An in-depth look at Nina Radic Kuzik of Savoric & Partners covering her career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about her as a person outside the office.

Legal markets, much like other markets, are susceptible to global tendencies and changes shaping the industry. CEELM sat down with Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic & Krka Partner Ema Mendjusic Skugor to discuss the Croatian legal market and its growing pains in keeping up with global trends.

On January 1, 2023, Croatia will finally gain a much-coveted place in the eurozone club. Making the switch is a massive undertaking that will impact every person living and working in the Adriatic country. Eight Croatian legal experts share their insights on how the market will adapt, how the legislative framework will change, and who will stand to gain the most.

The ascendant popularity of ESG across business sectors has also empowered the rise of its evil twin: greenwashing. To look at the interplay between the two and their implications for the pharma industry in CEE, we sat down with CMS Partners Gabriela Staber and Tomas Matejovsky. 

Considering the current state of affairs in CEE, market dynamics have shifted in terms of where investors are looking for safe investment opportunities, with some sectors seeing steadier capital flows and others struggling. Our experts chart the current hotspots and consider whether the markets are set to shift again.

On November 9, 2022, Magyar Telekom’s Legal Service Evolution Squad unveiled its largest service development project yet – the Legal Magic Book – during the company’s annual Love Your Lawyer Day event. We sat down with Magyar Telekom Group Legal Director Daniel Szeszler and Legal Service Evolution Squad Product Owner Botond Ungvary to learn more about the book and the team behind it.

I wish us wider representation in senior positions in the legal profession, equal treatment, access to promotion, full and effective participation, and equal opportunities for leadership. And I wish for none of us to experience diminished opportunities or unfavorable career limitations because of gender.

When establishing a company in Montenegro, the new legal requirement which refers to the registration of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO) should be considered. The Revenue and Customs Administration of Montenegro established the UBO Register within the Central Registry of Business Entities, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in 2021. 

Since January 1, 2022, the Europe Now program has been in place in Montenegro, setting strategic goals for the country’s economic policy. Ten months into its tenure BDK Advokati Partner Luka Popovic and Harrisons Head of Montenegro Milan Keker look at what has been accomplished so far.

Serbian law firms seem to have carved out a considerable share of the Montenegrin legal market. CEE Legal Matters looks at the interplay of these two formerly linked legal markets and explores in what respects they are complementary, where they clash, and how this reflects on the work of lawyers.

At the end of 2020, there were 26 banks operating independently from other banks in Serbia. At the end of 2021, there were 23 such banks.  A few merger processes are still ongoing and will lead to that number shrinking to just 19 before the end of 2022. 

Although there are several incentives for renewable energy projects supported by the state, there also seem to be several factors that could impede Serbia’s potential for renewables and deter further investments in the sector. Kinstellar Belgrade Managing Partner Branislav Maric, JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic Senior Partner Jelena Gazivoda, and Gecic Law Partner Ognjen Colic weigh which will carry a stronger impact.

Global economic movements have led the real estate and construction sectors across CEE to face several issues: supply chain problems, rising construction material prices, and labor shortages, to name but a few, have made it difficult for real estate and construction projects to be completed with the same efficiency as before. Bojovic Draskovic Popovic & Partners Partner Marija Bojovic, SOG Law Firm Partner Milos Gledovic, and Andrejic & Partners Partner Aleksandar Andrejic look at the extent to which these issues are reflected in the Serbian real estate market. 

The technology start-up sector in Serbia has, for a while now, been quite rewarding and attractive for investors from all walks of business. Looking at the past few years, the Balkan country has seen investments ranging from early-stage and entry-level all the way to complete buyouts, to the tune of several hundred million euros. With all this funding flowing into the country, Bojanovic & Partners Managing Partner Vladimir Bojanovic and Zivkovic Samardzic Partner Igor Zivkovski talk about where does it go afterward, and what kind of effects is it producing?

There is a growing concern, across CEE, about a potential wave of insolvency and restructuring proceedings. Given the economic aftermath of COVID-19, coupled with the ramifications of rising inflation and interest rates, energy crisis concerns, and the war in Ukraine – the road ahead seems bumpy at best.

Regional networks are a big deal in CEE of late, and one of the fastest growing alliances is Alliott Global Alliance. We sat down with AGA CEO Giles Brake to learn about the alliance’s history, strategy, and plans in CEE. We also reached out to AGA law firms across the region to find out more about what drew them in, what benefits they’ve been reaping, and their role as members of a global network.

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” – Ralph Waldo Emmerson. Choosing a profession is always a pivotal point in everyone’s life. Once we set our minds and find our path, we try to dedicate all our energy and effort to making the best of it. The 21st century, however, has already left a mark on all our careers with its constant demand for adapting to new needs, circumstances, and business and work climates. 

You know the Rock, Paper, Scissors game. That game people play to make such life-altering decisions as who goes out to buy the milk, who picks the kids up from kindergarten, or who gets to write this editorial. It’s all pretty straightforward and there’s even a World Rock Paper Scissors Championship.