Despite the ongoing political events, the Czech Republic is keeping up with the global trend of a record-breaking number of yearly M&A transactions, according to Taylor Wessing Partner Janka Brezaniova.
Bernhard Hager Leads Eversheds Sutherland Czech and Slovak Offices. Radek Matous Makes Partner
Eversheds Sutherland's Head of the Bratislava Office Bernhard Hager has been appointed Managing Partner for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Principal Associate and Head of the Labour Law team Radek Matous was promoted to Partner in Prague.
Competition and Competition Litigation Laws and Regulations in Czech Republic
Contributed by Rowan Legal.
Expat on the Market: An Interview with Tristan O’Connor of CMS
An interview with Tristan O’Connor of CMS, about his path from Australia to Czech Republic.
The Great Amendment To Corporate Law In The Czech Republic
On January 1, 2021, an amendment to the Czech Companies Act came into effect, which brought many minor and major changes to the current life of business companies in the Czech Republic.
Data Protection In The Czech Republic
On May 25, 2018, the personal data protection rules in the Czech Republic were substantially changed. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council – the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR – became directly applicable law in all EU Member States, after a two-year transition period. Thus, the principles of personal data protection in the Czech Republic, the rights, duties, and processing requirements are regulated primarily by the GDPR.
Real Estate in the Czech Republic
The pandemic has transformed the Czech real estate market. While the residential and logistics real estate markets strengthened, the retail, tourism, and hotel sectors are among the worst affected. However, interest in investing in real estate has not waned as, in uncertain times, the purchase of real estate represents a safe place to park one’s funds and watch them appreciate. There has been no significant decline in property prices, even in the case of commercial real estate, as some investors had anticipated. The Czech market still lacks enough quality investment opportunities. The clear winner of this situation is the logistics segment. Our Prague office assisted in several transactions in the logistics segment, the largest being the purchase of 130 hectares of land intended for warehouse development, at one of the exits of the western D5 motorway. According to some real estate players, we can also expect increased interest in the industrial segment soon, including sale & leaseback transactions.
The Unexpected Hat: A Talk with Vice Mayor Roman Pecenka
Most of our readers might be familiar with Roman Pecenka as a Partner at PRK Partners. For years though, he has also been serving as the Vice Mayor of Podolanka. CEE Legal Matters spoke with him to learn more about his life in elected office.
Havel & Partners Marks 20 Years: An Interview with Robert Nespurek
With Havel & Partners celebrating 20 years of existence this year, CEE Legal Matters spoke with Robert Nespurek, one of the firm’s founding Partners, to look back at the past two decades and the firm’s plans for the future.
The Czech Logistics Sector – Strong Growth in the Face of Adversity
CEE Legal Matters has been reporting on an increased number of deals in the Czech Republic’s logistics sector. We reached out to several Czech real estate lawyers to discuss both the drivers behind the spike in work in the sector and the challenges it faces in the country.
Guest Editorial: From Suitcase Telephones and Polyester Suits to AI and ESG
Thinking about my journey and experiences as an expat lawyer in the Czech Republic, I vividly recall one of the early client meetings I had fresh off the boat in the mid-1990s. A CEE client came to the office with a “suitcase” telephone … an old school plastic telephone with a rotary dial and a long antenna, encased in an MDF “custom telecommunications suitcase” which he proudly lugged onto the desk … (He was also wearing one of those plum-colored shiny polyester suits so beloved by New Europe Entrepreneurs in the 90s). Note to incredulous young lawyers reading this: in those days there were no mobile phones (The horror!).
Lex Dukovany – A Step Towards Building a New Nuclear Reactor in The Czech Republic
As the Czech government signed off on the EU “Green Deal”, which aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050, the Czech Republic needs to find ways to achieve this goal, or at least to get close to it. Even though certain legislative and other supporting measures are currently being undertaken towards transitioning to low carbon energy – changes to the Czech Act on supported sources of energy, state subsidies for the (re)construction of power plants – given its geographical specifics and historical background, nuclear power is likely to play a key role in replacing coal-burning power plants. Under current state policy, construction of new nuclear reactors is to begin shortly. The first new reactors, to be located at the current Dukovany power plant, should begin operations by 2037. The Dukovany project took precedence over the construction of new nuclear blocks at the Temelin power plant, a priority at the beginning of the 21st century.
Europe’s Top Court Holds That Damages Arising from a Parent Company’s Infringement of European Competition Law Can Also Be Claimed Against Its Subsidiary
On October 6, 2021, the Grand Chamber of the of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its decision in Case C-882/19 Sumal SL v Mercedes Benz Trucks España, clarifying certain issues related to the imputability of anticompetitive conduct within a group of companies and the related private law consequences.
International Franchise Handbook: Focus on the Czech Republic
Franchising may be an attractive proposition for many companies wishing to expand internationally. Knowing how to structure your franchise, and to identify the next steps for expansion into other countries, is crucial.
EGC Upholds Significant Fine on Altice for Early Implementation of Transaction, EC and Competition Office Remain Vigilant on Investigations of Gun-Jumping
In April 2018, the European Commission imposed a fine of €124.5 million on French multinational telecommunications and mass media company Altice, for implementing its acquisition of PT Portugal before the Commission had approved the transaction and before the acquisition had even been notified to the Commission in some respects. In its judgment in Altice Europe v Commission, issued on September 22, 2021 (Case T-425/18), the European General Court (EGC), as the first instance EU court, dismissed Altice’s appeal against the Commission’s decision in its entirety, although it did reduce the original fine by €6.2 million, to €118.6 million, given that Altice had eventually notified the transaction.
VAT Updates in E-commerce
An amendment to the VAT Act in e-commerce is expected to come into effect in the coming days as part of the ongoing law-making process. The amendment implements the EU Council’s tax package into the Czech system of laws. It also introduces significant changes to imports, cross-border trade within the EU and extends the possibilities for the use of the special one-stop-shops.
Josef Adam Leaves Private Practice to Join CZG as Group General Counsel
Former Havel & Partners Partner Josef Adam joined CZG - Ceska Zbrojovka Group SE as the Group General Counsel.
What’s New in the Amendment to the Public Health Insurance Act
On 14 September 2021, the Chamber of Deputies approved the long-awaited amendment to Act No. 48/1997 Coll., on Public Health Insurance (the “Act”), as returned by the Senate (the “Amendment”). It now awaits signing by the President of the Czech Republic. The Amendment brings a wide range of changes and innovations, such as rules for the entry of innovative drugs and orphan drugs into the reimbursement system, the creation of centres for rare diseases and mental health centres, and the introduction of a definition of a patient organisation.