Redcliffe Partners has advised the EBRD on a USD 27 million short-term secured loan to Nibulon LLC, a Ukrainian agricultural company.

Boyanov & Co has successfully represented Organic Land Corporation EOOD, a Bulgarian subsidiary of Tradin Organic B.V., in litigation against an unidentified company operating in the agricultural business. 

Balcioglu Selcuk Ardiyok Keki Attorney Partnership has advised Anatolia B.V., a subsidiary of agricultural exporter Tiryaki Agro Foods Industry, on the sale of 25.58% shareholding in Sunrise Foods International Inc. to Hassad Holdings Canada. Dentons advised Tiryaki on English law matters, while Herguner Bilgen Ozeke advised Hassad on the deal.

Sorainen has successfully defended the interests of the Union of Lithuanian Journalists and other journalists in a case investigated by Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court regarding defense of that country's constitutional right to receive, collect, and share information.

Cobalt has helped the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications obtain authorization to provide State aid from the European Commission.

Schoenherr has successfully represented TIWAG-Tiroler Wasserkraft AG before Austria's Administrative Court in the last challenge of the decision to implement Kuhtai Storage Power Plant project.

Hogan Lovells has advised coordinating mandated lead manager ING Bank N.V. and mandated lead arrangers Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, NATIXIS, SGBTCI, AO Raiffeisenbank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Designated Activity Company, Mizuho Bank, Ltd., Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, Bank ICBC (JSC), UniCredit S.p.A., and Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Ireland Plc on a EUR 600 million revolving loan facility agreement with Russia-based steel producer NLMK.

BDO Law has advised Deichmann-Schuhe Service-GmbH on its investment of EUR 500,000 in its Latvian subsidiary, SIA Deichmann Apavi, increasing its capital to EUR 1.15 million.

Erdos | Katona has advised Hell Energy on its refinancing of an existing loan with four unidentified Hungarian banks. Kinstellar reportedly advised the banks.

Wolf Theiss and Linklaters have advised Raiffeisen Bank International AG on the issuance of EUR 500 million worth of additional Tier 1 capital. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised joint lead managers Barclays Bank plc, Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Raiffeisen Bank International AG, and UBS Europe SE.

The Vilnius office of Sorainen has advised dealers BNP Paribas, Citi, and Erste Group on Lithuania’s raising of EUR 1.75 billion by means of a 30-year Eurobond issue.

Latham & Watkins and Sayenko Kharenko have advised JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs as the joint lead managers and joint dealer-managers on Ukraine’s successful completion of the settlement of its new USD 2 billion 7.253% Eurobond due 2033, as well as on its first-ever intra-day switch tender offer in relation to its outstanding USD-denominated 7.75% senior notes due 2021 and USS-denominated 7.75% senior notes due 2022. Avellum and White & Case advised the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.

ODI has helped Nova Ljubljanska Banka obtain Macedonian merger clearance for the acquisition of 83.23% of the ordinary shareholding in c Banka a.d. Beograd.

ODI Law has helped Exor N.V. obtain Macedonian merger clearance for its EUR 102.4 million acquisition of GEDi Gruppo Editoriale S.p.A. from CIR SpA.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has helped the PSA Group obtain Russian antitrust clearance for its merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Eva Nikolic has become Senior Director Legal, Developed Markets at the Astellas pharmaceutical company, where she will head the company's commercial legal agenda and lead related legal support in 22 European markets, including Central Europe and the Adriatic and Baltic regions.

Altug Ozgun, Astella Pharma's Ethics & Compliance Director in Turkey, is joining the recently established Cetinkaya Attorneys-at-Law firm as a Partner. 

Mihaela Popescu has joined Idea Bank Romania as its new General Compliance Head.

White & Case and its associated Turkish firm, GKC Partners, have advised Zynga Inc. on its USD 168 million acquisition of an 80% stake in Rollic, a mobile games developer and publisher, from Mehmet Can Yavuz, Deniz Basaran, Burak Vardal, Volkan Bicer, Mehmet Ayan, and Yunus Emre Gonul. Caliskan Okkan Toker advised the sellers on the deal, which is expected to close on October 1, 2020.

Kocian Solc Balastik and Germany's Heuking Kuhn Luer Wojtek have advised China-based Inner Mongolia Mengtai on the acquisition of the Czech part of the Apt group.

White & Case has advised VTB Bank and a consortium of investors on the RUB 132 billion sale of a 55% stake in Tele2 Russia to Russia's Rostelecom, and on the acquisition of an approximately 29% stake in Rostelecom.

Kocian Solc Balastik and Germany's Heuking Kuhn Luer Wojtek have advised China-based Inner Mongolia Mengtai on the acquisition of the Czech part of the Apt group.

On June 9, 2020, almost 3 years after the start of the public discussions procedure, the new Food Act (the “Act”) was promulgated in the State Gazette, issue no. № 52. It repeals the old law, in force since 1999, and aims to harmonize Bulgarian legislation with European legislation, introducing new concepts, new registration obligations and higher sanctions. In the text below you will find some of the more important legislative changes.

The European Green Deal is a new growth strategy invented to reshape the EU economy. In the eyes of the European Commission, its scale exceed even post-war transformation in the West and post-Soviet transition in the East. The EU believes that is able to turn the urgent challenge of climate change into a unique opportunity to become a digital and green leader of the world.

Balazs Sahin-Toth, Counsel in the Budapest office of Allen & Overy, working pro bono in conjunction with Peter Gardos from Hungary's Gardos Mosonyi Tomori Law Firm and Hungarian solo practitioners Adel Kegye and Eleonora Hernadi, has persuaded the Hungarian Supreme Court to uphold the lower court's decision that the Hungarian segregation of Roma students between 2003 and 2017 provided a lower level of education.

Vasil Kisil and Partners has successfully represented the interests of the applicant, Czech national Vasil Sadocha, in a case against Ukraine before the European Court of Human Rights.

Redcliffe Partners, Clifford Chance, and over 100 law firms around the world have participated in a global mapping survey for the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and the Environment related to the existence (or non-existence) of a fundamental human right to a healthy environment.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Admie, the owner and operator of the Greek electricity transmission grid, on the concession for the Crete-Attica high-voltage direct current interconnection project, granted to Admie’s subsidiary Ariadne Interconnection.

DLA Piper and Bulgaria's Sabev & Partners law firm have advised the Government of Bulgaria on the concession agreement and the tender procedure for the Sofia Airport in Bulgaria. As previously reported, Kinstellar advised the winning SOF Connect Consortium, which was led by Meridiam and included Munich Airport and Strabag.

Eurolex Bulgaria and CMS have advised Trace Group Holding and Balkantel — both members of the Plovdiv Railway Project Consortium — on their successful participation in a tender for a EUR 45 million railway public procurement project in Bulgaria.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partner has advised a consortium of UniCredit Bank Austria, BAWAG P.S.K, Commerzbank, Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberoesterreich, and HYPO Vorarlberg on the reorganization proceedings of the Huber Group, an Austrian lingerie manufacturer.

Kinstellar has advised Max Aicher GmbH & Co. KG on the acquisition of the enterprises of the bankrupt Czech companies, Pilsen Steel s.r.o. and Pilsen Estates s.r.o., from insolvency administrator Jaroslav Broz. Tarpan Partners were on the insolvency administrator’s team, while Roedl & Partner served as tax advisors to the Max Aicher group.

Former Dentons Counsel Martin Fronek has rejoined White & Case in Prague.

The Act on the termination of the state of emergency declared by Government Decree No. 40/2020 and on the transitional provisions in connection with the termination of the state of emergency were was adopted on 16 June 2020, meaning that the special provisions introduced during the state of emergency will not be applicable or may be of limited application subsequently. Dr. Nóra Óváry-Papp, lead attorney and dr. Helga Lieszkovszky, associate of Baker McKenzie Budapest summarize the expected changes in the legislative environment regarding the termination of the state of emergency. 

Ilyashev & Partners has persuaded the District Administrative Court of Kyiv to suspend the June 9, 2020 decision of the General Director of Ukroboronprom, Aivaras Abromavicius dismissing firm client Oleksandr Donets, the president of the Antonov State Enterprise.

Aver Lex has persuaded Ukraine's cassation Administrative Court, to uphold the judgments of the previous two instances that the dismissal of Ukraine's Sergey Bochkovskiy from the Head of the Emergency Service of Ukraine was unlawful and groundless.

A three-person Products & Health team led by Agnieszka Majka has moved from Hogan Lovells to NGL Legal in Warsaw.

Iliana Byanova, the former Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at the First Investment Bank, has joined Sopharma Trading as its Chief Legal, Risk, and Compliance Officer in Sofia.

Eva Nikolic has become Senior Director Legal, Developed Markets at the Astellas pharmaceutical company, where she will head the company's commercial legal agenda and lead related legal support in 22 European markets, including Central Europe and the Adriatic and Baltic regions.

Zamfirescu Racoti Vasile & Partners has successfully represented Intermed Consulting & Management before the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania in a case involving industrial park real estate tax exemption.

Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii has successfully represented the interests of the Association of Romanian Construction Companies and several other large construction companies before the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

Sorainen has advised Alfa Bank on debt recovery efforts against Lithuanian businessman Vidmantas Kucinskas, as well as identifying possibly illegal acts by Kucinskas, who is suspected of financial fraud and was detained when crossing the border between Slovenia and Croatia on July 15, 2020.

The Latvian office of Cobalt has advised AirBaltic on a EUR 250 million investment in its shares by the Latvian Government.

DLA Piper and Bulgaria's Sabev & Partners law firm have advised the Government of Bulgaria on the concession agreement and the tender procedure for the Sofia Airport in Bulgaria. As previously reported, Kinstellar advised the winning SOF Connect Consortium, which was led by Meridiam and included Munich Airport and Strabag.

Ivanyan & Partners has represented the interests of the Russian Union of Railway Transport Operators and oil products transporter Transoil in antitrust proceedings against railway wheel manufacturer Vyksa Steel Works. 

Acting on behalf of Challenge Shipping Ltd., the Odesa office of Ilyashev & Partners has secured the acceptance by Ukraine's State Ecological Inspection of a British protection and indemnity club's letter of undertaking as a sufficient security for a maritime claim.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Bank Polska Kasa Opieki S.A. on refinancing the debt of Polska Zegluga Morska Group companies in connection with the acquisition of five vessels. Rosicki, Grudzinski & Co. reportedly advised Polska Zegluga.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co has successfully represented the Port of Burgas on appeal of a decision of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission in an administrative dispute regarding a connection to Bulgaria's national electricity transmission grid.

The Lithuanian office of Sorainen has advised Koinveticinis Fondas on its investment in Ligence, a Lithuanian startup developing an automated cardiac ultrasound diagnostic solution based on artificial intelligence.

Brandl & Talos has advised BTOV's Industrial Technologies Fund on its participation in ToolSense's three million euro financing round that also included AWS Grunderfonds, Segnalita Ventures, Martin Global AG, and Dr. Georg Hoblik GmbH.

Herbst Kinsky has advised Byrd technologies GmbH on a EUR 5 million Series A financing round.

Balazs Sahin-Toth, Counsel in the Budapest office of Allen & Overy, working pro bono in conjunction with Peter Gardos from Hungary's Gardos Mosonyi Tomori Law Firm and Hungarian solo practitioners Adel Kegye and Eleonora Hernadi, has persuaded the Hungarian Supreme Court to uphold the lower court's decision that the Hungarian segregation of Roma students between 2003 and 2017 provided a lower level of education.

Greenberg Traurig has helped Zygmunt Solorz, the founder and major shareholder of Grupa Polsat, purchase 200 thousand genetic tests to be used by all Ministry of Health laboratories in Poland to diagnose the coronavirus. The tests were purchased for PLN 16 million.

Sorainen has launched a special pro bono program dedicated to supporting projects in the Baltics and Belarus set up to help solve pandemic-related issues.

Decisive Worldwide Szmigiel Papros Gregorczyk has advised the Skarbiec Dochodowych Nieruchomosci Fizan investment fund on the negotiation and sale of retail premises in Wroclaw’s Old Town.

Vasil Kisil & Partners has advised St Sophia Homes on leasing offices in Kyiv to Goethe-Institut.

CMS has advised OTP Bank, DSK Bank, and Eurobank on the EUR 110 million refinancing of the Business Park Sofia with Arco Capital Corporation. Reed Smith and Wolf Theiss advised Arco Capital on the transaction, which was signed on July 8 and closed on July 31, 2020.

Zamfirescu Racoti Vasile & Partners has successfully represented Intermed Consulting & Management before the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania in a case involving industrial park real estate tax exemption.

Following the approval of a directive in June 2020, consumers across the EU will be granted broader access to collective redress.

On 24 June 2020 the European Council amended Directive 2011/16/EU, in order to defer certain deadlines for filing and exchanging information under the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (“DAC”). The postponement is justified by the difficulties Member States and businesses are facing with during the pandemic.

White & Case and its associated Turkish firm, GKC Partners, have advised Zynga Inc. on its USD 168 million acquisition of an 80% stake in Rollic, a mobile games developer and publisher, from Mehmet Can Yavuz, Deniz Basaran, Burak Vardal, Volkan Bicer, Mehmet Ayan, and Yunus Emre Gonul. Caliskan Okkan Toker advised the sellers on the deal, which is expected to close on October 1, 2020.

White & Case has advised VTB Bank and a consortium of investors on the RUB 132 billion sale of a 55% stake in Tele2 Russia to Russia's Rostelecom, and on the acquisition of an approximately 29% stake in Rostelecom.

The European Court of Justice's judgment in Schrems II case published on 16 July, 2020 founded the Privacy Shield Decision invalid. The judgement also stated that the Commission Decision on Standard Contractual Clauses for the transfer of personal data to processors established in third countries remain valid.

Former Egorov, Puginski, Afanasiev & Partners Partner Tatyana Nozhkina has joined ZKS Attorneys.  

Kochanski & Partners has successfully represented Polish journalist Mikolaj Podolski in criminal proceedings initiated against him.

Harry Karampelis has been promoted to partner at the Lambadarios Law Firm in Greece.