The wide usage of benchmark rates and their key role in the financial system requires that they be reliable and defiant to any manipulation. To ensure this, the EU undertook to reform the benchmark rate determination process and improve market confidence in them, resulting in the adoption of the EU Benchmarks Regulation (the BMR).

“Well, the legal market is pretty much stable – all firms stay firmly in their places, not a lot of tectonic shift …. all is quiet on the Western front," smiles Robert Prelesnik, Senior Partner at Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners in Ljubljana. “Our economy has been rather stable too, even as we approach a period of slight stagnation – we are quite far away from a recession, which is a good thing in this day and age of Europe," says Prelesnik.

In the light of the favourable economic climate and affordable financing sources, Slovenia has been facing a lively M&A market in the recent few years, especially in the area of commercial real estate. Further, companies are eager to refinance their existing debt or borrow new funds under the more favourable conditions currently available on the market.  Since the majority of financing is done via standard bank financing, every deal poses the same old question: “How will be the loan secured”?

ODI has advised the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Finance and its two state-owned subsidiaries IMOB and PRISKO on the cross-border sale of the majority stake in Vipap Videm Krsko, a large Slovenian paper mill and newsprint manufacturer, to Czech-based Ridg Holding.

Former Wolf Theiss Poland Co-Managing Partner Ron Given has joined Deloitte Legal as its CE Senior Legal Counsel, responsible for all of the firm’s offices in 19 Central and Eastern European countries.

ODI Law has advised the Eta Invest Group on the refinancing of a development project encompassing 28 newly-constructed villas near Nova Gorica, Slovenia. The transaction included a transfer of claims held by various banking and non-banking entities to the Elements Capital Management investment fund, followed by the entrance into a Master Restructuring Agreement by Eta Invest Group and the investment fund. Karanovic & Partners advised Elements Capital Management.

Wolf Theiss Slovenia has advised Slovenia's Sava Re, d.d. reinsurance company on its issuance of a EUR 75 million subordinated bond. Linklaters advised Erste Group Bank AG, which served as sole structuring advisor and sole book-runner.

In “The Corner Office” we ask Managing Partners across Central and Eastern Europe about their unique roles and responsibilities. The question this time around: What was the most difficult or unpleasant experience you had terminating someone’s employment?”

No innovations have ever had the magnitude of impact on everyday life as those pertaining to information technology and communication. As a result of their sophistication, endless amounts of data are readily available to us today, at any moment. Artificial Intelligence, making full use of this abundant resource, is a new technological tool sweeping through our world, promising to once again revolutionize our everyday lives. For that reason, it is of utmost importance that appropriate rules are adopted early on to foster innovation and trust in Artificial Intelligence, while ensuring respect for human rights and democratic values.

Intellectual property law in the European Union governs the creation and commercial exploitation of exclusive rights given by statutory law to a creator (or inventor). An EU Member State grants a creator a temporarily limited right – intellectual property right – to exclude others from any exercise of the protected intellectual property right as an incentive to promote creative works, innovation or to prevent market confusion. In other words, the main purpose why a state grants intellectual property rights stems from its pursuance of the above-mentioned public interest.

Andersen Global has announced that it will collaborate with Miro Senica and Attorneys in Slovenia.

Doklestic Repic & Gajin has announced the establishment of Lex Adria, an alliance of independent law firms in the Adriatic region, to provide what the firm calls “seamless and premium legal support across the area.”

“Generally speaking,“ Tine Misic, Partner at ODI Law says, “the Slovenian market and the economy are doing well, our long-term debt has been upgraded to AA- by S&P, which means Slovenian bonds are highly ranked, and the GDP is growing at about 3.1%, [which is] relatively high compared to other EU countries.“

CMS has advised German eye-wear company Fielmann AG on its acquisition of 70% of the shares in Optika Clarus, Slovenia's largest retail optician and optometrist, from Planeta d.o.o. and Okulistika Clarus d.o.o.

ODI Law in Slovenia and the LTA Legal Tax Audit firm in the Czech Republic have advised the Czech Ministry of Finance and IMOB and PRISKO, the Ministry's two state-owned subsidiaries, on the cross-border sale of a majority stake in VIPAP VIDEM KRSKO, the largest paper mill in Slovenia, as well as on the sale of claims against it, all to Czech-based RIDG Holding. RIDG was advised by Schoenherr.

Schoenherr Ljubljana has advised Immofinanz AG on its purchase of a real estate portfolio consisting of five shopping centers from Centrice Real Estate, which was advised by Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners.

ODI has advised Slovenia’s MSIN Group on its sale of a majority stake in Keko Varicon to Bourns Limited. Jadek & Pensa advised Bourns on the deal.

Pharmaceutical products have been in the spotlight of the Council of the European Union’s Product Liability Directive since its adoption in 1985. Despite the amount of time that has passed, some legal uncertainties remain that strike directly at the notion of defectiveness, as well as the causal link between the defect and the damage (which proved to be even more important in the case of pharmaceutical products). Establishing such causal link in cases involving vaccines is notoriously difficult, especially from the perspective of a lay consumer. This has led some EU member states, such as France, to introduce case law aimed at facilitating the burden of proof in specific sectors.