CEE Legal Matters

Category: News

  • Wendela Raas Elected as Dentons Europe CEO

    Dentons’ Europe Partners have elected Amsterdam-based Partner Wendela Raas as the firm’s Europe CEO succeeding Tomasz Dabrowski. Raas will start her term on November 1, 2024.

    According to Dentons Raas will be “responsible for the leadership and strategy of the Europe Region which includes 23 offices in 18 countries in Europe and Central Asia.”

    “In my short time with Dentons, I have seen Wendela demonstrate true leadership capability and a collaborative spirit,” Dentons Global CEO-elect Kate Barton commented. “I congratulate her on her election as Europe Region CEO and I look forward to partnering with her as she focuses on elevating our brand and client service across our Europe Region – one of the Firm’s crown jewels”. 

    “I am thrilled and grateful to have been entrusted by my fellow Partners to lead our firm across Europe and Central Asia,” Raas added. “I thank Tomasz Dabrowski for his immense contribution to our firm over the last 11 years and I look forward to continuing to enhance and differentiate our brand and being the go-to firm for our clients’ evolving needs within Europe and Central Asia and across the more than 80 countries globally where Dentons has a presence.”

    “It has truly been an honor to serve as Europe CEO for more than a decade,” Dabrowski said. “I am very pleased to be handing over the reins to Wendela as my successor. She is a consummate professional, a highly regarded lawyer, and an experienced leader and I believe she is the right person to lead our teams across Europe into the future.”

    Dabrowski has served as Europe Region CEO since 2014. According to the firm, under his leadership, “Dentons has experienced exceptional growth across Europe and Central Asia, more than doubling revenue and partner count. During his tenure, Dentons expanded its footprint in the region, adding offices in Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Rome and Tbilisi, and strengthened capabilities across the region, particularly in key Western European markets.”

    Raas was the Managing Partner of Amsterdam-based Boekel De Neree which combined with Dentons in 2017. She is a member of Dentons’ Europe Region Board and Global Board and serves as Global Vice Chair. She also serves as the Global Leader of the Consumer Products and Services sector group. 

  • Wolf Theiss Opens Office in Brussels

    Wolf Theiss has opened a new office in Brussels under the joint leadership of Partners Anca Jurcovan, Guenter Bauer, Robert Wagner, and Stefan Wartinger.

    According to Wolf Theiss, the goal behind setting up this new office is to enhance its ability to connect clients directly to the “core of EU operations while supporting partner firms in navigating regulatory matters across the CEE/SEE region.” Moreover, the firm believes that the new office will allow it to “offer enhanced advice on competition law, mergers, FDI, state aid and compliance.”

    Jurcovan has been with Wolf Theiss since 2020 when she joined as a Partner. Earlier, she spent almost 15 years with Tuca, Zbarcea & Asociatii between 2005 and 2019. 

    Bauer has been with Wolf Theiss since 2007. Before that, he was with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer between 1999 and 2005.

    Wagner has been with the firm since 2009 when he joined as an Associate. He became a Senior Associate in 2013, a Counsel in 2018, and a Partner in 2020 (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on July 3, 2020).

    Wartinger joined Wolf Theiss in 2021 as a Senior Associate and was promoted to Counsel that same year. In 2023, he was promoted to partner (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 20, 2023). Earlier, he worked for E+H as an Associate between 2013 and 2018 and Attorney at Law between 2018 and 2021.

  • Dentons, E+H, Kinstellar, and A&O Shearman Advise on EUR 290 Million Financing to Tatry Mountain Resorts

    Dentons, working with E+H, has advised a club of senior lenders, led by Tatra Banka as the global coordinator, on financing for Tatry Mountain Resorts consisting of a EUR 180 million senior facility and a EUR 110 million junior facility. Kinstellar advised J&T Banka as the junior lender. A&O Shearman advised Tatry Mountain Resorts.

    Tatry Mountain Resorts operates in the field of tourism in Central and Eastern Europe and owns or leases and operates mountain resorts, amusement parks, golf resorts, restaurants, sports services, shops, and hotels.

    According to Dentons, “the financing will be used to complete the recapitalization of TMR while also providing financing for sustainable growth. Tatra Banka acted as global coordinator and mandated lead arranger, UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia and Slovenska Sporitelna were mandated lead arrangers, PKO Bank Polski and Ceskoslovenska Obchodna Banka joined as arrangers, and Ceska Sporitelna and Raiffeisenbank CR participated as senior lenders. J&T Banka participated as the junior lender.”

    Earlier this year, A&O Shearman advised Tatry Mountain Resorts on a EUR 120 million offering (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 5, 2024).

    The Dentons team included Slovakia-based Partner Patricia Gossanyiova, Counsel Miroslav Kapinaj, Senior Associates Katarina Slezakova and Richard Marcincin, Associates Bianca Bohmova and David Stanek, and Junior Associate Nikola Salvova, Czech Republic-based Partner Ondrej Barton and Junior Associate Vanda Zaklaiova, and Poland-based Partner Bartosz Nojek, Senior Associate Mateusz Ciechomski, and Associate Karol Scibor. 

    The E+H team included Partners Marcus Benes and Laurencz Liedermann and Associates Dilara Mamuk and Willibald Salomon.

    The Kinstellar team included Partner Tomas Melisek, Senior Associate Erik Neupaver, and Associates Michaela Strakova and Norbert Stilla.

    The A&O Shearman team included Partner Renatus Kollar, Counsel Matus Kudlak, Senior Associates Petra Dzubakova and Jan Deset, and Lawyer Tereza Tvaroskova.

  • White & Case Advises on EUR 500 million Mortgage Covered Bonds Issuance by UniCredit

    White & Case has advised joint lead managers Commerzbank, Danske Bank, DZ BANK, Erste Group Bank, Raiffeisen Bank International, and UniCredit Bank on the issuance of EUR 500 million 2.875% mortgage-covered bonds due 2029 under the EUR 10 billion mortgage-covered bond program of UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia.

    According to White & Case, “the mortgage-covered bonds were admitted to trading on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.”

    The White & Case team included Partner Petr Hudec, Counsel Petr Smerkl, and Associate Jan Vacula as well as additional team members in Frankfurt.

    White & Case did not respond to our inquiry on the matter. 

  • GIde, Ellex, and CMS Advise on EUR 300 Million Financing for Sunly

    GIde and Ellex, working with Ashurst, have advised Rivage Investment, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and Norway’s Kommunal Landspensjonskasse on a EUR 300 million IPP financing for the construction of 1.3-gigawatt of solar PV, wind, storage, and hybrid parks in the Baltics and Poland, provided to Sunly. CMS and reportedly White & Case and Sorainen advised Sunly.

    Sunly is an Estonian renewable energy producer.

    The Gide team included Partner Pawel Grzeskowiak, Of Counsel Marta Karminska, Counsel Mateusz Gronau, Assocaite Szymon Rydzewski, and Paralegal Mateusz Glaz.

    The CMS team included Counsel Martyna Markiewicz, Senior Associate Kamila Singer, and Associate Maciej Lorenz.

    The Ellex team included Partners Ermo Kosk and Liis Konn and Counsels Toomas Kasesalu and Dmitri Rozenblat.

  • Dentons Advises SOCAR on Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli Non-Associated Gas Deal

    Dentons has advised the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic on an addendum to the existing production sharing agreement with BP, MOL, INPEX, Equinor, ExxonMobil, TPAO, ITOCHU, and ONGC Videsh for the development of the non-associated natural gas reservoirs in the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli field.

    According to Dentons, “located approximately 100 kilometers east of Baku, ACG is the largest oilfield in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea basin. The addendum amends the ACG PSA to enable the parties to explore, appraise, develop, and produce from the ACG field’s NAG reservoirs of up to 4 trillion cubic feet of gas. The addendum is effective until the end of the existing ACG PSA in 2049. The deal could result in the investment of billions of dollars into the development of NAG reservoirs of the ACG field over the next 25 years.”

    Prague-based Senior Counsel Jon Hines was one of the lawyers leading the Dentons team which also included team members in London and Baku.

  • White & Case Advises Banks on Vifor Wind Farm Financing in Romania

    White & Case, working with Bondoc si Asociatii, has advised a club of eight commercial banks and international financial institutions on the up-to-EUR 291 million financing of the construction of the 461-megawatt Rezolv Energy’s Vifor wind farm in Romania.

    The White & Case team in Prague included Partners Jonathan Weinberg and Vit Stehlik, Local Partners Radek Kraus and David Wilhelm, and Associates Katerina Hudeckova, Magdalena Lajdova, Vinh Ngo The, and Martin Vorisek.

    White & Case did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.

    Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Bondoc si Asociatii announced that its team included Partners Simona Petrisor, Monica Iancu, Diana Ispas, and Cosmin Stavaru and Lawyers Florin Sandu, Silviu Vasiliu, Oana Danila, Yasmina Pascale, Ionel Macovei, Matei Vilcov, Raluca Catargiu, Andrei Pruna, Vasile Soltan, and Rares Iacob.

  • Dentons and DRV Legal Advise on Yanmar Group’s Acquisition of Tedom

    Dentons has advised Yanmar Group on its acquisition of Tedom from the Jet Investment fund. DRV Legal advised Jet Investment Fund.

    The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

    The Yanmar Group is a Japanese-headquartered engine and machinery manufacturer.

    Tedom is a Czech-based energy engineering company. According to Dentons, “with operations in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Kazakhstan, Tedom Group is expected to generate approximately EUR 315 million in revenue in 2024.”

    The Dentons’ team included Prague-based Partners Petr Zakoucky and David Simek, Counsel Lukas Vymola, Senior Associates Jan Gerych, Adam Prerovsky, Tomas Pavelka, and Michael Mracek, Associate Krystof Vrtek, Michal Vik, Katerina Kucerova, and Jan Sedlak, and Junior Associates Arne Delong, Robert Kveton, and Jana Dudychova, Bratislava-based Partner Juraj Gyarfas, Senior Associate Tatiana Jevcakova, and Junior Associate Roman Kettner, Warsaw-based Partner Agnieszka Stefanowicz-Baranska, Managing Counsel Marcin Paliwoda, Counsel Maciej Marek, Senior Associate Beata Blaz, Associate Martyna Oziembala, and Junior Associate Karolina Gerula, as well as further team members in Amsterdam, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Milton Keynes, New York, and Almaty.

    The DRV Legal team included Partners Tomas Rada and Tomas Antal, Attorney at Law Matej Urbanek, and Junior Lawyer Magdalena Rozlivkova.

  • Andreea Zvac, Oleg Temnikov, Stefan Horn, and Alexander Zollner Make Partner at Wolf Theiss

    Wolf Theiss has promoted former Counsels Andreea Zvac, Oleg Temnikov, Stefan Horn, and Alexander Zollner to Partner.

    Zvac is a member of the Dispute Resolution practice in Wolf Theiss’ Bucharest office. She has been with the firm since 2012. Before that, she worked at Zamfirescu Racoti Predoiu between 2007 and 2012 and with Sova & Asociatii between 2005 and 2007. Zvac began her career in 2002, spending three years with Igret & Oancea.

    “I’m excited to step into this new role as Partner and am grateful for the trust and support from my colleagues and clients,” commented Zvac. “It’s been a journey of hard work and dedication and I’m eager to continue building on that foundation with our excellent team, in order to achieve even greater success and deliver excellent results!”

    Temnikov is part of Wolf Theiss’ Sofia office, working in the Projects, Regulatory, and Dispute Resolution teams. He has been with the firm since 2011, when he joined as an Associate. He became a Senior Associate in 2016 and Counsel in 2019. 

    “The promotion to Partner at Wolf Theiss for me is more than just a title or a career achievement – it’s a testament to years of hard work, trust, and dedication,” said Temnikov. “It’s the next stage of a journey where every challenge sharpened my skills, every success built my confidence and every failure reminded me of humility. This is the moment where personal growth and collective achievement intertwine since the way wouldn’t be possible without the support and leadership of the Wolf Theiss partnership.”

    Horn is a member of the Real Estate and Construction team in the Vienna office. He has been with the firm since 2017, when he joined as an Associate. He was promoted to Senior Associate in 2019 and Counsel in 2022.

    “This promotion marks a significant milestone in my career,” Horn said. “Becoming a Partner feels like a testament to hard work, dedication, and the invaluable support of mentors and colleagues. I am honored to continue on this journey, building on the trust and responsibility placed in me.”

    Finally, Zollner is part of the Dispute Resolution team in the Vienna office. He has been with the firm since 2018. He joined as an Associate and was promoted to Senior Associate that same year. He became a Counsel in 2020. Earlier, he was a Junior Associate with Baker McKenzie between 2013 and 2017.

    “I am deeply honored to be promoted to Partner and grateful for the trust that is put in me by Wolf Theiss,” Zollner stated. “It motivates me to continue the hard work and to push myself even further on the journey ahead. I’d also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to my team and fellow colleagues at the firm who have supported me over the years. I am very grateful to have you by my side.”

  • Dentons Advises Resource Partners on Acquisition of Vola and FRU

    Dentons has advised Resource Partners on its acquisition of an 80% stake in Interactive Travel Holdings, the parent company of the Romanian brand Vola.ro and Polish brand FRU.pl, which also operates in Bulgaria and Moldova, from 3TS Capital Partners and the Polish co-founders of FRU.pl. CMS and DLA Piper reportedly advised the sellers.

    Resource Partners is a CEE-focused independent private equity firm.

    According to Dentons, “the transaction is aimed at the company’s further development and expansion into new international markets, as well as at strengthening its position in the online travel industry.” Moreover, the transaction is “supporting a management buyout led by the Romanian management team. Daniel Truica will continue in his role as Group CEO of ITH, with a substantial minority stake. Furthermore, Resource Partners has chosen to retain the entire management team, a decision that reflects their confidence in the team’s ability to drive the company’s continued success and growth.”

    The Dentons team included Warsaw-based Partners Piotr Dulewicz and Michal Wasiak, Counsels Natalia Lawniczak-Koziol and Maciej Marek, Senior Associate Marcin Przybysz, and Associates Marcin Urbanski, Aleksandra Redzisz, Weronika Urbszys, Barbara Domanska, and Karolina Gerula and Bucharest-based Partners Cristian Popescu and Raul Mihu, Senior Associates Cosmin Roman and Simona Moisa, and Associates Ruxandra Ronea, Mihut Radu, and Iulia Titirisca.