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.

“You’ve got mail!” Unfortunately, instead of coming from Tom Hanks, it’s the commercial court informing you that your company is being sued. Online! Are you and your SPV ready for the new mandatory electronic communication with Croatian courts?

Lovric Novokmet Smrcek has advised I4 Invention and Miodrag Mircetic on the sale of a majority shareholding in Tradeticity DOO to Italian-listed company Antares Vision, which was advised by Wolf Theiss.

Dentons, DGKV, Karanovic & Partners, and Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners advised Hungary's Optima Befektesi Alapkezelo on its acquisition of a 61.49% share in Globe Trade Centre S.A. from Lone Star Funds. Schoenherr advised the sellers on the deal.

Contributed by Divjak, Topic & Bahtijarevic.

“Nobody has a crystal ball, so it’s very difficult to foresee what the immediate future will look like,” says Mojmir Ostermann, Managing Partner of Ostermann & Partners, referring to the current situation in Croatia and the COVID-19 crisis.

Slovenian law firm Nlaw has opened an office in Croatia, with Frano Barovic, who joined the firm last fall, serving as Managing Partner.

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: "How are you managing your team working remotely during this challenging period?"

On 14 March 2020, the Croatian Ministry of Justice issued recommendations to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and control the pandemic ("Measures"). The Measures are applicable until 1 April 2020. The Measures advise temporary adjustments to legal requirements in civil, insolvency and criminal procedure law to avoid hardship that would otherwise arise as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic & Associates has announced the launch of "Covid-19 + Zagreb Earthquake" pro bono project to help those affected by Covid-19 and/or the earthquake that rocked the Croatian capital on March 22, 2020.

Contributed by Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic & Associates

Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic & Associates to Advise Croatian Ministry of Public Administration on E-Business Project Implementation

Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic & Associates has executed a public procurement advisory agreement with the Croatian Ministry of Public Administration in relation to the implementation of an e-Business project.

The Buzz in Croatia: Interview with Damir Topic of Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic

”The most important things coming up in Croatia are the HDZ's intra-party elections,” says Damir Topic, Senior Partner at Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic in Zagreb, of the ruling party. “Mid-March will see these elections concluded and we’ll see which direction the party will take.“ Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, a member of HDZ, lost her bid for re-election in December, 2019 and stepped down on February 18 of this year According to Topic, “the right-wing of the party argues this is due to Grabar-Kitarovic taking a mellow stance (which apparently stems from the 'pro-liberal' orientation of current party’s leaders), which lost her the support of some of the more right-wing parts of the electorate.“