CEE Legal Matters

Category: News

  • CMS and Schoenherr Advise on Synlab International’s Sale of Eastern European Business Activities to Medicover Group

    CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.

    Synlab International is a provider of medical diagnostics in Europe.

    Medicover Group is a European healthcare and diagnostic services company operating numerous outpatient clinics, hospitals, laboratories, and blood collection points. According to CMS, this transaction is part of Synlab’s overarching strategy to densify its network and focus on markets offering attractive strategic perspectives for its future development.

    The CMS team included Croatia-based Managing Partner Gregor Famira, Partner Marija Zrno Prosic, and Lawyers Manuel Kralj and Dina Celikovic, North Macedonia-based Partner Marija Filipovska Jelcic, Senior Lawyer Aleksandar Josimovski, and Lawyer Aleksandar Kralevski, Romania-based Partner Rodica Manea, Senior Counsel Claudia Nagy, Counsel Raluca Ionescu, Senior Associate Alexandru Dumitrescu, and Associates Simona Strava-Stoica, Rares Crismaru, and Aura Georgiana Marina, Turkiye-based Partner Done Yalcin, Senior Associate Merve Akkus, and Associate Arda Ozkan, as well as Slovenia-based Partner Sasa Sodja, Senior Associate Martina Mahnic Smole, and Lawyer Gasper Hajdu as well as further team members in Germany.

    The Schoenherr team included Austria-based Partner Markus Piuk, Counsel Stephan Roedler, and Associate Alexandra Jelinek, Romania-based Partners Monica Cojocaru and Georgiana Badescu, Managing Attorneys at Law Cristiana Manea and Mihaela Popescu, Senior Attorney at Law Simona Lehniuc, and Attorney at Law Sabina Aionesei, Zagreb-based Partner Vice Mandaric and Associate Dino Rakic, Skopje-based Attorney at Law Andrea Lazarevska, Slovenia-based Co-Managing Partner Bojan Brezan, Partner Peter Gorse, and Associate Zana Zabnikar, and Turkiye-based Partner Murat Kutlug and Associate Emir Kuris.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Schoenherr and Hogan Lovells Advise PTC on Acquisition of IncQuery Group

    Schoenherr and Hogan Lovells have advised PTC on its acquisition of IncQuery Group. Act Legal and Winkler, Barna & Associates reportedly advised the sellers.

    Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PTC is a software company that employs over 7,000 people and supports more than 30,000 customers. 

    IncQuery Group is a provider of digital engineering solutions for systems engineers. According to Schoenherr, the transaction further expands PTC’s expertise in application lifecycle management, systems engineering, and product lifecycle management, enhancing its support for customers across the industrial, manufacturing, and product development sectors.

    The Schoenherr team included Partners Thomas Kulnigg and Christoph Haid, Attorney at Law Niklas Kerschbaumer, Associates Maximilian Czernin, Alexander Giehser, Helene Ecker, and Theresa Dabsch. 

    The Hogan Lovells team in Hungary included Partner Sandor Bekesi, Associated Partner Akos Kovach, Senior Associates Gabor Koszo and Zoltan Molnar, Associate Bianka Veres, Junior Associate Helga Horvath, and Trainee Lawyers Petra Kovacs, Gergely Dobos, and Eszter Szemeredy.

  • RTPR, Karanovic & Partners, White & Case, and Kinstellar Advise on Sale of Regina Maria Group to Mehilainen

    RTPR and Karanovic & Partners have advised MidEuropa on the sale of Regina Maria Group to Mehilainen. White & Case advised Mehilainen. Kinstellar advised Blue Sea Capital on the sell-side as well. Reportedly, A&O Shearman’s London office also advised MidEuropa while Bondoc & Asociatii also advised Mehilainen.

    The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

    According to RTPR, Regina Maria Group is an integrated private healthcare network in Romania, offering a range of multi-specialty outpatient and hospital services through its 300-unit network and serving over two million patients annually. The sale also includes Regina Maria’s sister company, MediGroup, a service provider in the private healthcare market in Serbia. 

    Mehilainen is a Finland-based healthcare and social care provider and is a CVC Capital Partners portfolio company.

    Blue Sea Capital is an independent private equity firm with offices in Belgrade and Zagreb, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises in the region.

    The RTPR team included Managing Partner Costin Taracila, Partners Alina Stavaru and Roxana Ionescu, Senior Associate Marina Fecheta-Giurgica, and Associate Maria Luca.

    The Karanovic & Partners team included Senior Partners Rastko Petakovic and Milos Jakovljevic, Partner Sava Draca, and Junior Associate Anja Karadzic.

    The White & Case team included Prague-based Partner Petr Panek, Local Partners Jana Chwaszcz and Magda Olysarova, and Associates Hana Matouskova, Barbora Smekalova, and Lucie Zanaskova, as well as further team members in Abu Dhabi, London, Washington DC, Luxembourg, and Brussels.

    The Kinstellar team included Partner Hugh Owen and Senior Associate Bianca Kovacs.

  • Olga Ladrowska Makes Partner at Slaughter and May

    Slaughter and May has promoted Olga Ladrowska to Partner as part of a promotion round that saw a total of six new Partners at the firm.

    Ladrowska is part of the Disputes and Investigations team at Slaughter and May. Prior to joining Slaughter and May, Olga completed a Ph.D. in private international law at the University of Cambridge.

    “I am delighted to announce the election of six new partners,” commented Senior Partner Roland Turnill. “They will each bring valued experience and insight to their respective practice areas, the firm, and our clients.”

  • Taylor Wessing Advises Peak on Sale to UiPath

    Taylor Wessing has advised Peak on its acquisition by UiPath.

    Peak is an inventory and pricing optimization company headquartered in Manchester.

    UiPath is an enterprise automation and AI software company founded in Romania.

    According to Taylor Wessing, Peak is set to scale its solutions globally as part of UiPath’s next-generation, AI-driven agentic applications powered by large language models.

    The Taylor Wessing team was led by London-based Partners Howard Palmer and Elinor Picton.

    Taylor Wessing did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

  • Kinstellar Advises EMMA Capital on Acquisition of Diamedix in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, and Ukraine

    Kinstellar has advised EMMA Capital Group on its acquisition of Diamedix from Chrelias Vasileios and GED Eastern Fund II – Fondo de Capital de Riesgo, via its subsidiary Emma Zeta.

    EMMA Capital Group is a private investment group.

    Diamedix is a Romania-based independent medical equipment distributor. According to Kinstellar, the transaction involves the acquisition of Diamedix Impex, along with its five subsidiaries operating in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.

    The Kinstellar team included Romania-based Partner Zsuzsa Csiki, Special Counsel Claudia Popescu, Counsel Catalin Graure, Managing Associate Mihai Stan, Senior Associates Ioana Popescu and Cosmin Vasilescu, Associates Teodora Nicoschi, Dana Sarbu, Denisa Constantin, and Alexandra Sofineti, and Junior Associates Cristina Costin and Andreea Vladareanu, Ukraine-based Managing Partner Olena Kuchynska, Of Counsel Ihor Kitela, and Associates Oleksandra Putiienko and Diana Malysh, and Bulgaria-based Managing Partner Diana Dimova and Senior Associate Nikolay Gergov.

    Kinstellar could not provide additional information on the matter.

  • CMS Mints New Partners in CEE

    CMS has promoted Romania-based Alina Tihan, Hungary-based Veronika Kovacs, and Bulgaria-based Borislava Piperkova to Partner, as part of its latest promotion round that saw a total of 56 lawyers elevated to partnership ranks.

    The round included Slovakia-based Martina Gavalec and Natalia Janoskova (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on February 5, 2025).

    Tihan’s primary area of focus is finance. She has been with CMS as a Senior Counsel since 2019 and was previously engaged with the firm as a Senior Associate between 2007 and 2016. Between 2016 and 2019, Tihan was a Senior Managing Associate with Reff & Associates, a member of the Deloitte Legal network.

    Kovacs focuses primarily on life sciences & healthcare, public procurement, and commercial areas. She has been with the firm since 2010 when she joined as a Senior Associate. In 2021, she was promoted to Senior Counsel.

    Piperkova is the Head of Renewables at CMS Sofia. She has been with the firm since 2008, first joining the firm as a Trainee. She has been a Counsel since 2023.

    “We’re delighted to welcome another strong cohort of lawyers to the partnership who demonstrate the depth and breadth of talent across the firm’s practice areas and geographies,” commented Senior Partner for CMS UK Charles Currier. “Our new Partners have all shown a commitment to delivering excellence for our clients and they embody core CMS values of collaboration and innovation. We look forward to seeing their practices continue to develop and thrive.”

    “Congratulations to our newest CMS Partners who have consistently shown that they are adaptable and proactive in their approach to serving our clients,” added CMS Chairman Pierre-Sebastien Thill. “Their leadership will help solidify CMS’s commitment to delivering high-quality expert advice and innovative, industry-shaping solutions.”

  • Paksoy, Linklaters, Herguner Bilgen Ucer, and Moskwa Jarmul Haladyj Advise on Actera Group and Esas Holding’s Exit from Mars Spor Kulubu

    Paksoy, working with Linklaters, has advised Actera Group and Esas Holding on their exit from Mars Spor Kulubu to Benefit Systems. Herguner Bilgen Ucer and Moskwa Jarmul Haladyj advised Benefit Systems.

    Mars Spor Kulubu operates in the Turkish fitness club market under the MAC Fit, MAC One, and MAC Studio brands, as well as the NuSPA chain of spa centers.

    Benefit Systems is a Polish fitness and employee wellness solutions company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

    The Paksoy team included Partner Ayse Demirel Atakan and Associate Meric Sacak Albas.

    The Linklaters team included Partner Daniel Cousens and Managing Associate Michal Szperzynski.

    The Herguner Bilgen Ucer team included Partner Senem Denktas, Senior Associates Sertac Cosgun and Hazar Basar, and Senior Competition Consultant Nese Nur Yazgan.

    The MJH team included Partners Lukasz Blazejczyk and Pawel Moskwa.