Harrisons, working with Bird & Bird, has advised the EBRD on a EUR 20 million loan to Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA.

The Law on Environmental Impact Assessment ("Official Gazette of the RS," No. 94/2024) and the Law on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment ("Official Gazette of the RS," No. 94/2024) entered into force on 6 December 2024.

Mamic Peric Reberski Rimac, BDK Advokati, and Gorjup Law Office have advised Bosqar Invest on its acquisition of a 50.1% indirect stake in the Mlinar Group from MidEuropa Partners. Karanovic & Partners and Ilej & Partners in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners, working with Dechert, advised MidEuropa Partners. Gospic, Plazina, Stojs advised Mr. Skojo, the former owner of Mlinar and a current shareholder of SEE Bakery, the sole shareholder of Mlinar. Janezic & Jarkovic, and Van Campen Liem reportedly advised Bosqar as well. Gospic Plaznina Stojs reportedly also advised the sellers.

Karanovic & Partners has advised the Serbian Entrepreneurship Foundation on partnership programs with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and ProCredit Bank.

Milorad Gajic has joined Radovanovic, Stojanovic & Partners as a Partner and the firm’s new head of the Real Estate and Construction practice group.

Although abuse of the right to a leave of absence due to temporary impairment for work (sick leave abuse) is explicitly stated in the Labor Law as grounds for termination, in practice, terminating an employment contract on this basis is very difficult, even when abuse is obvious. Beyond the fact that the concept of sick leave abuse is not legally defined, employers face a host of formal and factual obstacles when attempting to determine abuse, resulting in losses for both employers and the state, which often bears the cost in cases of long-term sick leaves.

Initially, the role of Office Managers in law firms was focused on administrative and organizational tasks, such as managing documentation, coordinating meetings, and ensuring the smooth operation of the office.

In The Debrief, our Practice Leaders across CEE share updates on recent and upcoming legislation, consider the impact of recent court decisions, showcase landmark projects, and keep our readers apprised of the latest developments impacting their respective practice areas.

BDK Advokati has advised Vetti Group on its acquisition of 80% of Belgrade-based animal healthcare institution Vet Planet Clinic from Andrija Dakovic. Mikijelj, Jankovic & Bogdanovic advised the seller.

Montenegro-based Jovovic, Mugosa & Vukovic and Serbia-based Zivkovic Samardzic have joined the South East Europe Legal Group.

Gaming is a multi-billion-dollar industry surpassing the combined value of music and film. In Serbia, gaming studios generated over 175 million EUR in 2023, continuing a strong growth trend since 2018. This industry serves as a hub for technological innovation and creativity worldwide, driven by the contributions of various creative minds.

Kinstellar has advised Shamrock Capital on its investment in DE-YAN.

Bojovic Draskovic Popovic & Partners (BD2P) has rebranded to Draskovic Popovic & Partners (D2P) following Marija Bojovic's departure.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. As sunny days recede, the fall conference season is upon us, so we asked: How do you determine which Partner attends which events?

As of December 14, 2022, the Tax Administration of the Republic of Serbia started passing temporary tax decisions imposing payment of individual income tax based on agreed remuneration for the copyright and related rights and agreed remuneration for performed work with contributions for mandatory social insurance. These decisions targeted both Serbian and foreign citizens who made a profit abroad and transferred it to bank accounts in the Republic of Serbia during 2017 and 2018. For the first time in the country’s tax practice, tax liability was assessed automatically by passing temporary tax decisions, without conducting tax proceedings.

BIT Law advises PUC Belgrade Metro and Train on a EUR 720 million design and build contract with contractor PowerChina for the civil works of the first phase of Line 1 of the Belgrade Metro, identifying Lot 2 as a distinct section.

MMD Advokati has advised Itelyum on its acquisition of Jakob Becker.

To bolster Europe’s clean energy transition, the European Commission has recently announced a EUR 4.6 billion investment.  This funding aims to advance net-zero technologies, electric vehicle (EV) battery cell manufacturing, and renewable hydrogen production.  This initiative marks a pivotal step in the EU’s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.