Ellex has advised Trigon Capital on its acquisition of Estonia Farmid.

Fort Legal has advised Idavang on a EUR 40 million loan from Swedbank for the early redemption of its EUR 75 million floating rate senior secured bonds, originally due in 2025.

Kinstellar has advised a syndicate of banks led by BRD Groupe Societe Generale and Banca Transilvania, with Raiffeisen Bank Romania as a sustainability agent, on a EUR 73 million syndicated facility to Grup Serban Holding. RTPR advised Grup Serban Holding.

Everlegal has advised VisionFund on establishing its Ukrainian entity and obtaining a financial company license, enabling it to provide non-banking financial services such as granting loans and banking metals.

Nyerges & Partners has advised KER Toki on obtaining an electricity supply license from the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority.

CMS has advised Florian Prasky on co-founding with Katharina Porenta Wattwise FlexCo.

AP Legal and Dentons have advised NLB Komercijalna Banka Beograd and Nova Ljubljanska Banka Ljubljana on a EUR 89 million facilities agreement to MK Fintel Wind Beograd.

Spasov and Bratanov, working with Clifford Chance, has advised the International Finance Corporation and Raiffeisenbank International on the EUR 90 million financing for R Engineering to construct a solar power park. CMS advised R Engineering.

Filip & Company has advised Credit Europe Bank Romania on a cross-border merger by absorption into Credit Europe Bank.

Finreg Partners has advised Fundster on obtaining an investment crowdfunding license in the Czech Republic.

White & Case’s Turkish affiliate law firm GKC Partners has advised Gulermak Heavy Industries Construction & Contracting on its TRY 4.845 billion IPO on Borsa Istanbul.

Wolf Theiss has advised Erste Group Bank on the successful issuance of EUR 750 million fixed to floating rate green preferred senior notes due 2033. CMS, working with Linklaters, advised the international banking syndicate working on the issuance including Danske Bank, Erste Group, Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg, Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen, Societe Generale, and TD Global Finance.

The Serbian Commission for Protection of Commission ("Commission") has announced that it will conduct a sector inquiry of the state and conditions of competition in the pharmaceutical industry. This move by the Commission was expected, given the announcements made by the Government of the Republic of Serbia last year.

Madalina Fildan-Raileanu, Ana Atanasiu, Oana Bucsa, and Alexandra Ionita have joined the partnership ranks at PeliPartners.

Gessel and Kambourov & Partners have advised MS Galleon on its acquisition of Corab. TGS Baltic reportedly advised MS Galleon as well.

The German Law on the Corporate Due Diligence Obligations for the Prevent of Human Rights Violations in Supply Chains introduces for the first time the obligation for German companies to comply with certain procedures and rules, implement due diligence obligations and appropriate measures, in supply chains, with the aim of preventing human rights violations and damages to the environment. The mentioned German Law does not have a direct impact on companies in Serbia, so the sanctions prescribed by that Law cannot be enforced in Serbia, however, there is a certain influence on Serbian companies that will need to comply with, for reasons of further cooperation with German companies.

The amendment package includes several minor amendments to help interpreting the text of the Hungarian ESG Act, and the provisions of the ESG Act have been brought into line with the content of the regulations supplementing the provisions of the ESG Act in several places. The amendments entered into force on 19 January 2025.

Several amendments to pharmaceutical promotional laws in Hungary came into effect on 1 January 2025, with others following on 1 February 2025. Some of these amendments have long been urged by the pharmaceutical industry.

The Austrian Supreme Court (6 Ob 224/23v) recently determined the requirements for a partial transfer of a share if the articles of association expressly stipulate that shares cannot be divided.

Sadik & Capan has advised Cotcast on an investment round that saw the participation of DCT Trading and angel investors.

Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka, working with Massumi + Consoli, has advised Cuadrilla Capital on its acquisition of Repsly from Resolve Growth Partners. Goodwin Procter reportedly advised Resolve Growth Partners.

Wolf Theiss has advised Nokian Tyres on a virtual power purchase agreement with Enery. Schoenherr advised Enery.

AP Legal and Dentons have advised NLB Komercijalna Banka Beograd and Nova Ljubljanska Banka Ljubljana on a EUR 89 million facilities agreement to MK Fintel Wind Beograd.

Dentons has advised Exus Renewables on establishing business operations in Poland and the acquisition of a 53-megawatt wind farm portfolio.

Musat & Asociatii has won an appeal before the High Court of Cassation and Justice against a prior decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, allowing the retrial of the review application in the case concerning the torturers of Romanian anti-communist dissident Gheorghe Ursu.

Ellex has offered pro bono representation in a same-sex parenthood case before the national courts in Lithuania, resulting in the first-ever recognition of same-sex parents.

On April 22, 2024, Everlegal announced it had been appointed to provide legal support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – the UN Refugee Agency – for its activities in Ukraine.

Former SHMP Schwartz Huber-Medek Pallitsch Partner Philipp Pallitsch has joined Dorda as Partner alongside his team.

Former DLA Piper Partner Adriana Mierzwa-Bronikowska has joined Dentons’ Warsaw office with a team of four lawyers to form a Projects team to focus on infrastructure. As part of the same expansion move, Dentons also hired Former DLA Piper Counsel Aleksander Haleniuk, who joined as Counsel, and four additional lawyers.

CMS has advised the Via Salis consortium, comprising Vinci and Meridiam, on the D4 highway public-private partnership project in the Czech Republic. Kinstellar, working with Linklaters, advised the financing banks. White & Case advised the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic.

Koutalidis has advised Sfakianakis Group on the restructuring of its debt with a total value of approximately EUR 300 million.

Filing a claim in insolvency proceedings may be the only way for creditors to recover at least part of the amount they are owed. In the Czech legal system, however, creditors face an understated but significant risk: if they overstate the amount of their claim, not only do they risk having it disregarded but they may also be required to pay a penalty to the debtor’s estate. This provision, embedded in the Czech Insolvency Act, acts as a double-edged sword: while it aims to prevent unfounded claims and speculation in insolvency proceedings, it often deters legitimate creditors from fully asserting their claims. This financial penalty has no equivalent in other European countries. So, how can creditors avoid penalties, and what should they know before submitting a claim in insolvency proceedings?

Rymarz Zdort Maruta has advised the bankruptcy trustee of Getin Noble Bank on the sale of Noble Securities to Skarbiec Holding.

Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners has promoted Polona Fink to Partner.

Jeremiasz Kusmierz has been promoted to Partner at Penteris.

Koutalidis has promoted Senior Associates Dora Karagiorgou and Manolis Kasotakis to Partner as part of its latest promotion round.

Walless has advised InMedica on its sale to Mehilainen. Cobalt advised Mehilainen.

Former Novo Nordisk Regional General Counsel and Vice President for legal, compliance, and quality in the Asia Pacific region Meltem Ozker Gunduz has joined GE HealthCare as its new General Counsel.

Several amendments to pharmaceutical promotional laws in Hungary came into effect on 1 January 2025, with others following on 1 February 2025. Some of these amendments have long been urged by the pharmaceutical industry.

The Austrian Supreme Court (6 Ob 224/23v) recently determined the requirements for a partial transfer of a share if the articles of association expressly stipulate that shares cannot be divided.

Bratschi has successfully represented Mabco Constructions in an ICSID investment arbitration against the Republic of Kosovo.

Koutalidis has promoted Senior Associates Dora Karagiorgou and Manolis Kasotakis to Partner as part of its latest promotion round.

Harrisons, working with Bird & Bird, has advised the EBRD on a EUR 20 million loan to Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA.

Reff & Associates | Deloitte Legal has advised Damen Galati Shipyard on EUR 25 million in financing from Exim Banca Romaneasca.

Cobalt has advised PSA on its acquisition of 50% of Parnu Sadam shares from Transcom.

Kyriakides Georgopoulos announced that the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund's sale of a 67% stake in the Heraklion Port Authority to a consortium consisting of Grimaldi Euromed and Minoan Lines (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 11, 2024) closed on September 18, 2024.

PeliPartners has advised Bogdan Idu and his group companies on the sale of an LPG maritime terminal in Romania to Nawaf Salameh Family Office Group.

Your Legal Partners’ Katerina Politopoulou, Maria Golfinopoulou, and Prokopis Linardos Talk About the Deal of the Year in Greece.

Sadik & Capan has advised Cotcast on an investment round that saw the participation of DCT Trading and angel investors.

Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka, working with Massumi + Consoli, has advised Cuadrilla Capital on its acquisition of Repsly from Resolve Growth Partners. Goodwin Procter reportedly advised Resolve Growth Partners.

Fort Legal has advised on the sale of Zalgirio Verslo Centras to an Aggressive Capital-managed fund.

Musat & Asociatii has won an appeal before the High Court of Cassation and Justice against a prior decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, allowing the retrial of the review application in the case concerning the torturers of Romanian anti-communist dissident Gheorghe Ursu.

Ellex has offered pro bono representation in a same-sex parenthood case before the national courts in Lithuania, resulting in the first-ever recognition of same-sex parents.

Dentons has successfully represented an unlawfully sterilized woman in administrative court proceedings against the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic regarding a denied claim for compensation and subsequent appeal on a pro bono basis.

Poland is becoming more and more interesting for foreigners looking to invest. This is due to Poland’s central location in Central and Eastern Europe and the country’s continuous economic development, making it a place with potential for becoming a focal point for Central European business on the Old Continent.

Bratschi has successfully represented Mabco Constructions in an ICSID investment arbitration against the Republic of Kosovo.

Vinzenz Waldhof has been appointed Partner in the Construction & Real Estate team at KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwaelte.

PRK Partners has announced a partnership with Quantera Global.

In this article, we highlight the most relevant changes to Slovenia’s tax laws, from the perspective of corporate income tax, VAT, personal income tax and tax procedure that enter into force on 1 January 2025.

On 27 December 2024, the Parliament of North Macedonia adopted the new Law on Minimum Global Corporate Income Tax (“Law”).

TurkNet has appointed Merve Oney Barlas as its new Chief Legal, Compliance, and Regulation Officer.

Sadik & Capan has advised Cotcast on an investment round that saw the participation of DCT Trading and angel investors.

Brandl Talos has advised Graph Therapeutics on a USD 3.1 million pre-seed financing round led by Squareone and Merantix Capital, with participation from NAVEC Investment Management and angel investors, including the Atomico Angel Program. Herbst Kinsky advised NAVEC. Schoenherr advised Squareone. Fladgate reportedly advised the Atomico Angel Program.

On 26 December 2024, the Law “On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, and Other Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Improve Mechanisms for Holding Legal Entities Accountable for Bribery of Foreign Officials” No. 4111-IX entered into force. It is meant to implement the OECD Council’s Recommendation on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

On 6 December 2024, the Law on Amendments to the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Notaries entered into force. These two laws were adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia on 28 November 2024.

The UK government recently unveiled guidance on a major update to its corporate fraud laws: the “failure to prevent fraud” offence, introduced through the 2023 Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT). Taking effect on September 1, 2025, this law could have serious implications for companies operating within the EU.