The Serbian Commission for Protection of Competition (“Commission”) has recently determined that the companies KTG Solucije d.o.o. Subotica (“KTG”) and Eco sense doo Subotica (“Eco Sense”) entered into a restrictive agreement that significantly impacted competition in public procurement procedures related to hygiene maintenance materials and services.
The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for Copyright Infringement in AI Models Development
Artificial intelligence (“AI”) has been present in our lives for a while now, but it became a buzzword when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the public. Therefore, the lawsuit against OpenAI and the datasets used by ChatGPT deserve more attention than other similar cases.
BDK Advokati Advises Atlantic Grupa on Acquisition of Strauss Adriatic
BDK Advokati has advised Atlantic Grupa on its acquisition of Strauss Adriatic – the owner of Serbian coffee brands Doncafe and C Kafa – from the Strauss Group. Sole practitioner Sarig Shalhav reportedly advised the Strauss Group.
The Constitutional Court Decided in Favor of Employed Pregnant Women and Mothers: Changed Rules on the Calculation of Compensation of Salary During Maternity Leave and Leave of Absence for Nursing a Child
On 14 February 2024 the Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Serbia no. IUz-60/2021 was published, which determines that the provision of Article 13, Paragraph 1 of the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children (“Off. Gazette of the RS”, no. 113/17, 50/18, 46/21 – Decision of the CC, 51/21 – Decision of the CC, 53/21 – Decision of the CC, 66/21, 130/21, 43/23 – Decision of the CC and 62/23), is not in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia in the part that reads:
Karanovic & Partners Advises GGF on EUR 50 Million Loan to UniCredit Bank Serbia for Supporting Renewable Energy
Karanovic & Partners has advised the Green for Growth Fund on a EUR 50 million loan for UniCredit Bank Serbia to finance utility-scale renewable energy projects in the country with a focus on solar and wind.
Regulation of the Status of Foreigners in Serbia from now on Only Electronically
In the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia no. 6/2024 from January 26, 2024, the following by-laws have been published:
Are FIFA and UEFA Ready for Rule Changes in European Football?
For those familiar with the situation in the world of football in Europe, the end of 2023 was very interesting bearing in mind that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) made two important decisions concerning football organizations FIFA and UEFA.
Vulic Law Advises International Finance Corporation on EUR 160 Million Financing for Drenik ND
Vulic Law, working with Gide, has advised the International Finance Corporation on its EUR 160 million financing for Serbia's Drenik ND. Wolf Theiss's Hungarian office reportedly advised the IFC as well.
Cvjeticanin & Partners Advises Daikin Serbia on Employee Benefits Program Implementation
Cvjeticanin & Partners has advised Daikin Serbia on implementing its employee benefits program including company shares and profit sharing.
A Year in Review: A Brief Analysis of the Serbian Banking Sector in 2023
As of the close of 2022, Serbia's banking sector faced challenges amid global economic conditions. The year 2023 brought its distinct set of obstacles, with a noteworthy slowdown in global inflation compared to the last quarter of 2022. However, the undeniable focal point is the war in Ukraine, triggering a faster inflationary spiral due to increased energy and food prices.
Chapter 3 – Commercial Offenses Trilogy Finale
Quite unexpectedly, 2023 has proven to be a pivotal year for our trilogy on commercial offenses, considering the anticipated surge in the number of commercial cases before the national Commercial Courts attributed to the announced expeditiousness of public prosecutors. In light of such circumstances, we once again urge our readers, if they have not already done so, to check out our Chapter 1 - "A Commercial Offense – A Brief Review of an Unjustifiably Neglected Step Between a Misdemeanor and a Criminal Offense."
Implications of the Revised Market Definition Notice for Western Balkan Countries
On February 8, 2024, the European Commission (“EC”) unveiled an updated Market Definition Notice (“the Notice”). The revision plays a crucial role in the EC’s approach to assessing mergers and antitrust cases by delineating the competitive boundaries and assessing the market power of companies.
Reporting on FX Operations in Serbia: Common Mistakes Leading to Misdemeanour Liability
Under the Serbian Law on Foreign Exchange Operations and its accompanying bylaws, Serbian residents have various reporting obligations towards the National Bank of Serbia (“NBS”), which is competent for controlling foreign exchange (“FX”) operations of residents and non-residents. It is not rare in practice that companies operating in Serbia are not aware of (all) such obligations, especially in the cases of first-time entrance to the market, which exposes them to potential liability for FX misdemeanours. The controls in this area are common while identified irregularities are followed by misdemeanour proceedings.
Harrisons, Maric & Co, Lambadarios, Wolf Theiss, and Selih & Partnerji Advise on EUR 1.7 Billion United Group Refinancing
Harrisons, Maric & Co, Lambadarios, and Wolf Theiss, working with Linklaters, have advised a banking consortium led by UniCredit Bank London on the United Group's EUR 1.7 billion issuance of four tranches of senior secured and PIK notes as well as on the increase and extension of its EUR 410 million revolving credit facility. Selih & Partnerji, working with Paul Weiss, advised the United Group. Schoenherr, Koutalidis, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, and Elvinger Hoss Prussen reportedly advised the United Group as well.
BDK Advokati Successful for Former Prisoners Against Serbian Media Regulator Before Belgrade Administrative Court
BDK Advokati has successfully represented Satko Mujagic, Fikret Alic, and the Association of Camp Inmates Kozarac in a dispute against the Serbian REM electronic media regulator before the Administrative Court in Belgrade.
Entering Into Force of the General Act and the Date of its Implementation – is There a Difference?
Amendments to laws and other regulations must stipulate transitional and final provisions. They regulate, among other things, the date of entry into force of the act, which is, as a rule, eight days starting from the day of its publication in the "Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", while in certain cases later implementation of the act or its certain provisions is foreseen.
Enforcement Activities of the Largest Competition Regulators in AI
Effective enforcement of competition rules in the AI world is on the horizon. Competition regulators around the world are closely monitoring the advancement of AI and the competitive landscape across various facets of AI.
NKO Partners Advises Dr. Max on Acquisition of Pet-Sar Farm
NKO Partners has advised the Dr. Max pharmacy chain on its acquisition of the Pet-Sar Farm pharmacy chain in Serbia from Natasa Stanojkovic.