The global economic downturn has hit Hungary much like the rest of the region but the country may be on its way to a quick recovery on the wings of diverse and dispersed investor interest, according to BLS-CEE Hungary Partner Erzsebet Szalay.

In Lithuania, M&A transactions are up, litigation procedures are down, and the Competition Council has been handing out hefty fines for cartel infringements, according to Triniti Jurex Managing Partner Vilija Viesunaite.

Despite the constitutional crisis in Montenegro, there is still a steady inflow of diverse foreign direct investments, and the country's GDP is expected to increase, yet Harrisons Head of Montenegro Milan Keker remains cautious.

Controversial consumer loans, unfair competition-related disputes, and changes to long-term agreements due to force- majeure events are all increasingly frequent in Poland these days, according to Wolf Theiss Partner Peter Daszkowski.

Lack of public trust in the legal system together with factors beyond the country's control are adding to the complexity of the challenges in North Macedonia, yet things are going better than expected, according to Polenak Law Firm Managing Partner Kristijan Polenak.

Despite the political stalemate preventing any legislative movements and access to recovery and resilience funds, Bulgaria's markets are humming, according to Kambourov & Partners Partner Angel Rizov. Which is just as well, as the political crisis shows no signs of abating. 

It is a busy time of the year in Romania, according to Bancila, Diaconu si Asociatii Managing Partner Radu Diaconu, with interesting reports of regulatory updates on the ESG, tax, and companies front.

In Slovenia, everything revolves around energy, according to Rojs Peljhan Prelesnik & Partners Managing Partner Robert Prelesnik, with the government capping energy prices for large companies, beefing up subsidies, and considering capital injections for major energy players.

December will be a turbulent month in terms of legislation in Croatia, according to Miskovic & Miskovic Partner Iva Miskovic, as the parliament is addressing considerable changes in the fields of labor and trade law, while the transition to the euro enters into force on January 1.

Immigration from war-afflicted areas, issues with the national energy company, and contentious lithium extraction operations are keeping people talking in Serbia, according to Andrejic & Partners Managing Partner Aleksandar Andrejic.

Austria's lawyers are keeping busy these days, with work primarily driven by an active M&A market, restructuring, litigation, and regulatory changes, while those changes are putting increasing pressure on small businesses, according to Act Legal Partner Roman Hager.

The latest legislative amendments on private international law and property ownership are promising for foreign investors, while Kosovo’s renewable energy investments are on the rise, according to Vokshi & Lata Senior Partner Adem Vokshi.