Boyanov & Co., Kalo & Associates, and Hugh Owen of Go2Law have advised Albania Telecom Invest, a joint venture of entrepreneurs Spas Roussev and Elvin Guri, on its EUR 50 million acquisition of Telekom Albania from OTE (Deutsche Telekom). White & Case and Wolf Theiss advised the sellers on the deal, which remains subject to closing conditions, including the approval by the competent local authorities and financing, and is expected to be completed within the first half of 2019.

“Nothing really big is happening at the moment,” says Anisa Rrumbullaku, Partner at CR Partners in Tirana. "Not much has happened recently — it’s been pretty stable for the past three months.”

Arcliffe has assisted Yazaki on corporate and labor-related matters related to the company's activity in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Croatia. ODI Law supported Arcliffe in the Adria region countries.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners has helped UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH, a Wien Holding company, finding a location for a new multifunctional mega arena.

Freshfields Global Transactions Partner Natascha Doll has been appointed as new Co-Head of the firm’s CEE/CIS practice. Doll joins current Co-Head, Partner Sebastian Lawson, and succeeds Willibald Plesser, who co-led the group for many years.

Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati and Law Office Leskovec have advised CA Immo on the sale of the Austria Trend Hotel in Ljubljana to a joint-venture of Slovenian asset manager KD Skladi and German real estate investment manager Peakside Capital. Selih & Partners advised the joint venture on the acquisition.

Sorainen Belarus has assisted the EBRD with the sale of its share in Commercial and Industrial Group West-Ost Union,CDRL S.A. and to the company's current CEO and shareholder, Siarhei Misiachenka.

Aleinikov & Partners has advised ASBIS on its acquisition of a Belarusian group of companies dealing with management, development, implementation, and operation of software and network and telecommunication technology products.

Aleinikov & Partners, working jointly with the Moscow office of DLA Piper, has advised Alfa-Bank CJSC on its acquisition of Home Credit Group's Belarusian subsidiary.

The Law Firm Sajic has won a EUR 3.25 million case for insurance company Krajina Osiguranje before the Supreme Court of the Republic of Srpska.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tkalcic-Djulic, Prebanic & Jusufbasic-Goloman Law Firm has announced that Senior Partner Bojana Tkalcic-Dulic retired at the end of 2018. 

Sajic has advised Hidraulika Flex d.o.o. Laktasi on the EUR 3.9 million sale of 60% shares to Pewag Engineering Gmbh. 

Radoslav Alexandrov has been promoted to Partner and Stela Sabeva was appointed the new Head of Intellectual Property at Boyanov & Co. in Bulgaria.

Kambourov & Partners has advised one of the founders of the Union Ivkoni Ltd. bus company on the sale of his share in the company related to the company's merger with competitor Etap Address.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co. is representing BMF Port Burgas in oral arguments before the Court of Justice of European Union in a Preliminary Reference Procedure related to a ruling by the Administrative Court of Sofia.

Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic & Associates has acted for Flixbus CEE South d.o.o. in its acquisition of competitor Auto Poduzece Imotski Ltd.

Marija Zrno has been appointed Partner at CMS Zagreb.

The The rules on collective redress were first introduced in Croatia’s legal system by two special acts – the 2003 Consumer Protection Act and the 2009 Act on Prevention of Discrimination. It was only later, in 2011, that the Civil Procedure Act provided the general legal framework for collective redress actions, named “actions for the protection of collective interests and rights.”

Weinhold Legal has provided Czech and Slovak assistance to Henry Schein, which the firm describes as "the world's largest provider of health care solutions for office-based dental and medical professionals," in relation to the spin-off of the company's animal health business.

Weinhold Legal has advised the JOJ Group on its acquisition of a 100% stake in Ceskoslovenska Filmova Spolecnost, s.r.o, the Czechoslovak Film Society.

BPV Braun Partners has advised investment fund the Conseq Realitni real estate fund on the acquisition of the A7 Office Center, an administrative and commercial complex in the Holesovice neighborhood in Prague, from Revetas Capital. CMS advised Revetas Capital on the sale.

Drakopoulos is representing Hellenic Shipyards in ICC arbitration proceedings against the Hellenic Republic.

White & Case, working with Greece's Koutalidas law firm, has advised Alpha Bank A.E. on its sale to a consortium of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management and the IFC of a mixed pool of non-performing loans to Greek SMEs and, together with Alpha Bank's wholly-owned group company Alpha Leasing S.A., repossessed real estate assets in Greece. Ashurst and Bernitsas advised the buyers.

In an attempt to lighten the heavy burden on the Greek judicial system, articles 178 to 206 of Law 4512/2018 on Arrangements for the Implementation of the Structural Reforms of the Economic Adjustment Programs and Other Provisions provide guidelines for new mediation procedures in civil and commercial matters. This alternative extrajudicial dispute resolution method seeks to provide an attractive and expeditious solution in the form of an executed agreement that is immediately enforceable.

One of the most significant limitations of the national economic capacity is labour shortages, namely the lack of professionals, skilled and experienced workforce. In order to recruit the best qualified candidates, companies shall develop ways to become attracting.

Noerr’s Budapest office has advised ErlingKlinger AG, a Frankfurt stock exchange listed innovative car part manufacturer, on its financing by a syndicate consisting of Commerzbank, Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg, Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank, HSBC, and Banque Europeenne du Credit Mutuel.

Squire Patton Boggs has closed its Budapest office.

Triniti has advised the owners of OU Utilitas on the acquisition of an 85% shareholding of the company by investment fund EDIF II.

Former TGS Baltic Counsel Kristina Laarmaa has joined KPMG Law in Estonia as Head of Public Procurement, Construction, Real Estate & Environment and Lauri Liivat has joined as Head of the firm's Corporate Transactions and Technology Sector Group.

Cobalt has advised the European Investment Bank on a EUR 12 million quasi-equity loan it provided to Estonian company Elcogen.

In summer 2017, after Sejdiu & Qerkini Partner Korab Sejdiu was elected to the Kosovo Parliament, he suspended his law license and left private practice. We checked in with Sejdiu to learn more about his new role and experience.

Denise Hamer has joined Kinstellar as Special Counsel, in a regional CEE/SEE position working in the firm's Finance, Private Equity, NPLs & Distressed Assets, and Restructuring practices.

“Kosovo’s parliament has recently adopted a new law that mainly affects private companies,” reports Artan Qerkini, Founding Partner at Sejdiu & Qerkini Law, who notes that one of the new law's provisions — a requirement that 40% of company board members be women — has already generated significant controversy.

Glimstedt has advised the Apollo Group on its acquisition of a network of KFC restaurants operating in Lithuania and Latvia from the Cibus Group. Cobalt and Addlaw reportedly advised the sellers.

TGS Baltic has advised Sweden's LMT Group AB on the acquisition of PLM Group companies in Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland. The LMT Group was also advised by Sweden's Wesslau Soderqvist Advokatbyra and Finland's Hasto & Co.

Cobalt has advised London-based Vink Group, Europe’s largest semi-finished plastics distributor, on its acquisition of three Baltic companies, OU Proplastik, SIA Proplastik, and UAB Proplastik. TGS Baltic advised the Proplastik shareholders on the transaction. Financial details were not disclosed.

Zygimantas Stankevicius, the former Head of Legal at Luminor bank, has joined TGS Baltic in Vilnius as a Partner. He will lead the firm's Finance Industry Group.

SPC Legal, acting on behalf of the Mazeikiai District Municipal Administration, has persuaded the Lithuanian Court of Appeal to dismiss the appeal of companies Eikos Statyba and Genra of a procurement process involving a construction project as unfounded.

Cobalt has advised ValorPay UAB on obtaining a payment institution license from the Bank of Lithuania to provide payment services.

“The focus in the country at the moment is on the constitutional amendments to change the name of the Republic of Macedonia,” says ODI Partner Gjorgji Georgievski.

Ever since “legal tech” became a thing, lawyers have been dreadfully anticipating the time when technology will disrupt the legal profession. The media has been fuelling lawyer worries, and attention-grabbing headlines like “The robot lawyers are here – and they are winning” or “Lawyers could be replaced by artificial intelligence” have kept lawyers awake at night. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in law has become the talk of the town, and for good reason, as the use of legal technology helps lawyers to get things done more efficiently and cost-effectively. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that legal tech start-ups are becoming the Starbucks of the legal profession – they are popping up on every corner. It is estimated that there are over 1000 legal tech start-ups worldwide and that the legal tech industry is worth USD 15.9 billion globally.

BDK Advokati and Kirkland & Ellis have advised BC Partners on its agreement to acquire a majority stake in United Group B.V. from KKR, which retains a substantial minority stake. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the transaction is subject to relevant regulatory approvals.

According to Oleg Efrim, the Managing Partner at Moldova’s Efrim Rosca Asociatii law firm, the primary topic of interest at the moment in the Moldovan legal community is the country’s newly modernized Civil Code which will become effective on March 1, 2018. According to Efrim, the new Code will be a significant upgrade to the existing law, which entered into force in 2003 as the country’s first following the fall of the Soviet Union. “It’s a substantial amendment,” Efrim reports, pointing out that the number of articles is increasing from the existing 1624 to 2671, and he says that "it is, indeed, a modernization of the Code.”

CMS and Turzan Cazac have advised the OTP Bank Group on the acquisition of 87.85% of shares in Mobiasbanca from the Societe Generale group. Schoenherr, working with lead counsel Jones Day, advised Societe Generale on the sale. 

Mariana Stratan, Iulia Furtuna, Ana Galus, and Vadim Taigorba have been promoted Partner at Moldova's Turcan Cazac.

Kinstellar, Shearman & Sterling, and Radonjic Associates have advised Masdar on its acquisition of a 49% share in Krnovo Green Energy from a subsidiary of Akuo Energy. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Karanovic & Partners advised Akuo Energy, while Allen & Overy acted as general counsel for the lenders.

BDK Advokati has advised Montenegro's Industriaimport-Industriaimpex AD on its acquisition of 49% of the registered capital of Serbian pharmaceutical wholesaler Farmalogist d.o.o. from private equity firm Adriatic Fund B.V., and in connection with the Shareholders’ Agreement entered into with the owners of the remaining 51% of the shares. HRLE advised Adriatic, while Bojanovic & Partners advised the owners of 51% of the shares in Farmalogist.

Go2Law has advised Kopernikus Corporation, owned by Srdjan Milovanovic, on its acquisition of TV Prva and TV O2  in Serbia and Montenegro from the Antenna Group. Zivkovic Samardzic, working with EY and Clifford Chance, advised Antenna Group on the sale.

Dentons Warsaw has advised Mitsui High-tec on it construction of a plant to manufacture generator and motor parts for electric and hybrid vehicles in Invest-Park, the Walbrzych Special Economic Zone in Poland.

DMS DeBenedetti Majewski Szczesniak has advised InterRisk TU SA VIG on its acquisition of shares in TUW TUW from the MACIF Group that closed on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. Bird & Bird reportedly advised the sellers on the deal.

A team of lawyers from K&L Gates’ Warsaw office, acting pro bono, has successfully represented Tomasz Stepien in a case involving the recognition and enforcement in Poland of an arbitral award rendered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne in Switzerland.

Of the five types of corporation that may be established under Romanian law, joint stock and limited liability companies continue to be the most common. Recent statistics show that almost 1 million companies are active in Romania, of which approximately 800,000 are limited liability or joint stock companies. Further, the number of limited liability companies is reportedly double that of joint stock companies.

Suciu Popa has advised Central Bottling Company Ltd. on acquisition of sole control of Muller Romania, the Romanian subsidiary of Molkerei Alois Muller GmbH & Co. KG, a multinational producer of dairy products.

Bondoc & Asociatii has advised Sarica Niculitel on the acquisition of the Zoresti winery from Domaine Vinarte, which was supported by Wolf Theiss.

Russian Patent Attorneys Andrey Bazhenov and Albert Ibragimov have been promoted to partner at Gorodissky & Partners in Moscow.

St. Petersburg International Legal Forum 2019, May 14-18, 2019, St. Petersburg, Russia

Vadim Konyushkevich has left Liniya Prava to co-found the VK Partners Law Firm in Moscow along with former Silvercliff Capital Partner Ilya Kudryashov.

BDK Advokati and Norton Rose Fullbright have advised Coca Cola HBC AG on its EUR 260 million acquisition of Bambi a.d., the leading cookie producer in the countries of former Yugoslavia, from Mid Europa Partners. White & Case advised the sellers on the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019 upon issuance of relevant merger clearances."

Belgrade's Subotic & Jevtic law firm has advised Lukoil Srbija a.d. on a capital increase amounting to approximately EUR 62 million.

BDK Advokati has advised Dnata, a global corporation based in the United Arab Emirates, on the acquisition of all the shares in Serbian EAP Shared Services d.o.o. from Etihad Airport Services LLC. Samardzic, Oreski & Grbovic advised Etihad Airport Services on the deal.

Weinhold Legal has provided Czech and Slovak assistance to Henry Schein, which the firm describes as "the world's largest provider of health care solutions for office-based dental and medical professionals," in relation to the spin-off of the company's animal health business.

Noerr has advised Swedish web-hosting service provider Loopia Group AB on its acquisition of 100% of the shares in WebSupport s.r.o. from Trantor Ventures GmbH.

The Bratislava office of Glatzova & Co, working with lead counsel Hengeler Mueller, has provided legal advice on the Slovak part of the acquisition by Canadian information technology services provider Syntax and private investor Novacap of a stake in IT company Freudenberg.

Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati and Law Office Leskovec have advised CA Immo on the sale of the Austria Trend Hotel in Ljubljana to a joint-venture of Slovenian asset manager KD Skladi and German real estate investment manager Peakside Capital. Selih & Partners advised the joint venture on the acquisition.

ODI Law has advised Austrian multinational Knapp AG on its acquisition of a majority stake in Slovenian logistical software solution company Epilog.

9 April 2019, Joint UNCITRAL-LAC Conference on Dispute Settlement, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Dimiceva 13, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The Esin Attorney Partnership, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International, has advised Secom Co., Ltd. in connection with the establishment of a joint venture, Emlak Girisim Danismanligi Anonim Sirketi, with the Calik Group. The Calik Group was reportedly advised by Paksoy.

Paksoy has advised the Ulusoy family on the sale of the majority stake in Ulusoy Elektrik to Eaton Capital Unlimited Company. White & Case and GKC Partners advised Eaton Capital on the acquisition.

Paksoy has advised Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems on its acquisition of a stake in Form VRF Sistemleri San. ve Tic. A.S., its long-time distributor of air conditioning systems in Turkey. ADMD/Mavioglu & Alkan advised Form VRF Sistemleri on the sale.

Gestors has assisted Ukraine's Oscar company, which the firm describes as "one of the leading manufacturers of high-tech seamless pipe products," throughout a special protective investigation regarding the import of certain types of steel products into the EU.

“Ukraine is a very vibrant place to be in, both for life and business,” says Redcliffe Partners Managing Partner Olexiy Soshenko. “In particular, after the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, there have been many changes and reforms.” He cites Ukraine’s policies on energy self-sustainability, currency control, upcoming elections, and extension of the land sale moratorium as particularly deserving of attention.

Integrites has supported Norwegian wind farm developer NBT on its acquisition of shares in a group of project companies for the development of 750 MW in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.