Patents and innovation are closely linked. Patents can boost innovation by granting a legal monopoly over certain technology, and inventors may be willing to invest more time, money and creativity into their inventions if they can do this in anticipation of being rewarded with such monopoly on their invention. Furthermore, patents boost future innovation because the technology protected by a patent will be made publicly available and can be used by everyone once the patent protection term expires. However, patents may even hinder innovation, because technology and its further-development could be blocked by existing patents.

Schoenherr has advised Paris-based MNK Partners on the acquisition of the Kodolanyi Janos University building in Hungary from Defactoring Zrt.

In a recent article for CEE Legal Matters, Schoenherr Attorney at Law Alexandra Bognar wrote that Hungary adopted a UBO Register Act this year. We spoke to Bognar to learn more about the new piece of legislation.

Schoenherr has advised Austrian oral hygiene start-up Playbrush on its sale of a majority stake to Switzerland-based international healthcare company Sunstar Group. Baker McKenzie advised the buyer on the transaction.

The Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA) published its draft report of an accelerated sector inquiry on the Hungarian brick market. The interested and affected parties have only 8 days to submit comments to the authority's draft report. As a main finding, the HCA has not found reasons to conduct an antitrust proceeding on the relevant market. It has, however, made recommendations for consumers and also for the government.

Cerha Hempel has advised Vienna-based Value One on the sale of Krieau grandstand Tribune 3 to Red Bull Media House. Schoenherr advised the buyer on the transaction.

A year ago, Bulgaria took its first steps into a new world after several months of almost total lockdown following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking at the past 18 months, as economies across CEE contracted, the technology, media, and telecom sector has been surging. A balancing factor for economies, it helped avoid a deeper recession. For CEE law firms, TMT’s solid performance brought in a steady amount of work, helping polish what might otherwise have been a lackluster year.

Even with the summer holidays firmly established in Hungary, the country is seeing activity across the board and a couple of interesting legislative updates stand to improve the landscape even further, according to Schoenherr Managing Partner Kinga Hetenyi.

The Czech Ministry of Justice recently published a bill on preventive restructurings (the "Bill") implementing the directive on preventive restructuring frameworks which will introduce a brand-new legal tool preventing the insolvency of viable enterprises in temporary financial difficulties.

DLA Piper Romania has advised Abris Capital Partners on the acquisition, through its subsidiary Dentotal, of Dentatechnica. Kambourov & Partners acted as Bulgarian counsel to the buyer and Schoenherr advised the seller.

Schoenherr has advised Bitpanda on a EUR 224 million Series C investment round led by Valar Ventures that included LeadBlock Partners, Jump Capital, Alan Howard, and Redo Ventures.

The hype surrounding NFTs and crypto assets appears infinite and is raising more and more questions and challenges for the legal profession in Austria and beyond.

Schoenherr’s Alexandra Doytchinova and Stefana Tsekova Talk About The Deal of the Year in Bulgaria.

AP Legal has advised the founder and sole shareholder of YU PD Express doo Belgrade Ljiljana Zivkovic Karaklajic on the sale of the company to Slovenia Broadbank S.a.r.l. Schonherr reportedly advised Slovenia Broadbank on the deal.

Schoenherr has advised MET Group on the acquisition of a 60-megawatt operational wind park in Suvorovo, Western Bulgaria, from Grupo Enhol. 

PeliPartners has advised Portland Trust on its sale of the Ratesti 153-megawatt photovoltaic development project to Econergy and Nofar Energy. Schoenherr advised Nofar Energy on the deal.

To mint NFT art, you need to have enough cryptocurrency in your wallet (and even more to buy it). A successful NFT artist could then also pay his or her studio assistants in cryptocurrency from the proceeds of the sales. Cryptocurrency therefore plays an obvious part in a blockchain-based business. But is this also true from an employment law perspective? Can or should remuneration be paid in a cryptocurrency? Let's take a closer look at this question by examining the interface between the crypto world and the physical world from an Austrian employment law perspective.