Looking back on the first five months of 2020, three data processing topics in Croatia deserve attention, if for nothing else than their historical value. Data Protection – particularly finalizing the EU’s e-Privacy Regulation – has been identified as among the priorities of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP) publicized its first administrative fine against a bank for denying its clients the right of access to their personal data. And, if you were hoping this article would skip the ubiquitous COVID-19, no such luck: data processing issues and guidance amid the pandemic is the winner of our mini chart.

We decided to lighten the mood this time around by asking our Law Firm Marketing experts from across the region a non-law-firm related question: “What did you most want to be when you were little?”

Stay informed about the latest developments in competition law in Central and Eastern Europe with Schoenherr's multi-jurisdictional newsletter. Each issue offers insight into developments in merger control, anti-trust, as well as public and private enforcement in the region.

Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka and Baker McKenzie have advised mobile game developer Playrix on the acquisition of Croatian gaming studio Cateia Games.

After operating under the brands Andersen Tax, Andersen Legal, and Andersen Tax & Legal, the member firms of Andersen Global in Europe, will now operate under a single brand: "Andersen".

Austrian lawyers Clara Gordon, Matthias Schimka, and Robert Wagner have been promoted to Partner at Wolf Theiss Vienna, and Croatian lawyers Dora Gazi Kovacevic and Sasa Jovicic made Partner at Wolf Theiss Zagreb.

For our new “Checking In” feature, we reach out to partners and heads of practice across CEE to learn how specific practice areas are faring in their jurisdictions. For this inaugural piece, we asked firm Real Estate experts: "What effect do you think the COVID-19 crisis will have on the real estate market in your jurisdiction this year, and what do think will be the longer-term repercussions?"

Schoenherr Partner Alexander Popp in Austria and Attorney at Law Ivan Einwalter in Croatia talk about the CEE 2019 Deal of the Year in Croatia

It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2019 CEE Deal of the Year Award winners – the most important, complicated, significant, and valuable deals across Central and Eastern Europe.

Franka Baica has been promoted to Partner at Croatia's Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners.

Mario Krka has been made Senior Partner at the former Divjak Topic & Bahtijarevic law firm in Croatia, which is now operating as Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic & Krka.

Advertising of medical devices is a significant market activity in the regulated pharma industry. Companies are always in search of new tactics and business strategies to remain competitive in the market and to attract new customers, in conditions of fierce market competition.

Former Glinska & Miskovic lawyers Ivona Andelovic, Petra Siketic, and Marko Tomic have left their former home to launch the new Andelovic, Siketic & Tomic law firm in Zagreb.

“One of the key questions in Croatia right now is the upcoming parliamentary elections,” begins Mate Lovric, Partner at Lovric Novokmet Smrcek. “They will either occur in July or sometime this fall (although July seems more likely). The current government would prefer them to be earlier, when the memory of successful measures against the COVID-19 crisis is still fresh, while the opposition would like to see them as late as possible, of course.”

Go2Law and BDV advised Optimapharm founders Igor and Gordana Cicak and Wolf Theiss advised investor Mezzanine Management on the sale of Optimapharm to the Rohatyn Group. Babic & Partners, Taylor Wessing, and Nauta Dutilh advised the Rohatyn Group on the deal.

Croatia's Tus & Andrijanic law firm, acting with New York's Wuersch & Gering, has advised Budapest-based Lead Ventures Plc. on it EUR 3 million acquisition of an unspecified stake in insurtech start-up Amodo d.o.o.

In The Corner Office feature of CEE Legal Matters we ask Managing Partners at leading law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their unique roles and responsibilities. In light of current events, the question for this online occurrence of the feature is: "What have been the top three most often asked COVID-19 related questions that you have gotten from clients in the last month?”

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, most CEE/SEE countries have introduced provisions to close certain premises, while only some have banned the termination of leases in order to protect tenants who have lost revenues.