By most counts, 2021 was a successful year for the Romanian M&A market. Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii Deputy Managing Partner Stefan Damian, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen Partner Gabriela Cacerea, Dentons Managing Partner Perry Zizzi, and Wolf Theiss M&A Partner Ileana Glodeanu have many reasons to believe 2022 could be a good year as well, but also quite a few to expect a slowdown in activity.

A quick look at the CEE Legal Matters Index 2021 reveals a considerable number of public procurement (PP) disputes in the Romanian healthcare sector. We spoke with Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii Partner Ramona Pentilescu, who was involved in challenging several such projects, to learn more about the trend.

Entering into force on February 19, 2021, the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility aimed, according to the European Commission, “to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient, and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.” CEE Legal Matters spoke with lawyers from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, and Romania to learn what each country focused on, with its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), and what difficulties lie ahead, now that these plans have been submitted to the EC.

PeliPartners has successfully represented the National Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies of Romania (UNSAR) before Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice in a dispute against the Romanian competition authority.

Dentons has advised Asseco Group company Asseco SEE on its acquisition of a majority stake in Bithat Solutions. Ionescu & Sava advised the seller.

The EU has committed itself under the European Green Deal to decarbonizing the European economy and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. To this end, an accelerated transition from fossil fuels as a primary energy source to renewable energy will be required. The integration of intermittent and variable renewable energy sources (e.g., wind and solar) into the power system requires greater flexibility in supply and demand in order to stabilize the power grid, prevent extreme price fluctuations and maintain security of supply and electricity price affordability. Short-term energy storage and multi-month seasonal storage is one of the ways to achieve the goal of such greater flexibility.

CMS has advised a group of investors on a Sofina-led EUR 220 million series D financing round for the Rohlik Group. White & Case advised the Rohlik Group. Linklaters reportedly advised Sofina. Pierstone reportedly advised some of the investors.

Ijdelea & Associates has provided legal assistance to Black Sea Oil & Gas and its co-venture partners in obtaining the Upstream Pipeline Operating License for the Midia Gas Development Project (MDG) from the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE).

Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu has advised the Engie Group on its sale of an 80% stake in Flashnet to the Lucy Group. Dentons advised the buyer.

Glodeanu & Partners has advised INVL Asset Management's INVL Renewable Energy Fund I on the acquisition of two companies developing solar power plants in Romania with a capacity of 166 megawatts.

Popescu & Asociatii has announced that Gheorghe Buta joined the firm as a Senior Partner, in June 2022, to lead the firm's dispute and commercial arbitration practice areas.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has advised Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing on the EUR 10 million technical and aesthetic refurbishment and modernization process of the America House office building in Bucharest.

Dentons has successfully represented Bibus Metal’s Romanian subsidiary Bibus SRL in a customs dispute before the Ploiesti Court Appeal in Romania.

MPR Partners has advised GreenVolt subsidiaries V-Ridium Solar 45 and V-Ridium Renewables on their EUR 83 million acquisition of a photovoltaic project from the Samsung C&T Corporation. Schoenherr and, reportedly, Herbert Smith Freehills advised the seller. CMS reportedly advised a consortium of banks on financing the acquisition.

On June 15, 2022, Peli Partners announced that S Immo’s acquisition of the Expo Business Park from Portland Trust (reported by CEE Legal Matters on April 22, 2022) had closed.

Contributed by Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Savoric & Partners, and Filip & Company have advised Borealis on a binding offer for its nitrogen business from the Agrofert group. Wolf Theiss advised Agrofert. Oppenheim, Boyanov & Co, and PRK Partners reportedly advised Borealis as well.

Baker McKenzie has advised Palfinger on establishing its European Works Council. Babic & Partners, Djingov Gouginski Kyutchukov & Velichkov, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen, and Jadek & Pensa advised Palfinger on Croatian, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Slovenian law-related matters, respectively. Bech-Bruun, Arntzen de Besche, and PBBR reportedly advised on Danish, Norwegian, and Portuguese law-related matters.