On 17 April 2025, the Law on the Implementation of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on the Single Market for Digital Services (the Digital Services Act or "DSA") (the "Law") entered into force in Croatia. The Law marks a significant step in harmonising the national legislation with the EU's regulatory framework for digital services.

CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.

Lovric, Novokmet & Partners has advised Fortenova on the sale of Agrolaguna and Vinarija Novigrad to Badel 1862. Miskovic & Miskovic advised Badel 1862.

Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka has promoted Dina Salapic and Andrej Zmikic to Partner in a promotion round that also saw Sanja Novoselic and Dominik Glavina promoted to Senior Attorneys at Law.

In recent years, Croatian enterprises have increasingly embraced innovative ownership structures to retain and incentivize top talent. Initially spearheaded by the IT sector, this trend has expanded across industries, from established family businesses to emerging ventures. The rationale is straightforward: aligning employee interests with long-term corporate success through equity participation. 

Cytowski & Partners has advised SplxAI on its USD 7 million series seed financing round led by LAUNCHub Ventures. Gunderson reportedly advised LAUNCHub Ventures.

Croatia’s mergers and acquisitions market continues to exhibit remarkable dynamism, with strong activity across key sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, and alternative energy according to Tarja Krehic, Managing Partner at Krehic & Zornada, who also reports on legislative reforms aimed at aligning Croatia’s corporate governance and state-owned enterprise management with OECD standards.

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.

CMS Partners Horea Popescu, Alexander Rakosi, and Ryszard Manteuffel discuss the ebb and flow of M&A deals in CEE, highlighting that the M&A landscape experienced a significant drop in overall deal values prompting strategic shifts amid ongoing geopolitical and financing challenges.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With 2024 behind us, we asked: Looking at transactional volumes for this year, would you say that 2024 was better or worse than what you originally expected it to be, and why?

The private healthcare sector across CEE has been expanding at a remarkable pace, reshaping the way people access and experience medical care.

Cash pooling arrangements allowing companies to optimize their cash and better manage liquidity have been present as part of the financial product offered by banks to their clients for some time now.

Miskovic & Miskovic has advised Erste & Steiermaerkische Bank, Hrvatska Postanska Banka, OTP Banka, Privredna Banka Zagreb, Raiffeisenbank Austria, and Zagrebacka Banka on Republic of Croatia’s state EUR 1.75 billion bonds issuance.

Gospic Plazina Stojs Partner Lana Stojs talks about banking and finance in 2025 in Croatia.

Marohnic, Tomek & Gjoic Attorney at Law Ivona Zagajski talks about energy in Croatia in 2025.

MGG Law Partner Dino Gliha talks about TMT in 2025 in Croatia.

As Croatia prepares to implement a new real estate tax, Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners Partner Franka Baica, BDV Legal Partner Vladimir Batarelo, and CMS Partner Tamara Jelic Kazic talk about its objectives, potential impacts, and how property owners and investors should respond.

Belupo General Counsel Eva Kovacic reflects on her journey from law firm beginnings to steering legal and compliance in the fast-paced pharmaceutical world.