In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. Keeping in mind last year’s complexities and the uncertainties ahead, this time we asked: Has your team shrunk or increased in the last 12 months and what are your expectations for 2023?
Renewables in Poland
Contributed by CMS
CMS Helps Global Biomet Obtain License for Photovoltaic Plant in Bulgaria
CMS has helped Global Biomet obtain a license for a photovoltaic plant in its portfolio – the 100-megawatt AC capacity Aratiden project – before the Bulgarian State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission.
Kochanski & Partners Advises JBIC on Bank BGK Issuance of Samurai Bonds for Ukraine
Kochanski & Partners, working with Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, has advised the Japan Bank for International Cooperation on securing Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego's JPY 93 billion issuance of aid bonds for Ukraine. CMS reportedly advised BGK.
CMS Advises EBRD on 35% Stake Investment in Lviv M10 Industrial Park Project
CMS has advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on its acquisition of a 35% stake in the Lviv M10 industrial park project in Western Ukraine, developed by Dragon Capital. Aequo reportedly advised Dragon Capital.
Banking & Finance in Bulgaria
Contributed by CMS.
Did You Know: Ten-Year Banking/Finance Leaderboard in Hungary
Did You Know that a total of 15 partners have worked on multiple reported Hungarian Banking/Finance client matters in the ten years that CEE Legal Matters has been covering the market? The Banking/Finance leaderboard over the past decade is led by CMS Budapest Partner Erika Papp, who has worked on 14 reported Banking/Finance client matters in that time.
CMS and Ivanov & Co Advise on Astronergy Acquisition of Boychinovtsi Photovoltaic Project in Bulgaria
CMS has advised Astronergy on the acquisition of the Boychinovtsi 60-megawatt photovoltaic project in Bulgaria. Ivanov & Co advised the sellers.
Clifford Chance and E+H Advise on Gemini Polska Financing
Clifford Chance has advised lenders Santander Bank Polska, Alior Bank, Bank Millennium, Bank Polska Kasa Opieki, and the EBRD on their financing for Gemini Polska. E+H advised Santander Bank Polska. CMS reportedly advised Gemini Polska.
CMS Advises Astronergy on EUR 54 Million PV Portfolio Refinancing
CMS Sofia has advised Astronergy Solar Bulgaria on receiving a EUR 54 million refinancing for its portfolio of ten operational photovoltaic plants from the recently merged KBC United Bulgarian Bank.
Cerha Hempel and CMS Advise on CA Immo Sale of Vizivaros Business Center
Cerha Hempel has advised CA Immo on the sale of the Vizivaros Business Center in Budapest to the FLE SICAV FIS real estate fund managed by FLE. CMS advised the buyer.
CMS Advises Best in Parking on Minority Investment by Macquarie Asset Management
CMS has advised Best in Parking and its majority shareholder Breiteneder Immobilien Parking on receiving a minority investment from Macquarie Asset Management. Linklaters advised Macquarie Asset Management.
Closing: PPD and INA’s Sale of TMF to Yildirim Group Now Closed
On April 28, 2023, CMS announced that PPD and INA’s sale of TMF – the largest shareholder of Croatian fertilizer company Petrokemija – to the Yildirim Group (reported by CEE Legal Matters on November 22, 2022), had closed.
Binder Groesswang, SCWP Schindhelm, and CMS Advise on Semperit’s Acquisition of Rico Group
Binder Groesswang has advised Semperit Aktiengesellschaft Holding on its acquisition of the Austrian Rico Group. SCWP Schindhelm advised the seller. CMS advised a consortium of banks led by UniCredit Bank Austria and UniCredit Bank on providing EUR 250 million in financing for Semperit.
Gide Advises Mindspace on Opening Co-Working Space in Skyliner Skyscraper in Warsaw
Gide Warsaw has advised Mindspace on opening a co-working space in the Skyliner skyscraper in Warsaw and its lease agreement with Karimpol Polska. CMS reportedly advised Karimpol Polska.
Bulgaria: Trends Toward Floating Solar, Agrivoltaics, and Offshore Wind
Bulgaria has great potential and is currently attracting major investors interested in large-scale renewable energy projects. Currently, over 1,500 megawatts of solar and over 800 megawatts of wind projects are operating. Still, the country’s power generation is highly dependent on its baseload power capacity coming from thermal power plants (over 3,600 megawatts). However, to meet the net zero economy targets, renewables could be the solution to replace these capacity volumes. Thus, at least 2,600 megawatts in RES capacity are expected to be installed by 2025, to allow Bulgaria to meet its target of 30.33% of energy produced from renewable sources.
White-Collar Crime in CEE: Expanding the Toolkit
Looking ahead to 2023, white-collar crime is likely to be a subject of close scrutiny by local and EU authorities across CEE. CMS CEE Partner Nedeljko Velisavljevic, from Serbia, and CMS Head of the Criminal Defense Practice in Romania Mihai Jiganie-Serban explore the current context, latest developments, and outlook of white-collar crime practices in CEE.
Did You Know: Ten-Year Infrastructure/PPP/Public Procurement Leaderboard
Did You Know that, according to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, only ten lawyers have worked on five or more reported Infrastructure/PPP/Public Procurement deals in CEE over the past ten years?