An in-depth look at Michal Simunic of Cechova & Partners covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.
Career:
- Cechova & Partners, Attorney, 2011-Present
- Cechova & Partners, Associate, 2008-2011
- Dovera Health Insurance Company, Manager of Debt Collection Department, 2005-2007
- Valko & Partners Legal Office, Paralegal, 2003-2004
- Vseobecna zdravotna poistovna a.s. (The General Health Insurance Company), Debt Collection Department, 1999-2005
Education:
- Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava, Mgr., 2007
- Pan-European University, JUDr., 2007
Favorites:
Favorite out of office activity: Bicycle, Hunting
Favorite quote: “Things are never so bad they can’t be made worse.” – Humphrey Bogart
Favorite book: The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski
Favorite movie: The Last Boy Scout
Top 5 Projects:
- Advising Just Eat Takeaway.com, a leading online food delivery marketplace in Continental Europe, in its acquisition of Bistro.sk from Ringier Axel Springer Media AG. Bistro.sk is the largest food delivery service in Slovakia;
- Assisting Macquarie/MEIF4, a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services, in its acquisition of Towercom, a.s., the main national provider of the broadcasting services throughout the whole territory of Slovakia;
- Advising AFS Technologies Inc. on the purchase of 100% shares of the leading Slovak software company Visicom;
- Assisting Cinema Holding/Cinema City with the group reorganization – structuring of the transaction, including completion and relevant registrations;
- Assisting ABB Optical Group, America’s leading authorized distributor of all major soft contact lens manufacturers and a leading provider of optical products, services, and business solutions in the eye care industry, in its acquisition of business from Mindent Solutions, Inc. of Affinity Analytics.
What would you say was the most challenging project you ever worked on and why?
Simunic: The acquisition of Towercom a.s. by Macquarie/MEIF4. The target is a national provider of terrestrial and satellite television and radio broadcasting services in the whole territory of Slovakia, the project included complex legal due diligence, the establishment of the SPV for the purchase, analysis of the regulatory aspects related to the business, assistance with transaction documents and with the closing of the transaction, and post-closing matters. It was one of the first projects of this size and complexity that I worked on at the beginning of my career as a lawyer – and that was a big challenge for me.
And what was your main takeaway from it?
Simunic: I've participated in this project in the first years of my career as a lawyer. At the beginning, I was quite scared by the volume of work required. However, the main takeaway for me was that, with the right team, everything is doable, even when things seem to be difficult and complicated in the beginning, and that with good teamwork and the right approach, obstacles can be overcome and great results can be achieved.
What is one thing clients likely don’t know about you?
Simunic: Most likely it will be the fact that I am a hunter in my free time. This hobby is not very common.
Name one mentor who played a big role in your career and how they impacted you.
Simunic: Our Managing Partner Katarina Cechova played a big role in my career. First, she gave me the opportunity to be part of our team in our law firm. More importantly, she has been providing her continuing support and sharing her knowledge and great experience with younger colleagues. She is always ready to provide her opinion and her view on the matter as a brilliant lawyer with so many years of practice. I admire her commitment to the profession. I hope that I will also have so much energy and enthusiasm for the legal profession after so many years of legal practice as she has.
Name one mentee you are particularly proud of.
Simunic: I don’t have any mentees within a formalized mentor-mentee program but I work closely with our junior colleagues and try to help them to develop professionally and to make progress in their careers. I hope that they can benefit from my advice and the experience that I gladly share with them.
What is the one piece off advice you’d give yourself fresh out of law school?
Simunic: Don’t be scared, everything is doable with the right approach and the right people around. Practice will teach you how to cope with difficult situations.
This article was written before the advent of the war in Ukraine and was originally published in Issue 9.2 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine on March 1, 2022. More current articles on developments in Ukraine can be found in our #StandWithUkraine section. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.
