Peter Plachy has joined CMS as Counsel and Head of Dispute Resolution in its office in Bratislava.

Big law firms can coast on boring slogans. They’ve got the clout, the infrastructure, and the impressive list of past clients to do the talking. But if you’re a smaller firm and your website sounds like everyone else’s, you are disappearing into the beige background of legal marketing noise.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), approved in 2019, takes effect on June 28, 2025. The Act requires a wide range of products and services – such as consumer electronics, vending machines, websites, and mobile apps – to meet accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

Slovakia’s new Building Act, effective as of April 2025, is significantly reshaping the construction and permitting landscape, according to Legate Partner Norbert Havrila. The act introduces major reforms designed to streamline and modernize construction procedures, impacting not only real estate development but also telecommunications infrastructure.

Allen Overy Shearman Sterling has promoted former Counsel Tomas Bury to Partner in its global M&A practice.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by Legate.

CMS has advised the Debt and Liquidity Management Agency of the Slovak Republic on the issuance of its first retail government bonds. 

Dentons has advised a club of banks led by Tatra Banka on a syndicated loan of EUR 168 million to JTRE to finance the Downtown Yards residential project in Bratislava. Relevans advised JTRE.

Horizons Alliance has appointed HKV Law Partner Martin Kluch as the new Head of CEE Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group with Erdos Partners Partner Balazs Varszeghi serving as Deputy Head.

Kinstellar has advised DSV on the sale and leaseback of its newly constructed logistics park in Senec, Slovakia, to Reico Long Lease. Wilsons reportedly advised the buyers.

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With 2024 behind us, we asked: Looking at transactional volumes for this year, would you say that 2024 was better or worse than what you originally expected it to be, and why?

Dentons has advised Shopper Park Plus on the acquisition via its subsidiary Shopping Malls SVK of a Tesco-anchored retail park portfolio in Slovakia from Tesco Stores. Wilsons reportedly advised Tesco.

CMS has advised joint lead managers HSBC, J.P. Morgan, Slovenska Sporitelna, and Tatra Banka on the Slovak Republic’s bond issuance of EUR 3 billion 3.750% notes due 2040.

The transfer of a business share is a routine process in corporate transactions. A share purchase agreement (SPA) must be in writing with notarized signatures. The transfer becomes effective upon the company's receipt of the SPA unless a later date is specified. However, if required by law or the memorandum of association (MoA), it cannot take effect before the general meeting grants approval. Each transfer must also be registered in the Slovak Commercial Register (“Commercial Register”). In practice, complications may arise when one party withdraws from an SPA.

Eversheds Sutherland Managing Partner Bernhard Hager talks about energy in Slovakia in 2025.

Slovakia is currently still in the process of approving the draft legislation for the implementation of Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972, and repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148 (NIS2 Directive). However, Slovakia has missed the implementation deadline of October 17, 2024, with the draft pending approval in Parliament, expected by late November 2024.