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.

With a focus on keeping as much of the legal work in-house, Net-Connect Group Head of Regulatory Affairs Radu Culic discusses best practices for managing in-house legal budgets.

Photon Energy Group’s Deputy Group Legal Counsel Florina Mariana Homeghiu discusses her approach to managing legal budgets, including trends in costs and effective cost-cutting strategies.

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.

Managing budgets in big companies could be seen at the same time as art and as a challenge. And art should never be under pressure.

In recent years, in-house legal teams have faced growing pressure to manage budgets more effectively while maintaining high standards of service. In this article, I will share best practices for managing legal budgets, and address trends, challenges, and strategies that have shaped the budgeting landscape for in-house legal teams.

M&A transactions involve numerous legal, financial, and operational challenges. As in-house counsel, we are responsible for businesses’ right risk allocation and risk mitigation, while we bear significant responsibility in ensuring the deal progresses smoothly and can be closed successfully. Given this high responsibility, effective collaboration with external counsel is crucial to navigating these high-stakes deals and ensuring a smooth and successful transaction. Drawing from my experience, I will share best practices for selecting, collaborating with, and managing external counsel during M&A projects to achieve optimal outcomes and make your life easier in the post-closing and integration stages.

Mondelez International Senior Counsel Competition Law Compliance Kameliya Naydenova emphasizes the importance of communication, trust, and practical expertise when working with external legal counsel.

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.

Revetas Capital General Counsel Joanna Przybyl reveals her strategies for mastering relationships with external counsel, from choosing the right firms to keeping budgets on track.

From staying loyal to specific lawyers irrespective of the brand they work under to focusing on fixed fees, Selvita General Counsel and Executive Management Board Member Dawid Radziszewski shares his best practices in terms of working with external counsel.

From relying on chemistry to counting on reputation being representative, Zito Director of Legal Affairs and General Services Tamara Mohoric Selak talks about how she picks her external “firefighters” and how she nurtures long-term collaborations with them.

INSS Legal Director Elena Bosnidou shares her tips and tricks on selecting and instructing external counsel.

Bringing in external counsel can flip legal headaches into big wins, protecting your interests and pushing your goals forward. But how do you make sure your partnership with legal experts goes beyond just getting the job done? The magic happens when you master working with external counsel – mixing careful planning with lively communication to reach new heights of legal success.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Director & Associate General Counsel Yota Kremmida shares her strategies for effectively managing a diverse, geographically dispersed team through remote work.

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

I have always been passionate about learning languages, traveling, and getting to know people from different cultures. While studying in law school in my hometown Warsaw, Poland, I applied for the Erasmus Student Exchange scholarship. I went to Stockholm, Sweden, to study law for one year. This year turned into more than a decade, during which I earned an LL.M. in IP law and worked as in-house legal counsel and as Head of Legal for Swedish IT/SaaS companies with global operations. Now I am back in Warsaw, but I am still working internationally.

Pfizer Eastern Europe Cluster Legal Lead and Legal Director Lucie Kubenova talks about the importance of staying connected with colleagues when managing a legal team spread across 22 countries CEE.