The Romanian energy sector has been a hot topic in recent years due to market developments as well as to the legal framework which continued to adapt to governmental policies and the market’s needs. 2024 was no exception to this trend, with several milestones reached, and 2025 is expected to bring further changes and evolutions on the market.

Vernon David has advised Victoriabank and its parent Banca Transilvania Financial Group on the acquisition of Microinvest. Filip & Company reportedly advised Banca Transilvania Group and Victoriabank as well. Turcan Cazac, working with Osborne Clarke, advised the shareholders of Microinvest.

Filip & Company has advised Digi Romania on two export credit facility agreements totaling over EUR 54.7 million and the group’s Spanish subsidiary Digi Spain Telecom on a EUR 275 million credit facility agreement. Clifford Chance advised the banks.

At the beginning of this year, the Court of International Commercial Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CICA) has adopted a new set of arbitration rules (the New CICA Rules). The New CICA Rules govern arbitral proceedings starting with 1 January 2025, replacing the rules which were in force from 2018 (the Old CICA Rules).

Filip & Company has advised the Adrem group on the sale of 20% of the shares in Adrem Energy Solutions to ROCA Investments. Popovici, Nitu & Asociatii advised ROCA Investments.

There are not many legal sectors that experience the ground-breaking changes which employment law faces every year on the Romanian market. In the past 3 years, our legislator’s appetite to regulate and overregulate matters like avoiding harassment at work, amending long established legal templates, or the new law on social dialogue have strongly shaken the peaceful climate of employment relationships.

Effective from 2 February 2025, the provisions of Chapter 1 and 2 of the EU Regulation no. 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (“EU AI Act”) regarding AI literacy and the ban on use of AI systems that pose unacceptable risks have entered into force.

Filip & Company has advised Dante International and HeyBlu IFN on the acquisition of Orange Money IFN.

In terms of competition, the year 2024 was marked by 2 important milestones – the first part of the year, until the appointment of the new Plenum of the Competition Council, during which the authority focused on finalizing some internal issues (rulings and other procedural matters), and the second part of the year, when the new Plenum of the Competition Council started its activity, showing the first signs of the strategy for the next two and a half years.

Filip & Company has elected its new management team which will be led by Co-Managing Partners Cristina Filip and Alexandru Birsan for a period of four years.

Filip & Company has advised PayPoint Services and its sole shareholder Star Payments on a financial debt restructuring process by contracting a syndicated loan from UniCredit Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Filip & Company has advised Credit Europe Bank Romania on a cross-border merger by absorption into Credit Europe Bank.

PwC's Romanian affiliate D&B David and Baias has advised the Altex group, owned by Romanian entrepreneur Dan Ostahie, on its acquisition of Brico Depot’s Romanian network from Kingfisher. Filip & Company and A&O Shearman reportedly advised Kingfisher.

Filip & Company has advised Mozaik Investments on its sale of a minority stake in 5 To Go to Invenio Partners and Accession Capital Partners. Schoenherr advised ACP. Dentons reportedly advised Invenio Partners.

Greenberg Traurig and Filip & Company have advised Polish chemical group Qemetica on its acquisition of PPG's precipitated silica business for approximately PLN 1.2 billion (USD 310 million). Hogan Lovells advised PPG.

Filip & Company and Deloitte Legal-affiliated Reff & Asociatii have successfully represented BT Leasing Transilvania IFN before the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a first-instance decision that annulled a Competition Council Decision imposing fines on 16 companies and the Financial Services Association following an investigation into the financial leasing market.

Filip & Company Partner Catalin Alexandru dives into Romania's legal and business landscape, examining the impact of election-year dynamics on regulatory activity, the Constitutional Court's landmark decision on the windfall tax, the surge in public-private partnerships tied to infrastructure projects, and the general market trends.

Filip & Company has advised Teilor Holding on its corporate bond issuance that raised RON 22 million from investors on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.