Moldova's legal and economic landscape is undergoing momentous transformations according to Efrim Rosca Asociatii Partner Oleg Efrim, from updates to the corporate sector and an ongoing digital transformation, to Moldova's path towards EU integration and the challenges and opportunities facing various business sectors amid geopolitical tensions.

This year has seen a relative decrease in investment intensity in Croatia, particularly in the residential sector, amid relatively robust activity in M&A, real estate, and energy and notable court disruptions in the past few months, according to Savoric & Partners Partner Branko Bulat.

The Czech Republic appears to be in the middle of rapid advancements in digital transformation and cybersecurity, according to DLA Piper Partner Tomas Scerba, who sheds light on the significant legislative changes propelling the country to the fore of digital innovation.

From the deceptive quiet of early 2023 to a summer bustling with legal reforms and taxing challenges, Jalsovszky Partner Agnes Bejo sheds light on pivotal developments in Hungary ranging from the EU-mandated whistleblowing system to changes in the trust system, environmental responsibilities, and the shifting investment climate in the country.

From political gridlock to economic shifts, Estonia appears to be experiencing a number of challenges according to Triniti Managing Partner Ergo Blumfeldt, who reports unprecedented parliamentary obstructionism, a budgetary deficit prompting new tax laws, and a legal sector experiencing stagnant growth amid broader economic uncertainties.

Against the backdrop of relentless conflict and uncertainty, Sayenko Kharenko Partner Nazar Chernyavsky offers a rare glimpse into the current state of his war-torn country and its resilient legal sector, shedding light on the challenges and adaptations of the Ukrainian people, the country's legal industry, and the significant strides made in mental health support and economic resilience.

JPM Partners has recently embarked on a transformative journey of both rebranding its operations and integrating with the law offices of Lana Vukmirovic Misic in Montenegro – a “long-time JPM friend and partner.” JPM Partners Senior Partners Nenad Popovic and Lana Vukmirovic Misic discuss the firm's recent rebranding, strategic expansion, and the motivations behind these as well as what comes next for the firm.

The CEELM Top 10 series looks back over the past ten years and celebrates the milestones we have achieved together. The list below highlights the most-read interviews, with a short description of each.

Pfizer Eastern Europe Cluster Legal Lead and Legal Director Lucie Kubenova talks about her career leading to her current role and managing her team at Pfizer.

Skoda Group General Legal Counsel Karol Marsovszky talks about the Skoda Group’s legal team and what shapes his in-house team’s workload.

An in-depth look at Jonathan Weinberg of White & Case covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

An in-depth look at Lucia Raimanova of Allen & Overy covering her career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about her as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

On November 10, four Banking & Finance experts from Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss banking consolidation, financing availability, the effects of high interest rates, bank capitalization, green financing, the specter of loan restructuring, and the other challenges the sector is facing.

Hosted by Penkov, Markov & Partners, nine lawyers from Bulgaria – six working in-house and three in private practice – sat down for a round table conversation to discuss the EU Whistleblowing Directive and how it will impact companies in the country.

On July 7, four leading lawyers from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the increasing prominence of ESG issues and their impact on M&A transactions, due diligence procedures, and the role of the lawyers themselves.

On July 12, four leading lawyers from Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the latest in ESG developments with a focus on green financing, its regional and local drivers and roadblocks, its impact on non-financial reporting, and what it all means for the legal profession.

On March 9, 2022, four leading Estonian lawyers sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the current state of the startup environment in Estonia and analyze its main drivers, the local startup ecosystem, and the regulatory environment shaping it.

On March 10, five leading lawyers in Serbia sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the current state and outlook of the renewables market in Serbia, with topics covered including the goals set and the country's National Renewable Energy Action Plan, the challenges presented by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the "conservative wave" in the country, the main players and the deals pipeline in the sector, the availability of green financing for renewable projects in the country, as well as the biggest regulatory hurdles currently still affecting renewables in Serbia and the participants' wishlist of what could be done to remove some of these obstacles.

ChatGPT, an AI that claimed to be able to write an answer or even a brief article on any topic, became the talk of the year 2022. Copywriters, PR professionals, and marketing experts will all benefit from it greatly. But should we be scared?

In Part 1, I talked about the dilemma facing most lawyers when asked to involve themselves with business development. If you want to be good at BD, it helps a lot to be an optimist. But, since most lawyers are uber-pessimists, we struggle with BD and find ourselves with practically zero persistence.

Lawyers know that business development requires a handful of sales skills, a pinch of luck, and a boatload of persistence. Freaking BD persistence… it’s a serious problem for all of us. We didn’t go to law school to do sales.

When you get up to present at a conference, what is your goal? Since lawyers are addicted to billable hours, you are probably gambling some non-billable time with the hope of landing some legal work. To accomplish this, you want to sell yourself to potential clients as a competent, trustworthy, and mildly entertaining lawyer.

Although in most respects the law firm business in Central Europe is on par with other sophisticated practices in the rest of the world, coaching is one thing that has not been as widely adopted as elsewhere. This article addresses the questions of what coaching is, what it offers lawyers and law firms, and whether it should be more widely embraced by the legal profession in Central Europe.

In December of 2021, I had the pleasure of attending the CEELM Winter Ball, a festive event filled with good food and great discussions. Although I truly enjoyed this opportunity to catch up with old friends, I also found it fascinating to observe lawyers operating outside of their office comfort zone by partaking in the mysterious ritual of networking.

Moldova's legal and economic landscape is undergoing momentous transformations according to Efrim Rosca Asociatii Partner Oleg Efrim, from updates to the corporate sector and an ongoing digital transformation, to Moldova's path towards EU integration and the challenges and opportunities facing various business sectors amid geopolitical tensions.

This year has seen a relative decrease in investment intensity in Croatia, particularly in the residential sector, amid relatively robust activity in M&A, real estate, and energy and notable court disruptions in the past few months, according to Savoric & Partners Partner Branko Bulat.

The Czech Republic appears to be in the middle of rapid advancements in digital transformation and cybersecurity, according to DLA Piper Partner Tomas Scerba, who sheds light on the significant legislative changes propelling the country to the fore of digital innovation.

From the deceptive quiet of early 2023 to a summer bustling with legal reforms and taxing challenges, Jalsovszky Partner Agnes Bejo sheds light on pivotal developments in Hungary ranging from the EU-mandated whistleblowing system to changes in the trust system, environmental responsibilities, and the shifting investment climate in the country.

From political gridlock to economic shifts, Estonia appears to be experiencing a number of challenges according to Triniti Managing Partner Ergo Blumfeldt, who reports unprecedented parliamentary obstructionism, a budgetary deficit prompting new tax laws, and a legal sector experiencing stagnant growth amid broader economic uncertainties.

Against the backdrop of relentless conflict and uncertainty, Sayenko Kharenko Partner Nazar Chernyavsky offers a rare glimpse into the current state of his war-torn country and its resilient legal sector, shedding light on the challenges and adaptations of the Ukrainian people, the country's legal industry, and the significant strides made in mental health support and economic resilience.