On the evening of April 25, 2023, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and ILFs active in the region in Istanbul.

Mediation as a way of resolving disputes between parties has existed for a long time now. However, not many have been willing to take part in the mediation process and use this way of resolving disputes, whose main purpose is to achieve a solution acceptable to both parties. It seems that long-lasting court proceedings and often expensive arbitration processes have shed light on a more amicable, faster, and more economical way of resolving disputes – mediation.

With Chat GPT the world is witnessing the first visible mass use of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in complex intellectual works. Although AI is not any novelty in the world, it seems that in 2023 Chat GPT made a real breakthrough in the everyday use of AI assistance to humanity.

Kinstellar has advised the owner of Unuodesign on the sale of a majority stake in the company to the Hartenberg Holding. Mikulas & Partners reportedly advised Hartenberg.

Kinstellar, working with Linklaters, has successfully advised Credit Agricole Consumer Finance and Stellantis on their acquisition from ALD Automotive of, among others, LeasePlan’s Czech operations.

Until 2014, less than 10 percent of the largest companies in the European Union regularly disclosed non-financial information about their operations as part of reports that supplement annual financial consolidated reports. Although they were obliged to do so by the then-current Directive of the European Union, the requirements of the existing legislation proved to need to be more transparent and more effective.

The Russian invasion is still ongoing, affecting all areas of life in Ukraine, but there are slivers of hope and reasons to stay positive and optimistic, according to Kinstellar Partner Alla Kozachenko.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 219,153 Russian citizens have immigrated to Serbia. In contrast, over the past year, more than four thousand Russian entrepreneurs and companies have been established in Serbia.

Zivkovic Samardzic, working with Milbank, has advised the shareholders of Eurobank Direktna Beograd on its sale to AIK Banka Beograd. Schoenherr and Holman Fenwick Willan advised AIK Banka.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine hit the one-year mark, we asked Ukrainian law firms how they adjusted to the new circumstances, how their mandates and teams have evolved, and about the support they received from their colleagues abroad throughout this period.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the world faces an ever-increasing number of restrictive measures and sanctions introduced in various jurisdictions. While the global sanctions landscape has been long established, it has developed rapidly after February 24, 2022.

In “The Corner Office” we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With a rough year drawing to a close, and market uncertainties running high, the question this time: If you had a million dollars, what would you invest it in today?

Cerha Hempel Hungary and the SOG Law Firm have been appointed as members of an international legal consortium to screen potential companies and advise on investments by the Emirate of Dubai’s “Operation 300 Billion” program. The consortium also reportedly includes the Boros Arpad Andras law firm in Budapest.

Our current publication is in detail Serbian Legal Framework for alcoholic beverages. It thoroughly analyses governmental approvals required to market alcoholic beverages, advertising restrictions, licensing and distribution requirements and restrictions, permissible product ingredients, and practical compliance issues.

One of the long-debated domestic themes is non-existence of retail NPL market in Serbia. Following the 2008 World Economic Crisis in Serbia, the country managed to regulate corporate NPL market, and to decrease NPL level from 20% to 3,19 %.

Kinstellar has advised BRD-Groupe Societe Generale on its EUR 24.3 million financing to Speedwell for the development of two green residential buildings in Timisoara, Romania. Wolf Theiss reportedly advised Speedwell.

Did You Know that, according to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, nine law firms in Central and Eastern Europe got off to an exceptionally strong start in 2023, with five client matters or more reported on by CEE Legal Matters in the first month of the year alone?

Ministry of Mining and Energy published on 21st January, long awaited draft of the Amendments to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (RESA) with purpose to push forward further investments in RES sector by creating better legal framework for development of new projects.