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Wolf Theiss has advised the publicly traded company Rexel, a French group specialized in the distribution of electrical supplies, on the sale of parts of its Czech business to family-owned Elektro S.M.S. The purchasers were represented by sole practitioner Petr Dvorak. TPA Horwath was the sell-side financial advisor.

According to Wolf Theiss, Rexel “decided to concentrate on other markets and to sell its Czech branches. The sale mainly covered its wholesale and retail business of electrical wiring material in the Czech Republic. Thirteen of nineteen branches located in Jablonec and Nisou, Prague, Kolin, Pardubice, Trebic, Zdar and Sazavou, and other regions, as well as a central warehouse in Prostejov, were sold to the Czech Elektro S.M.S. company.” The sale became effective on January 1, 2015.

The Wolf Theiss team was led by Counsel Jan Kotous and Associate Ondrej Manek.

Sorainen has announced that Corporate/M&A lawyer Sergej Butov has been promoted and becomes the twenty-fourth partner with the firm regionally and the eighth partner in Lithuania.

Butov, who has been with Sorainen since 2009, will continue to contribute his practice within the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice and the Energy & Utilities and Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences Sector Groups.

Says Laimonas Skibarka, new Co-managing Partner of Sorainen: “For us, it is an important stage of development: a lawyer who has developed professionally as a member of our team to achieve the recognition of Lithuanian and international clients has now become the eighth partner with our Lithuanian office. Over the past few years, we have strengthened Lithuanian team by recruiting two new partners externally, and now it is time for our own professionals to be recognized.”

During his 14 years of legal practice, Butov has advised Lithuanian and foreign strategic and financial investors in M&A, private equity, reorganization, and other transactions. According to the firm, “over the past year, Sergej has led major market transactions, such as the acquisition by PZU of the RSA insurance business in the Baltics (including Lietuvos draudimas) for EUR 270 million, the acquisition of Ukio bankas assets in Scotland, the acquisition of 100% of shares in General Financing by Marginalen, and the sale of shares in Helisota.”

Butov holds a master’s degree in law from Vilnius University and a master’s degree in corporate law from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Last year, he finished his executive MBA studies at the Baltic Management Institute. Before joining Sorainen, Butov spent eight years with Lawin in Lithuania.

Schoenherr and Slaughter & May have advised GE Jenbacher, a subsidiary of the US-based conglomerate General Electric, on its acquisition of Francesconi Technologie, a technological products firm based in Kapfenberg, Austria.

The transaction, which was signed at the end of December 2014, was completed on January 20, 2015 after all necessary approvals were obtained. The seller, the Francesconi Private Foundation, was advised by Taylor Wessing’s Vienna office.

Francesconi Technologie manufactures precision components for measuring technology, medical technology, microsystems technology, precision mechanics, and sensor technology, as well as precision casings, metal components, and precision laser screens. GE’s Jenbacher gas engine division is a manufacturer of gas-fueled reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets, and cogeneration units for power generation.

The Schoenherr team advising GE was led by Partner Christian Herbst, and included Partner Volker Weiss, Attorney Maximilian Lang, and Associate Tamara Gaggl. 

Glimstedt has announced that Partner Marko Tiiman, one of the founders of the firm, took over the role of Managing Partner from Partner Indrek Leppik on January 1, 2015.

Tiiman has been a member of the team as an attorney at law and Partner since the founding of the firm in 2004. He has been a member of the Estonian Bar Association since 1996, and a member of the audit committee of the association since 2003. He is an expert in litigation and competition law with a substantial experience in administrative and civil matters. 

The firm also announced that Leho Pihkva, a specialist in commercial real estate transactions, became an Associated Partner a the firm, also on January 1, 2015. Pihkva has more than 14 years of experience in commercial real estate and business transactions, and joined Glimstedt in 2012, after having spent the previous seven and a half years at Sorainen.

CMS has advised the Polish bank mBank on the sale of its 100% stake in the Transfinance factoring business to UniCredit Bank. mBank will remain present in the Czech Republic focusing exclusively on its retail activities.

Transfinance provides working capital finance for small and medium enterprises in the form of factoring of domestic and foreign receivables. It was the first specialied factoring company in the Czech Republic and was founded in 1991. Allen & Overy represented UniCredit in the transaction.

The CMS team was led by Patrik Przyhoda and included, among others, Lucie Halloova, Lukas Valusek, and Pavel Drimal.

The Allen & Overy team was led by Partner Jan Myska, who was assisted by Corporate Associate Ondrej Kramolis. 

Image source: nelso.com

Dentons has announced that Polish lawyers Katarzyna Bilewska, Elzbieta Lis, and Ewa Rutkowska-Subocz have been promoted to Partner.

Katarzyna Bilewska heads the corporate litigation team at Dentons in Warsaw. She has fourteen years of professional experience under her belt, primarily in civil and commercial law. She advises banks, investment funds and investors in pre-litigation disputes and represents them in court. Bilewska is also a professor in the Faculty of Law and Administration of Warsaw University and the author of more than 150 publications dealing with commercial law issues.

Elzbieta Lis is with Dentons’ real estate law practice and heads the Warsaw-based team dedicated to Spanish-speaking clients. With over fifteen years of professional practice, she specializes in major transactions in the real estate and hotel markets, joint ventures, and in deals involving the largest retail centers in the region. Lis also has experience in handling IPOs regarding real estate companies operating in Central Europe.

Ewa Rutkowska-Subocz is head of the environment and natural resources protection practice. Since the start of her professional career eighteen years ago, she has advised domestic and foreign companies, familiar with all aspects of business operations involving environment protection, prospecting, and extracting natural resources. 

Arkadiusz Krasnodebski, Dentons’ Managing Partner in Poland, commented on the additions to the firm’s partnership: ‘These promotions are the fruit of spectacular successes scored by our ladies, and of the years of experience which made them all experts in their respective fields. By helping resolve disputes and providing support to investors, they contribute to the development of important sectors of Poland’s economy, and for this we owe them our sincere congratulations and heartfelt thanks.”

Herbert Smith Freehills has announced that it is advising the Moscow government on the “Kutuzovsky Northern Bypass” project. As described previously, Linklaters is also acting on the project, representing a consortium including CJSC Leader, one of the largest asset management companies in Russia and the CIS.

Olga Revzina, Infrastructure and PPP Partner at Herbert Smith in Moscow, commented: “The Kutuzovsky Northern Bypass  is a significant and unique infrastructure project for Russia. It is first of its kind in Moscow and having it in our portfolio confirms HSF’s leading position in the Russian infrastructure sector. Advising the city for more than a year, we were the team providing true turnkey services: from structuring the project’s model to drafting and negotiating bid instruction documents and the concession agreement. We aimed high to both  safeguard our client’s interests, while keeping the project bankable despite the  current economic turbulence in Russia.”

Senior Associate Roman Churakov acted as project executive for the Herbert Smith Freehills team advising on the project.

Sorainen has announced that its partnership has unanimously decided to appoint Toomas Prangli and Laimonas Skibarka Co-Managing Partners of the firm, effective as of January 1, 2015. The two will also continue leading the firm’s M&A and Private Equity practices in Estonia and Lithuania respectively.

Prangli’s career with Sorainen started back in 1997 in Tallinn. After six years he became one of the first partners in the firm, and from 2009-2010 he managed, integrated, and developed the firm’s Belarusian office. He has headed the firm’s regional M&A and Private Equity practices for many years. Currently he is Office Managing Partner of Sorainen Estonia. 

Skibarka joined the Sorainen partnership in 2006 and has also served as regional and local head of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity practices for some years. He was appointed two years ago as Office Managing Partner of Sorainen Lithuanias. 

Sorainen Senior Partner Aku Sorainen commented on the appointments: “Legal business is not rocket science and does not require highly complex systems. The most important thing is to have enthusiastic and competent leaders on board who are able to energise others. We are happy to have this kind of new captains on board.” 

Skibarka and Prangli replace previous Managing Partner Pekka Puolakka, who served in the role since 2009. The firm explains that Prangli is limiting his role in the firm for “family reasons,” but that he will continue to work as Of Counsel supporting client relationships and managing selected projects, especially within the corporate and M&A areas.

Varul has announced that Janis Zelmenis, the Managing Partner of the firm’s Latvia office, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Varul’s Baltic operations. According to the firm, his new role will facilitate “the firm’s cross Baltic integration.”

“Appointment of a common CEO for VARUL Baltics is a strategic step towards full integration and therefore an important landmark in lifting our whole business to a new level,” said Robert Juodka, Managing Partner of VARUL Lithuania. 

Varul Estonia Senior Partner Paul Varul agreed, noting that: “Janis Zelmenis has shown outstanding leaderships skills and is very familiar with the Baltic legal market making him most eligible for the position he’s about to take on.”

Zelmenis is enthusiastic about the new role as well: “VARUL has established itself among the top firms in the Baltic region and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to play a role in the further development of the firm. We have witnessed rapid growth in the past few years and now it’s time to focus on providing premium quality services, harmonisation of processes and strengthening cross Baltic teamwork.” 

Janis Zelmenis has more than a decade of experience in senior positions in PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte. Prior to joining VARUL, he was the Managing Partner and one of the founders of Law Firm BDO Zelmenis & Liberte. He also has experience in the diplomatic corps, serving as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Malta in Latvia since 2006, and he has also worked in Latvia’s Embassy in Russia. He holds a master’s degree in law from the Moscow Institute of International Relations and a master’s degree in international private law from the Central European University in Budapest.

The Sayenko Kharenko law firm has announced that Leonid Antonenko, until recently a Counsel with the firm, has been appointed Head of the Registration and Licensing Department of the National Bank of Ukraine. According to a statement released by the firm, “the appointment of Mr. Antonenko evidences the commitment and willingness of Ukraine’s legal community to contribute to structural and efficient reforms in all spheres of public management.”

Antonenko has previous experience with Linklaters (in London), and Jackson Walker (in Dallas, USA). He advises on major projects in the banking sector, specifically in corporate/M&A, banking regulation, and securities. He advises on major public transactions in the banking sector for transnational banking groups present in Ukraine, including Commerzbank (Germany), Alpha Bank (Greece), BNP Paribas (France). He is a member of the Working Group of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on anti-corruption legislation; a member of the Committee on Corporate Governance, Equity Securities Issue and Turnover and Advisory Board of the Commission on Corporate Governance of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC); and a member of the Council of the Corporate Law and Stock Market Committee of the Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA). 

Sayenko Kharenko Partner Vladimir Sayenko endorsed Antonenko’s move: “We support the decision of Leonid Antonenko to contribute his time and expertise into reformation and improvement of the banking sector in Ukraine as the head of one of the key departments of the National Bank. I believe the regulator stands a lot better chances of addressing the country’s economic challenges if engaging top private sector professionals like Leonid.” 

In moving to the NBU, Antonenko joins a large group of Ukrainian lawyers who have moved from private practice to the public sector in 2014, as Ihor Shevchenko, Oleksiy Filatov, Sergii Koziakov, and Vatalii Kasko were all appointed to high positions with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Presidential Administration, the General Prosecutor’s Office, and the judicial system. In addition, Andrii Zhurzhii (from the Fozzy Group), Viktoria Ptashnyk (from the Droit Law Firm), and Olena Sotnik (from Solodko and Partners) were elected to parliament.