Former GM Legal Partner Cristina Gavrila has joined Glodeanu & Partners as a Partner.

Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 establishing a framework for screening foreign direct investments into the Union (the “Regulation”) has been implemented into Romanian legislation in the form of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 46/2022 on foreign direct investments (“GEO no. 46/2022”). 

CEE Legal Matters readers will likely be familiar with Patricia Gannon as one of the founders of Karanovic & Partners. Since her withdrawal from the firm (reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 21, 2020), Gannon ran her own "holistic strategic advisory business" (as reported on October 12, 2020) and, recently, she announced she is working on a new social media app for lawyers – Platforum 9. We caught up with her to learn more about her new project.

Clifford Chance has advised Grupul Tei on the sale of a 30% stake in Farmacia Tei and Bebe Tei to Paval Holding. KPMG Legal - Toncescu si Asociatii advised Paval Holding on the deal.

Kinstellar has advised S Immo AG on the acquisition of the EXPO Business Park from Portland Trust. Peli Partners reportedly advised Portland Trust on the deal.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has successfully represented WTE Wassertechnik before Romania's National Council for Solving Complaints and a court of appeal in several disputes related to awarding the works contracts for the Cluj-Salaj water pipeline.

Law No. 69/2022 amending and supplementing Law No. 8/1996 on copyright and related rights (“Law No. 69/2022”) was published in the Official Journal of Romania, Part I No. 321 of 1 April 2022 and, with the exception of a few provisions which will become applicable 30 days or 6 months after publication, entered into force on 4 April 2022.

After a rather lengthy legislative process, Directive (EU) 2019/633 (the "UTP Directive") was implemented in Romania on 12 April 2022 by Law No. 81/2022 on unfair trade practices (UTPs) between companies within the agricultural and food supply chain (the "UTP Law"). It sets out a new set of rules applicable to food retailers and suppliers that have an annual turnover of around EUR 2m.

With inflation making its way through Europe, Romania was hit as well but the economy is still developing steadily, with energy, real estate, and infrastructure the sectors to look out for, according to MPR Partners Partner Dana Radulescu.

DLA Piper has advised PPF Real Estate on its acquisition of an 8,000 square-meter construction site plot in the Orhideea area of Bucharest from RC Europe. Baker McKenzie reportedly advised RC Europe.

Zamfirescu Racoti Vasile & Partners has successfully represented video-chat company Pro Studio owner Markus Ardelean in a tax evasion case.

On 31 March 2022, the Romanian Ministry of Energy launched a call for projects under a new state aid scheme for supporting the development of new wind and solar power plants, with or without integrated power storage capacities (the "Support Scheme").

As war days go by, military conflict in Ukraine seems to escalade, jeopardizing the upcoming fate of the country on so many levels. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to envisage when the (post-war) normality will be reinstated, and when economics will follow their course once again. As a consequence, multiple companies have already announced their intention to cease activity not only from Russia, but also from Ukraine.

Directive (EU) 2019/633 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 concerning unfair business-to-consumer trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain has recently been transposed into Romanian legislation by Law no. 81/2022, in force since 15 April 2022 ("Law no. 81 /2022").

Suciu Popa has advised the Ford Motor Company on the sale of its Craiova assembly plant in southern Romania to its partner Ford Otosan in Turkey. CMS advised Ford Otosan.

Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu has advised Arobs Transilvania Software on its EUR 17.9 million acquisition of Enea Services Romania from the Swedish Enea group. Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii advised the seller.

Following CMS's recent global promotion round, Nevena Radlova, Michal Andruszkiewicz, Cristina Popescu, and Olga Shenk were promoted to Partner, with Partners Gabriela Staber and Andrea Potz becoming Equity Partners.

CEE Attorneys/Boanta, Gidei si Asociatii has advised Holde Agri Invest on the acquisition of a 2,100-hectare farm in Dambovita county, Romania.