Schoenherr, working with Pinsent Masons and Wenger Vieli, has advised Kontron on selling parts of Kontron Group’s IT services business to Vinci Energies during a competitive auction process, for approximately EUR 400 million. Reportedly, Baker McKenzie’s German office advised Vinci Energies. Loloci & Associates advised Kontron on Albanian matters.
Bird & Bird and White & Case Advise on OTP's Acquisition of Alpha Bank in Albania
Bird & Bird has advised Hungary’s OTP Bank Group on its acquisition of the Albanian subsidiary of Greek Alpha Bank for EUR 55 million. White & Case advised Alpha Services and Holdings. Boga & Associates reportedly advised OTP as well. Kalo & Associates reportedly also advised Alpha.
Founding Partner Returns to Kalo & Associates
Founding Partner Perparim Kalo has returned to his eponymous firm Kalo & Associates after serving for two years as a Justice of the Constitutional Court of Albania.
The Buzz in Albania: Interview with Besnik Duraj of CMS
While the economy appears to have been doing better, on the back of infrastructural development, the internal judicial reorganization is leaving Albania in a bit of a bind, according to CMS Partner Besnik Duraj.
Wolf Theiss and Yavuz & Uyanik & Akalin Advise on 4iG Acquisition of AlbTelecom
Wolf Theiss and Yavuz & Uyanik & Akalin have advised 4iG Nyrt on the acquisition of an 80.27% stake in AlbTelecom from a subsidiary of Turkey's Calik Holding. Tashko Pustina reportedly advised the sellers. The deal was cleared by the Albanian Competition Authority on March 4, 2022.
On a New Adventure: Patricia Gannon Announces Platforum 9
CEE Legal Matters readers will likely be familiar with Patricia Gannon as one of the founders of Karanovic & Partners. Since her withdrawal from the firm (reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 21, 2020), Gannon ran her own "holistic strategic advisory business" (as reported on October 12, 2020) and, recently, she announced she is working on a new social media app for lawyers – Platforum 9. We caught up with her to learn more about her new project.
The Buzz in Albania: Interview with Reshard Kellici of Frost & Fire Consulting
Political uncertainties, surging inflation and energy prices, and, despite it all, a vibrant and diversified economy are the key points of current events in Albania, according to Frost & Fire Consulting Partner Reshard Kellici.
London Calling: Interview with Vladimir Rangeloff, Managing Partner of Kambourov & Partners
On April 5, 2022, leading lawyers from across all of CEE will be coming together for the Dealer's Choice Conference and Deals of the Years Awards Banquet. Leading up to the event, we spoke with Vladimir Rangeloff of Kambourov & Partners to learn what they are looking forward to the most.
London Calling: Interview with Silvije Cipcic-Bragadin, Director of Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic and Associates
On April 5, 2022, leading lawyers from across all of CEE will be coming together for the Dealer's Choice Conference and Deals of the Years Awards Banquet. Leading up to the event, we spoke with Silvije Cipcic-Bragadin of Cipcic-Bragadin Mesic and Associates to learn what they are looking forward to the most.
London Calling: Interview with Gabor Bebok, Partner of Pontes Budapest
On April 5, 2022, leading lawyers from across all of CEE will be coming together for the Dealer's Choice Conference and Deals of the Years Awards Banquet. Leading up to the event, we spoke with Gabor Bebok of Pontes Budapest to learn what they are looking forward to the most.
London Calling: Interview with Oana Ijdelea, Managing Partner of Ijdelea & Associates
On April 5, 2022, leading lawyers from across all of CEE will be coming together for the Dealer's Choice Conference and Deals of the Years Awards Banquet. Leading up to the event, we spoke with Oana Ijdelea of Ijdelea & Associates to learn what they are looking forward to the most.
Karanovic & Partners Announces Cooperation with CR Partners
Karanovic & Partners has announced it entered into a full cooperation with CR Partners to enter Albania.
The Case for Deposits in Albania’s Microfinance Sector
With a population of approximately 2.8 million inhabitants, Albania’s economy is mostly composed of SMEs. To a large extent the financial sector is driven by commercial banks, however, in recent years, thanks also to extensive regulation by the central bank (Bank of Albania – BoA), non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) have picked up a significant portion of the market.
All Roads Lead to the EU: Albania - Almost 10 Years in the Making And 10 More To Go
“The genesis of Albania’s EU accession talks dates back to June 2003, when Albania, alongside other Western Balkan countries, was identified as a potential candidate for EU membership,” explains Deloitte Legal Local Legal Partner Sabina Lalaj. While Hoxha, Memi & Hoxha Partner Eris Hoxha points out that Albania was a candidate country since 2014, official membership negotiations were opened only on March 25, 2020. According to Kalo & Associates Co-Managing Partner Aigest Milo, “the next step is for the first Inter-Governmental Conference to be held (presumably during the first semester of 2022),” but Hoxha says “no specific date has been determined yet.”
The Buzz in Albania: Interview with Florian Hasko of Tashko Pustina
Infrastructure, the Open Balkan initiative, and the ongoing judicial reform are the major topics in Albania, according to Tashko Pustina Partner Florian Hasko.
Real Estate Laws and Regulations in Albania
Contributed by Kalo & Associates.
Albania’s Antitrust Framework on the Way to EU Accession
As one of the next wave candidates for membership in the European Union, Albania went a long distance in the harmonization of its legal framework with the acquis communautaire in recent years. The most recent country progress report of the European Commission, issued as part of the 2020 Enlargement Package for the Western Balkans, recognized the legislative efforts of the country to align its legal framework to EU requirements and to enhance the country’s ability to assume the obligations of membership.Albania first ventured into the legal regulation of antitrust in 1995 by introducing a law On Competition, which dealt with antitrust, as well as with unfair competition and consumer protection matters. As a first attempt, it raised a lot of questions, but it also opened the topic of competition law in the country and served as a starting point in developing the relevant legal framework.
The Buzz in Albania: Interview with Aigest Milo of Kalo & Associates
In Albania, similarly to other Balkan countries, politics influence the administration of justice and business, according to Kalo & Associates Executive Partner Aigest Milo.