JPM Jankovic, Popovic, Mitic, working with Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners and Prebanic & Jusufbasic-Goloman, has advised DuluxGroup on its EUR 194.5 million acquisition of Jub. Jadek & Pensa advised the shareholders of Jub on the deal. Kinstellar and Bogdanovic, Dolicki & Partners have, reportedly, also advised the buyer.

Last month, Freedom House published its annual report on freedom on the Internet (the “Report”), where Serbia got 71 out of 100 points, thus taking the 15^th place among 70 countries where the said research had been conducted.

Franchising may be an attractive proposition for many companies wishing to expand internationally. Take a look at this overview to discover the applicable franchise law in Serbia, covering the essentials for franchisors, the relevant areas of law, selected aspects such as fees, and dispute resolution and applicable law.

AP Legal has advised UniCredit Bank Srbija on the financing of EAT ZGOP’s acquisition of ZGOP a.d. Novi Sad from Integra Construction Kazahstan.

CMS has advised German online bank N26 on the acquisition of an unidentified Serbian fintech company.

AP Legal has advised UniCredit Bank Srbija on a facilities agreement with Serbian real estate company Marera Properties. Isailovic & Partners reportedly advised Marera Properties on the deal.

Contributed by Bojovic Draskovic Popovic & Partners.

AP Legal has advised Banka Postanska Stedionica a.d. Beograd on the acquisition of 100% share capital of Komercijalna Banka a.d. Banja Luka from Komercijalna Banka a.d. Beograd, a member of NLB Group. Kinstellar and Sajic advised the sellers on the deal.

Karanovic & Partners, alongside Dentons and Weksler Bregman, has advised Big Shopping Centers on raising approximately EUR 55 million through issuing secured bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange by refinancing the Big Fashion Kragujevac, Big Krusevac, and Big Fashion Outlet Indjija shopping centers in Serbia.

Jankovic Popovic Mitic has successfully represented Worldfin before the Court of Appeal in Belgrade in a corruption charges case related to the privatization of Luka Beograd.

BDK Advokati, working with Ashurst, has advised J.P. Morgan and UK Export Finance on supporting the construction of the Morava Corridor motorway through a EUR 430 million guaranteed loan to the Republic of Serbia.

Karanovic & Partners has advised ElevenEs on partnering with EIT InnoEnergy to build a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery factory in Subotica, Serbia.

Zivkovic Samardzic and Fatur Menard have advised Trigal on its investment in five urban lighting regeneration public-private partnership projects in Serbia.

Kinstellar has advised GIC on the Czech, Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Serbian aspects of its 30% stake acquisition in the Cetin Group from PPF. BDK Advokati and Lakatos, Koves & Partners advised the seller on Serbian and Hungarian aspects, respectively. Djingov, Gouginski, Kyutchukov & Velichkov, White & Case, and NautaDutilh reportedly also advised the seller. Herbert Smith Freehills also advised the buyer, with Loyens & Loeff reportedly advising the buyer in the Netherlands.

 In “The Corner Office” we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With summer having just passed, the question this time: What is your one favorite yearly activity to disconnect?

The amendments to the Serbian Energy Law, enacted in late April 2021, prescribed the obligation for transmission system operators in the electricity and natural gas sector to implement the EU electricity and natural gas network codes.

Karanovic & Partners has advised the Innovation Fund on launching the Katapult start-up accelerator in Serbia with support from the World Bank.

The Labour Law (“Official Gazette of RS”, no. 24/2005, 61/2005, 54/2009, 32/2013, 75/2014, 13/2017 – decision of the CC, 113/2017 and 95/2018 – authentic interpretation) (the “Law”) prescribes that employer shall be obliged, prior to the termination of employment agreement due to violation of working obligation or working discipline, to notify the employee in writing on the existence of reasons for such termination, as well as to provide the employee with a period of minimum eight days from the warning submission to declare on the subject allegations. Employer is obliged to state grounds for termination in the warning, as well as facts and evidence indicating the fulfilment of requirements for termination, and deadline for submitting the employee’s response thereof.