CEE Legal Matters

Category: CEELM PR

  • Celebrate Hard Work and Dedication with the May 2022 Issue of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. Out Now!

    Whether you’ve just celebrated May 1 with a maypole, a Labor Day demonstration, a picnic, or a good old-fashioned barbecue, we have just what you need as you return to the office. Grab it hot off the presses on your way in, the latest issue of the magazine is out now!

    Subscribers should be receiving their hard copies in a week or two and, if you’re looking to smooth out your transition back into the office, the electronic version is already available online here. Celebrating hard work throughout CEE, with Market Spotlights on Romania and North Macedonia and an Experts Review section focusing on Infrastructure/PPP, the May issue includes:

    • Guest Editorial by Eszter Kamocsay-Berta of KCG Partners: The New Need for True Believers
    • Across the Wire: Deals and Cases
    • On The Move: New Homes and Friends
    • The Buzz
      • e-Government and e-Problems: A Buzz Interview with Irena Georgieva of PPG Lawyers
      • A Unified Atmosphere: A Buzz Interview with Michal Pawlowski of DWF
      • Looking for Parts: A Buzz Interview with Bernhard Hager of Eversheds Sutherland
      • Drawing In Digital Nomads: A Buzz Interview with Milena Roncevic Pejovic of Karanovic & Partners
      • Fighting the Inflation Fight: A Buzz Interview with Dana Radulescu of MPR Partners
      • A Record Year: A Buzz Interview with Dalia Tamasauskaite-Ziliene of TGS Baltic
      • Stepping Up to the Plate: A Buzz Interview with Milos Vulic of Vulic Law
      • A Safe Harbor To Weather the Storm: A Buzz Interview with Reshard Kellici of Frost & Fire Consulting
      • Holding Breath for Q2: A Buzz Interview with Martin Ebner of Schoenherr
      • Yet Another Test: A Buzz Interview with Jan Frey of Rowan Legal
      • Elections Photo Finish: A Buzz Interview with Janja Ovsenik of Senica & Partners
      • Hungarian Government Out Shopping: A Buzz Interview with Milan Kohlrusz of Bittera Kohlrusz & Toth
      • The Unavoidable Topic of Sanctions: A Buzz Interview with Vjekoslav Ivancic of Ostermann & Partners
      • Competiton Look at Tech: A Buzz Interview with Nilay Duran of Nazali
    • Recovery and Resilience Plans in CEE: Overview and Implementation
    • Slovakia’s New FDI Screening Mechanism – Stuck in Limbo
    • Turning a Challenging EC Decision Into an Opportunity: The PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos Merger
    • Market Spotlight: Romania
      • Activity Overview: Romania
      • Anyone’s Bet: Romania’s M&A Outlook
      • Hot Practice: Mihai Mares on Mares & Mares’ White Collar Crime Practice
      • Talking About Unhealthy Public Procurement in Romania
      • Employment Considerations on the Romanian Gig Economy
      • Market Snapshot: Romania
        • Dealmaking on Shifting Sands
        • Transfer of Undertaking – A Simple Concept, Lots of Questions
        • Challenging the Ascertaining Document – Recent Developments
        • For the Future – Romania’s New Cybersecurity Strategy (2022 – 2027)
        • How Mobile Is the Mobility Package in the Transport Sector?
        • Progress (or Lack Thereof) in Romania’s Transposition of the EU Whistleblowing Directive
        • New Age of FDI Screening – Stricter Rules for Non-EU Investors in Romania
        • Renewed Efforts To Develop PPPs in Romania
        • The Untapped Potential of the ESCO Financing Model
      • Hot Practice: Octavian Popescu on Popescu & Asociatii’s Dispute Resolution Practice
      • Know Your Lawyer: Ioana Hrisafi-Josan of Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii
    • Market Spotlight: North Macedonia
      • Activity Overview: North Macedonia
      • Practice Check-In: North Macedonia
      • High on CEE: Exploring the Potential of the CBD Sector in North Macedonia
      • Market Snapshot: North Macedonia
        • Fintech in North Macedonia
      • Know Your Lawyer: Kristijan Polenak of the Polenak Law Firm
    • Experts Review: Infrastructure/PPP in CEE 
      • Austria: PPP & Infrastructure Projects Going Digital and Green
      • Poland: General Trends in the PPP Market
      • Slovenia: Working Hard to Avoid PPPs
      • Romania: How to Create and Develop a Robust and Long-Lasting PPP Culture
      • Serbia: Current Overview of Public-Private Partnerships
      • Bulgaria: More Clarity in the Field of In-House Public Procurement Contracts
      • Ukraine: The Prospects of Road PPP Projects
      • North Macedonia: Legislative Updates on Infrastructure Projects
      • Montenegro: The Use of PPPs in the Development of Infrastructure
      • Greece: PPP Projects Still on the Rise
      • Turkey: Infrastructure and PPP in Turkey – What’s Next?

    With the May issue of the magazine now out, the March 2022 issue of CEE Legal Matters has been moved from behind the paywall and made available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike (here in e-reader format and here in pdf). So you’ll have something to browse on your way home from the office as well. As a reminder, that issue includes:

    Stay up to date with all the hard work going on across CEE. Browse all our past issues and don’t miss any of the upcoming ones: register for a subscription to the CEE Legal Matters magazine now!

  • CEE Legal Matters’ Consummate Professionals: Ron Given and Bora Kaya

    On April 5, 2022, at CEE Legal Matters’ CEE Deal of the Year Awards Banquet in London, Ron Given and Bora Kaya were announced as the first-ever winners of CEE Legal Matters’ Consummate Professional Awards.

    The Consummate Professional Awards were created by CEE Legal Matters to recognize lawyers in Central and Eastern Europe in both the in-house and private practice worlds who have, over the years, established reputations for outstanding professionalism, intelligence, kindness, and skill, as well as demonstrating a significant commitment to the development of the legal professional in the region. Winners possess remarkable legal skills in their own right, as well as a commitment to assisting other lawyers in their growth and development, providing superior service to clients, and a for treating their peers – both on their own side on the table and, when circumstances call for it, across from them – with respect and dignity.

    The selection of Given and Kaya as the first two recipients of the award was simple, according to CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea. “When I and my team began the process of reviewing potential winners, those names leapt out immediately,” he said. “Our relationship with Ron stretches back many years, even before we formally launched CEE Legal Matters back in 2013, and we became close with Bora soon thereafter. Both of them have, over the years, demonstrated an awareness of what we are trying to do in growing a community of internationally-minded lawyers in the region, and a commitment to helping us do it. Indeed, both of them have contributed their services every year on an unpaid basis as judges of our annual CEE Deal of the Year Awards, and both were again on this year’s Final Selection Committee. We could not be more impressed with them, on both a personal and professional basis, or happier about making them the first-ever recipients of the awards.”

    Ron Given first moved to Central and Eastern Europe in the fall of 2008 as the Managing Partner of Wolf Theiss Zagreb, after spending almost 30 years at Mayer Brown in Chicago and a year as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at a NASDAQ-listed, Bermuda-based international insurance holding company. Taking advantage of his unique mentoring and leadership skills, Wolf Theiss began asking Given to assist in other offices across the region, and in 2013 he became Resident Senior Partner in the firm’s Prague and Kyiv offices, then in 2015 took over as Managing Partner of the firm’s office in Warsaw. A full profile of Given’s role with Wolf Theiss appeared in the June 2015 issue of the CEE Legal Matters magazine.

    In the spring of 2019 Given moved back to the US as Wolf Theiss’s U.S. Representative (which occasioned an interview with CEE Legal Matters about his time in the region), but he returned to CEE only six months later, this time in Prague, as CE Senior Legal Counsel at Deloitte Legal. In the fall of 2020 he made a permanent return to the United States, and he now serves on the Advisory Boards of Confidox VDR and Samson Atlantic, and is the Manager for Legal Affairs at Spectrum3, Inc.

    According to Given, “having lived in, practiced law, and helped grow law practices in Zagreb, Prague, Kyiv, and Warsaw over the course of more than a decade, it meant a lot to me to be recognized, along with my good friend Bora Kaya, with a Consummate Professionalism Award at the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet.”

    Bora Kaya’s career began in 2006 with an in-house position at Turkey’s Eregli Iron and Steel Works Co. After six years he became the Head of Legal at Ronesans Holding A.S., and in 2015 he accepted a position as Managing Legal Counsel at GAMA Power Systems Engineering and Contracting, Inc., a role he also assumed of Gama Industry in 2018. In April of 2020 he became the Head of Legal at GAMA Holding A.S. – a position he continues to hold today.

    Speaking of the award, Kaya recently noted on social media that “this accolade was one of the most valuable awards I have been given so far. One that proves allegiance, friendship, benevolence, and meticulous hard work pay off. I felt so honored, happy, and distinguished.” 

    CEE Legal Matters would like to thank Bora and Ron for their years of friendship, assistance, and commitment to the growth and development of the CEE legal community at large.

  • CEELM Dealer’s Choice and the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet: And the Winner Is…

    Following a two-year hiatus, on April 5, 2022, the CEE Legal Matters Dealer’s Choice International Law Firm Summit and the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, top tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe’s leading law firms and ILFs active in the region.

    The two events took place at the exquisite Honourable Artillery Company venue in London, with the Dealer’s Choice International Law Firm Summit being co-hosted by Reed Smith and sponsored by PONTES as a Regional Sponsor, Country Sponsors Avellum (Ukraine), Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic & Associates (Croatia), Ijdelea & Associates (Romania), Kambourov & Partners (Bulgaria), Nagy & Trocsanyi (Hungary), and Penteris (Poland), and Technology Sponsor Draftomat. The conference included panel discussions on the Stage of CEE, LegalTech in CEE, and Building Referral Relationships between ILFs and Local Firms. We were also delighted that, while Avellum’s Mykola Stetsenko could not travel to the event, he was able to join the conference and address participants via videolink.

    The event culminated in the spectacular Long Room of the HAC with the black-tie Deal of the Year Awards Banquet. This was the most competitive year to date, with the jury voting on a record number of submissions, making the ultimate winners all the more worthy of praise. And, without further ado, the winners of each Country Deal of the Year, as well as the winners of the Baltic Deal of the Year and the CEE Deal of the Year are:  

    Albania

    • 4iG´s Acquisition of ALBtelecom from the Calik Group (Tashko Pustina; Wolf Theiss)

    Austria

    • Starwood Capital’s Public Takeover Offer for CA Immo (DSC Doralt Seist Csoklich; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; Schoenherr; Wolf Theiss)

    Bosnia & Herzegovina

    • Nomad Foods’ Acquisition of Fortenova’s Frozen Food Business (Akin Gump; BDK Advokati; Boga & Associates; Bogdanovic, Dolicki & Partners; Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka; Forgo, Damjanovic & Partners; Harrisons; Isailovic & Partners; Kalo & Associates; Lakatos, Koves and Partners; Maric & Co; Norton Rose Fulbright; Polenak Law Firm; Popovski & Partners; Selih & Partnerji; Zdolsek Attorneys at Law)

    Bulgaria

    • KBC Bank’s Acquisition of Raiffeisenbank Bulgaria from Raiffeisen Bank International (E+H; Kinstellar; Wolf Theiss)

    Croatia

    • Nomad Foods’ Acquisition of Fortenova’s Frozen Food Business (Akin Gump; BDK Advokati; Boga & Associates; Bogdanovic, Dolicki & Partners; Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka; Forgo, Damjanovic & Partners; Harrisons; Isailovic & Partners; Kalo & Associates; Lakatos, Koves and Partners; Maric & Co; Norton Rose Fulbright; Polenak Law Firm; Popovski & Partners; Selih & Partnerji; Zdolsek Attorneys at Law)

    Czech Republic

    • Avast and NortonLifeLock Merger (Kirkland & Ellis; Macfarlanes; White & Case)

    Estonia

    • Enefit Green Privatization and IPO (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Ellex; Shearman & Sterling; Sorainen)

    Greece

    • Mondelez International’s Acquisition of Chipita from the Olayan Group, Spyros Theodoropoulos, and Others (Boyanov & Co; Clifford Chance; Karatzas & Partners; Shearman & Sterling)

    Hungary

    • MVM Energia’s Acquisition of Companies and Assets from E.ON Hungary (Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Kinstellar; Linklaters; Oppenheim) 

    Latvia

    • Akropolis Group’s Acquisition of SIA Delta Property from AMD Holding (Ellex; Eversheds Sutherland; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; TGS Baltic)

    Lithuania

    • Partners Group’s Acquisition of Fortum’s Baltic District Heating Operations (Allen & Overy; Clifford Chance; Ellex; Sorainen; Van Doorne)

    Moldova

    • MAIB Unfunded Risk Participation (ACI Partners)

    Montenegro

    • 4iG PLC’sAcquisition of Telenor Montenegro from PPF Group (Andric Law Office; Dentons; Kinstellar; Law Office Komnenic & Associates; Vukmirovic Misic Law Firm)

    North Macedonia

    • Interenergo’s and Trigal’s Acquisition of Wind Farm from Unidentified Sellers (Fatur Menard; Karanovic & Partners in Cooperation with Local Lawyers; Nikola Lazarov)

    Poland

    • InPost IPO (Clifford Chance; CMS; Stibbe; Weil, Gotshal & Manges)

    Romania

    • Glovo’s Acquisition of Delivery Hero’s Operations in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia (Cuatrecasas; Gugushev & Partners; Uria Menendez; Volciuc-Ionescu; Wolf Theiss)

    Serbia

    • Privatization of HIP Petrohemija (Law Office Miroslav Stojanovic in cooperation with Wolf Theiss; Marjanovic Law)

    Slovakia

    • Wood & Co’s and Tatra Asset Management’s Acquisition of Aupark Shopping Center from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (Allen & Overy; Dentons; Taylor Wessing; White & Case)

    Slovenia

    • OTP’s Acquisition of Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor from Apollo Global Management and EBRD (Allen & Overy; Bird & Bird; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Selih & Partnerji; Wolf Theiss)

    Turkey

    • Hepsiburada IPO (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; GKC Partners; Paksoy; Van Campen Liem; White & Case)

    Ukraine

    • Ukrenergo’s Debut ESG Bond Issuance (Avellum; CMS; Linklaters; Sayenko Kharenko; White & Case)

    2021 Baltic Deal of the Year

    • Partners Group’s Acquisition of Fortum’s Baltic District Heating Operations (Allen & Overy; Clifford Chance; Ellex; Sorainen; Van Doorne)

    2021 CEE Deal of the Year

    • Nomad Foods’ Acquisition of Fortenova’s Frozen Food Business (Akin Gump; BDK Advokati; Boga & Associates; Bogdanovic, Dolicki & Partners; Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka; Forgo, Damjanovic & Partners; Harrisons; Isailovic & Partners; Kalo & Associates; Lakatos, Koves and Partners; Maric & Co; Norton Rose Fulbright; Polenak Law Firm; Popovski & Partners; Selih & Partnerji; Zdolsek Attorneys at Law)

    If you were not able to join the event but wish to see what you missed, you can view the event photos on our Facebook page here. We look forward to seeing you all again next year and, in the interim, stay tuned for critical updates on the DOTYs methodology to be announced soon!

  • Catch Up with the Latest Regional Developments in the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. April 2022 Is Out Now!

    With the Easter holidays approaching and flu season already here, now’s a great time to catch up on some light reading. We have the latest across CEE on energy, tech, ESG, Taxonomy, merger control, real estate, and the legal profession. Pick your favorite topic and a comfy chair: the latest issue of the magazine is now out!

    Subscribers should be receiving their hard copies in time for Easter and, if we piqued your interest, the electronic version of the issue is already available online here. With Market Spotlights on Austria and Hungary and an Experts Review section focusing on Real Estate, the April issue includes:

    • Guest Editorial by Tarja Krehic of Krehic & Partners in Cooperation with Deloitte Legal: M&A and Legal Consultancy Trends in CEE
    • Across the Wire: Deals and Cases
    • On The Move: New Homes and Friends
    • The Buzz
      • Switching to the Euro: A Buzz Interview with Martina Prpic of Kovacevic Prpic Simeunovic
      • Sweeping Legislative Reform: A Buzz Interview with Ivan Turcan of Brodsky Uskov Looper Reed & Partners
      • Elections, Loans, and Reparations: A Buzz Interview with Karlis Reihmanis of Reihmanis & Partners
      • ESG, AML, and The Polish Deal Trending: A Buzz Interview with Aleksandra Polak of B2RLaw
      • The Chinese Connection and Harmonizing with the EU: A Buzz Interview with Vuk Draskovic of Bojovic Draskovic Popovic & Partners
      • A Surprisingly Coherent Coalition Trying to Tackle an Energy Package: A Buzz Interview with Bogdan Stoica of Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii
      • Little Fires Everywhere: A Buzz Interview with Ligita Ramanauskaite of Magnusson
      • All Eyes on Ukraine: A Buzz Interview with Jan Juroska of Kinstellar
      • A Whole New World: A Buzz Interview with Ilko Stoyanov of Schoenherr
      • More Layers of Complexity: A Buzz Interview with Patricia Gossanyiova of Dentons
      • Increased Demand for Relocation: A Buzz Interview with Kristof Ferenczi of Kinstellar
    • In Search of a New Energy Normal (Part 2) – What’s The Plan?
    • The Tech Sector in Turkey: A CEE Legal Matters Round Table
    • ESG: Reimagining Energy in CEE
    • Market Spotlight: Austria
      • Activity Overview: Austria
      • Austrian Market Adapting to the New Realities of the Taxonomy
      • Market Snapshot: Austria
        • Cybersecurity Incidents – Do’s and Don’ts in Practice
      • Know Your Lawyer: Christoph Moser of Schoenherr 
    • Market Spotlight: Hungary
      • Activity Overview: Hungary
      • Walking a Fine Line: Merger Control in Hungary
      • Market Snapshot: Hungary
        • Trends and Challenges for Hungarian Solar Projects
        • The Hungarian Competition Authority Case Against Facebook and Beyond
        • Update on ESG-Related Regulations at EU Level and in Hungary
        • Keyword Advertising as Trademark Infringement
        • The New Land Registry Code in Hungary
        • Hungarian Corporate Migrations Within the EU
        • The Impact of Data Protection Compliance on M&A Transactions
        • Green Energy in Hungary – New Developments on Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin
        • Unfair Commercial Practices in the Digital Space
      • Know Your Lawyer: Tamas Bereczki of Provaris
    • Experts Review: Real Estate in CEE

    And, if you want to make extra sure you’re up to date with what everyone’s been doing, across the region – and we do mean everyone – the February special issue of the magazine has been moved from behind the paywall. The CEELM Index 2021 includes a review of the most active firms and partners in each country, a full list of all the deals submitted for consideration for the 2021 DOTY awards, and the 2021 Table of Deals – a 70-page summary of over 2,000 client matters reported across CEE. The issue is available here in e-reader format and here in pdf format.

    Stay up to date with our April and February issues! And get all the future updates you’ll ever need: register for a subscription to the CEE Legal Matters magazine now!

  • Last Day To Avoid Late Registration for Dealer’s Choice Law Firm Summit and Deals of the Year Awards Banquet!

    Today is the last day before the late registration ticket prices kick in. If you have not already signed up to attend the Dealer’s Choice Law Firm Summit and Deals of the Year Awards Banquet, today’s the day!

    In case you’ve missed our past announcements, taking place at the spectacular venue of the Honourable Artillery Company, the Dealer’s Choice full-day conference, co-hosted by Reed Smith, will be broken down into four panels on critical topics, from the State of CEE to Creating and Expanding ILF-CEE Referral Relationships, and will present a great opportunity to meet all the top-tier firms in the region under one roof. And leading firms they are, as many are shortlisted for having worked on the most important deals in their jurisdictions last year. Finally, the day will culminate with a black-tie awards gala – and we’re quite excited to finally be able to celebrate the region’s most important deals in person!

    The list of law firms already signed up to attend is going to make this a can’t-miss networking opportunity, so make sure you avoid the late registration ticket price if you were planning on joining us!

    Don’t miss out and contact us at radu.cotarcea@ceelm.com and anna.vinar@ceelm.com to learn more about the event or register to attend.

  • 10 Days Left to Register for Dealer’s Choice Law Firm Summit and Deals of the Year Awards Banquet

    We’re on the final stretch in terms of preparations for the Dealer’s Choice International Law Firm Summit full-day conference and the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet – and we’re over the moon to bring together under the same roof national champions from across CEE jurisdictions with top tier London-based law firms, in person, after a two-year hiatus!

    And judging by the list of law firms who have signed up to attend already, you’re excited too! If you have not yet decided to join, there are 10 days left to register – 5 if you want to avoid the late registration ticket price!

    Taking place at the spectacular venue of the Honourable Artillery Company, the Dealer’s Choice full-day conference, co-hosted by Reed Smith, will be broken down into four panels on critical topics from the State of CEE to how to Creating and Expanding ILF-CEE Referral Relationships and will present a great opportunity to meet all the top tier firms in the region under one roof. And leading firms they are as many are shortlisted firms for having worked on the most important deals in their jurisdictions last year.

    Don’t miss out and reach out to us at radu.cotarcea@ceelm.com and anna.vinar@ceelm.com to learn more or register to attend.

  • CEE Legal Matters Comparative Legal Guide: Oil & Gas 2022 is Now Out!

    CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the third guide in our new Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Oil & Gas in CEE.

    Co-edited by our friends at CMS, the CEE Legal Matters Comparative Legal Guide: Oil & Gas 2022 provides the most important legal information related to the Oil & Gas sector, structured in a practical way, which allows both focus on a single jurisdiction and cross-referencing and comparisons between the legal approaches in the various jurisdictions.

    As our co-editor for the guide, Kostadin Sirleshtov, noted in his foreword for the guide, “across CEE, Oil & Gas Laws and Regulations are of utmost importance for both the legal sector and societies overall. Oil & Gas exploration and production have started over a century ago in countries like Poland and Romania, but the current dependence on a single source and the corresponding issues lead to the importance of the matter in the context of interconnectivity and security of supply.”

    The guide looks at critical aspects ranging from the exploration, production, and trading of oil & Gas to competition aspects, stability clauses, and dispute resolution in the sector.

    The guide can be accessed in electronic format here and in pdf format here. 

    The CEE Legal Matters Comparative Legal Guide: Oil & Gas 2022 includes:

  • Time Capsule or Gateway to a Parallel Universe? The March 2022 Issue of CEE Legal Matters Is Out Now!

    If you, like us, would really like to give the world a do-over and tell it to “Try harder!”, the March issue of the CEE Legal Matters magazine is here to help you do just that. It comes from a simpler time when we could reasonably concern ourselves with legal updates, transactional wins, and Partner promotions. Out now!

    Subscribers should be receiving their hard copies in a week or two but, for those of you that really need a break, the electronic version of the issue is already available online here. With Market Spotlights on Slovakia and Ukraine and an Experts Review section focusing on Tax, the March issue includes:

    • Editorial: Stand With Ukraine
    • Guest Editorial by Ron Bar-Nir of Firon Bar-Nir: CEE – A Challenging but Attractive Market
    • Across the Wire: Deals and Cases
    • On The Move: New Homes and Friends
    • The Buzz
    • The Promise of a Stable Year: A Buzz Interview with Nikolay Bebov of Tsvetkova Bebov & Partners
    • Pouring Money Into the Market: A Buzz Interview with Rainer Kaspar of PHH
    • Currency Fluctuations: A Buzz Interview with Caner Elmas of Esin Attorney Partnership
    • Bracing for Elections: A Buzz Interview with Jozsef Kapolyi of Kapolyi Law Firm
    • Minority Governing, Taxes, and Economic Citizenships: A Buzz Interview with Luka Popovic of BDK Advokati
    • Resilient Despite Decision-Making Blockade: A Buzz Interview with Dina Durakovic of DMB Legal
    • Updates On and From Parliament: A Buzz Interview with Ivan Kormanik of Majernik & Mihalikova
    • Building an Economy in the New Reality: A Buzz Interview with Martin Aschenbrenner of PRK Partners
    • New Government, New Digital Courts: A Buzz Interview with Ognen Martinov of Popovski & Partners
    • Healthcare, RE, and IT Are Leading the Charge: A Buzz Interview with Djordje Nikolic of NKO Partners
    • More COVID-19 Updates, Less Bureaucracy: A Buzz Interview with Jera Majzelj of Selih & Partnerji
    • Fighting Corruption: A Buzz Interview with Engjell Rexhepi of RZZ Law
    • Still Betting on the High-Tech Park: A Buzz Interview with Denis Aleinikov of Aleinikov & Partners
    • The PNRR Promise and Pitfalls: A Buzz Interview with Dan Cristea of Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii
    • In Search of a New Energy Normal (Part 1)
    • ESG: Reimagining the Investment Landscape
    • The Corner Office: Favorite Professor
    • Market Spotlight: Slovakia
    • Activity Overview: Slovakia
    • International Firms’ Presence in Slovakia – Not a Passing Trend
    • Know Your Lawyer: Michal Simunic of Cechova & Partners
    • Market Snapshot: Slovakia
      • Is Slovakia Ready for a Hybrid Work Model?
      • New Slovak Act on Screening of Foreign Direct Investments
    • Market Spotlight: Ukraine
    • Activity Overview: Ukraine
    • Exploring the Decrease in the Number of Ranked Firms in Ukraine
    • Know Your Lawyer: Olexiy Soshenko of Redcliffe Partners
    • Market Snapshot: Ukraine
      • Renewable Energy in Ukraine
      • Diia City in a Nutshell
      • Judicial Crisis in Ukraine: Is There a Way Out?
      • Top Trends in Ukrainian Antitrust Law Enforcement: 2022 Forecast
      • Ukraine’s Capital Markets: A Regulatory Snapshot
      • Diia City Corporate Novelties
    • Experts Review: Tax in CEE

    And if you want to travel back in time even further, the January 2022 issue of the CEE Legal Matters magazine has been moved from behind the paywall and made available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike (here in e-reader format and here in pdf). As a reminder, that issue includes:

    Browse all our past issues at leisure, and don’t miss any of the upcoming ones! Register for a subscription to the CEE Legal Matters magazine now!

  • CEE Legal Matters 2021 Deals of the Year Shortlists Announced Today

    The Shortlist Panels have submitted their votes, and the finalists for the 2021 Deal of the Year Awards across CEE have been announced today!

    CEE Legal Matters received more submissions for the Deals of the Year in this, its fifth year of existence, than ever before – 319 submissions, from 108 law firms – reflecting a remarkable year of growth, cooperation, and expansion, all performed against a truly challenging backdrop.

    The full shortlists for each award can be found on the CEELM Deals of the Year event website (here). In total, 151 firms from around the world have been involved in these deals and we wish every last one of them good luck in the final round of voting.

    The final ballots, along with the relevant submissions and input from the Shortlist Panels, are now in the hands of this year’s Final Selection Committee.

    Winners will be announced at the annual CEELM Deals of the Year Banquet in London, scheduled for April 5, 2022, in conjunction with the Dealer’s Choice International Law Firm Summit, co-hosted with Reed Smith.

    Registration for the conference and awards banquet is now open on the event’s website (here), with early bird rates available until March 1, 2022.

    In the meantime, our thanks to everyone who submitted deals for consideration. We appreciate the time and effort that you put into the process, and we – like you – are eager to see the results and to celebrate the winners this spring in London. Good luck, one and all!

  • It Isn’t Over Till the Valkyrie Sings. Our Ultimate Review of the Year – the CEELM Index 2021 – Is Out Now!

    You can’t say the year is over without doing its comprehensive review. And our February special issue does just that: a review of the most active firms and partners in each country, a full list of all the deals submitted for consideration for the 2021 DOTY awards, and our very own Valkyrie Brunhilde: the 2021 Table of Deals, a 70-page summary of over 2,000 client matters reported across CEE. The CEELM Index 2021 is now out!

    Subscribers should be receiving their hard copies in a week or two, but the electronic version of the Index is already available online here, for those looking to put 2021 in their rearview mirror. For size considerations, we had to jettison all our usual sections, so this issue includes:

    • The CEELM Index: Deals
      • Law Firms
      • Partners
    • The CEELM Index: Briefings
    • DOTY: 2021 CEE Deals of the Year Submissions
      • 2021 DOTY Submissions List
      • 2021 DOTY Shortlist Judges Panels
    • The CEELM Index: 2021 Table of Deals

    And remember, today’s the last day for those not already subscribed to the magazine to claim a discounted subscription!

    And with the February issue of the magazine now out, the December 2021 issue of CEE Legal Matters has been moved from behind the paywall and made available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike (here in e-reader format and here in pdf). It’s like Christmas all over again. As a reminder, that issue includes:

    Don’t miss out on our review of 2021 – or the even bigger plans we have in store for 2022 – and register for a subscription to the CEE Legal Matters magazine now!