Serbia's recent economic growth is driven by foreign direct investment, infrastructure projects, and advancements in several sectors according to Gecic Law Partner Miodrag Jevtic.

DLA Piper Partner Marta Frackowiak discusses the current slowdown in the Polish market, driven by geopolitical uncertainty, economic challenges, and hesitance among investors, while also highlighting key trends in M&A, employment, and regional expansion efforts by Polish businesses.

Montenegro’s financial sector is experiencing growth with record-high deposits and increasing trust in the banking system while advancing infrastructure projects and tapping into renewable energy opportunities, according to Keker, Bujkovic & Pejovic Partner Milan Keker.

ESG is complicating contract negotiations in Romania, as large-size enterprises impose heavy terms on mid-sized suppliers, sometimes leading to missed opportunities, according to RC International Disputes’ Managing Partner Ramona Cirlig, with climate litigation also rising, potentially impacting future disputes.

Croatia is undergoing significant legal changes, particularly with the introduction of a real estate tax aimed at addressing housing shortages and regulating property use as well as a new lobbying law, according to Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners Senior Partner Goran Ilej.

Slovenia is witnessing high levels of deal activity, particularly in M&A and corporate finance, according to Schoenherr Partner Vid Kobe, with banking sector consolidation leading the charge.

DLA Piper Partner Marta Frackowiak discusses the current slowdown in the Polish market, driven by geopolitical uncertainty, economic challenges, and hesitance among investors, while also highlighting key trends in M&A, employment, and regional expansion efforts by Polish businesses.

On 19 September 2024, BDK Advokati celebrated 20 years since its establishment. BDK Advokati Managing Partner Tijana Kojovic and Senior Partner and Head of the Montenegrin office Luka Popovic reflect on this milestone and discuss the journey of the firm, its evolution, achievements, and aspirations for the future.

Earlier in 2024, DLA Piper published its Medical Devices Advertising: CEE Comparison Guide, which reviews advertising regulations for medical devices in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Life sciences team members who worked on the guide spoke with CEE Legal Matters about some of the regulatory differences across CEE and the practical implications for businesses.

Croatia is undergoing significant legal changes, particularly with the introduction of a real estate tax aimed at addressing housing shortages and regulating property use as well as a new lobbying law, according to Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners Senior Partner Goran Ilej.

Slovenia is witnessing high levels of deal activity, particularly in M&A and corporate finance, according to Schoenherr Partner Vid Kobe, with banking sector consolidation leading the charge.

In our Looking In series, we talk to Partners from outside CEE who are keeping an eye on the region (and often pop up in our deal ticker) to learn how they perceive CEE markets and their evolution. For this issue, we sat down with Marc van Campen, Partner at Van Campen Liem in Amsterdam.

On February 29, 2024, energy experts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Turkiye, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the key developments in the field of oil & gas over the past few years.

On March 26, 2024, TMT/IP, fintech, and emerging technology experts from Hungary, Romania, and Turkiye sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Neag to discuss how Blockchain-related technologies, businesses, and legislation are shaping up in their jurisdictions.

On November 21, 2023, corporate/M&A and private equity experts from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkiye, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the key developments in the field over the past decade.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering the legal services sector. Some law firms, particularly the largest ones, are already experimenting with AI not only to streamline internal processes but also to perform legal tasks. So, let's address the elephant in the room - AI is shrinking the legal services market by introducing a new competitive threat unlike any we've encountered before.

With a private practice background spanning over 20 years, John James McVeigh is the CEO and Head Trainer at Nixedonia – a business development company he established in 2015. He shares some of his insights on business development in the CEE legal world.

ChatGPT, an AI that claimed to be able to write an answer or even a brief article on any topic, became the talk of the year 2022. Copywriters, PR professionals, and marketing experts will all benefit from it greatly. But should we be scared?

In Part 1, I talked about the dilemma facing most lawyers when asked to involve themselves with business development. If you want to be good at BD, it helps a lot to be an optimist. But, since most lawyers are uber-pessimists, we struggle with BD and find ourselves with practically zero persistence.

Lawyers know that business development requires a handful of sales skills, a pinch of luck, and a boatload of persistence. Freaking BD persistence… it’s a serious problem for all of us. We didn’t go to law school to do sales.

When you get up to present at a conference, what is your goal? Since lawyers are addicted to billable hours, you are probably gambling some non-billable time with the hope of landing some legal work. To accomplish this, you want to sell yourself to potential clients as a competent, trustworthy, and mildly entertaining lawyer.

Serbia's recent economic growth is driven by foreign direct investment, infrastructure projects, and advancements in several sectors according to Gecic Law Partner Miodrag Jevtic.

DLA Piper Partner Marta Frackowiak discusses the current slowdown in the Polish market, driven by geopolitical uncertainty, economic challenges, and hesitance among investors, while also highlighting key trends in M&A, employment, and regional expansion efforts by Polish businesses.

Montenegro’s financial sector is experiencing growth with record-high deposits and increasing trust in the banking system while advancing infrastructure projects and tapping into renewable energy opportunities, according to Keker, Bujkovic & Pejovic Partner Milan Keker.

On 19 September 2024, BDK Advokati celebrated 20 years since its establishment. BDK Advokati Managing Partner Tijana Kojovic and Senior Partner and Head of the Montenegrin office Luka Popovic reflect on this milestone and discuss the journey of the firm, its evolution, achievements, and aspirations for the future.

ESG is complicating contract negotiations in Romania, as large-size enterprises impose heavy terms on mid-sized suppliers, sometimes leading to missed opportunities, according to RC International Disputes’ Managing Partner Ramona Cirlig, with climate litigation also rising, potentially impacting future disputes.

Earlier in 2024, DLA Piper published its Medical Devices Advertising: CEE Comparison Guide, which reviews advertising regulations for medical devices in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Life sciences team members who worked on the guide spoke with CEE Legal Matters about some of the regulatory differences across CEE and the practical implications for businesses.