Schoenherr has advised Ceres Pharma on the acquisition of the Hungarian pharmaceutical companies VitaPlus and Innopharm, including their Innopharm Austrian subsidiary.

Schoenherr has advised Nofar Energy on its acquisition of a 255-megawatt photovoltaic project under development from Portland Trust.

Schoenherr, working with Walder Wyss and the Law Office of Loren Richards, has advised Raiffeisen Bank International on its EUR 31 million project financing to borrower Energy Financing Team SE Bileca to develop a 60-megawatt solar power plant in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The UK has not been a member of the European Union and thus of the comprehensive European framework for cross-border civil litigation since 1 January 2021. Within the EU, the Brussels I Recast-Regulation (Regulation [EU] 1215/2012) not only provides a set of common rules on the jurisdiction of the courts but also ensures rapid and simple recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters issued in the Member States. Under the Brussels I Regulation, judgments are enforceable without any declaration of enforceability. A judgment rendered in France or Romania can be enforced in Austria without much trouble and vice versa.

In late November 2023, CEE Legal Matters reported that Schoenherr was expanding its Warsaw office with the addition of a team of 23 lawyers, including seven Partners, from SSW Pragmatic Solutions. Schoenherr's Managing Partner Alexander Popp and the firm's Poland Office Managing Partner Pawel Halwa walked us through the move, its rationale, and their next steps.

On 15 December 2023, Austria's National Council of the Parliament (lower house) adopted the Flexible Company Act (Flexible-Kapitalgesellschafts-Gesetz, FlexKapGG), which introduces a new company form, the "Flexible Company" (FlexCo) as of 1 January 2024.

Former SSW Pragmatic Solutions Partner Grzegorz Filipowicz has joined Schoenherr’s Warsaw Office and energy practice as a Local Partner in Poland. The move echoed – but remained separate from – the recent Schoenherr addition of 23 SSW lawyers (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on November 30, 2023).

Schoenherr Partner Tsvetan Krumov talks about the evolution of the banking sector and their role as legal advisors in Bulgaria over the last 10 years.

Schoenherr Counsel Elena Todorova and Attorney at Law Dimitar Vlaevsky talk about the evolution of the real estate sector and their legal advisor roles in Bulgaria over the last 10 years.

Oppenheim has advised the China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation and China Power International Holding on the acquisition of a project company developing a photovoltaic project with an installed capacity of 53.9 megawatts in Tiszafured, Hungary. Schoenherr advised the ID Energy Group on the sale.

Poland’s legal landscape is characterized by the increased mobility of lawyers and legal teams, while its markets are feeling optimistic following the results of the recent elections, according to Schoenherr Poland Managing Partner Pawel Halwa, and everyone is waiting for the new government’s investment and legislative priorities to come into focus.

Schoenherr has advised the MET Group on the completion of its photovoltaic plants located in Buzsak, Gerjen, and Sojtor, Hungary, with a total capacity of almost 169 megawatts and spanning 134 land plots with a total area of almost 310 hectares.

ACI Partners Legal Manager Carolina Parcalab, Avellum Senior Partner Glib Bondar, Gecic Law Counsel Miodrag Jevtic, Vujacic Law Office Partner Sasha Vujacic, and Schoenherr Bulgaria Local Partner Tsvetan Krumov discuss the current status of capital markets in CEE.

Due to technological progress and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have increasingly turned to online shopping. This was accompanied by the rapid development of new methods of short-term financing, such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services, which allow customers to pay for purchases at a later date than the date of receipt. In Poland, financing is interest-free for a certain period, generally 30 days, after which interest charges apply.

The latest amendments to the Polish Code of Civil Procedure regarding interim relief in intellectual property cases, among other matters, entered into force on July 1, 2023. Interim injunction proceedings are crucial when the parties wish to quickly prevent further infringement of their intellectual property rights and obtain protection for the duration of the main legal proceedings. The main purpose of these proceedings is essentially to secure claims, i.e., to obtain a ruling (order) in which the court will order the opposing party to act in a certain way or prohibit certain actions.

Schoenherr has advised Borealis AG on the agreement to purchase Bulgarian polyethylene and polypropylene recycler Integra Plastics. Boyanov & Co and CMS reportedly advised on the deal as well.

In import-export transactions across Europe, it is common for sellers to protect the assets they have sold by retaining the ownership title until the buyer has paid the full purchase price. Retention of title allows sellers to reclaim the assets if the buyer fails to pay, and even if the buyer goes bankrupt before payment is made. In Hungary, however, such an arrangement can lead to unpleasant surprises for sellers.

CMS has advised Astronergy on the acquisition of the Karlovo and Novi Pazar greenfield solar projects in Bulgaria, with a combined capacity of 120 megawatts. Schoenherr reportedly advised the sellers.