During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Healthcare/Pharma/Life Sciences sector has, not surprisingly, come into focus, with the production licencing and supply of vaccines and the ability of hospitals and healthcare facilities to operate and the production of healthcare products all attracting attention.

In “The Corner Office” we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. The question this time: “What did you most want to be when you were little?”

CMS' Malgorzata Surdek-Janicka has been appointed as Vice-President of the International Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Aside from Surdek-Janicka, 33 lawyers from CEE were appointed as members and alternate members of the court.

By ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights in 1992, Hungary has committed itself to ensure the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time and to guarantee the right to an effective remedy for any violation of this right. In its judgment in Gazso v. Hungary, the European Court of Human Rights called on Hungary to establish a domestic remedy capable to handle the structural deficiencies identified in the judgment. As a result, at the end of June 2021, a new Act on the Enforcement of Material Compensation for Delay in Civil Proceedings was published in the Hungarian Official Gazette, which will enter into force on 1 January 2022. The Act establishes a new legal remedy for compensation for fundamental rights violations, called ‘material compensation’ which is different from the general compensation (in Hungarian: “kartalanitas”), indemnification or non-pecuniary compensation (in Hungarian: “serelemdij”).

Baker McKenzie has advised Swiss Post on its acquisition of a majority stake in Tresorit. DLA Piper advised Tresorit on the deal.

DLA Piper has advised Gazprom Export on the acquisition of Centrex Europe & Energy Gas AG from Gazprombank.

Currently, legal persons and organizational entities are registered by various courts and authorities: companies are registered by the court of registrations, civil organizations by the courts of law, while investment funds, for example, are registered by the Hungarian National Bank. The data content and operation of these registers also differ.

Latest tax reliefs aim to support tourism and travel industry in Hungary, as tourism was one of the most affected sectors by COVID pandemic. In order to boost the restart of domestic tourism, the latest governmental decree of 381/2021 introduced several new tax measures, mainly for this sector. As a result, tourism development contribution of 4% is still not payable by the end of 2021.

Szecsenyi & Partners has advised M7 CEREF II on its acquisition of the Terrapark Office complex near Budapest. CMS advised the seller.

A common stereotype prevails that banking contracts are non-negotiable, and borrowers hardly have a say in the terms of their contracts. However, this is not the case: like any economic operator, banks are also willing to compromise. Banks’ flexibility varies depending on who and when is seeking preferential treatment and on the contractual terms subject to negotiations.

Noerr has advised Irish clinical research company Icon Plc on EU merger clearance for its acquisition of PRA Health Sciences. Schima Mayer Starlinger advised Icon on Austrian law, while A&L Goodbody, Cahill Gordon & Reindel, Macfarlanes, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, and Gianni & Origoni advised on Irish, US, UK, French, and Italian law, respectively. 

Jalsovszky has advised Luma Automation S.A. on the acquisition of a 100% shareholding in IronTech Zrt. from Tibor Bochkor. Jalsovszky has also advised Raiffeisen Bank and CIB Bank, as lenders granting financing for the acquisition. 

Lakatos, Koves & Partners has advised GLP on the lease of a 43,000 square meters warehouse and office space within the Sziget Logistics Center to Germany-based Fiege Group.

Jalsovszky has advised Janos Kubinszky on the sale of a 100% shareholding interest in KTT Kft. to Axel Johnson International. Ernst & Young advised the buyer on the deal.

Banking and Finance lawyer Gabor Kiraly has rejoined Dentons as a Partner in the firm’s Budapest office. Kiraly had been a Counsel at Dentons from 2015 to 2020, before serving for a short period as Director of Portfolio Management at GB & Partners in Hungary.

Nagy es Trocsanyi has announced Balazs Karsai and Viktor Jeger will join the firm's partnership ranks as of July 1, 2021, and January 2022, respectively.

Oppenheim has successfully represented Hell Energy in a trademark dispute before the EU General court regarding the protection of its Hell trademark for coffee-related products.

On 1 July 2021, a new Government decree enters into force in Hungary, prohibiting the placing on the market of certain single-use plastic products and products made from oxo-degradable plastic. The decree was published in Hungary's Official Gazette on 1 June.