Nazali Tax & Legal Managing Partner Ersin Nazali and Kinstellar Managing Associate and Head of Employment Kristina Pavlovic talk about their firms’ summer internship programs – the crucial bridge between academic learning and practical experience for law students.

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.

Kinstellar and its Turkish affiliate KST Law, working with Bowmans, have advised Quexco Incorporated on its USD 110 million acquisition of Mutlu Aku from Metair International Holdings Cooperatief. Linklaters, working with Webber Wentzel and Taboglu, advised Metair.

Romania’s National Office for the Prevention and Control of Money Laundering has recently published a draft of an Emergency Ordinance amending and supplementing Law no. 129/2019 on the prevention and control of money laundering and terrorist financing (the Emergency Ordinance) in order to harmonise domestic legislation with the provisions of Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing (the Fifth AML Directive), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/113 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets (the MiCAR).

In September 2024, Kinstellar announced that NLB's acquisition of Summit Leasing Slovenia (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 14, 2023) has now closed.

CMS has advised a consortium led by NJJ Holding and Horizon Capital on the acquisition of Datagroup-Volia and Lifecell. Avellum advised NJJ on obtaining merger control clearance from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine for the acquisition. Kinstellar also advised NJJ.

Kinstellar and its Turkish affiliate KST Law have advised Eleven Fund III Cooperatief on its USD 1.1 million seed investment in Magfi. May Law Office advised Magfi.

Kinstellar has announced it successfully completed the acquisition of Noerr’s Bratislava, Bucharest, and Prague operations.

Kinstellar, working with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, has advised on the combination of KTP Kunststoff Palettentechnik and ConTeyor International. Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak advised on the merger as well.

Kinstellar has advised Peter Mitev and Big Orange Foundation on the joint venture with Raycho Raychev and Endurosat for the acquisition of a 17,000-square-meter office building in Sofia from Alpha Bank. CMS advised Alpha Bank on the sale of its former headquarters. Yonev Valkov Nenov reportedly advised Raycho Raychev and Endurosat.

Kinstellar has advised the Mitiska European Real Estate Partners 3 on its entry in Bulgaria via a joint venture with Park Lane Developments. CMS advised Park Lane Developments.

Major infrastructure and industrial projects depend on careful government planning and resources. However, Bulgaria’s government has been in flux since 2021, with six general elections in the last four years. Nevertheless, there have been some legislative developments that could stimulate private investment in the fields of utilities, transport, postal services, energy, and industrial manufacturing.

Greenberg Traurig has advised CCC Group on the up to PLN 1.8 billion term and revolving facilities provided by a consortium of banks and finance institutions. Clifford Chance and Lakatos, Koves and Partners advised the lenders.

SOG in cooperation with Kinstellar has advised Strickland Metals on its acquisition of Zlatna Reka Resources Beograd-Vracar. MPartners Legal reportedly advised the sellers.

Biris Goran and Kinstellar have advised Global Vision and Globalworth, respectively, on the sale of a logistics portfolio to WDP. PeliPartners advised WDP.

Kinstellar has advised Genesis Growth Equity Fund I on the acquisition of a majority stake in Predvyber. Talers advised Predvyber.

ACI Partners Managing Partner Igor Odobescu, Nagy es Trocsanyi Founding Partner Peter Nagy, Kinstellar Partner Radovan Grbovic, Law Office Vujacic Partner Sasa Vujacic, and Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii Partner Robert Rosu discuss recent litigation trends across CEE, driven by the impact of economic shifts and regulatory changes in their jurisdictions.

Further to the December 2023 amendments to the Romanian regime for screening inbound direct investments (that we previously covered here), which formally included EU investors within the scope of screening, the Romanian Parliament has adopted a new law (the “New Law”) to further strengthen the approach towards EU investors.