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Albania’s start to 2025 has been largely shaped by national elections, which have stalled most developments, according to Hoxha, Memi & Hoxha Partner Dorant Ekmekciu. The focus has been on key judicial appointments and ongoing discussions about the independence of the anti-corruption body.
As part of the broader effort to harmonise national legislation with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, the Albanian Data Protection Commissioner issued Instruction No. 2, dated 30 April 2025 (Instruction No. 2), on the protection of personal data in the health sector. This Instruction repeals the previous 2020 framework and establishes a comprehensive set of rules governing the collection, use, and disclosure of health and genetic data.
The Bank of Albania has introduced a new regulatory framework on marketing and advertising by financial institutions, significantly enhancing consumer protection and transparency in the financial sector. The changes, enacted through Decision No. 11, dated 5 February 2025, amend the Regulation “On Transparency for Banking and Financial Products and Services” and enter into force on 1 May 2025.
Schoenherr has advised OMV Aktiengesellschaft on the issuance of EUR 750 million in perpetual, subordinated hybrid notes with J.P. Morgan and MUFG acting as the structuring agents and joint global coordinators and BofA Securities, Erste Group, ING, LBBW, and SMBC as the joint bookrunners. Wolf Theiss, working with the White & Case Frankfurt office, advised the bookrunners.
DLA Piper has advised Spanish hotel group Ibersol on its entry into the Austrian market through the takeover of a four-star hotel in Vienna, to be managed under the Ibercity brand. Nomos advised the landlord, GTI Immobilien.
Kinstellar, working alongside Noerr, has advised Strabag on the Romanian, Croatian, Czech, and Montenegrin aspects of its EUR 100 million acquisition of WTE Wassertechnik from EVN. Freshfields advised EVN.
The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures.
Gecic Law has successfully represented Arena Channels Group, alongside BH Telecom and Mtel Banja Luka, in an antitrust dispute before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. This time around, we asked: For 2025, what is the one sector or industry in the country that shows the most promise for growth, and why?
Big law firms can coast on boring slogans. They’ve got the clout, the infrastructure, and the impressive list of past clients to do the talking. But if you’re a smaller firm and your website sounds like everyone else’s, you are disappearing into the beige background of legal marketing noise.
CMS has advised Solia and Vineli JSCo on the sale of the 100-megawatt Vinely RE photovoltaic project located in General Toshevo municipality, Dobrich region, Bulgaria, to Metka EGN Solar 5.
On 18 June 2025, the Bulgarian National Assembly adopted a Law Amending and Supplementing the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, promulgated in State Gazette No. 52 of 27 June 2025 (the "Law"). These amendments introduce significant changes to the regulatory framework governing the entry and residence of foreign nationals in the country, aiming to establish clearer rules and new residence opportunities for various categories of foreigners.
Schoenherr has advised Enery Element on the sale of its 50% stake in Dunav Solar Plant, the developer of the Gabare photovoltaic project in northwest Bulgaria, to OMV Petrom, as part of a 50-50 joint venture between the two companies. Simultaneously, Enery Element transferred the remaining 50% of its shares to Enery Power Holding.
Kinstellar, working alongside Noerr, has advised Strabag on the Romanian, Croatian, Czech, and Montenegrin aspects of its EUR 100 million acquisition of WTE Wassertechnik from EVN. Freshfields advised EVN.
Gospic Plazina Stojs has advised lead manager and lead bookrunner Erste&Steiermaerkische Bank on Bosqar Invest’s issuance of EUR 143.2 million in sustainability-linked bonds. Mamic Peric Reberski Rimac advised Bosqar Invest.
CMS has advised Eleport on its market entry into Croatia and Slovenia.
Kinstellar, working alongside Noerr, has advised Strabag on the Romanian, Croatian, Czech, and Montenegrin aspects of its EUR 100 million acquisition of WTE Wassertechnik from EVN. Freshfields advised EVN.
By 31 July 2025, all entities that were authorised to provide crypto-asset-related services (so-called VASPs) before 30 December 2024 must apply for authorisation as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the MiCA Regulation.
On July 1, 2025, Act No. 168/2025 Coll. on the regulation of lobbying will come into effect, serving as the first comprehensive regulation introducing clear rules for influencing state decisions.
Kyriakides Georgopoulos has advised Bally’s Corporation on its EUR 2.7 billion sale of its International Interactive Business to Intralot. Papapolitis & Papapolitis advised Intralot.
Bernitsas has advised Attica Bank on the establishment of a EUR 1 billion medium-term note Program and the subsequent issuance of EUR 100 million additional tier 1 notes and EUR 150 million tier 2 subordinated notes.
Bernitsas has advised Morgan Stanley Europe and the other managers on the issuance and offering of EUR 500 million fixed-rate reset additional tier 1 perpetual contingent temporary write-down notes by Eurobank Ergasias Services and Holdings.
Hungary’s specific domestic foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regime (affecting both ongoing and future cases) has been updated to include extended applicable deadlines and the possibility of multiple rounds of extensions. Additionally, the existing pre-emption mechanism – originally intended for transactions targeting solar developments – has been extended to cover all transactions blocked by the competent minister’s decision.
On 13 May 2025, the Hungarian Government submitted a bill to the Parliament on the amendment of several laws governing the justice system. The proposal could bring significant changes to civil litigation.
DLA Piper's International Shrinkflation Guide provides a comprehensive overview of how different countries around the world are responding to the phenomenon of “shrinkflation” – the practice of consumer goods manufacturers reducing the size or quantity of their products while keeping prices unchanged.
Ellex has advised Baltic venture capital fund Superangel on its investment in Kraken Technology Group.
Sorainen has advised Summus Capital on its EUR 30 million bond issuance.
In April 2007, Estonia made global headlines — not for a military conflict or natural disaster, but for one of the first coordinated large-scale cyberattacks against a nation-state. Sparked by the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in Tallinn (known as the Bronze Night), the country’s digital infrastructure was flooded with denial-of-service attacks. Government websites, banks, media outlets, and essential services were knocked offline. It was a wake-up call: digital threats could now paralyze a country just as effectively as tanks and missiles.
Kosovo is in political limbo after the February elections, with stalled government formation affecting key decisions, according to Ardian Rexha, an Attorney at Law associated with Deloitte Kosova. At the same time, energy reforms and price hikes by the regulator are causing strong reactions from businesses and the public.
Kosovo is accelerating its energy transition, SEPA integration, and corporate transparency, aligning with EU standards to boost investment, competition, and economic stability, according to Nallbani Law Office Managing Partner Delvina Nallbani.
On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.
Sorainen has advised PurpleGreen Capital on the launch of a new alternative investment fund manager and the establishment of an alternative investment fund headquartered in Latvia, within the EU regulatory framework.
In Latvia, the termination of employment relationships for labor union members is specifically regulated to protect their rights. However, in practice, this regulation creates significant challenges for employers, as labor unions almost always refuse to grant consent for dismissal.
In April 2007, Estonia made global headlines — not for a military conflict or natural disaster, but for one of the first coordinated large-scale cyberattacks against a nation-state. Sparked by the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in Tallinn (known as the Bronze Night), the country’s digital infrastructure was flooded with denial-of-service attacks. Government websites, banks, media outlets, and essential services were knocked offline. It was a wake-up call: digital threats could now paralyze a country just as effectively as tanks and missiles.
Ellex has advised Robinhood on establishing its European hub in Lithuania.
Walless has advised Traxlo on raising EUR 1.6 million in funding to support the expansion of its AI-driven, pay-per-task labor platform across Europe. Tegos reportedly advised Coinvest as the lead investor.
Daiva Usinskaite-Filonoviene has become the new Managing Partner at Noor, taking over from Giedrius Murauskas who spent the past three years at the helm of the firm.
Foreign direct investment in North Macedonia has surged in recent years, with 2024 marking a particularly strong period for inflows, despite global uncertainties such as supply-chain disruptions and regional economic slowdowns, according to Law Office Lazarov Managing Partner Dragan Lazarov and Cakmakova Advocates Junior Partner Vladimir Bocevski.
IT Labs Group General Counsel and DPO Ana Zakovska discusses her transition from private practice to in-house roles in the ICT sector, the evolving nature of legal work, and how privacy and AI are shaping the industry.
An in-depth look at Emilija Apostolska of Apostolska Aleksandrovski & Partners covering her 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.
In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.
Moldova’s legal landscape is undergoing a period of gradual yet meaningful transformation, according to Balaban & Partners Managing Partner Natalia Balaban who reports an increased reliance on alternative dispute resolution, strides in digitalization, and a wave of legislative reforms tied to the country’s EU accession ambitions.
On 17 March 2025, a new Regulation of the Moldovan Competition Council (the "MCC") on Economic Concentrations (the "New EC Regulation") entered into force in Moldova (as secondary legislation). It introduces several key changes aimed at enhancing the enforcement of competition legislation and increasing transparency. The New EC Regulation transposes several European Union regulations, including the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/914 of 20 April 2023 and the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations 2023/C 160/01.
Kinstellar, working alongside Noerr, has advised Strabag on the Romanian, Croatian, Czech, and Montenegrin aspects of its EUR 100 million acquisition of WTE Wassertechnik from EVN. Freshfields advised EVN.
The Ministry of Economic Development has conducted a public consultation on the draft Law on Class Actions. The primary reason for adopting a special law which regulates matters related to the collective protection of consumers is, above all, the harmonization of Montenegrin legislation with EU law, specifically with Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers and repealing Directive 2009/22/EC. The goal is to prevent and sanction mass violations of consumer rights by traders in the market, while also ensuring fair compensation for harmed consumers. In this text, we briefly present the most important amendments and innovations introduced by the draft Law on Class Actions.
Injac Attorneys has advised Build Your Dreams on its market entry into Serbia and Montenegro.
Dentons has advised Develia on the final stage of the EUR 42.967 million (approximately PLN 182 million) sale of the Arkady Wroclawskie mixed-use complex in Wroclaw to Vastint Poland, a subsidiary of the international Vastint Group. Legal Kraft reportedly advised Vastint.
Norton Rose Fulbright has advised a consortium of financial institutions on the PLN 3.7 billion (approximately EUR 880 million) refinancing of Swiatlowod Inwestycje. Clifford Chance advised Swiatlowod Inwestycje.
CK Legal Chabasiewicz Kowalska, working with NOMA Law, has advised Summa Linguae Technologies on its merger with Belgian subsidiary Datamundi.
Filip & Company, working with Freshfields, has advised Banca Transilvania on its sustainable bond issue valued at RON 1.5 billion. Clifford Chance advised the banks involved.
Kinstellar, working alongside Noerr, has advised Strabag on the Romanian, Croatian, Czech, and Montenegrin aspects of its EUR 100 million acquisition of WTE Wassertechnik from EVN. Freshfields advised EVN.
VD Law Group has advised Jasill on its acquisition of Excelcont. Adesman & Asociatii advised Excelcont.
Contributed by Clifford Chance.
Contributed by Alrud.
The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures.
NKO Partners has advised Dr Max on its acquisition of Zalfija.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia has adopted a set of laws regulating the banking sector and the protection of financial services users on March 6th this year:
Belgrade-based law firm Dodic, Djuric, Dabic has rebranded and is now operating under the name of Dodic Law Firm.
DLA Piper has advised The Vita Group on the launch of a three-year, EUR 81.5 million trade receivables securitization program. External funding was provided by Santander Corporate and Investment Banking and Finacity Corporation, with retained funding from Vita entities.
In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. This time around, we dug deeper into a discussion point that came up during our last event: During our annual General Counsel Summit held in Prague recently, we’ve learned that even with the inflation in CEE having hovered around 14-20% in recent years, legal fees have remained static or have even decreased in some jurisdictions. Given that, how has your firm managed to consistently deliver high-quality service under these constraints?
As digital solutions become more widespread in business operations, the use of electronic signatures for labor-related documents is increasingly common in Slovakia. However, it is crucial for both employers and employees to understand whether such signatures hold legal validity under Slovak labor law. This article examines the key points surrounding the use of electronic signatures in labor documents.
The protection against the termination of employment contracts for disabled workers who still have residual working capacity is guaranteed both by the Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1) and the Employment Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons Act (ZZRZI). Despite relatively uniform case law that has developed over the years, two recent rulings from the Higher Labor and Social Court have set new, stricter criteria for assessing the justification of dismissal reasons, which raise numerous dilemmas among employers in practice.
CMS has advised Eleport on its market entry into Croatia and Slovenia.
Cerha Hempel, working with Selih & Partnerji, has advised SES Spar European Shopping Centers on its acquisition of the Arkadia Shopping Center retail park located in Domzale, near Ljubljana, Slovenia, from Generali Adriatic Value Fund I, managed by Generali Investments Slovenija. Sole practitioner Dunja Jandl reportedly advised the sellers.
Erdem & Erdem has advised Is Private Equity on the launch of Enlila.
Norton Rose Fulbright's Turkish affiliate Pekin Bayar Mizrahi has advised the Motherson Group on the acquisition via its Turkish subsidiary Motherson SAS Turkey Otomotiv Servis Ticaret of the entire shareholding held by Erol Senol in SMR Plast Met Molds and Tools and SMR Plast Met Automotive Tec. Caliskan Okkan Toker advised Erol Senol.
White & Case's Turkish affiliate GKC Partners has advised Aksa Enerji on securing a USD 150 million facility from the Africa Finance Corporation to support the company’s natural gas power plant investments across the Africa region. Norton Rose Fulbright and its Turkish affiliate Pekin Bayar Mizrahi advised AFC.
Ukraine’s legal market continues to operate under extraordinary pressure, shaped by the ongoing war and its widespread impact on all facets of business and governance, according to DLF Counsel and Head of Banking & Finance and Agriculture Iurii Dynys. Despite the challenges, the demand for core legal services remains high, with growing attention paid to post-war reconstruction planning, emerging industries, and navigating the tumultuous investment climate.
Sayenko Kharenko has advised the European Fund for Southeast Europe on the provision of a EUR 15 million UAH-equivalent loan to Bank Lviv via the fund’s Ukraine Sub-Fund.
Kinstellar, working with Advokatfirmaet Thommessen, has advised Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace on the establishment of its permanent office in Kyiv, Ukraine.