When it first appeared, the compliance field seemed little more than “regulatory” in new clothes – a fancy name for making sure a company stayed within the ambit of provisions set out in the laws of a country. As time passed, however, more and more companies started treating compliance as a practice in its own right, and as a field of law … that is much more than just law. Compliance became an area of interest not only to seasoned lawyers, but also to scholars, consultants, and in-house counsels – all levels of legal practice became aware of its significance.

At the beginning of April 2019, the Serbian Parliament adopted the new Law on Healthcare Protection (the “Law”), with the aim of improving the legal framework and facilitate better functioning of the healthcare system in Serbia, aligning it more closely to EU standards in this field.

According to JPM Senior Partner Jelena Gazivoda, Serbian law firms are doing well these days. "We are all very busy these past few months, which is good,” she says. "Notwithstanding the fact that there are different comments in newspapers, we are not really feeling any bad signs. In fact, we are all participating in some significant transactions, making us really busy.”

JPM Jankovic Popovic Mitic has advised C.D Holding Internationale SAS on its entrance into a partnership with the current owners of Serbia's Emergo Sport d.o.o.

BIFIDEX (Business and Financial Data Exchange) is the service delivery platform of the Regional Business Registry Portal (RBRP) which, as of March 2019, has officially started operating. This portal offers transparent and easy access to information regarding the companies in the Western Balkan countries.

Zivkovic Samardzic has advised Serbia’s national commercial broadcaster Prva TV, a subsidiary of the Kopernikus Corporation, on its merger with Antenna Group Studios, its affiliated production and distribution company.

The draft of the new Act on Trademarks will be on public debate until August 13, 2019. The need for enacting the new Trademark Act is twofold. Firstly, the problems and experiences in the day to day appliance of the provisions of the current Trademark Act need to be implemented in the new text. Additionally, the trademark system in Serbia needs to be made compliant with the EU Directive 2004/48/EZ.

Zivkovic Samardzic has advised Romania’s biggest power producer, majority state-owned hydropower producer Hidroelectrica, on the winding-up of its subsidiary in Belgrade, which was established in 2014.

Prica & Partners has advised the Government of Serbia on the China Road Bridge Corporation's agreement to construct an industrial park in the northwest part of Belgrade along the Danube River.

ODI has represented AIK Banka and Societe Generale's Slovenian entities on a EUR 36 million cross-border syndicated debt refinancing of the Don Don Group. Selih & Partnerji assisted Don Don on the deal.

Zivkovic Samardzic has advised South Central Ventures on an unspecified investment in LeanPay, a consumer financing Fintech startup that helps people pay for consumer goods on credit and in installments.

In The Corner Office we ask Managing Partners across CEE about their unique roles and responsibilities. The question this time around: How do you do performance reviews, and how important are they to the planning and management of the firm?”

AP Legal has advised EOS Matrix on its acquisition via tender of the non-performing loan portfolios of Agrobanka Beograd, Nova Agrobanka Beograd, Privredna Banka Beograd, Razvojna Banka Vojvodine Novi Sad, and Univerzal Banka Beograd from the Deposit Insurance Agency of Serbia, acting in its capacity as the bankruptcy administrator for the banks. PwC Legal advised the Deposit Insurance Agency of Serbia.

Zivkovic Samardzic has successfully represented KRIK and its editor-in-chief Stevan Dojcinovic before the High Court in Belgrade in a dispute against Nenad Popovic, the Serbian Minister responsible for innovation and technological development.

Doklestic Repic & Gajin is advising Slovenian airline Adria Airways in relation to its challenge to State aid granted to Air Serbia.

Glimstedt, acting on behalf of Sanitex UAB, has successfully persuaded Lithuania's Supreme Court to refuse to recognize and enforce a Serbian arbitration award against the Serbian state privatization agency. 

JPM has advised China Shandong International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co. LTD regarding a concession project for four underground garages in the City of Belgrade.

Harrisons has advised the EBRD in relation to a EUR 40 million loan to Erste Bank Serbia for the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises.