Former Of Counsel Lucie Kalasova has been promoted to a Partner position with BPV Braun Partners in Prague.

White & Case has advised Pelion on a EUR 25 million equity investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development through a capital increase. Dentons advised the EBRD.

Kinstellar has advised the Genesis Private Equity Fund III on the sale of Sanborn to the Oriens industrial group. GT Legal advised Oriens.

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.

CEE Legal Matters invited me to write about “lawyering in CEE.” My “lawyering” in the region started on January 2, 2000, when I was a young graduate working in Vienna for clients with business in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and soon I was sent to Prague, and Bratislava. Over time, I witnessed not only economic booms and crises and political and economic transformations but also changes in the legal market and how law firms work.

In The Inside Track, General Counsels across CEE share the nuances of their roles, challenges, and strategies for success. Given the importance of relationships between in-house legal departments and law firms, this time we asked GCs: What is the most common reason for which you cease working with a specific law firm and what would you suggest firms definitely do to ensure they do not make the same mistake?

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With 2023 marching to an end, we looked ahead and asked about strategies for next year: As the budgeting period is around the corner, compared to 2023, what are the main budgeting lines you expect to increase for 2024 and why?

The Czech Republic is one of the first countries to have commenced the implementation process of a top-up tax into the tax system. The Czech Top-Up Tax Act is a transposition of an EU Directive (Council Directive 2022/2523 of December 14, 2022) and is based on the OECD BEPS project Pillar Two initiative. It is definitely worth becoming acquainted with the basic principles of this new tax.

Allen & Overy has advised Grupa Maspex on its acquisition of Becherovka from Pernod Ricard. Havel & Partners advised Pernod Ricard.

Slovakia-headquartered GHS Legal has announced it is changing its name to FairSquare.

CMS has advised Touzimsky Airlines on the sale of its shareholding in Kiwi.com to General Atlantic. Weil Gotshal & Manges reportedly advised General Atlantic.

White & Case has advised CVC Capital Partners on its acquisition of the Packeta Group, alongside co-investor Emma Capital. Havel & Partners advised JSK Investments and its shareholders, Simona and Jaromir Kijonka, on the sale of Packeta.

PRK Partners has advised Bezvavlasy on the acquisition of the Hair Servis group. Kinstellar advised the sellers.

Kocian Solc Balastik has advised on the establishment of two endowment funds in the Czech Republic: Eva Pavlova’s Endowment Fund and Vaclav Cigler’s Endowment Fund.

Former Eversheds Sutherland Counsel Ondrej Benes has joined Wolf Theiss as a Counsel and Head of the firm's Employment team in Prague.

Former Squire Patton Boggs Counsel Jaroslav Tajbr has joined Eversheds Sutherland’s Prague office as a Partner.

Clifford Chance has advised KKCG on the acquisition of the end-to-end software engineering and consulting platform Avenga from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management and Cornerstone Investment Management.

Clifford Chance has advised Mezzanine Capital, via MCI ETA, and J&T Banka on the mezzanine refinancing of the RT Torax Group and new acquisition financing for the Nordica Building property in Ostrava.