At the end of March, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (the "AMC") published its Annual Report for 2022 (the "Report").

On 17 May 2023, at the Council of Europe Summit, the European Union and 43 other countries signed the agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation Against Ukraine ("Register").

Baker McKenzie Turkish affiliate Esin Attorney Partnership has advised Groupama Assurances Mutuelles on the sale of Groupama Investment Bosphorus Holding to AXA Mediterranean Holding. Gide Turkish affiliate Ozdirekcan Dundar Senocak advised the buyer.

As the country quickly approaches the end of another election cycle, there appears to be an increase in litigation proceedings in Turkey – at least when it comes to the M&A and construction sectors – according to Esin Attorney Partnership Partner Demet Kasarcioglu.

Baker McKenzie and Musat & Asociatii have announced that Sika’s EUR 5.3 billion acquisition of Master Builder Construction Chemicals from Lone Star Funds (reported by CEE Legal Matters on February 23, 2022) had closed.

The EU intends to implement a horizontal regulation on the qualification, recycling, and waste management of batteries (Battery Regulation) aiming to replace the existing Batteries Directive. Once the EU approves the Commission’s proposal, the new regulation will make the batteries more sustainable throughout their entire lifecycle, according to EU officials. Given Hungary’s significant role in battery production, we summarize the additional statutory obligations and consequences that could be imposed on battery producers.

Law No. 7451 on the Amendment of the Law on Organized Industrial Zones and Certain Laws (“Law No. 7451“), published in the Official Gazette dated 10 April 2023 and numbered 32159, introduced significant amendments to energy legislation, and the Law on Organized Industrial Zones and entered into force on the same date.

On the evening of April 25, 2023, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and ILFs active in the region in Istanbul.

Baker McKenzie has advised Digital Media Solutions on its acquisition of the assets of global performance marketing company ClickDealer.

On 1 April 2023, the Information Technologies and Communications Authority (ITCA) published decision no. 2023/DK-İD/119, dated 28 March 2023, regarding the new set of Principles and Procedures for Social Network Providers ("New Principles and Procedures") in the Official Gazette no. 32150.

Since 2010, the regulations and practices relative to the ESG requirements in the EU have been rapidly evolving. The EU has implemented significant rules by adopting the Taxonomy Regulation, the Non-Financial Disclosure Directive (NFRD), the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). These regulate the disclosure obligations of certain companies and private equity funds in connection with their sustainability obligations and their commitment to respecting human rights.

Eren Kursun has been appointed the new Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie Turkish affiliate Esin Attorney Partnership – to start on July 1, 2023 – taking over from Ismail Esin who will continue to manage the Dispute Resolution department and serve on the firm's executive board.

Schoenherr, working with Morgan Lewis, has advised Pathlight Capital on its term loan to Lumos Holdings US Acquisition Co. Baker McKenzie advised Lumos in Hungary and the UK.

Contributed by Baker McKenzie.

Viacheslav Yakymchuk joins Serhiy Chorny as Co-Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie’s Kyiv office. He takes over from Serhiy Piontkovsky, who has held that position since 2010 and will continue to lead the firm's Real Estate practice group in Kyiv.

Did You Know that, according to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, two CEE lawyers have already authored or co-authored eight thought leadership articles published on the CEE Legal Matters website this year, more than anyone else in the region?

While Ukrainian law firms have to deal with issues ranging from power outages to effective work distribution, their intellectual property, tax, labor, and corporate law practices remain relatively busy, according to Baker McKenzie Managing Partner Serhiy Piontkovsky.

Baker McKenzie has advised companies from the Agencja Rozwoju Przemyslu group on their joint venture with GRI Renewable Industries for the construction of a wind tower production facility in Poland. Garrigues advised GRI.