On November 30, 2018, the European Commission, on behalf of the EU, approved the disbursement of the first EUR 500 million of the new Macro-Financial Assistance program to Ukraine, which amounts to a total of EUR 1 billion. Aequo advised European Commission on the deal.

Dentons has advised Credit Suisse AG and Stratulat Albulescu and White & Case have advised VTB Bank Europe SE on financing for Chimcomplex SA Borzesti's acquisition of several asset bundles from Oltchim SA. Bondoc & Asociatii advised Oltchim on the sale and Reff & Associates, a member of Deloitte Legal, developed the due dilligence report based on which Chimcomplex secured its financing.

Aequo has successfully defended the interests of Pilot Group’s TV production companies by concluding settlement agreements in a dispute they were involved in.

Primus Derling has advised the Tipro Group, which owns more than 40 online portals in Lithuania, on the sale of the All Media Digital Company to All Media Lithuania, which is the owner of Lithuania's TV channel TV3.

Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasyev and Partners has persuaded Russia's Bureau in the Chamber for Patent Disputes to overrule the decision of Rospatent and register a new trademark in the name of “Abrau-Durso.”

Cobalt has advised MCF Group Estonia on the development of a data center that is planned to be built in the Estonian city of Saue in 2019.

Noerr has advised Landesbank Hessen-Thuringen Girozentrale on the refinancing of Atrium European Real Estate's acquisition of the Wars Sawa & Junior shopping center in Warsaw. Allen & Overy advised AERE on the deal.

Arcliffe has assisted Yazaki on corporate and labor-related matters related to the company's activity in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Croatia. ODI Law supported Arcliffe in the Adria region countries.

Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners, working with Tilling Peters, has successfully represented the interests of German multinational Bayer in a patent dispute before Russia's Intellectual Property Court, which overturned previous court rulings in the case.

Wolf Theiss Partners Andrea Gritsch, Sebastian Oberzaucher, and Claus Schneider have been elected Managing Partners at the firm, joining current Managing Partner Richard Wolf, who was reelected to the position.

The five partners in Lithuania who recently broke away from Baltic powerhouse Ellex have announced their plans to launch the Walless law firm in early 2019.

Former TGS Baltic Associate Partner Ieva Dosinaite has joined Ellex Valiunas as Partner and Co-Head of Finance with Partner Giedrius Stasevicius.

ELIG Gurkaynak Attorneys-at-Law has promoted Tolga Uluay and Burcu Can to partner, effective January 1, 2019.

Elena Cirlig and Paula Neculae are being promoted to Partner in the Litigation department of Musat & Asociatii  in Romania.

Milena Jaksic Papac has become a Partner at Karanovic & Partners in Belgrade.

Dvorak Hager & Partners is joining Eversheds Sutherland, one of the 40 largest law firms in the world.

Czech law firm UEPA has opened an office in Bratislava, led by Partner Marcel Macai, a recent addition to the firm's team.

Former Magnusson Partner and Head of Energy and Infrastructure Magdalena Mitas has joined DLA Piper Warsaw as Counsel and Head of Energy.

In October 2018 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) granted Produkcija Plus doo (Pro Plus) €52,500 in compensation after its right to be heard was violated in the proceedings relating to the fine imposed for obstructing the dawn raid.

The Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA) recently published a strategy paper presenting its views on consumer protection in the digital age. The paper subtly indicates that the HCA will continue to follow the European Commission's guidance in this regard. The paper highlights the measures which the HCA deems necessary to protect consumers and keep up with the developments and companies central to this process.

Introducing the concept of bonus for early payment. The year 2018.

As in all EU member states, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in Austria on 25 May 2018. The centrepiece of Austria's GDPR implementing legislation was the Data Protection Amendment Act 2018 (for further details please see "Draft Data Protection Amendment Act 2018 in appraisal" and "Proposals to alter national Data Protection Act").

Trademark owners and unconventional trademark enthusiasts should pay close attention to a new amendment to the Czech Act on Trademarks, which is expected to come into force on 1 January 2019. The new law implementing the EU's Trademark Directive 2015/2436 will enable registration of marks that are identical with an earlier trademark. This may prove upsetting for unwary trademark owners. At the same time, the new legislation might inspire greater creativity, as it will open doors for non-traditional trademarks.

On 26 October 2018 the Law on the Amendments and Supplements to the Air Transport Law ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia", no. 83/2018) (hereinafter: the "Law") was adopted and entered into force on 6 November 2018.

The Serbian Parliament adopted the Law on Financial Collaterals on 8 June 2018, which will become effective as of 1 January 2019. To implement the solutions from the Law on Financial Collaterals, the Serbian Parliament also adopted amendments to the Bankruptcy Law, which will enter into force on 1 January 2019.

On 30 November 2018, a new law implementing several changes to existing legislation (1), notably to the Civil Code and the Commercial Companies Code, as well as to tax laws, was announced. The new law, which will enter into force at the beginning of 2019 (with respect to matters commented on below, mostly as of 1 March 2019).

“Just cause” is a term that is used frequently under the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 (“TCC”). In broad terms, “just cause” may be defined as a situation in which the relationship between a shareholder and the company and/or between a shareholder and other shareholders becomes unbearable or untenable for valid legal reasons. Although the term “just cause” is frequently employed under the TCC, Turkish lawmakers did not opt to provide an explicit definition of this term under the TCC and instead delegated this duty to the doctrine and the courts.