I am not a political expert, but I grew up in Hungary and the United States and have always focused on both countries' policies and political climates. These opinions are based on what I have seen over the past ten-plus years of living between our countries and the policies we have seen from Harris and Trump (either spoken or acted). Both candidates have notable implications for Hungary's relationship with the United States. It could impact NATO dynamics, visa policies, and economic agreements. Each candidate offers distinct approaches that could affect Hungary’s foreign policy and its alignment within Europe.

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?

Manufacturers have less than a month left - until June 30, 2024 - before they must comply with the rules for products subject to the mandatory Deposit Refund System (DRS) when placing them on the market. Compliance with the new regulations will result in a price increase of HUF 50 per product, which consumers will have to bear - unless they return the relevant beverage cans and bottles.

As in every year, the Hungarian tax administration has published its yearly summary with the most important trends and numbers regarding taxation in Hungary during 2023. In the last year it seemed that, while the tax authority was still increasing its efforts to entice the taxpayers’ voluntary compliance, fines have also soared to unprecedented heights. The statistics also show that it remains worthwhile to take the case to the courts if one finds the National Tax and Customs Administration’s decisions unlawful.

Oliver Koppany will be joining Jalsovszky as Foreign Legal Counsel from September, focusing on US-Hungarian business connections.

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Jaslovszky's' Tamas Feher talks about the upcoming event and the panel he'll be moderating.

Summer is traditionally a slower period for many, including the legal sector, but, if used right, the time can pay dividends for law firms.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With managing firm clients being a critical aspect of firms’ operations, we asked: What are the three most important elements when onboarding a new client?

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. As partner departures are inherent to the workings of any law firm, and likely demand clear strategies for navigating, this time around we asked: What are the three most important items on your checklist when a Partner leaves your firm?

Wolf Theiss has advised the owners of Kecskemeti Konzerv on the sale of the company to Granit Group's subsidiary Agrar-Finance. Jalsovszky advised Granit Group.

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.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. While in the legal field maintaining client relationships is vital, there are occasions when law firms must end engagements. To explore some of the reasons that might lead to this, we asked: After accepting mandates, what have been the main reasons for which you ended up having to drop clients?

In a previous article, we analyzed the phenomenon where courts typically reduce the attorney fees awarded to the winning party. This essentially forces the winner to incur unjustified losses, indirectly causing market distortion. Now, the Supreme Court has responded to this phenomenon with a precedent-setting, binding decision. Let's first look at the key developments and then how this affects litigation strategy!

In the audit practice of the Hungarian Tax and Customs Administration (HTA), the audit of transfer pricing is gaining importance. Moreover, the relevant regulations are becoming more complex with each passing year. As the deadlines for transfer pricing documentation approach, it is worth reviewing what hidden pitfalls should be avoided when preparing documentation and providing data.

The decision of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 10 has stirred significant attention, as it granted approval for the listing of certain products based on Bitcoin on the stock exchange. The impact of this decision on the European and American securities markets, and whether similar steps will be taken, depends largely on the details – including the names assigned to cryptocurrency-based products.

One of the measurable success stories of the fintech revolution is how donation and subscription-based community financing has become an alternative to traditional fundraising methods such as classical bank financing or venture capital investments. From this rapid development, it follows that there is a less uniform picture in the public consciousness about the phenomenon of "crowdfunding." How many forms are there? Which ones are regulated? Who are the actors in the process? What regulations apply to it? How are they taxed? Among many clarifications to be made, the main question, however, is whether specialized crowdfunding service providers for this purpose will emerge in Hungary as well.

According to the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 16 May 2024 (C-746/22), the Hungarian rule that does not allow foreign taxpayers in VAT refund cases to submit their documents even in the appeal procedure is contrary to EU law. We have summarised the key lessons learned from the case which was handled by our office.

Jalsovszky's Dispute Resolution practice in Hungary is going from strength to strength according to Partner Tamas Feher, who points to long cases, significant wins, fiscal changes, budgetary pressures, and the economy's slowdown as the ultimate reasons behind their litigators staying busy.