CEE Legal Matters
In-depth coverage of the news and newsmakers that shape Europe's emerging markets
In recent years, the major development in Hungary’s banking system is the establishment of the country’s superbank through the merger of Budapest Bank, MKB Bank, and the Takarek Group. DLA Piper Partner Andras Nemescsoi, Forgo Damjanovic & Partners Managing Partner Gabor Damjanovic, and Jalsovszky Law Firm Managing Partner Pal Jalsovszky share insights into the driving forces behind this development, its current status, and its anticipated impact on Hungary’s banking sector.
Hungary has traditionally been the go-to hub for filming in Continental Europe. DLA Piper Partner Monika Horvath and Dentons Partner Timea Bana talk about the evolution of Hungary’s film industry over the past decade and whether the country has maintained its position as the primary European filming destination.
DLA Piper has advised Inter-Turbo's shareholders on their full sale of the company to BBB Industries subsidiary Budweg Caliper. Domanski Zakrzewski Palinka and Simmons & Simmons reportedly advised BBB Industries.
Former White & Case Local Partner Tomas Scerba and Michal Hink – previously Dentons’ Czech Republic Managing Partner – have joined DLA Piper’s Prague office as Partners. Alongside the two, Leo Javorek also joined the firm as a Counsel.
Dentons has advised HB Reavis on obtaining additional funds for the Forest office campus in Warsaw. The syndicate of lenders – Santander Bank Polska, BNP Paribas Bank Polska, Bank Pekao, and PKO Bank Polski – increased the existing loan from EUR 162 million to EUR 205 million. DLA Piper reportedly advised the banks.
In a recent case (under No. BDT2023.4623), the Budapest Court of Appeal made an important decision on the issue of jurisdiction. The case related to challenging the fairness (and the validity) of general terms of business (GTCs) of foreign service providers engaging in business with consumers in Hungary.
A new Law on supplementing and amending of (i) Law no. 350/2001 on spatial planning and urbanism and (ii) Law no. 50/1991 on the authorization of the execution of construction works has been adopted by the Romanian Parliament on 11 May 2023 (law draft PL-x nr. 110/2023). To enter into force, the law is yet to be promulgated by the President and subsequently published in the Official Gazette.
Former Counsel Nicole Daniel has been promoted to a Partner position in DLA Piper's Austrian office.
Former Counsel Oana Dutu-Buzura has been promoted to Partner at DLA Piper in Romania as of May 1, 2023.
DLA Piper has advised Halma on its acquisition of Sewertronics for an initial sale price of EUR 41 million. Gomez-Acebo & Pombo and Wardynski & Partners reportedly advised the sellers.
According to the national energy mix, only 5.6% of energy was produced by renewable sources in 2021 in the Czech Republic. Most energy was produced by nuclear sources (40.4%) and fossil fuels (54%).
A December 2022 decision by the Austrian Constitutional Court to annul the media privilege in the Austrian Data Protection Act has raised questions on how the country’s approach to the legal landscape regulating the media will change. Wolf Theiss Partner Kurt Retter and DLA Piper Counsel Stefan Panic analyze the ruling’s implications.
DLA Piper lawyer Gabor Simon has been promoted to a Partner position with the firm's Budapest office.
Former Local Partner Rafal Kluziak has been appointed an Equity Partner and former Counsels Katarzyna Waclawek and Piotr Miller have been promoted to Partner positions with DLA Piper in Warsaw.
Norton Rose Fulbright has advised PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna on a PLN 2.3 billion ESG financing from a banking consortium. DLA Piper advised the banks.
MFW Fialek has advised the Renters.pl shareholders on their sale of a majority stake in the company to the Enterprise Investors-managed Polish Enterprise Fund VIII. DLA Piper advised the buyer.
Probably even the chatbot ChatGPT would be “surprised” to see how many new articles, essays, blogposts, personal posts and videos discuss issues around AI, and specifically, generative AI.
Amidst a wave of reorganizations and restructurings in the country, new businesses are looking to enter Slovakia – but have to face its new FDI screening mechanism. Despite the slight economic downturn, there is yet reason to hope for better days, according to DLA Piper Country Managing Partner Michaela Stessl, especially given the prospects of the automotive sector.
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, helping clients with their legal needs around the world. We strive to be the leading global full-service law firm by delivering quality and value to our clients. With practical and innovative legal solutions, we help our clients succeed.
In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), DLA Piper continues to grow and now employs more than 320 lawyers, including 46 partners across its six offices in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. With our global set-up and established relationship firms across all other CEE jurisdictions, we are among the largest and most experienced international law firms in the region. Through our experience gained advising on a variety of high-profile projects and the long-term relationships we have established with our clients, we have built a reputation as a leading business law firm across CEE.