The Ministry of Economy has officially announced the opening of the call for submission of applications under the state aid scheme regulated by Government Decision no. GD 959/2022 for financing assets and/or salary costs. The period for submitting financing requests is scheduled between 1 November 2022 to 16 December 2022, when investors may file the relevant documentation.

Schoenherr, working with Noerr, has advised Nord Holding on the acquisition of a majority stake in the Heizkurier Group from Odewald KMU. Heuking and Ebner Stolz reportedly advised the sellers on the deal.

The legal framework regarding representative offices of foreign companies in Romania was recently amended with the publication in the Official Gazette of Romania, Part I, no. 779 of 4 August 2022, of Ordinance no. 18/2022 on the authorisation and operation in Romania of representative offices of foreign companies and business entities (“Ordinance”).

Noerr has advised Rebelle as the target company of a public takeover offer made by Lithuania's Vinted. Gernandt & Danielsson reportedly also advised Rebelle. Roschier and Hengeler Mueller reportedly advised Vinted.

Noerr has advised Espira on the sale of Icon Communication Centres to Yoummday. Kinstellar advised the buyer.

Government Decree No. 230/2022 passed on 28 June 2022 introduced a new regime which enables the Hungarian Government to place certain entities under the supervision of the Hungarian State. Such entities shall have a significant or dominant position in the energy industry, in particular in the following sectors having strategic and national security importance: (i) electricity, (ii) natural gas, (iii) crude oil, (iv) district heating and (v) mining. The legislation expressly mentions two entities, i.e. FGSZ Natural Gas Transmission Private Company Limited by Shares and the Hungarian Hydrocarbon Stockpiling Association.

Here is some good news for the renewable energy industry:

Dorda has advised the DigitalBridge Group on its joint acquisition with Brookfield Infrastructure and its institutional partners of a 51% stake in GD Towers from Deutsche Telekom. E+H and Latham and Watkins advised the bidding consortium of GIP, KKR, and Stonepeak. Reportedly, Allen & Overy and Morgan Lewis also advised DigitalBridge, Freshfields and Weil, Gotshal & Manges advised Brookfield Infrastructure, while, on the sell side, Gleiss Lutz, Noerr, CMS, Schoenherr, Cuatrecasas, and Freshfields advised Deutsche Telekom on the deal.

Government Ordinance no. 16/2022, published in Official Gazette no. 716/15.07.2022 on 15 July 2022, entails important amendments to the Romanian Fiscal Code.

Associated Partner Pawel Zelich has been named as the new Head of Noerr’s Warsaw office as of July 1, 2022. He takes over from Partner Radoslaw Biedecki, who had been heading the office since 2017.

It is truly remarkable that in the year 1874, Jules Verne imagined that “water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable”. After 148 years, Jules Verne’s dream is slowly becoming reality as it is actively acknowledged by global companies, governments and world leaders.

Noerr has advised the Aurelius Group on its acquisition of dental distributors Dental Bauer and Pluradent. Binder Groesswang and Homburger reportedly advised Aurelius. Anwaltsgemeinschaft Stuttgart reportedly advised Dental Bauer, with Grub Brugger reportedly advising Pluradent.

Schoenherr, working with Noerr, has advised the BTV Multimedia Group on its acquisition of STW Spleisstechnik West. Solo practitioner Georg Justich reportedly advised STW.

GEO no. 67/2022, published in the Official Gazette on 23 May 2022, enforces the application of fiscal incentives for companies who decide to increase their employees’ salaries from the minimum gross salary, i.e. RON 2,550, to RON 2,750, for salaries from 1 June - 31 December 2022.

A good idea is the cornerstone of a successful start-up. In practical terms, however, it is often not enough. Here is an overview of legal mistakes founders of start-ups often make but that can be easily avoided on the way to the next step towards success.

Greenberg Traurig has advised IFA Group on its sale to Aequita. Noerr Germany advised Aequita on the deal.

PHH has advised the MM Group on a EUR 65 million syndicated loan for the reconstruction of the cardboard machine at its Neuss site. Noerr's Frankfurt office reportedly advised IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG on the deal.

With the increasing EU emphasis on regulating digital financial services and a growing market for them in the Czech Republic, CEE Legal Matters spoke to Noerr Attorneys-at-Law Filip Murar and Ludek Chvosta about the local regulatory framework, the pace of its development, and the ways in which the market has responded.