Earlier in 2024, DLA Piper published its Medical Devices Advertising: CEE Comparison Guide, which reviews advertising regulations for medical devices in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Life sciences team members who worked on the guide spoke with CEE Legal Matters about some of the regulatory differences across CEE and the practical implications for businesses.

Taylor Wessing has advised FLE on its investment and acquisition of a 620-hectare forest in Eastern Slovakia. Bohunicky & Co reportedly advised the undisclosed sellers.

Former PwC CEE Head of Legal Business Solutions Hugh Owen has joined Kinstellar as Partner.

Kinstellar has advised Mitiska European Real Estate Partners 3 on the acquisition of a 50% ownership interest in OP Centrum Retail 2 from OPC Group. AK KB and Rybanova & Partners advised OPC Group.

White & Case has advised joint lead managers Commerzbank, Danske Bank, DZ BANK, Erste Group Bank, Raiffeisen Bank International, and UniCredit Bank on the issuance of EUR 500 million 2.875% mortgage-covered bonds due 2029 under the EUR 10 billion mortgage-covered bond program of UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Ruzicka and Partners has announced the expansion of its circle of Equity Partners with the addition of Peter Ruzicka and Peter Bartos.

Dentons has advised JTRE Sports & Entertainment on its acquisition of HC Slovan Bratislava from Elena Hruba, Pavel Hofstaedter, and Eduard Janosik. Gunar Legal & Partners and BDO Legal advised the sellers.

A&O Shearman has announced the passing of its Slovakia Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution Practice for Central and Eastern Europe, Martin Magal.

Dentons has advised Yanmar Group on its acquisition of Tedom from the Jet Investment fund. DRV Legal advised Jet Investment Fund.

In 2022, the Slovak Parliament passed two long-awaited laws, an Act No 201/2022 on construction (hereinafter the “Construction Act”) and an Act No 200/2022 on spatial planning (hereinafter the “Spatial Planning Act”). I wrote about the adoption of these laws and their content in my last article published in CEE Legal Matters. Both laws, which together were intended to bring long-anticipated systemic changes to spatial-planning and building permit procedures in Slovakia, were supposed to take effect on 1 April 2024; however, this never happened.

Dentons has advised AniCura on the acquisition of VetCare Group in Slovakia and the Czech Republic from HardWood Investments. Acres reportedly advised HardWood Investments.

Dentons has advised the sole owner of I.D.C. Holding Pavol Jakubec on the sale of the company to Valeo Foods. A&O Shearman advised Valeo Foods.

Wolf Theiss has advised on the reorganization of Oerlikon’s nitriding business in Slovakia via a spin-off of the business into a standalone legal and operational entity.

Contributed by Taylor Wessing.

Kinstellar has announced it successfully completed the acquisition of Noerr’s Bratislava, Bucharest, and Prague operations.

With a new Minister of Social Affairs aiming to tighten controls on self-employment practices, businesses and legal professionals are left grappling with unclear guidelines and significant risks, according to Fairsquare Partner Erik Schwarcz.

A&O Shearman has advised Tatry Mountain Resorts on its EUR 120 million offering which was simultaneously conducted in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Clifford Chance has advised KKCG's IT pillar on the integration of the acquisition debt, following the acquisition of Avenga Group, into the group's umbrella financing.