Kinstellar has advised Czech investment group Portiva on its acquisition of a 5000-square meter retail center in Ivancice, Czech Republic, from Austrian developer Aventin.

Czech attorney Marta Fisnerova has become the fifth partner at JSK in Prague.

Dentons and Simpson Thacher have advised Round Hill Capital and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities on the sale of a EUR 1.3 billion residential real estate portfolio in the Czech Republic to Swedish real estate company Heimstaden Bostad AB, which was advised by Clifford Chance. 

Counsels Jan Lasak and Vlastimil Pihera have joined the partnership at Kocian Solc Balastik in Prague.

BPV Braun Partners has advised Pojist’ovna Patricie on an intra-group sale of two properties from a real estate project in Prague, and on an extra-group sale of real estate in Ostrava and Usti Nad Labem to the Capexus group, which was advised by Havel & Partners and Czech solo practitioner Theodor Klan. 

Martina Schutzova has been promoted to Partner at CEE Attorneys in Prague.

Pavel Gonda, Pavel Grim, Tomas Chobola, and Jiri Zapletal have joined the Skils law firm partnership in the Czech Republic — the former Weil, Gotshal & Manges office in the country, until the American firm withdraw from the market in 2018 — increasing the overall number of partners at the firm to 14.

Kinstellar has advised Star Capital Investments on the acquisition of Lighthouse Towers in Prague´s Holesovice district from German real estate fund DEKA Immobilien. The sellers were advised by CMS Prague.

Zdenek Hustak has been promoted from Counsel to Partner at the BBH Law Firm in Prague.

Another in our series of articles leading up to the 2020 Dealer’s Choice Law Firm Summit and Deal of the Year Awards in London.

PwC Legal has advised the U City Group on internal restructuring, involving the incorporation of hotels previously purchased by Vienna House into its portfolio and the restructuring of the Vienna House Diplomat Prague hotel.

Dentons has advised joint lead managers Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Citi, and HSBC on the issuance of EUR 750 million 0.875% bonds due 2026 by CEZ, a.s., and listed on the regulated market of Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Kocian Solc Balastik has advised Solitea Holding on the acquisition of a 100% share in Clever Decision, a business intelligence solution and data warehouse company operating on the Czech and Slovak markets.

CMS has advised Karimpol on the sale of Greenline, a 15,500 square meter office building in Prague to Wood & Company. Dentons advised the buyers on the deal.

Senior Associate Kristína Bartoskova has been appointed head of Baker McKenzie's International Commercial & Trade practice in Prague.

BPV Braun Partners has advised a fund managed by Aventicum Real Estate on renovations and the expansion of the Prague Marriott Hotel.

White & Case lawyers Jan Jakoubek, Karel Petrzela, Ida Kucerova, Jakub Wolkowicz, and Vladimir Ivanco have been promoted to Local Partner by the firm as part of its global promotion round, with those promotions becoming effective on January 1, 2020.

Bond financing has recently become quite popular in the Czech Republic and companies often finance their business needs by issuing corporate bonds instead of the more usual credit financing. Obviously, the popularity of corporate bonds is also associated with the greater willingness of investors to buy them. Bonds are perceived by the general public as a safe and conservative investment instrument. Nevertheless, recent market developments show that corporate bonds issued by private companies may not always be a safe investment, as evidenced, for example, by the insolvency of online fashion store Zoot, which funded its expansion by issuing bonds.