In the middle of July 2024, the Ministry of Energy announced that the Government will make it mandatory for manufacturers of batteries and their components, as well as battery waste managers, to carry out an environmental impact assessment procedure.

As of the 2024 financial year, companies in Hungary are facing new and stringent ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting requirements under Act CVIII of 2023 (ESG Act). While large companies may already be familiar with the relevant EU directives (notably the CSRD and the CSDDD), the Hungarian regulations present unique challenges, especially for local subsidiaries of multinational corporations.

On 1 October 2024, the most important provisions of the new Hungarian Architecture Act will enter into force, completely transforming the current system of rules governing construction activity in Hungary.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With industry-specific software emerging left and right, the legal industry was not left behind. To explore some of the trends in this regard, we asked: What are some of the specific legal tech platforms you use?

For the pharmaceutical industry in the Hungarian market, the first half of 2024 involved several legislative changes with significant practical implications. Some of these changes have yet to unfold their full impact, due to the lack of implementing regulations and prerequisite authority actions.

The European Commission had previously indicated that it will review the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) this year to see if any changes are needed in light of the experience of the past six years.

There’s a new windfall value-added tax (“VAT”) reclaim opportunity in Hungary based on a recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”).

The minimum wage (statutory minimum wage) is the amount that an employer must pay to an employee for his/her work, in any case of a full-time job. Guaranteed minimum wage is also considered as a type of minimum wage for jobs requiring at least secondary education or secondary vocational qualifications, hence it is always a higher amount.

As of 1 September 2024, not all employers are obliged to carry out compulsory medical examinations of their employees. The Labour Safety Act stipulates that other laws may specify the types of work for which such examinations will be compulsory. The Ministry of the Interior published a decree on the subject on its website at the end of August and it became applicable on 1 September 2024.

Heureka Group CEE Head of Legal Gergely Szekely provides insights on his in-house legal team’s budget trends and management, considering the challenges inherent in the dynamic e-commerce sector.

Working with external counsel can be a crucial aspect of managing legal issues, especially for companies that need specialized expertise or extra support for their in-house legal team. To make the most of these collaborations, it’s important to follow some best practices that ensure efficiency, alignment with business goals, and cost-effectiveness. Here’s my straightforward guide to help work effectively with external legal experts.

Audax Renewables Head of Legal in Hungary Andras Nemeth talks about managing and working as a part of an international team.

Before COVID-19, the home office was not mainstream. It was used more as a benefit to avoid the need to get a day off when you had to stay home to wait for “the guy to get the annual meter reading.” Then came the pandemic which forced us to think outside of the box. Suddenly, everyone discovered that remote work could be a viable alternative. Organizations had to come up with technical solutions to make sure that every possible task could be done remotely. The legal profession by its nature was able to adapt quickly to remote work.

More and more legal departments are actively integrating methodologies from disciplines outside the traditional legal sphere, such as project management and even engineering. This evolution is reshaping how legal teams deliver value, emphasizing both strategic impact and operational efficiency. Precision Medicine Group Deputy General Counsel Krzysztof Mazurek, Alpekr Managing Director Petr Zatopek, and Audax Head of Legal Andras Nemeth took a look at the vital role of cross-disciplinary skills in modern legal at the CEE Legal Matters GC Summit, held in Warsaw on April 25-26, 2024.

Focusing on hiring the right skills and looking to build sectoral knowledge in-house, METCE Hungary General Counsel Marton Hidvegi talks about how his organization addresses the training and development of the in-house legal team.

In today’s rapidly evolving business and legal landscape, the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange between departments has never been more apparent. While traditionally separated by distinct roles and expertise, the integration of legal and scientific teams through cross-functional training has shown to be a transformative approach that drives innovation, fosters collaboration, and ultimately supports overarching business goals.

Shortly after the early years of my career, I moved from the attorneys’ world (more precisely, clerks’) into the world of corporate lawyers. The difference between the two became apparent early on. At least for me, the big difference was that, while working as an attorney, I was in contact with the client only in bursts. As an in-house legal counsel, there is essentially a continuous relationship between lawyers and business colleagues. This continuous relationship results in a kind of interdependence – working together both in good and bad times, celebrating joint successes but also facing challenges together.

“Plan twice to implement once” is Teqball Group Legal Director Marianna Erdei’s approach to implementing new whistleblowing regulations in a manner that is not compliant only with Hungarian law but takes into account the local needs of other jurisdictions.