CEE Legal Matters

Category: News

  • Sorainen Advising KPMG Sweden on Acquisition of KPMG Latvia and KPMG Lithuania

    Sorainen, working alongside Sweden’s Mannheimer Swartling, is advising KPMG Sweden on its acquisition of KPMG Latvia and KPMG Lithuania.

    According to Sorainen, “the acquisition will bring new opportunities and will allow KPMG Sweden, KPMG Latvia, and KPMG Lithuania to become even stronger market players in the region.”

    Sorainen’s team in Latvia included Managing Partner Eva Berlaus and Associate Liva Aleksejeva, and its team in Lithuania included Managing Partner Laimonas Skibarka and Senior Associate Jonas Kiauleikis.

  • White & Case Advises TPG Capital on Development Financing

    White & Case has advised international investment company TPG Capital on a development loan for unidentified industrial premises to “serve as multi-purpose facilities for warehousing, administration, and trade and science and technology.”

    White & Case’s team included Prague-based Partner Jonathan Weinberg and Prague-based Associates Katerina Hudeckova and Klara Kolomaznikova as well as Bratislava-based Associates Simona Rapava and David Stanek. 

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

  • Kinstellar Advises Earlybird Venture Capital on EUR 3 Million Funding to Payhawk

    Kinstellar has advised Earlybird Venture Capital on its EUR 3 million seed funding of the Fintech startup Payhawk, the paperless corporate card used for simplifying expenses for businesses.

    The Kinstellar team was co-led by Istanbul-based Partner Emre Edmund Ozer and Sofia-based Partner Diana Dimova and included Senior Associate Mert Elcin and Associate Orhan Can Sevener from Istanbul and Managing Associate Nina Tsifudina and Senior Associate Maya Medzhedelieva from Sofia.

    Kinstellar did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

  • Tsvetelina Stoilova-Valkanova Joins Popov, Arnaudov & Partners as Head of Banking & Finance

    Tsvetelina Stoilova-Valkanova has joined Popov, Arnaudov & Partners as Senior Associate Partner and Head of Banking & Finance.

    Popov, Arnaudov & Partners cites Stoilova-Valkanova’s “extensive practice in the areas of Corporate and Commercial law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy, Real estate and Construction, Maritime law and Transport.” She graduated from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and began her career as a legal advisor to the Ministry of Transport Executive Agency for Maritime Administration. Prior to joining Popov, Arnaudov & Partners, she spent five and a half years at Dobrev, Kinkin & Luytskanov and six and a half years at Kinkin & Partners.

  • Per Magnusson Leaves Magnusson

    Sweden’s Per Magnusson, the co-founder of the Magnusson law firm, which has offices in seven countries — including four in CEE — has left the firm to launch an advisory business in Stockholm.

    In addition to offices in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, Magnusson has offices in Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The firm’s Poland office recently split off to rebrand as Penteris (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 2, 2020).

    Per Magnusson, who founded his eponymous firm with three colleagues in 2004, left it in February to launch Magnusson Minds — a consultancy offering litigation and arbitration advice to clients and providing advisory work, such as running M&A transactions and advising company boards — in Stockholm. Commenting on his decision to leave the firm he started 16 years ago, Magnusson said: “It has been an amazing journey. I am so proud of what we have achieved together. To be able to work with so many gifted, hard-working, and loyal colleagues has been a true privilege. In the end, our work comes down to three things: People, People, and People. As enriching as this adventure has been, it is now time for a change. I have turned 60 and it is time for the next generation to take over.”

    Ewa Ihrman, CEO of Magnusson Sweden, said: “Magnusson is an outstanding company. We have a renewed drive to continue to develop our business and challenge the industry, while preserving the legacy that Per has created. We continue to be entrepreneurial and visionary and have the ability to take on the great and small challenges of the future with open minds. Although we would gladly have Per continue here with us for a while yet, we understand and respect his wish to move on and do something different in life.”

  • Greenberg Traurig, Kinstellar, and Allen & Overy Advise on GLP’s Acquisition of Goodman Group’s CEE Logistics Portfolio

    Greenberg Traurig has provided Polish advice to GLP on its acquisition of Goodman Group’s Central and Eastern Europe logistics real estate portfolio. Kirkland & Ellis served as global legal counsel to GLP, while Kinstellar provided local legal advice with respect to the Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian aspects of the transaction. Goodman Group was advised by Allen & Overy.

    Closing of the transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals.

    Greenberg Traurig describes GLP as “an investment manager and business builder in logistics, real estate, insurance, and related technologies sectors.” It operates across Brazil, China, Europe, India, Japan, and the U.S. and has approximately USD 89 billion in assets under management in real estate and private equity funds.

    Also, the firm reports that “Goodman Group’s Central and Eastern European approximately 40-strong team in the region will join GLP’s European team, Gazeley, upon the completion of the transaction. The acquired 2.4 million square meter portfolio is concentrated on key logistics routes across the region with access to growing markets for e-commerce and distribution.”

    Greenberg Traurig’s team included Partner Jolanta Nowakowska-Zimoch, Local Partners Dominik Rafalko and Anna Halas-Krawczyk, Senior Associate Pawel Jaskiewicz, and Associates Aleksandra Kaczmarek, Jakub Gajzler, Maxymilian Rybczynski, Alicja Flis, Aleksandra Staromiejska, Tomasz Szekalski, Grzegorz Socha, Iga Czerniak, Natalia Wolkowycka, and Marta Kownacka.

    Kinstellar’s team in Prague included Partners Klara Stepankova and Jan Juroska and Senior Associate Rudolf Schichor. Its Bratislava team included Partner Viliam Mysicka and Associate Dasa Labasova, and its team in Budapest included Managing Associate Monika Frank and Associates Laszlo Palocz and Bertalan Vanya.

    Allen & Overy’s team included Partner Michal Matera, Senior Associates Maciej Skoczynski, Marcin Czaprowski, Lukasz Lech, Michal Gajdus, and Maciej Kulawik, and Associates Malgorzata Jastrzebska and Katarzyna Fus.

  • Noerr and Eisenberger & Herzog Advise Coveris on Acquisition of Plasztik-Tranzit

    The Budapest office of Noerr and Austria’s Eisenberger & Herzog have advised Austrian packaging company Coveris on its acquisition of Plasztik-Tranzit Kft, a producer of flexible packaging solutions for the food industry. The unidentified sellers were advised by solo practitioner Tamas Reisz.

    The Eisenberger & Herzog team was led by Partner Clemens Lanschuetzer and included Partner Alric Ofenheimer and Associate Helena Neuer.

    Noerr’s Budapest team was led by Partner Zoltan Nadasdy and Counsel Akos Mates-Lanyi and included Partner Edina Schweizer. Senior Associate Szilvia Andriska, Counsel Adam Gyorgy Bodor, and Asscoiate Reka Zambo.

  • Walless Advises on Sale of BBaltics to Wasserman

    Walless Advises on Sale of BBaltics to Wasserman

    Walless has advised Tadas Bulotas on the sale of Lithuania’s BBaltics sports agency to the Wasserman sports agency.

    As part of the deal, Bulotas, who founded BBaltics, becomes Wasserman’s Vice President, International Basketball.

    According to Walless, “Wasserman has a clientele of more international NBA players than any other basketball agency in the world. Tadas Bulotas has more than ten years of experience in representing professional basketball players.”

    Walless’ team consisted of Partners Aiste Medeliene and Mindaugas Lukas and Senior Associate Arturas Grimaila.

  • Dmitry Churin Makes Partner at Capital Legal Services

    Dmitry Churin Makes Partner at Capital Legal Services

    Dmitry Churin, Head of the Corporate practice at Capital Legal Services, has been promoted to Partner at the firm.

    Churin has over 20 years of experience. According to Capital Legal Services, he ”provides legal support to clients in such areas as energy, oil & gas, financial services, industrial production, and trade.” The firm reports that “he consults on issues of entering the Russian market, implementing investment projects, acquiring property complexes and enterprises, as well as on business restructuring.”

    Churin holds a specialist degree in law from the St. Petersburg University. He spent four years in-house with Orlovsky Steel-Rolling Plant, four years as a Senior Associate with Capital Legal Services, almost three years in the same position with Pavia e Ansaldo, and over a year with Castren & Snellman, before re-joining Capital Legal Services in 2012.

  • Ellex Valiunas, Wardynski & Partners and NNDKP Advise Edenred on Acquisition of Majority Stake in EBV Finance

    Ellex Valiunas, Wardynski & Partners and NNDKP Advise Edenred on Acquisition of Majority Stake in EBV Finance

    Ellex Valiunas has advised Edenred SA on its acquisition of a 60% stake in Lithuania’s EBV Finance. The acquisition also included EBV Finance subsidiaries in Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Spain and Estonia. Penkov Markov & Partners advised Edenred in Bulgaria, as did Wardynski & Partners in Poland, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen in Romania, and Uria Menendez in Spain.

    Ellex Valiunas describes EBV Finance as “one of the leading players in the Northern and Eastern European market for tax refunds for European transport companies.”

    Ellex Valiunas’s team consisted of Partner Paulius Gruodis, Associate Partner Ruta Armone, Associate Aleksandras Asovskij, Experts Ilona Janciauskaite and Gintaras Balcius, Lawyers Augustinas Macionis and Diana Cerkeviciute, and Junior Associate Tomas Balcytis, and Ellex Raidla Associate Reet Saks.

    The Wardynski & Partners team consisted of Partner Krzysztof Libiszewski and Associate Michal Gintowt.

    The NNDKP team included Partner Corina Dumitru and Associate Claudia Lazar.

    Editor’s Note: After this article was published Penkov Markov & Partners informed CEE Legal Matters that its team consisted of Managing Partner Nikolay Cvetanov and Attorney at Law Vyara Tomova.