Domokos Neagu Sarbu has successfully represented Alpiq in a tax dispute with the Romanian tax authority in a case that ultimately required the input of the Romanian Supreme Court.

Former Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak Senior Counsel Szymon Czerwinski has joined Schoenherr in Poland as a Partner to lead the firm's Tax team.

Schoenherr has successfully represented Societatea Energetica Electrica in a long-term contentious administrative case with a stake worth EUR 46 million against Romania's state and public resource management auditor.

Schoenherr has advised Grupa Zywiec on executing a conditional agreement to sell the Lezajsk brewery to Mycofeast. Rymarz Zdort Maruta advised Mycofeast.

Boyanov & Co recently announced that Borealis' acquisition of Integra Plastics (reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 8, 2023) had closed on March 29, 2024.

In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.

From 28 March 2024, businesses operating in Hungary will be required to offer services by the state-owned enterprise Hungarian Post ("Magyar Posta") as a delivery option for consumers using their online stores. The text of the new provision is concise and has raised several questions.

Schoenherr has advised Caverion Oesterreich on its acquisition of the refrigeration and air conditioning business of Climacraft. Cuber advised Climacraft.

Schoenherr has advised joint lead managers Danske Bank, Erste Group, ING, Natixis, and UBS on Volksbank Wien's EUR 500 million issuance of notes. Wolf Theiss advised Volksbank Wien.

Did you know that the CEE Q1 leaderboards are available through the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website?

Schoenherr has successfully represented ImWind in obtaining a legally binding EIA permit for the Loidesthal II wind farm in Zistersdorf, Lower Austria.

Austria's healthcare system got a long-anticipated makeover. After years of small-scale adjustments, a collective amendment – the "Vereinbarungsumsetzungsgesetz 2024" ("VUG 2024" or the "reform") – has brought a new wave of changes somewhere revolutionising healthcare in Austria. The VUG 2024 refers to a comprehensive and coordinated change made to a total of 13 legal matters, which are being modified together as a unified act for a more holistic approach. This happens to be one of the biggest reforms in the healthcare sector in recent decades.

In March the European Commission approved a EUR 3bln (RON 15.22bln) Romanian scheme to support installations producing electricity from onshore wind and solar photovoltaic. The approval relates to an initiative launched for consultations by the Ministry of Energy in August 2023, aimed at implementing a Contracts for Difference (CfD) support mechanism for low-carbon technologies (the "CfD Scheme").

Schoenherr has advised Austrian green technology scale-up Neoom on the structuring and implementation of its "impact invest" customer financing scheme for decentralized energy projects as well as related project debt financing arranged by Solas Capital in an amount of up to EUR 30 million.

Miklos Klenanc – a former Attorney at Law with PwC Legal in Hungary – has joined the Budapest office of Schoenherr as a Senior Attorney at Law to lead the firm's local M&A practice.

KWKR, working with Lippes Mathias, has advised Software Mind on obtaining a PLN 150 million financing from BNP Paribas Bank Polska and the subsequent acquisition of US-based company Prosoft in a transaction valued at almost USD 50 million. Dentons advised the lender. Schoenherr, working with Roetzel & Andress, reportedly advised on the loan agreement as well.

Montenegro's Law on Games of Chance (the "Law") was enacted in 2004 and has undergone multiple amendments since. The most recent ones came into effect on 1 January 2024. The aim of the amendments, as stated by the competent authorities, is to ensure a sustainable regulatory system for organising games of chance via the internet or other telecommunication means, as well as to generate additional revenue from these activities.

Moravcevic Vojnovic and partners in cooperation with Schoenherr has advised Fifth Quarter Ventures on its recent investment in Cosmic.