Fatur Menard has advised the Svetlik family on the sale of their 42% stake in Hidria owner H&R to Spanish corporation Gonvarri. Cuatrecasas and Schoenherr reportedly advised Gonvarri.

The Czech Republic is looking at a promising start to the year, after somewhat of a market slowdown towards the end of 2022, with no dark clouds on the horizon just yet, according to Schoenherr Partner Vladimir Cizek.

Schoenherr has advised China's Shanghai Electric Power on its full acquisition of five project companies developing a 200-megawatt PV project in Northeast Hungary from Chint Solar Hungary Projects. Kinstellar advised Chint Solar.

Crucial amendments to the Hungarian Competition Act entered into force on 1 January 2023, while others will on 1 February 2023. This article briefly describes the most important changes.

"Repos and securities lending in Bulgaria are regarded as financial collateral, thus ensuring their enforceability. But some important contractual arrangements must be agreed upon by the parties wishing to avail themselves of such enforceability."

Schoenherr, working with Germany's Zinger Strachwitz, has advised the shareholders of the FirmenABC Group on their exit to Austrian investor consortium Invest AG and Industrieliegenschaftenverwaltung AG. Wildmoser/Koch and Tracc Legal reportedly advised the buyers.

There will be a significant number of tax changes in Romania in 2023. While companies may welcome some of them, others will bring them additional tax costs this year or next.

A new Consumer Protection Act (the "Act") entered into force in North Macedonia on 15 November 2022.

Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr has advised MaxBet on its agreement with CT Gaming Group member Bargame to acquire the El Dorado Slot Clubs in Serbia.

Did you know that Dentons worked on more reported client matters in Central and Eastern Europe in 2022 – 86 – than any other firm (with Sorainen only one behind), and that Andrzej Stosio of Clifford Chance in Poland worked on more client matters than any other lawyer in the region – 13 (with Mantas Petkevicius of Sorainen in Lithuania and Roxana Ionescu of Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu in Romania both only one behind, with 12)?

On 28 November 2022, the European Commission published its proposals for a Regulation amending Community Design Regulation No 2/2006 as well as a proposal for an amendment of the Community Design Directive.

On December 28, 2022, Baker McKenzie announced that Accenture’s takeover of ARZ Allgemeines Rechenzentrum (reported by CEE Legal Matters on June 10, 2022) had closed.

Recent years have brought significant progress in terms of formalities for the incorporation of legal entities that carry out economic activities.

Dorda, working with Loyens & Loeff, has advised Croma-Pharma on entering into a business combination agreement with the European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company. Schoenherr, working with Sullivan & Cromwell and Houthoff, advised EHC.

There is a growing concern, across CEE, about a potential wave of insolvency and restructuring proceedings. Given the economic aftermath of COVID-19, coupled with the ramifications of rising inflation and interest rates, energy crisis concerns, and the war in Ukraine – the road ahead seems bumpy at best.

Later this year, the European Parliament is expected to pass the Regulation on Foreign Subsidies distorting the Internal Market (FSR). CEE Legal Matters spoke with Schoenherr’s Volker Weiss, Johannes Stalzer, and Jan Kupcik to learn more about the new Regulation and its impact.

Consumer protection is strongly enshrined in the Czech legal system and will be strengthened or clarified even further. It will therefore be necessary for sellers to adjust their terms and conditions in this regard.

Schoenherr has advised Singapore-based Harps Global on its acquisition of the medical business division Sempermed from the Austrian Semperit Group for an enterprise value of EUR 115 million.