JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic has advised sellers Milija Babovic and Apsara on the sale of a 67% stake in the Victoria Group to the MK Group.

Cobalt has advised Baltic Agro Machinery OU on the sale of John Deere’s agricultural and horticultural machinery business in Estonia to Wihuri OU.

Avellum has advised the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank on a long-term secured loan of up to USD 10 million to Butsefal LLC and Prometey Swiss SA.

NKO Partners has helped Konica Minolta Serbia, a part of a Japanese multinational technology company, obtain a favorable judgment from the Administrative Court of Serbia, which annulled a fine previously levied against the company by the Serbian Competition Commission for allegedly entering into restrictive agreements.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co has successfully represented the Port of Burgas on appeal of a decision of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission in an administrative dispute regarding a connection to Bulgaria's national electricity transmission grid.

Aver Lex has persuaded Ukraine's cassation Administrative Court, to uphold the judgments of the previous two instances that the dismissal of Ukraine's Sergey Bochkovskiy from the Head of the Emergency Service of Ukraine was unlawful and groundless.

Clifford Chance has advised Vseobecna Uverova Banka a.s., the Slovak subsidiary of Intesa Sanpaolo, on the update of its EUR 5 billion covered bond program and another syndicated EUR 500 million issuance via the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Allen & Overy reportedly advised joint lead managers Banca IMI S.p.A., Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft, Danske Bank A/S, Erste Group Bank AG, and Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.

NKO Partners has advised industrial real estate developer CTP on a EUR 16.5 million financing for its real estate projects in Serbia from Raiffeisen Bank Serbia. CMS advised Raiffeisen Bank on the transaction.

Mihaela Popescu has joined Idea Bank Romania as its new General Compliance Head.

Clifford Chance has advised Vseobecna Uverova Banka a.s., the Slovak subsidiary of Intesa Sanpaolo, on the update of its EUR 5 billion covered bond program and another syndicated EUR 500 million issuance via the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Allen & Overy reportedly advised joint lead managers Banca IMI S.p.A., Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft, Danske Bank A/S, Erste Group Bank AG, and Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.

BPV Huegel has advised Raiffeisen Informatik on the sale of shares in SoftwareONE Holding by KKR, Raiffeisen Informatik, and the heirs of Patrick Winterin via an accelerated book-building process. Lenz & Staehelin acted as Swiss counsel for the sellers, KKR was advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and the heirs of Patrick Winter were advised by Switzerland's Kung Rechtsanwalte & Notare firm.

On June 10, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Allen & Overy and Gedik & Eraksoy had advised on an ESG-linked syndicated loan facility for Turkey’s Garanti BBVA. We spoke to Ebru Dildar Edin, Executive Vice-President at Garanti BBVA, to learn more about the facility.

NKO Partners has helped Konica Minolta Serbia, a part of a Japanese multinational technology company, obtain a favorable judgment from the Administrative Court of Serbia, which annulled a fine previously levied against the company by the Serbian Competition Commission for allegedly entering into restrictive agreements.

After rounds of revisions and failed attempts of enactment over a span of several years, the proposal for an amendment to the Law No. 4054 on Protection of Competition (“Law no. 4054”) (“Amendment Proposal”) has finally been approved by the Turkish parliament, namely the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, yesterday.

Sayenko Kharenko has advised JSC Novokramatorsky Machine Building Plant in a sunset review of anti-dumping measures against the import of casting rollers originating from Ukraine into the Eurasian Economic Union. The review was initiated at the request of Russian manufacturers.

Mihaela Popescu has joined Idea Bank Romania as its new General Compliance Head.

TGS Baltic has advised Iron Mountain Inc. on the applicable time limits for the preservation of documents and active obligations regarding the submission of documents to public authorities.

Marchenko Partners has helped Carlsberg Ukraine conduct a competition compliance spot check by reviewing numerous aspects of the company's commercial operations and providing recommendations on options available for the strengthening of its competition compliance system.

Sorainen has advised the Vienna Insurance Group on consolidating the businesses of its group non-life insurance companies Compensa and Seesam in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. 

Cerha Hempel, working alongside Deloitte Legal in Germany, has advised Germany's GBTEC Software + Consulting AG on the acquisition of all shares in Avedos, a Vienna-based GRC software specialist through direct and indirect share purchases and by means of a contribution by Samuel Brandstatter – the founder, managing director and shareholder of Avedos – who took equity in GBTEC as part payment for the sale of his stake in the company. 42law advised Brandstatter on the deal.

Wardynski & Partners and Gorrissen Federspiel have advised the Salling Group on the acquisition of shares in Tesco. Allen & Overy reportedly advised Tesco.

Rymarz Zdort has represented Polskie Goornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo S.A. in arbitration proceedings against PAO Gazprom and OOO Gazprom Export involving PGNiG's demand that the contract price for gas supplied by Gazprom under an agreement commonly known as the Yamal Contract be revised.

CMS has advised Bayerische Landesbank on financing for the construction of three wind farms with a total capacity of almost 52 MW by Pacifico Energy Partners. 

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised RusChemAlliance, a joint venture of Gazprom and RusGazDobycha, on the Baltic LNG integrated gas processing and LNG project.

Balazs Sahin-Toth, Counsel in the Budapest office of Allen & Overy, working pro bono in conjunction with Peter Gardos from Hungary's Gardos Mosonyi Tomori Law Firm and Hungarian solo practitioners Adel Kegye and Eleonora Hernadi, has persuaded the Hungarian Supreme Court to uphold the lower court's decision that the Hungarian segregation of Roma students between 2003 and 2017 provided a lower level of education.

Vasil Kisil and Partners has successfully represented the interests of the applicant, Czech national Vasil Sadocha, in a case against Ukraine before the European Court of Human Rights.

Redcliffe Partners, Clifford Chance, and over 100 law firms around the world have participated in a global mapping survey for the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and the Environment related to the existence (or non-existence) of a fundamental human right to a healthy environment.

Hungarian lawyers Boglarka Borbely, Adam Gyorgy, and Krisztian Osztopani have been promoted to Partner at SBGK.

On May 7, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Sorainen had represented Tallinna Linnatranspordi Aktsiaselts, a company fully owned by the City of Tallinn, in its purchase of compressed gas for natural gas-powered buses. We spoke with Deniss Borodits, Chairman of the Board at Tallinna Linnatranspordi, to learn more about the deal.

Gawronski & Partners has advised Przedsiebiorstwo Wodociagow i Kanalizacji on its organization of a public procurement procedure for the construction of a pioneer nutrient recovery facility, which will recover phosphorus from reclaimed water in a sewage treatment plant in the Polish town of Cielcza.

Former Dentons Counsel Martin Fronek has rejoined White & Case in Prague.

Russian lawyer Pavel Novikov has been made Partner at Baker McKenzie in Moscow.

Cobalt has advised AS Baltika on the reorganization proceedings that were approved by the court.

The Act on the termination of the state of emergency declared by Government Decree No. 40/2020 and on the transitional provisions in connection with the termination of the state of emergency were was adopted on 16 June 2020, meaning that the special provisions introduced during the state of emergency will not be applicable or may be of limited application subsequently. Dr. Nóra Óváry-Papp, lead attorney and dr. Helga Lieszkovszky, associate of Baker McKenzie Budapest summarize the expected changes in the legislative environment regarding the termination of the state of emergency. 

Ilyashev & Partners has persuaded the District Administrative Court of Kyiv to suspend the June 9, 2020 decision of the General Director of Ukroboronprom, Aivaras Abromavicius dismissing firm client Oleksandr Donets, the president of the Antonov State Enterprise.

Aver Lex has persuaded Ukraine's cassation Administrative Court, to uphold the judgments of the previous two instances that the dismissal of Ukraine's Sergey Bochkovskiy from the Head of the Emergency Service of Ukraine was unlawful and groundless.

Asters has advised the EBRD on a EUR 25 million loan to Yuria-Pharm, a Ukrainian manufacturer of intensive care medicines, medical devices, and antiseptics.

Gessel has advised the Sunfish Partners fund on participating in an investment round, together with Chiratae Ventures and Joyance Partners, for Aether Biomedical.

Gessel has advised Polish stem cell bank Polski Bank Komorki Macierzystych on its EUR 420,000 acquisition of 53% of the share capital of Milan-based Sorgente S.r.l.

Rymarz Zdort has represented Polskie Goornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo S.A. in arbitration proceedings against PAO Gazprom and OOO Gazprom Export involving PGNiG's demand that the contract price for gas supplied by Gazprom under an agreement commonly known as the Yamal Contract be revised.

Russian lawyer Pavel Novikov has been made Partner at Baker McKenzie in Moscow.

Kochanski & Partners has helped Forteam Investments overcome the attempt by Polish entrepreneur Mariusz Switalski to have the District Court in Poznan lift an injunction against him and his assets in an ongoing proceeding.

On May 7, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Sorainen had represented Tallinna Linnatranspordi Aktsiaselts, a company fully owned by the City of Tallinn, in its purchase of compressed gas for natural gas-powered buses. We spoke with Deniss Borodits, Chairman of the Board at Tallinna Linnatranspordi, to learn more about the deal.

Eisenberger & Herzog has helped OBB-Technische Services GmbH, LTE Logistik Transport-GmbH, and ELL Austria GmbH set up a joint venture to establish and operate a service base for locomotives.

Schoenherr has reportedly advised a club of lenders led by Erste Group and including Raiffeisen Bank International, UniCredit Bank Austria, BAWAG, and Oberbank on a EUR 300 million COFAG-guaranteed and secured financing for Austrian Airlines.

Georgiev, Todorov & Co has successfully represented the Port of Burgas on appeal of a decision of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission in an administrative dispute regarding a connection to Bulgaria's national electricity transmission grid.

Mehtap Payne has joined Turkey's Guden Law Firm as its new Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Maritime Law.

Dracopoulos & Vassalakis, Your Legal Partners, and Alexiou-Kosmopoulos have been appointed as legal advisors to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund on the privatization of regional ports of Alexandroupolis, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa, and Volos through the sale of majority stakes in the state-owned port operating companies.

Kochanski & Partners has helped Forteam Investments overcome the attempt by Polish entrepreneur Mariusz Switalski to have the District Court in Poznan lift an injunction against him and his assets in an ongoing proceeding.

Herbst Kinsky has advised Viennese start-up GoStudent GmbH on its EUR 8.3 million series A financing round, which was led by VC fund Left Lane Capital.

Sorainen has advised Koinvesticinis Fondas on the investment, made along with three business angels, of EUR 100,000 in Lithuanian startup Cogastro, which has developed the world’s first computer program for insect farm monitoring and management. 

Balazs Sahin-Toth, Counsel in the Budapest office of Allen & Overy, working pro bono in conjunction with Peter Gardos from Hungary's Gardos Mosonyi Tomori Law Firm and Hungarian solo practitioners Adel Kegye and Eleonora Hernadi, has persuaded the Hungarian Supreme Court to uphold the lower court's decision that the Hungarian segregation of Roma students between 2003 and 2017 provided a lower level of education.

Greenberg Traurig has helped Zygmunt Solorz, the founder and major shareholder of Grupa Polsat, purchase 200 thousand genetic tests to be used by all Ministry of Health laboratories in Poland to diagnose the coronavirus. The tests were purchased for PLN 16 million.

Sorainen has launched a special pro bono program dedicated to supporting projects in the Baltics and Belarus set up to help solve pandemic-related issues.

NKO Partners has advised industrial real estate developer CTP on a EUR 16.5 million financing for its real estate projects in Serbia from Raiffeisen Bank Serbia. CMS advised Raiffeisen Bank on the transaction.

Greenberg Traurig has advised Panattoni Development Europe on the acquisition of an undeveloped plot in Gdansk from unidentified sellers.

DLA Piper has advised Grupa PZU on the lease of 47,000 square meters of office, retail, and warehouse space in the Generation Park Y in Warsaw from Skanska. Dentons advised Skanska on the deal.

While there were still as many as 60 types of tax in Hungary five years ago, this number was reduced to 54 by the end of last year. This process was interrupted by the recent introduction of crisis taxes. It remains to be seen whether this trend will now be reversed.

Ukraine's Esquires law firm has successfully defended the interests of Diezelmashservice KR LLC in the first-instance Dnipropetrovsk District Administrative Court and then the Third Administrative Court of Appeal in a VAT dispute with Ukraine's tax authorities.

Golaw has successfully represented international cosmetics manufacturer Evyap Trading Ukraine in a tax dispute worth over UAH 65 million.

Doubinsky & Osharova has successfully represented Jack Daniel before the Ukrainian Supreme Court, which, on May 28, 2020, upheld Jack Daniel’s cassation appeal to invalidate the trademark certification in Ukraine for "Black Jack" (and the certification for its Cyrillic-spelled variant).

Hungarian lawyers Boglarka Borbely, Adam Gyorgy, and Krisztian Osztopani have been promoted to Partner at SBGK.

Herbst Kinsky has advised Viennese start-up GoStudent GmbH on its EUR 8.3 million series A financing round, which was led by VC fund Left Lane Capital.

Harry Karampelis has been promoted to partner at the Lambadarios Law Firm in Greece.

Zivkovic Samardzic has achieved a victory in the Appellate Court in Belgrade for the Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK), a non-profit organization established to improve investigative journalism in Serbia. 

Lukas Duffek has been promoted to Salaried Partner at Rowan Legal in the Czech Republic.