Category: Uncategorized

  • New Partners at Laszczuk & Partners

    New Partners at Laszczuk & Partners

    Polish lawyers Aleksandra Faderewska-Waszkiewicz and Michal Chodkowski have become “General Partners” (a term used by the firm to denote equity partnership) at Poland’s Laszczuk & Partners law firm.

    Chodkowski specializes in labour law, social insurance law, and consumer law. According to a statement released by Laszczuk & Partners, “he advises Polish and multinational companies on individual and group labour law, in particular optimization of employment, group layoffs, and transfer of the workplace. He represents employers in disputes with employees before labour courts. He also advises on selection of employment forms, including employment of board members. His practice includes as well comprehensive support in the area of employing foreigners.” The firm also reports that he “advises direct selling companies on forms of business activity, models for cooperation with sales representatives, and remuneration of persons involved in sales programs. He prepares model agreements with consumers, sellers, agents and other participants in direct selling programs. He drafts and evaluates other documents used by businesses, including marketing plans and sales rules.”

    Chodkowski joined Laszczuk & Partners in 2005, and he is a 2006 graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw. He qualified as an advocate in 2010.

    Faderewska-Waszkiewicz heads Laszczuk & Partners’ Tax Law Practice. The firm reports that “she provides comprehensive advice in tax matters, including taxation of mergers and acquisitions and tax optimization and restructuring. She represents clients in proceedings before tax authorities and the administrative courts, including criminal tax liability proceedings. Combining her knowledge and experience as tax advisor and advocate, she provides day-to-day support on tax law issues. Her experience includes also advising on international tax law and current corporate matters, including establishment and reorganization of companies. She also advises on tax aspects of real estate transactions.” In addition, according to the firm, she “also has extensive experience advising direct selling companies.”

    Faderewska-Waszkiewicz qualified as a tax adviser in 2009 and as an advocate in 2011. She is a 2006 graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw. She also earned a 2007 degree in psychology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw.

    Editor’s Note: CEE Legal Matters originally reported that Faderewska-Waszkiewicz and Chodkowski had been promoted to Partner at Laszczuk & Partners. The firm immediately contacted CEE Legal Matters to clarify that the two were already partners, and had been promoted instead to the General Partner level. We apologize for the error.

  • Herbst Kinsky Advises AWS on Investment in SICO Technology

    Herbst Kinsky Advises AWS on Investment in SICO Technology

    Herbst Kinsky has advised aws Fondsmanagement GmbH – a 100% subsidiary of Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH – on its acquisition of a 49% stake in SICO Technology GmbH.

    Vienna’s aws SME fund has committed equity capital of EUR 80 million. The export-oriented SICO Technology GmbH, based in Bad Bleiberg, with a subsidiary in Singapore, was founded in 1982. It specializes in the treatment and processing of quartz glass, silicon, ceramics, and special materials. SICO’s core business relates to the semiconductor, photovoltaic, and automotive industries.

    The Herbst Kinsky team was led by Partner Philipp Kinsky, with the support of Associate John Frank.

  • Alexandov & Partners Assists Expocenter of Ukraine with Trademark Registration

    Alexandov & Partners Assists Expocenter of Ukraine with Trademark Registration

    Ukraine’s Alexandrov & Partners law firm reports that it worked pro bono in “accompanying the registration” of the “VDNG” trademark for the National Complex “Expocenter of Ukraine”.

    VDNG is the acronym of the Ukrainian name of the complex – what the firm calls “a state exhibition organization of Ukraine,” which, it reports, is “an organizer of international and national exhibitions and fairs, a powerful demonstration center for achievements of Ukraine in the fields of economy, science, production, humanities and etc.” 

    Alexandrov & Partners reports that, “currently the National Complex ‘Expocenter of Ukraine’ is turning from a Soviet complex into a modern forum for innovation and culture. Since December 2015 the Complex has been hosting large-scale projects: an entertainment area ‘Winterland’; a fairytale Christmas show ‘Guard of Dreams’, and etc.” 

    The VDNG registration — which the firm claims “will help protect the trademark against violations by third parties and will become the face of the National Complex ‘Expocenter of Ukraine’ — was supervised by Alexandrov & Partners Managing Partner Dmytro Alexandrov, working “in cooperation with Senior Associate Vitaliy Yankovych.”

    Image Source: Stefano Tinti / Shutterstock.com

  • Wolf Theiss Expands Turkish Capabilities with New Hire

    Wolf Theiss Expands Turkish Capabilities with New Hire

    Wolf Theiss has announced that Ceyda Akbal Schwimann, an experienced arbitration lawyer with a background in international law, has joined the firm’s Vienna HQ as Of Counsel.

    Schwimann has been practicing law for more than ten years and was recently involved in international dispute resolution matters in Austria. From 2005 to 2008, she served as an Associate at White & Case in Istanbul, advising corporations in the acquisition and sale of Turkish companies, and from 2008 until December 2015 she was with Specht & Partner Rechtsanwalt in Vienna. She completed her Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge in the field of international arbitration and she continues her doctorate at the University of Vienna.

    “We are delighted to welcome Ceyda Akbal Schwimann to our team,” said Clemens Trauttenberg, Partner and Head of the practice group Dispute Resolution. “Her experience as an arbitration lawyer in international projects, both in Turkey and CEE/SEE, perfectly complements our work in the region’s Wolf Theiss Arbitration Competence Center.” 

    Schwimann was the subject of the Expat on the Market feature in the August 2015 issue of the CEE Legal Matters magazine.

  • Bierc Siwik & Partners Successful for Schuessler-Plan Inzynierzy before National Chamber of Appeals

    Bierc Siwik & Partners Successful for Schuessler-Plan Inzynierzy before National Chamber of Appeals

    Bierc Siwik & Partners has successfully represented Schuessler-Plan Inzynierzy in proceedings before Poland’s National Chamber of Appeals in a dispute involving a public service contract for the development of pre-project documentation for the project revitalization of Poland’s railway line no. 25, which covers the Padew National-Mielec -Debica route.

    As a result of the appeal lodged by BS&P on behalf of its client, and finding BS&P’s arguments persuasive, the National Chamber of Appeals confirmed the charges filed by the firm and ordered that the previous “best offer” be rejected. 

    Partner Robert Siwik led the BS&P team on the matter.

  • Allen & Overy Advises Oesterreichische Kontrollbank on USD 1 Billion Bond Offering

    Allen & Overy Advises Oesterreichische Kontrollbank on USD 1 Billion Bond Offering

    Allen & Overy has represented Oesterreichische Kontrollbank in connection with its public offering of USD 1.0 billion of 1.500% Guaranteed Global Notes due 2020. The bonds are guaranteed by the Republic of Austria and will be listed on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

    Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (“OeKB”) is Austria’s main provider of financial and information services to the export industry and the capital market. Its main functions include the administration of export guarantees as agent of the Republic of Austria and the financing of Austrian exports. 

    The Allen & Overy team advising OeKB in this transaction was led by Frankfurt-based Partner Marc Plepelits and included Senior Associates Martin Schmidt and Susanne Lenz as well as Associate Rita Nicole Thomas.

  • Ilyashev & Partners Provides Pro Bono Assistance to Czech Development Agency

    Ilyashev & Partners Provides Pro Bono Assistance to Czech Development Agency

    Ukraine’s Ilyashev & Partners Law Firm announced that it is advising the Czech Development Agency on tax matters related to its construction of premises for educational institutions evacuated from the zone of armed conflict in the east of Ukraine.

    According to a statement released by the firm, “although the Czech Development Agency does not have a permanent representative office in Ukraine, in 2014 the Czech government allocated the additional budget to the agency for humanitarian projects for the period 2014-2016 in connection with the armed conflict in the east of Ukraine.” The firm continued: “In addition to the activities aimed at systemic reform of the Ukrainian education system, the agency provides financial support to the educational institutions evacuated from the east of Ukraine. The estimated budget for the project is CZK 21.5 million.”

    Ilyashev & Partners cites the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science as reporting that 17 Ukrainian universities were evacuated from the zone of armed conflict, and that “most equipment of the institutions remained in the same places and was lost.”

    Image Source: A_Lesik / Shutterstock.com

  • Romanian TSAA Splits Up

    Romanian TSAA Splits Up

    The Romanian TSAA law firm, founded by Partners Doru Traila, Silviu Stratulat, Adriana Almasan, and Andrei Albulescu, has split up, with Silviu Stratulat and Andrei Albulescu launching Stratulat Albulescu Attorneys at Law, and Doru Traila and Adriana Almasan establishing TAMC — Attorneys at Law.

    “Starting with January 2016, Stratulat Albulescu Attorneys at Law, led by Stratulat, Managing Partner, and Albulescu, Senior Partner, will continue practicing under this name, after withdrawing from the practice known as ‘TSAA,’ which will be discontinued.” With this message, transmitted on January 13, 2016, Silviu Stratulat, one of four founders of TSAA, announced the dissolution of his old firm, and the creation of his new one. Stratulat and Albulescu are joined in the new Stratulat Albulescu Attorneys at Law by Partners Delia Belciu and Alexandra Radu (who was made Partner at TSAA last month, only three months after joining the firm in the first place). Stratulat is enthusiastic about his new team, saying: “We consider this to be an important step forward. Stratulat Albulescu Attorneys at Law has a very strong international dimension, maintained through close collaboration with major international law firms and through membership in important international law firm networks.” 

    Meanwhile, erstwhile TSAA colleagues Traila and Almasan, have — along with laywers Alexandru Moise and Eugen Chivu — established TAMC — Attorneys at Law. When contacted by CEE Legal Matters, the partners of TAMC explained that their new firm: “continues the tradition of alignment with the principle of triple commitment: full commitment to resolving the legal challenges of its clients, commitment to the team members, and commitment to the core values that define being a lawyer.” Traila and Almasan also welcomed the addition of Moise, who is heading the public procurement and administrative and fiscal law practices, and Chivu, who coordinates the corporate law and insolvency proceedings departments, as Named Partners, with Traila commenting: “The recognition of Moise and Chivu’s value came from both ourselves and from our clients and their promotion was the natural step forward.” Almasan added that the two “have the maturity of experienced lawyers, but have never lost their enthusiasm and creativity.” The four partners at TAMC are joined by a fifth, Dragos Danau, although his initial is not in the acronymic brand.

  • Unsal Gunduz Retained by Capital Markets Board and EBRD for Year Long Corporate Governance Project

    Unsal Gunduz Retained by Capital Markets Board and EBRD for Year Long Corporate Governance Project

    The Unsal Gunduz law firm in Turkey has announced that it — and Nestor Advisors (a specialist corporate governance consultancy based in London) — have been retained by the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB) and The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for a 12-month project aiming to foster corporate governance of the companies whose shares are admitted to trading on the stock exchange.

    According to the Unsal Gunduz announcement, “the objectives of the project include improving the implementation of mandatory principles by the companies listed on Borsa Istanbul, enhancing the related monitoring by the CMB, and achieving a better reporting in relation to non-mandatory principles.”

    According to a press release issued by the EBRD, “the rules recently made mandatory address, among other topics, board composition; board committees; board approval; structures to facilitate an independent board; and procedures for recruiting new directors. The implementation of other best practices remains on a ‘comply or explain’ basis. This means that listed companies have to make their disclosures in accordance with the guidelines on these practices. Where a governance practice differs from the guidelines, a company must explain the deviation. With the help of consultants Nestor Advisors Ltd. and Unsal Gunduz, both hired by the EBRD, the regulator will review the corporate governance structure and practices of listed companies.”

    The EBRD also explained that “the consultants will develop and implement a methodology to assess the corporate governance practices of listed companies, monitor their reporting practices, review the quality of compliance statements and produce the disclosed information in reader-friendly reports. They will also prepare a set of guidelines to help listed companies implement the best principles of corporate governance and assist the Capital Markets Board in monitoring their compliance.”

    According to the Unsal Gunduz announcement, “in the context of the project Stilpon Nestor will act as the Team Leader and Senior Corporate Governance Expert, Dr. Burak Kocer as the Local Corporate Governance and Training Specialist, Atty. Burcak Unsal and Atty. Dr. Okan Gunduz as Local Corporate Governance Legal Advisors and David Risser as the International Corporate Governance, Methodology Development and Training Specialist.”

  • WKB Announced New Partners and Equity Partners

    WKB Announced New Partners and Equity Partners

    WKB Wiercinski, Kwiecinski, Baehr has announced that Jakub Jedrzejak and Jakub Pokrzywniak have become Equity Partners at the firm, while Aleksandra Wedrychowska-Karpinska and Maciej Szambelanczyk have become Partners. According to a statement released by the firm, “these welcome promotions are a sign of the rapid development of WKB’s offering in many areas of business law.”

    Jedrzejak is a member of the WKB M&A and Restructuring & Insolvency practices, and he heads the firm’s Banking & Finance team. He specializes in M&A, including transactions involving private equity funds and foreign investors. He also advises on debt financings, including in the context of M&A, project finance, and property finance. As reported by CEE Legal Matters, he recently advised PKN Orlen on a multi-million zloty sale of Orlen’s railway assets, supported British American Tobacco on its acquisition of the Polish e-cigarettes distributor Chic Group, served as an advisor to AVIVA on its acquisition of Expander Advisors (Poland’s leading network of independent financial advisors), and advised a syndicate of banks led by Societe Generale on the Polish dimension of a financing package for PGNiG’s Norwegian subsidiary PGNiG Upstream International AS.. 

    Jedrzejak joined WKB in August 2004 and has been a Partner since 2013.

    Pokrzywniak co-heads the Insurance and Energy practices at the firm, and he focuses on clients from regulated industries, advising on insurance law and energy law, and providing client representation in judicial and administrative proceedings. According to the firm, he “has acted for leading Polish insurers in precedent-setting multi-million zloty court cases and in complicated administrative investigations conducted by the Polish competition authority. He has advised leading Polish energy companies on the implementation of renewable energy legislation and on customer relationships, tariffs, and concessions.” Pokrzywniak has been with WKB since its inception in 2004 and has been a Partner since 2013.

    Wedrychowska-Karpinska heads the Commercial Contracts team and co-heads the IP & TMT practice at WKB. She is in fact a co-founder of WKB, and she specializes in industrial property law, copyright law and consumer law, as well as providing advice on advertising law, Internet domain protection, press law, reputation/goodwill matters, and unfair competition matters. The firm reports that Wedrychowska-Karpinska “also provides client representation in judicial proceedings and amicable dispute resolution processes. Her experience includes, among other things, litigation in various matters involving trademarks, reputation/goodwill protection, royalties for performing artists and unfair contract terms. She has recently represented publishers in a high-profile class action against Chomikuj.pl file hosting service and has a track-record of litigating numerous cases concerning misleading product designation or product non-conformity.”

    Finally, Szambelanczyk is an expert in energy law, including, in particular, investments in the renewable energy sector. He has managed a number of projects for Polish energy groups in connection with the entry into force of the Act on Renewable Energy Sources. The firm reports that he “has advised numerous investors, both domestic and foreign, on the acquisition or construction of wind farm projects,” and says that “he also specializes in assisting infrastructure companies and municipal service enterprises.” Among other matters, he was involved in the restructuring of EDF’s operations in Poland. Szambelanczyk joined WKB in 2004.