Did you know that 10 of the 18 law firms in Romania that have reported four or more client matters so far in 2023 are independent law firms, unaffiliated with international or regional law firms? According to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, that group of domestic Romanian law firms is led by Filip & Company and RTPR, both of which have reported working on 12 client matters so far in 2023.

On March 30, 2023, Advocate General Tamara Capeta (AG) delivered her Opinion in the Xella Magyarorszag (C‑106/22) case, concerning the interpretation of Regulation (EU) 2019/452 establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union (FDI Regulation).

During the Three Seas Initiative annual general meeting in Bucharest in September 2023, Austria's Dorda, Bulgaria's Boyanov & Co., Croatia's Divjak Topic Bahtijarevic & Krka, the Czech Republic's Kocian Solc Balastik, Estonia's Ellex Raidla, Hungary's Lakatos Koves & Partners, Latvia's Ellex Klavins, Lithuania's Ellex Valiunas, Poland's Wardynski and Partners, Romania's Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen, Slovakia's Barger Prekop, and Slovenia's Selih & Partnerji announced they formed the Three Seas Legal Alliance, in recognition of the progress made by the Three Seas Initiative.

Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii has advised the Ameropa Group on the full refinancing of its main revolving credit facility in Romania to the tune of EUR 542 million. Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen advised the banking syndicate.

PwC Legal Romanian affiliate D&B David si Baias has advised Complexul Energetic Oltenia on selecting the investor-partners for its 1.2-gigawatt decarbonization strategy. Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen reportedly advised OMV Petrom on the partnership for four PV projects. Deloitte Legal affiliate Reff & Associates reportedly advised Tinmar Energy on the partnership for a new gas-fired power plant and four PV parks.

Restructuring, both from a financial and operational perspective, has been regarded as a wonderful “nice to have” by the Romanian market, for many years. Will this time be different?

In the past years, social dialogue in Romania has decreased in significance within labor relationships, considering the quite old-fashioned framework, having no collective bargaining agreements in place at the industry level, the lack of impactful voices at the trade union level, and the lack of general awareness of the legal framework – and of its potential positive impact on how workplace representation and collective negotiations could contribute to better business performance.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. Keeping in mind last year’s complexities and the uncertainties ahead, this time we asked: Has your team shrunk or increased in the last 12 months and what are your expectations for 2023?

Schoenherr, working with Luther and Hogan Lovells, has advised the Cargo-Partner Group Holding on its EUR 1.4 billion sale of Cargo-Partner GmbH and 60 other subsidiaries to Nippon Express Holdings. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised the buyer.

Dorda and Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen, working with Heuking Kuhn Luer Wojtek’s Munich office, have advised Cancom on the acquisition of K-Businesscom and all its subsidiaries from shareholders Aluk Privatstiftung, Invest Unternehmensbeteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft, Raiffeisen, Franz Semmernegg, and Jochen Borenich. SCWP Schindhelm reportedly advised the sellers. 

On the evening of April 25, 2023, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and ILFs active in the region in Istanbul.

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen has successfully represented Hammerer Aluminium Industries Santana in a fiscal dispute related to transfer pricing aspects before the High Court of Cassation and Justice.

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen has advised Holcim Romania on its full acquisition of Stones Business Development.

Clifford Chance has advised Exigent Property Investment on its EUR 57.8 million financing agreement with OTP Bank Romania and OTP Plc. Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen advised OTP Bank.

After lengthy debates in the Parliament, the new Social Dialogue Law, i.e. Law no. 367/2022 was published in the Official Gazette no. 1238/2022 on December 22, 2022, the lawmakers opting to expressly repeal the “famous” Law no. 62/2011 with the entry into force of the new legislative framework, which is not at all surprising considering the many changes brought on by the new law.

BDK Advokati has advised Sandberg Capital on its EUR 20 million investment in Quantox. Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen and Polenak reportedly advised Sandberg as well.

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen has successfully represented Romanian electricity distributor ENEL E-Distributie Banat in a tax dispute regarding tax depreciation for transferred fixed assets. 

Providing insights into Nestor Nestor Disculescu Kingston Petersen’s most active practice areas, Partners Ruxandra Bologa and Gabriela Cacerea took a deep dive into the firm’s Corporate/M&A and Energy and Natural Resources practices.