Austria is facing a challenging economic landscape marked by rising insolvencies, sectoral struggles, and shifting legislative priorities, according to Schoenherr Partner Markus Piuk, who highlights the resilience of the legal profession and the transformative potential of AI in reshaping it.

It's been a dynamic year for Croatia according to Kovacevic Prpic Simeunovic Partner Ana Novakovic Stipanicev, who highlights robust M&A activity, political stability fueling investor confidence, and key regulatory developments as reshaping sectors like energy, real estate, and public procurement.

As 2024 wraps up, Slovenia is thriving with growth in IT, healthcare, real estate, and renewables, according to Kavcic, Bracun & Partners Partner Aleksandra Mitic, who notes that despite external challenges, optimism is high and key projects and investments are setting the stage for an exciting year ahead.

Navigating the challenges of Bulgaria’s legal and regulatory environment requires a careful balance, particularly in light of ongoing political instability, according to Karushkov Legal Solutions Founder Mitko Karushkov who takes aim at systemic issues affecting legislative processes, judicial stability, and regulatory reliability, while highlighting the importance of proactive risk management and the potential for growth amidst uncertainty.

Radulescu & Musoi Partner Roxana Musoi reflects on a dynamic year for Romania’s M&A market, highlighting shifting entrepreneurial mindsets and opportunities driven by European funds.

Montenegro is seeing major changes with the election of a new Supreme Court President, the creation of a state-owned development bank, and tax reforms under the Europe Now 2 program, aligning the country with EU standards, according to Vujacic Law Office Partner Jelena Vujisic.

An in-depth look at Emre Atayilmaz of AECO Law covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

Greece’s renewable energy sector has been experiencing a surge in activity, according to Junior Partner Prokopis Linardos. Prokopis discusses the rise of corporate PPAs, the impact of streamlined licensing processes, and the growing focus on energy storage and offshore wind projects while reflecting on the country’s ambitious decarbonization targets and what the future holds for the sector.

DLA Piper Hungary marks a major anniversary, celebrating 20 years in the market since its establishment in 2004. Country Managing Partner Andras Posztl speaks about the firm’s sustained success and its commitment to innovation and growth as it looks to the future.

Jarvis Legal, a cloud-based platform for legal practice management, has been a part of the LexisNexis family since Jul 2024. Jarvis Legal CEO Alexandre Yeremian shares its journey – from tackling inefficiencies to pioneering AI innovation – and plans for its global future.

Despite 2024 being a relatively slow year in terms of real estate transactions, Act Legal Partners Adam Kaplonyi and Gergely Ban see ample signs to be optimistic about the sector's outlook in Hungary.

On November 4, 2024, CEE Legal Matters reported that Greenberg Traurig's Warsaw office has launched a new Project and Structured Finance Practice with the arrival of Partner Piotr Nerwinski and his team, aiming to expand their services across Poland and the CEE region. Nerwinski spoke with CEE Legal Matters about his move as well as the new practice launch.

On November 14, 2024, banking and finance experts from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Poland sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss digitalization and the impact of tech on the banking sector in CEE.

On November 7, 2024, M&A experts from Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine participated in a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the FDI screening regimes in their country and key developments in the area on the horizon.

On February 29, 2024, energy experts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Turkiye, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the key developments in the field of oil & gas over the past few years.

On March 26, 2024, TMT/IP, fintech, and emerging technology experts from Hungary, Romania, and Turkiye sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Neag to discuss how Blockchain-related technologies, businesses, and legislation are shaping up in their jurisdictions.

On November 21, 2023, corporate/M&A and private equity experts from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkiye, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the key developments in the field over the past decade.

On November 10, four Banking & Finance experts from Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss banking consolidation, financing availability, the effects of high interest rates, bank capitalization, green financing, the specter of loan restructuring, and the other challenges the sector is facing.

The profitability of a law firm relies on meticulous financial management and a thorough analysis of performance metrics. By leveraging essential Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), firms can assess and enhance their financial health. Metrics such as revenue growth, average billing rates, and the breakeven point provide valuable insights that empower strategic decision-making and drive performance optimization.

Jarvis Legal, a cloud-based platform for legal practice management, has been a part of the LexisNexis family since Jul 2024. Jarvis Legal CEO Alexandre Yeremian shares its journey – from tackling inefficiencies to pioneering AI innovation – and plans for its global future.

As someone leading my firm's digital transformation efforts over the past five years, together with the firm’s Senior Partners, I've been involved in the adoption of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. It has been a challenging yet stimulating journey, and I want to share my insights into what drove this transformation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering the legal services sector. Some law firms, particularly the largest ones, are already experimenting with AI not only to streamline internal processes but also to perform legal tasks. So, let's address the elephant in the room - AI is shrinking the legal services market by introducing a new competitive threat unlike any we've encountered before.

With a private practice background spanning over 20 years, John James McVeigh is the CEO and Head Trainer at Nixedonia – a business development company he established in 2015. He shares some of his insights on business development in the CEE legal world.

ChatGPT, an AI that claimed to be able to write an answer or even a brief article on any topic, became the talk of the year 2022. Copywriters, PR professionals, and marketing experts will all benefit from it greatly. But should we be scared?

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.

Austria is facing a challenging economic landscape marked by rising insolvencies, sectoral struggles, and shifting legislative priorities, according to Schoenherr Partner Markus Piuk, who highlights the resilience of the legal profession and the transformative potential of AI in reshaping it.

It's been a dynamic year for Croatia according to Kovacevic Prpic Simeunovic Partner Ana Novakovic Stipanicev, who highlights robust M&A activity, political stability fueling investor confidence, and key regulatory developments as reshaping sectors like energy, real estate, and public procurement.

It is without a doubt that, like the economy in general, the legal market was also affected in recent years. Though the economy has been turbulent for a longer period than during the crisis that started in 2008, this time, the number of large disputes has remained constant. Despite the growing legal costs, high-value disputes rarely dropped due to costs. Smaller law firms, however, seem to have more problems when navigating in this economy – there are cases of closing businesses or consolidating to survive. 

Labor shortages have emerged as a pressing issue across CEE, prompting diverse responses from governments, businesses, and the public as they navigate the challenges of workforce gaps and economic sustainability.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. As sunny days recede, the fall conference season is upon us, so we asked: How do you determine which Partner attends which events?