Each year CEE Legal Matters produces a table reflecting all reported law firm client matters across CEE in the previous year.
Although the table is based primarily on the matters that we have reported on the CEE Legal Matters website throughout the year, we encourage firms to supplement that coverage with information about deals that may have fallen through the cracks.
How to Submit Deals:
Step 1: Please check the client matters we reported in your jurisdiction in 2023. The table here is searchable by country and includes all the deals we covered leading up to our November issue of the magazine (between January 1 and October 15, 2023) – if a particular client matter is already on this list, it will automatically be included in the annual end-of-year table. Do note that the table at the link above will not be updated in the upcoming months but all deals reported between October 16, 2023, and December 31, 2023, will also automatically be included so there is no need to submit them. If there is a client matter that is on that list but which does not include your firm’s involvement, please note your participation using this excel template.
Step 2: Any client matters you worked on that are not included in the list at all should be noted on this excel template. NOTE: Make sure you use this one and this one only!
Step 3: Submit both excel files to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “CEELM Deal Submission_[Firm Name]” no later than December 4, 2023, for early submissions, and January 12, 2024, for regular submissions. We strongly encourage firms to make an early submission and supplement their submission after the year is closed with any new client matters concluded after their early submission.
If you complete your submission by December 4, 2023, you can expect feedback on potential errors in your submissions so that you may address them. Submissions received between December 4, 2023, and January 12, 2024, will only receive a confirmation of receipt, and any entries that do not respect the rules below will simply be excluded. The Table of Deals for 2023 will be published in our February special edition meaning that deadline extensions cannot be offered.
Important Note - No Confidential Information or Confidential Deals:
As opposed to previous years please only submit information that is publicly disclosable. The information provided will be plugged into the deal list automatically so every bit of information included in your submissions will be considered as publishable, regardless of how it is marked.
Important Note - On Counter-Parties:
Unlike in previous years, it is now mandatory to identify other law firms advising on a client matter in the “Other Firms” column. Thus:
- If you represented a buyer on a transaction, you *must* identify the advisor of the seller, and vice-versa (e.g., “X advised the seller”)
- If you represented a borrower on a financing, you *must* identify the advisor of the lender, and vice-versa (e.g., “X advised the lender”)
- If you advised on local matters only on a larger regional or global deal, you *must* identify the firms acting as global advisors, and vice-versa (e.g., “A acted as the global counsel for party B; C acted as the global counsel for party D”)
- If the counter-party relied strictly on its in-house team please note that (e.g., “X relied on its in-house team”)
Important Note - On Submission Requirements:
- Clients must be identified by name
- Client matters need to be concluded between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. We need the specific month to be identified in the “Closing Date” column. Vague dates such as “Q1” will not be accepted.
- *All* types of client matters, including disputes, can be included.
- There is no minimum value threshold for a client matter to be eligible. Where the deal value can be provided, only use specific values (e.g., EUR 9 million). Vague indicators (such as, for example, "over EUR 10 million") will simply be removed.
- In the “Description,” make sure you clearly articulate your firm’s role in the deal or dispute.
Important Note - On Feedback & Following the Template Provided:
We will not be able to provide any feedback for submissions received after December 4, 2023, and submissions that do not follow the template will not be included in the deal list.
The following are examples of flaws in the submissions that will result in the entire submission being rejected:
- The client is not identified.
- Vague dates such as “Q1” are provided for the closing date.
- The “Other Firms” column is not filled in.
Although we are trying to notify each individual office of this Open Call and these guidelines, it might be a good idea to share this announcement with your colleagues in other jurisdictions as well, to ensure that all your deals, throughout CEE, are captured.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions related to this. We look forward to your submission!
Radu Cotarcea | Managing Editor | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.