CEE Legal Matters
In-depth coverage of the news and newsmakers that shape Europe's emerging markets
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.
Bulgaria’s energy sector has been undergoing deep and rapid reforms. The combination of the effects of the war in Ukraine and the related sanctions, the European Green Deal and the rapid decrease of investment costs for renewables, the commitments for a coal-free future, and the neighboring discoveries of natural gas in the Black Sea – all combined with the unprecedented support for nuclear energy – is putting Bulgaria on the global investment map.
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 dug deeper into a discussion point that came up during our last event: During our annual General Counsel Summit held in Prague recently, we’ve learned that even with the inflation in CEE having hovered around 14-20% in recent years, legal fees have remained static or have even decreased in some jurisdictions. Given that, how has your firm managed to consistently deliver high-quality service under these constraints?
CMS has advised Bitdefender on its agreement to acquire Mesh Security Limited.
CMS has advised Eleport on its market entry into Croatia and Slovenia.
CMS has advised REICO Long Lease on its acquisition of the LPP Distribution Center logistics facility in Bydgoszcz. Greenberg Traurig advised the unidentified sellers.
CMS has advised the founder of Fiskaltrust Consulting on a financing round that includes the entry of a new international majority shareholder. Moser Legal advised the undisclosed incoming investor.
CMS has advised Bruker Corporation on its acquisition of Biocrates Life Sciences.
Greenberg Traurig has advised private debt funds managed by CVI and Flexam Invest on the financing provided to CTL Logistics via a senior secured bond issuance. Wardynski & Partners advised Flexam Invest as well. Clifford Chance and CMS advised CTL Logistics.
Greenberg Traurig has advised GoldenPeaks Capital Holding on the senior and junior financing for the construction of its solar photovoltaic portfolio in Poland. CMS reportedly advised the lenders. Clyde & Co reportedly advised GoldenPeaks as well. Fieldfisher and Wardynski & Partners reportedly advised junior lender Berenberg.
Bulgaria’s energy sector has seen a wave of activity over the past year, spanning offshore oil and gas exploration, large-scale renewables, and battery storage projects, keeping CMS Sofia’s Energy, Projects, and Construction team at full speed, according to Partner Kostadin Sirleshtov. Backed by strong investor interest and a more stable regulatory environment, the sector’s upward trend looks set to continue into 2025.
Allen Overy Shearman Sterling and CMS have advised Equinor and Polenergia on securing over EUR 6 billion in project financing for the development of the Baltyk 2 and Baltyk 3 offshore wind farms in Poland. The financing was provided by a syndicate of approximately 30 financial institutions, including the Nordic Investment Bank, the European Investment Bank, Euler Hermes, KUKE, and BGK. Clifford Chance advised the financing institutions.
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.
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: For 2025, what is the one sector or industry in the country that shows the most promise for growth, and why?
Peter Plachy has joined CMS as Counsel and Head of Dispute Resolution in its office in Bratislava.
CMS has advised Aratiden on the development of a co-located battery storage project as well as on an EPC agreement with Optimal Energy Solutions JSC. Kirov and Bratuleva reportedly advised Optimal Energy Solutions JSC.
CMS has advised PACCOR Hungary on the carve-out and sale of its blow-molding business line in Debrecen to the local management team. Dobrossy and Tarsai reportedly advised the buyers.
CMS has advised the founders and shareholders of Coorum Informationstechnologie on the sale of 100% of shares to Kendox. Oberhammer advised Kendox.
CMS Sofia is a full-service law firm, the largest international law firm in Bulgaria and one of the largest providers of legal services in the local market as a whole. The breadth and depth of our practice means that our lawyers are specialised, with a level of specialisation that few of our competitors can match.
CMS Sofia is the Bulgarian branch of CMS, a top ten global legal and tax services provider with over 5000 lawyers in 43 countries and 78 offices across the world.
CMS entered the Bulgarian market as one of the first internationally active law firms in 2005 and is now among the most respected legal advisors in the country. We have 7 partners, 4 counsel and over 30 lawyers in our office in Sofia.
Our legal experts, who are rooted in Bulgaria’s local culture, can also draw on years of experience in foreign countries and are at home in several legal systems at once. We know the particularities of the local market just as well as the needs of our clients and combine both to achieve optimum solutions. Our lawyers are Bulgarian qualified and we also have English qualified experts – all of them regularly working on cross-border mandates.
In our work, we focus on M&A, Energy, Projects and Construction, Banking and Finance, Real Estate, Media, IP and IT law, Tax, Employment law, Competition, Procurement and any kind of Dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation. What’s more, we also take care of the entire legal management of our clients’ projects.