CMS has reported earnings in excess of PLN 124 million in Poland in 2019, representing, the firm says, "an almost 17% increase year-on-year."

CMS Sofia and Doklestic Repic & Gajin have advised Balkantel on its participation as part of a consortium with the Trace Group in a EUR 60 million modernization and rehabilitation project of the Nis-Brestovac railway in southern Serbia. The Trace Group was advised by Eurolex Bulgaria and Andric Law Office.

CMS has successfully represented ASM-BG Investicii in a dispute with ESO EAD, Bulgaria's state-owned electricity transmission system operator, heard by the Arbitration Court of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

CMS has advised Bechtle AG on its acquisition of Dataformers GmbH.

CMS Austria has advised Oesterreichische Nationalbank on the Felix Austria project, which seeks to modernize the processing of bulk payment transactions in Austria.

Like many countries in the region, 2020 in North Macedonia’s was an election year, and the recent formation of its new government, according to CMS Partner Marija Filipovska, “hopefully heralds a bit more stable of a period to come.” According to her, “the newly elected government is strongly pro-EU and is also very vocal in favoring Western investment” which she believes could “create a stable environment in which FDI can flow stronger if (the government) is doing their job.”

CMS has advised the Italian-Saudi Arabian Arkad Consortium on the amendment and supplement of a public procurement agreement for the procurement of necessary materials and equipment, investment design-phase detailed design, construction, and commissioning of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline project.

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang has announced its merger with Ukraine's Danevych.Law, with Founding Partner Borys Danevych becoming Partner and Head of Life Sciences at CMS.

CMS has advised Green Source GmbH and its Solar Partners subsidiary on the EUR 66 million financing provided by Kommunalkredit Austria for the construction of power plants in Hungary. Wolf Theiss advised Kommunalkredit Austria.

Schoenherr has advised S Immo AG on the acquisition of the Zagrebtower office complex from CA Immobilien Anlagen AG. CMS advised the sellers on the deal.

To prevent foreign investors from abusing their rights in relation to Russian strategic companies, the prior-clearance rules have changed to qualify transactions for a stake in this type of company. The change was made to protect strategic companies from undisclosed foreign interference and has resulted in a more transparent foreign investment environment in Russia.

Oliver Werner has made Partner at and become Managing Partner of CMS Bratislava, and new Partner Sona Hankova has joined the firm from EY Law.

Indir Osmic has made Local Partner at CMS Sarajevo.

Partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s legislative process has slowed down, says CMS Moscow Partner Anton Bankovskiy. “However,” he says, “the ‘regulatory guillotine,’ – the ongoing process of amending or eliminating the many laws remaining from the country’s Soviet past – has picked up pace.” In addition, he says, “the State Duma recently passed new laws introducing the ‘regulatory sandbox’ framework, which enables companies and entrepreneurs to implement innovative technologies, unrestricted by the current legal limits related to those technologies.” 

On 8 September 2020, Russian and Cypriot authorities signed* a Protocol amending the applicable double taxation treaty (DTT).

Schoenherr’s Budapest and Prague offices have advised Covivio on its lease of the Carlo IV hotel in Prague and the New York Palace and New York Residence hotels in Budapest to the NH Hotel Group. CMS advised the NH Hotel Group on the deal. 

CMS has advised ACWA Power, Blackrock, and Crescent Capital on their sale of ACWA Power CF Karad PV Park and NOMAC Bulgaria, which operate the 60 MWp Karadzhalovo photovoltaic plant in Bulgaria, to Enery Development GmbH. Schoenherr advised the buyer on the deal.

“This year was not chaotic just due to Covid-19 or the earthquake that struck Zagreb,“ says CMS Partner Marija Zrno Prosic, “but also because of the parliamentary elections that were held in July.“