While international private equity players still dominate blockbuster deals in CEE, locals and regional players are gaining more and more ground – especially in terms of volume. PRK Partners Co-Head of Corporate and M&A Practice Group Milan Sivy, Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii Managing Partner Gabriel Zbarcea, and Avellum Managing Partner Mykola Stetsenko provide an in-depth analysis of the PE landscape in the Czech Republic, Romania, and Ukraine.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. As key steps, requirements, and timeline for becoming a Partner may vary from firm to firm, this time we asked: Does your firm have a formal Partnership Track and if yes, what does it involve?

Are compliance teams a necessary evil or effective facilitators of business success? At the CEE Legal Matters GC Summit held in Istanbul, legal experts from across Europe discussed how to best foster a culture of compliance and ethics in order to benefit businesses, as well as why multidisciplinary knowledge and an agile approach are crucial for compliance teams.

Not even half a year has passed since ChatGPT’s AI-supported chatbot started its public career in the online space and we have already heard of the first (?) lawyer who got in trouble in court for using AI to do background research. For those who missed the story, the chatbot “created” some fake case law examples, and upon several follow-up questions, the AI even confirmed that the cases were real. The references to these cases were then submitted to a US court where it quickly became clear that the cases never existed. Apart from the procedural problems this caused for the lawyer involved, this was an eye-opener for many in the legal industry.

Petar Orlic and Branko Jankovic of NKO Partners sat down with CEE Legal Matters to talk about their unique paths to Partnership at the firm and share insights. Petar, who recently made the transition from London to Serbia in pursuit of new opportunities, shares his excitement about the vibrant and energetic business climate in the CEE region, while Branko, who rapidly ascended to the position of Partner at NKO, offers valuable tips on professional growth and the importance of staying open-minded and continuously learning. 

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.

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 stay up to date with the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas. 

On June 23, 2022, the European Council granted Moldova the status of candidate country for EU accession. ACI Partners Legal Manager Carolina Parcalab, Bivol Sotchi & Partners Managing Partner Inna Sotchi, Efrim Rosca si Asociatii Managing Partner Oleg Efrim, and Gladei & Partners Managing Partner Roger Gladei explore the recent changes in Moldova resulting from its new status.

With the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine, Bivol Sotchi & Partners Founding Partner Andrei Bivol, Gladei & Partners Partner Iulian Pasatii, and Efrim Rosca Asociatii Managing Partner Oleg Efrim look at how the conflict has affected Moldova’s economic growth.

With most of Europe facing turbulent times, Romanian markets are experiencing vibrant PE fund activity across a wide plethora of sectors. Popovici Nitu Stoica and Asociatii Managing Partner Florian Nitu, Wolf Theiss Partner Ileana Glodeanu, and Schoenherr Partner Madalina Neagu take a deep dive into the markets and their drivers.

The Romanian legal market seems to indicate a substantial downturn in law firm spin-offs, of late. Musat & Asociatii Managing Partner Paul Buta, Popescu & Asociatii Senior Partner Gheorghe Buta, and Simion & Baciu Managing Partner Cosmina Maria Simion share their thoughts on this trend, the reasons behind it, and the likelihood of it continuing.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With the first quarter of 2023 wrapped up, we turned to the future and asked: In which practice area do you expect the most growth – in terms of work volume – in the next 12 months?

The CEELM Top 10 series looks back over the past ten years and celebrates the milestones we have achieved together. First up: most-read Briefings, with each article featuring a short description reflecting the authors’ opinion at the time.

With ESG gradually coming into focus, companies, industries, and whole countries are looking to the TMT sector for guidance. CMS Ukraine Partner Olga Belyakova and CMS Bosnia and Herzegovina Counsel Sanja Voloder share their insights.

Congratulations to CEE Legal Matters on its ten-year Anniversary.  It’s an impressive feat, and it exemplifies what I love about the CEE region – if you can dream it, you can do it!

Where: Why in Istanbul, of course. The size of a couple of New Yorks, Istanbul is one metropolis that made the right decision on urban wildlife. Mice and rats can be unseemly and dangerous, and dogs tend to leave a mess in the middle of the street. Cats, on the other hand, are clean, take care of the rat problem, are reasonably well-behaved, and are just exceedingly cute. Well done, Istanbul!

Setting the stage at the recently held CEE Legal Matters GC Summit in Istanbul, top-tier legal professionals at prominent companies and law firms alike – from across CEE and beyond – shared their insights on what General Counsels must have in their toolbox to guarantee the delivery of high-quality work. Specifically, the experts considered the importance of the GC role as a trusted advisor, getting the most out of negotiations, and the specifics of client service from a GC perspective.

Bulgaria’s infrastructure sector has seen major projects completed and many more are planned. With the country facing political turmoil and corruption still an infrastructure buzzword, Kinstellar Partner Antonia Mavrova and Gugushev and Partners Senior Partner Victor Gugushev navigate the intricacies of Bulgarian infrastructure.