In our Looking In series, we talk to Partners from outside CEE who are keeping an eye on the region (and often pop up in our deal ticker) to learn how they perceive CEE markets and their evolution. For this issue, we sat down with Slaughter and May Partners Jonathan Marks and Richard Jones.

Austria implemented Directive (EU) 2019/1023 on preventive restructuring frameworks with the Restructuring Regulation, which came into force on July 17, 2021, and introduced (further) judicial proceedings for preventive restructuring. Practice, however, has shown that the reorganization plan in insolvency proceedings and out-of-court restructuring remain the methods of choice in Austria.

Schoenherr, working with Legance and Cuatrecasas, has advised Hartree Partners on its acquisition of a 50% stake in the Botres Group. CMS reportedly advised the sellers.

As the regulatory landscape for crypto-assets undergoes a significant transformation with the European Union's implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR, Regulation (EU) 2023/1114), attention turns to the preparatory steps entities must take to comply with these new standards.

Did you know that the early 2024 deal leaderboards are already available via the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website?

BPV Huegel has advised AI researcher Josef Hochreiter on founding the NXAI company together with Netural X and the Pierer Digital Holding. Oberhammer Rechtsanwaelte reportedly advised the other JV partners.

Schoenherr has advised the Erste Group Bank on a EUR 300 million share buyback followed by a cancellation of treasury shares and the reduction of its share capital.

E+H and Noerr have advised Coveris on the acquisition of S&K Label in the Czech Republic. Deloitte Legal reportedly advised the sellers.

Schoenherr has advised the TeraPlast Group on its acquisition of the Wolfgang Freiler Group from Austria's Uhl family.

DLA Piper has advised Porr AG on its EUR 135 million hybrid bond issuance.

Dentons, Binder Groesswang, and Djingov Gouginski Kyutchukov & Velichkov have advised UniCredit Bulbank and the EBRD on the financing for Enery Development's construction and operation of a large-scale solar plant in north-eastern Bulgaria set to add 112.5 megawatts of solar power generation to the country's electricity system. Schoenherr reportedly advised Enery Development.

Former Deloitte Legal Poland Partner Nicholas Coddington has joined Wolf Theiss in Vienna as a Partner in its Banking & Finance practice.

Herbst Kinsky has advised European B2B software group Everfield on its acquisition of Austria's FENZ-Software.

Mariella Kapoun and Georg Gutfleisch have become Partners at CMS in Austria, while Amela Zrt and Ivan Kranjec have become Partners at CMS in Slovenia, as part of the firm's latest promotion round.

The GDPR generally prohibits the processing of data relating to sexual orientation. In practice, this can be an obstacle to efforts towards inclusion.

Herbst Kinsky has advised Maguar Capital Partners on its partnership with TimeTac. Fieldfisher reportedly advised TimeTac.

Binder Groesswang has advised Lucky-Car on the acquisition of the Austrian business of ATU Auto-Teile-Unger. Schoenherr and Fokus advised ATU. Bodmann reportedly advised Lucky-Car as well.

Once implemented, those initiatives will require significantly more efforts from parties involved in trade and foreign investments to ensure regulatory compliance. The pursued security aims will lead to enhanced monitoring, assessments and controls being put in place, which will have to be factored into a reframed regulatory compliance approach by affected parties.