CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Real Estate in CEE.

A draft law proposing changes to Law No. 8116, dated March 29, 1996, “The Civil Procedure Code of the Republic of Albania,” has been submitted for approval to the Albanian Assembly. These amendments are part of a comprehensive initiative to enhance the efficiency of the judicial system and improve the overall quality of judicial proceedings in the country.

Albania’s gambling industry has undergone significant transformations over the past decade, shifting from a thriving sector to one under stringent regulation. Lalaj & Partners Partner Sabina Lalaj explores the evolution of gambling in Albania, the impact of regulatory changes, its current status in the economy, and the future outlook of the industry.

Dorda, working with Roschier, has advised European growth investor Sprints on its partnership with Styria Media Group to acquire all of Adevinta’s shares in Willhaben. Freshfields advised Adevinta. E+H advised Styria Media Group.

E+H has advised Megatech Industries on its reorganization from financial distress and subsequent sale to Italian mobility supplier Sapa. Wolf Theiss, working with Gianni & Origoni, advised Sapa.

Cerha Hempel has advised OMV on a partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to create Borouge Group International.

Contributed by Arzinger

The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures. 

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. This time around we asked: If you have a formal partnership track, how do you handle lawyers on it who do NOT end up living up to the requirements to make a Partner?

Former iQR Asset Management Partner and Head of Legal and Compliance Dino Aganovic, Wiener Osiguranje Vienna Insurance Group Head Of Legal and Secretary Davor Majstorovic, and MTEL in-house counsel Vladimir Bjekic have joined forces to launch AMB Legal Group in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

BDK Advokati has entered North Macedonia via a cooperation agreement with a local qualified independent Attorney at Law Josif Filipovski. Moreover, the firm has expanded its presence in Bosnia & Herzegovina with the addition of Melika Basic.

CMS has advised the Romanian Commodities Exchange on its acquisition of a 75% stake in the Bulgarian Energy Trading Platform.

Schoenherr has advised the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy on launching two support schemes under the Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Linklaters, working with Ergun, has advised Turkerler Holding subsidiary Turker Global Madencilik on a share purchase and option agreement for the acquisition of a gold mine development project in Bulgaria for USD 55 million from Toronto-listed Velocity Minerals and its joint venture partner, Gorubso Kardzhali. Lotz & Company reportedly advised the sellers.

Gospic Plazina Stojs Partner Lana Stojs talks about banking and finance in 2025 in Croatia.

Marohnic, Tomek & Gjoic Attorney at Law Ivona Zagajski talks about energy in Croatia in 2025.

MGG Law Partner Dino Gliha talks about TMT in 2025 in Croatia.

Freshfields has advised Midea Group subsidiary Midea Electrics Netherlands on its EUR 750 million acquisition of the climate division from Arbonia AG. BDK Advokati advised Midea on the local aspects of the acquisition of Serbian company Termovent, as part of the broader transaction. Baker McKenzie advised Arbonia.

Clifford Chance has advised Atrium Group Services on the sale of Atrium Flora shopping center to Max Realitni. BNT Attorneys reportedly advised Max Realitni.

Clifford Chance has promoted Michal Jasek and Milan Rakosnik to Partner.

Papapolitis & Papapolitis, working with Paul Weiss, has advised Oak Hill Advisors on its equity investment of up to EUR 115 million in IDEAL Holdings, with a co-investment right for an additional EUR 200 million over the next two years. Sarantitis and Reed Smith reportedly advised IDEAL Holdings.

White & Case has advised Alpha Bank on the partial disposal of a portfolio of real estate assets in Greece. Karatzas Partners reportedly advised Alpha Bank as well. Sullivan & Cromwell and Potamitis Vekris reportedly advised the buyers.

Kyriakides Georgopoulos has advised Piraeus Bank, acting as an advisor, on the merger through absorption of Intracom Properties by Evropi Holdings.

10+1 Questions and Answers for Hungarian Companies.

Wolf Theiss has advised Uniper on the implementation of photovoltaic projects in Hungary that will jointly deliver 151 megawatt-peak of renewable energy.

Connecting a holiday in Tenerife with remote work? Sending an employee to China for three months? While ten years ago, these questions were considered unique, today, international mobility has become an everyday part of employment relationships.

Walless, working with Gernandt & Danielsson, has advised ICA Gruppen on the sale of Rimi Baltic Group to Salling Group for EUR 1.3 billion. Sorainen reportedly advised Sailing Group on the deal.

TGS Baltic has promoted Triinu Jarviste to Partner and Erki Fels to Associate Partner at the firm's Estonia office.

On August 1, 2024, the Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, AI Act) came into effect, establishing several regulations concerning artificial intelligence systems within the European Union. Although the regulation is already in force, its requirements will gradually come into effect: the first deadlines are set for February and August 2025, while most of the requirements will apply starting August 2, 2026.

The Law for Protection of Personal Data (LPPD) in Kosovo establishes guidelines for protecting personal data and regulates its transfer to other countries.

Kalo & Associates has advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on a partnership with Raiffeisen Bank Kosovo under the Norway Western Balkans Growth Support Program.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward remote work globally, including in Kosovo. While this new way of working offers flexibility and convenience, it also exposes gaps in labor regulations. Kosovo’s Labor Law, like many others, was primarily designed for traditional in-office work environments and has yet to fully adapt to the nuances of remote work. Remote work context has brought to attention legal gaps in areas such as work hours, digital privacy, employer responsibilities, and employee rights.

Walless, working with Gernandt & Danielsson, has advised ICA Gruppen on the sale of Rimi Baltic Group to Salling Group for EUR 1.3 billion. Sorainen reportedly advised Sailing Group on the deal.

Cobalt has advised Coffee Address Holding on raising EUR 5 million in a private bond placement, to support its growth strategy, with Signet Bank as the arranger.

Ellex has successfully represented Alltech in a trademark opposition case against Actizen in Latvia.

Walless, working with Gernandt & Danielsson, has advised ICA Gruppen on the sale of Rimi Baltic Group to Salling Group for EUR 1.3 billion. Sorainen reportedly advised Sailing Group on the deal.

Addleshaw Goddard’s infrastructure and energy practice has been active across Central and Eastern Europe, with projects spanning battery storage, energy investments and motorways in Poland, disputes in Romania, and offshore wind development in Lithuania, according to Partner Marton Eorsi who highlights the growing necessity of private sector involvement in CEE, particularly in transport, energy transition, and urban mobility.

Walless has advised Scandi Standard on its EUR 18 million acquisition of six chicken farms in Lithuania.

On 5 February 2025, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia (“Court”) annulled the Solidarity Tax Law (“Law”), ruling that it violated several key constitutional principles.

Law Office Lazarov Attorney at Law Gordana Susuleska-Itic talks about banking and finance in 2025 in North Macedonia.

Law Office Lazarov Attorney At Law Anja Stefanovska talks about dispute resolution in North Macedonia in 2025.

ACI Partners  Legal Manager Carolina Parcalab talks about competition in Moldova in 2025.

Vernon David Partners Sergiu Bivol and Roman Ivanov talk about M&A in Moldova in 2025.

Over the past few years, the gaming sector has been thriving in CEE. Kinstellar Partner Milan Samardzic, Rowan Legal Partner Milos Olik, ACI Partners Head of Fintech and E-Payments Nicolina Turcan, and Linklaters Warsaw Associate Aleksandra Czubek explore how CEE jurisdictions are driving the industry forward and unlocking new potential.

Karanovic & Partners has advised the Green for Growth Fund on a EUR 3 million loan to Lovcen Bank Podgorica.

Komnenic & Partners Managing Partner Milos Komnenic and Partner Nemanja Radovic talk about real estate in 2025 in Montenegro.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Real Estate in CEE.

White & Case has advised P4 on establishing a bond issuance program with a total nominal value of up to PLN 3 billion, and on the issuance of PLN 700 million green bonds under the program.

Gessel has advised Enterprise Investors on its acquisition of an 80% stake in Expobud Domy. Sole practitioners Daniel Setcki and Bartosz Loboda advised Expobud Domy.

Gessel has advised BNP Paribas Bank Polska on a co-investment, via a special purpose vehicle controlled by Custodia Capital, as part of the leveraged buyout of a majority stake in Profi.

CMS has advised the Romanian Commodities Exchange on its acquisition of a 75% stake in the Bulgarian Energy Trading Platform.

Dutescu & Partners has represented Leonhard Weiss Group in a court case against the public contracting authority in Romania.

Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii has advised Banque Banorient France Romania Branch on the financing provided to Solida Capital for the acquisition of the Victoria Center office building on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest. Kinstellar advised Solida Capital.

Contributed by Clifford Chance.

Contributed by Alrud.

The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures. 

BDK Advokati has advised A1 Srbija on its acquisition of Conexio Metro from Madison Debt Holdings. Kinstellar advised the sellers.

The Assembly of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (“SCoC”) recently adopted the Code of Practice for Advertising by Wholesale and Retail Traders of Food Products (“Code”), which entered into force on January 1, 2025.

Karanovic & Partners has promoted Milica Filipovic, Marko Culafic, and Sava Draca to Partner.

The transfer of a business share is a routine process in corporate transactions. A share purchase agreement (SPA) must be in writing with notarized signatures. The transfer becomes effective upon the company's receipt of the SPA unless a later date is specified. However, if required by law or the memorandum of association (MoA), it cannot take effect before the general meeting grants approval. Each transfer must also be registered in the Slovak Commercial Register (“Commercial Register”). In practice, complications may arise when one party withdraws from an SPA.

Eversheds Sutherland Managing Partner Bernhard Hager talks about energy in Slovakia in 2025.

Slovakia is currently still in the process of approving the draft legislation for the implementation of Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972, and repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148 (NIS2 Directive). However, Slovakia has missed the implementation deadline of October 17, 2024, with the draft pending approval in Parliament, expected by late November 2024.

The Slovene language has long been a core part of Slovenia’s national identity, instrumental in unifying the nation during its journey to independence in 1991. However, globalization and digitalization have increasingly challenged the prominence of Slovene in public and commercial domains. This pressure has placed responsibility on the Slovenian government to safeguard the language’s role in the face of a rapidly globalizing world. Recent amendments to the Act on the Public Use of Slovene (Act) reflect this commitment to preserving and expanding Slovene’s presence in public, commercial, and digital spheres.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Real Estate in CEE.

Contributed by Jadek & Pensa.

Pursuant to the Competition Board’s (“Board”) decision dated 15.12.2022 and numbered 22-55/850-M, an investigation was initiated to determine whether Nestle Türkiye Gıda Sanayi AŞ (“Nestle”) infringed Article 4 of the Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition (“Competition Law”) by (i) setting the resale price of its distributors and (ii) imposing regional and customer restrictions on them.

Dentons and its Turkish affiliate Balcioglu Selcuk Eymirlioglu Ardiyok Keki Attorney Partnership have advised Anadolubank on its debut international bond offering raising USD 150 million through the issuance of fixed rate resettable tier 2 notes due 2035.

White & Case and its Turkish affiliate GKC Partners have advised the joint bookrunners on the debut Rule 144A/Reg S green bond issuance by Limak Yenilenebilir Enerji.

Sayenko Kharenko, working with Appleton Luff, has represented Promet Steel – part of Metinvest – in an anti-dumping investigation by Canadian authorities.

Asters has advised the International Finance Corporation on the restructuring of a USD 120 million loan facility provided to Nibulon. Baker Botts reportedly advised Nibulon.

Partner Igor Kalitventsev has left KPD Consulting.