costs of promotional events organised by promoter companies and
      • the obligation of promoter companies to submit proof of payments of the sales rep fee to the pharmaceutical authority;
    • the reorganisation of the operation of institutional pharmacies.

    Changes affecting pharmaceutical promotional practice

    The amendment to the Medicines Thrift Act eliminates the obligation for promoter companies to submit proof of payment of the monthly sales rep fee to the National Public Health and Pharmaceutical Centre (NNGYK). From 1 January 2025, reporting of such payments is facilitated between the tax authority and the NNGYK. This change reduces administrative burdens for promoter companies, which previously faced frequent fines for non-compliance with this requirement.

    Additionally, the amended Medicines Thrift Act establishes a new cost limit for hospitality at events of promoter companies organised for healthcare professionals (HCPs). The new hospitality limit may not exceed 15% of the monthly minimum wage per person per day, excluding VAT. This significantly alters existing legislation when a lower cost threshold applied to these events. Moreover, unlike previous restrictions, the amended law allows, under certain justifiable conditions, the invitation of individuals beyond the professional sphere.

    The related rules in the Promotional Decree have also been amended, streamlining processes for promoter companies by removing redundant administrative steps and transitioning to more efficient electronic submissions. The requirement to provide proof of payment of the sales rep fee to the NNGYK has been removed, and the format of product sample and donation protocols has transitioned from paper-based to electronic submission. These must still be submitted to the NNGYK on a quarterly basis.

    Changes affecting institutional pharmacies

    New regulations have been adopted under the reorganised institutional pharmacy system in the Medicines Thrift Act, as outlined in our earlier Client Alert “Hungarian legislation reform related to centralised procurement for institutional pharmacies.“

    These amendments, effective from 1 February 2025, introduce key definitions of the new system, such as the provider of unified institutional pharmacy services, the unified institutional pharmacy contributor services and the contributor.

    For public and private inpatient care institutions that voluntarily participate, the state may facilitate the use of a contributor for institutional pharmacy activities through unified institutional pharmacy contributor services. This contributor will be selected through a public procurement procedure. The winning bidder is then required to establish a project company to carry out the unified institutional pharmacy contributor services.

    The inpatient care institution and the project company must collaborate to ensure the necessary conditions for operating the contributor services. This may include the partial delegation of employer rights over pharmacy staff to a person designated by the project company. The provider of the unified institutional pharmacy services is also responsible for other non-institutional pharmacy tasks related to the supply of medicines to patients.

    Institutional pharmacies must ensure the separation of institutional and direct community pharmaceutical supply activities, with the professional and operational rules governing this separation defined by law. Additional requirements and rules governing the use of the contributor and its services are described in separate decrees.

    By Miriam Fuchs, Senior Associate, and Bence Andras Kiraly, Associate, Wolf Theiss

  • How to Avoid Becoming a Data Controller

    Conducting legal due diligence on the target company is standard practice before completinga transaction. Even today, eight years after the GDPR came into effect, some companies still fail to implement basic data protection principles in their internal policies or in their relationships with business partners and suppliers. Some even claim not to process any personal data at all.

    What measures would a person or company need to take today to entirely avoid data protection regulations?

    First, they should have no employees or other cooperating persons. They should also refrain from storing payroll records, providing access to fitness facilities for employees or their family members as a working benefit, and cooperating with suppliers or distributors. The company or person should have no external accountants or IT specialists, no client database, and should not send any business communication or marketing materials. They should not receive job applications or keep their employees’ CVs.

    Furthermore,the company or person should have no business partners, including those outside the European Union. They should also avoid using cameras in their business or internal premises, including parking lots, and should not install GPS trackers in company vehicles used by employees.

    If you meet all these conditions, you are on the right track to avoid data protection regulations.

    But don’t celebrate too soon — certain data protection principles will still need to be in place. One common practical challenge, not directly addressed by the GDPR, is conducting company audits, which are a routine part of any company’s “life”. Ask yourself: do you have the necessary rules in place for audit purposes?

    In today’s globalised world full of international companies, suppliers and distributors, another critical issue is the transfer of personal data to third countries. While cooperation with certain global processors may be essential for some companies’ business activities, the same practice can become an insurmountable obstacle for the company’s key customer. Is it realistic to obtain consent from a parent company based in the U.S. or Geneva every time its Prague subsidiary decides to hire a new accountant, IT specialist or cloud storage provider?

    If data protection has not yet caught your attention, consider that GDPR principles have a dynamic impact on all other aspects of daily life. The well-known German Facebook case demonstrated that violating GDPR principles can also breach competition law rules — a potentially costly matter.

    Complying with data protection principles simply pays off!

    By Vladena Svobodova, Senior Associate, JSK, PONTES

  • TGS Baltic Advises on Latvian Radio and Latvian Television Merger into Unified Latvian Public Media

    TGS Baltic has advised the Latvian Electronic Public Media Council on the merger of Latvian Radio and Latvian Television creating a single national public media entity known as Latvian Public Media.

    According to TGS Baltic, as of January 2, 2025, LSM combines the professional teams and resources of both broadcasters – alongside the internet portal LSM.lv – into one public media organization. Established under an amended Electronic Public Media and Governance Law, LSM launched with 865 employees and a state-funded budget of EUR 51 million. By year-end, an additional EUR 19 million is expected, bringing the total budget to approximately EUR 70 million. 

    The TGS Baltic team included Partner Andra Rubene, Senior Associate Vladlena Rudusane, and Associate Toms Tidemanis.

  • TGS Baltic, Ristal Keba Partners, and Sirel & Partners Advise on IVC Evidensia’s Acquisition of Tartu Loomakliinik

    TGS Baltic has advised IVC Evidensia on its acquisition of Tartu Loomakliinik. Ristal Keba Partners and Sirel & Partners advised the sellers, Karerin OU and Kersti Paju.

    Headquartered in the UK, IVC Evidensia is a European veterinary services provider.

    Tartu Loomakliinik is a veterinary clinic in Estonia. 

    According to TGS Baltic, with this transaction, IVC Evidensia has expanded its network to seven veterinary clinics in the country.

    The TGS Baltic team included Managing Partner Sander Karson, Counsel Maris Vutt, Senior Associates Anu Kirss, Ingeri Luik-Tamme, and Grete Lind, and Associates Marija Toomjoe and Helena Kuuse.

    The Ristal Keba Partners team included Partner Kevin Siivelt.

    The Sirel & Partners team included Partners Juri Sirel and Sandra Toots.

  • Filip & Company Advises Credit Europe Bank Romania on Cross-Border Merger into Dutch Parent Company

    Filip & Company has advised Credit Europe Bank Romania on a cross-border merger by absorption into Credit Europe Bank.

    According to Filip & Company, following completion, the bank will continue its operations in Romania as a branch of the Dutch parent entity.

    “This cross-border merger (the first in the banking sector under the new legislative framework) reflects an important trend in the international banking market, that of optimizing and aligning operations at group level,” commented Filip & Company Partner Alexandra Manciulea. “We are proud to have been able to support this complex process and to have contributed to the implementation of a strategic step for our client, Credit Europe Bank, an institution with a notable presence on the Romanian market.”

    The Filip & Company team included Manciulea and Partner Eliza Baias, Counsel Rebecca Marina, and Associates Gabriela-Bianca Gheorghe and Raluca Bita.

  • Markiyan Malskyy Returns to Arzinger as Partner

    Markiyan Malskyy has returned to Arzinger as Partner and the firm’s new Head of the West Ukrainian Branch as well as the Co-Head of the International Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Practice. 

    Malskyy first joined Arzinger in 2008 and has stayed with the firm until 2022 before moving to Kochanski & Partners where he led the Ukrainian Desk.

    “I am excited, enthusiastic and full of inspiration to join the team of exceptional professionals, whom I know so well,” commented Malskyy. “I firmly believe that Ukraine, as it defends its right to exist and grow, needs experienced lawyers to safeguard its interests, support its economy, increase investment, and support the rule of law.”

    “We are thrilled to start 2025 with the significant news of Markiyan Malskyy’s return to Arzinger as Partner,” added Managing Partner Timur Bondaryev. “Within our firm, we often joke that the saying “you can’t step into the same river twice” doesn’t refer to us, as we have many stories that prove otherwise. I believe Markiyan’s extensive experience will further strengthen our team and expertise in international arbitration, litigation, real estate, corporate law, infrastructure, and reconstruction projects. The return of such a mastodon as Markiyan will revitalize the West Ukrainian office and bolster our presence in a region where we have historically been market leaders. Markiyan brings tremendous energy for new achievements, and we wholeheartedly wish him and his teams continued success.”

  • Andrei Muresan Joins Tiriac Group as Head of Legal – Special Projects

    Former Schoenherr Managing Attorney at Law Andrei Muresan has joined the Tiriac Group as its new Head of Legal – Special Projects.

    Before the move, Muresan was with Schoenherr between 2023 and 2025. Earlier, he worked for Act Legal Romania as an Associate in 2016, a Senior Associate between 2016 and 2018, a Managing Associate between 2018 and 2021, and a Counsel between 2021 and 2023. Earlier, he was an Associate with Popovici, Nitu & Asociatii between 2014 and 2015 and a Junior Associate with Kinstellar between 2012 and 2014.

    “I am excited to step into this new role with Tiriac Group,” commented Muresan. “This opportunity marks the beginning of an exciting journey to tackle new and unique challenges and deliver impactful results. I look forward to collaborating with an incredible team to create meaningful outcomes.”

    Originally reported by CEE In-House Matters.