Allen & Overy has advised Raiffeisen Bank International and a syndicate of lenders on their EUR 100 million financing package for ITIS Holding to support the acquisition of Vitronic Machine Vision. BBH reportedly advised the borrowers.

Slovakia is witnessing an increased number of vital amendments across legal sectors, from construction to cybersecurity, tax law, and criminal law, according to Legate Managing Partner Peter Vrabel, who posits that these changes aim to streamline processes, enhance transparency, and bolster investor confidence.

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.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. As we bid farewell to 2023, this time around we turn our attention forward: What is your one main wish for 2024 and what do you see as the biggest potential risk?

For a long time, the Slovak insolvency law landscape was overshadowed by deep structural problems that resulted in a dire outlook for creditors in insolvency and restructuring proceedings.

Expectations are high in Slovakia for the mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and energy sector pipelines, according to Hillbridges Partner Miroslav Trencan, who highlights a series of shifts and trends shaping the market, from the challenges of financing and the impact of regulatory changes to geopolitical influences and the strategic decisions driving large-scale M&A projects.

Nedelka Kubac Advokati has successfully represented the interests of the Zlavomat discount portal through an investigation by the Slovak Competition Authority for possible abuse of a dominant position.

Havel & Partners has advised the Slovak Investment Holding on its EUR 12 million investment in battery R&D and production specialist Inobat.

Roman Vydra has been promoted to a Partner position with BBH in Bratislava.

Glatzova & Co has advised the shareholders of Jarident and Janouch Dental on the sale of the companies to the Nuent Group.

Eversheds Sutherland has advised the shareholders of SWS on the full sale of the company – including subsidiaries Entec Solutions and SWS International in Slovakia – to Also Holding.

Poland's Weronika Kapica and Daria Rutecka, Romania's Adina Damaschin and Mara Moga-Paler, Serbia's Zoran Soljaga, Slovakia's Michal Lucivjansky, and Slovenia's Peter Gorse have all been appointed to Partner positions with Schoenherr.

Kinstellar has announced several appointments to firm-wide practice and sector leadership positions, including Partner Csilla Andreko in Budapest, Partner Iustinian Captariu and Special Counsel Magda Raducanu in Bucharest, Managing Partner Milos Velimirovic in Belgrade, Managing Partner Lukas Sevcik and Counsel Jan Lehky in Prague, and Managing Associate Lukas Mrazik in Bratislava.

Dentons has advised HB Reavis on the sale of its in-house-developed technology platform Symbiosy to HqO.

On January 4, 2024, Boyanov & Co announced that the EUR 1.4 billion sale of Cargo-Partner subsidiaries to Nippon Express (reported by CEE Legal Matters on May 17, 2023) had closed.

The Ministry of Economy has extended the eligible period for electricity and gas price compensations. In addition to 2023, it will also be possible to apply for compensation for the period up to 30 June 2024. Applications can be submitted until 15 June 2024.

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.

CEE Legal Matters invited me to write about “lawyering in CEE.” My “lawyering” in the region started on January 2, 2000, when I was a young graduate working in Vienna for clients with business in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and soon I was sent to Prague, and Bratislava. Over time, I witnessed not only economic booms and crises and political and economic transformations but also changes in the legal market and how law firms work.