On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

The Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate has introduced a draft law for the establishment of the Development Bank of Albania (“DBA”), a specialised public financial institution designed to facilitate financing for small and medium enterprises, start-ups, and underfinanced sectors. The bank is also envisioned as a key player in promoting exports of domestic products and services, as well as supporting public projects and various infrastructure developments.

Albania is aligning with EU regulations through new laws, including a data protection law in 2025 and a new updated electronic communications law, according to Ismailaj & Partners Managing Partner Erinda Ismailaj. With elections on May 11, legislative activity has slowed, creating uncertainties that can lead to a lack of predictability in a business environment.

Cerha Hempel has advised Flughafen Wien on a joint venture with international logistics company Bradford Airport Logistics to establish Vienna Airport Logistics GmbH. Sidley Austin and Schoenherr advised Bradford Airport Logistics.

Kinstellar has announced Maja Mayrhuber as the fourth Partner to join its new Vienna office.

Taylor Wessing has promoted Carmen Redmann-Wippel to Partner as part of its latest promotion round.

Contributed by Arzinger

The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures. 

Conduction of business activities is not possible without possessing a bank account. Business entities[1] are required to open bank accounts, manage all funds through these accounts, and make all payments via these accounts[2], with banks being the only authorized institutions to open and maintain bank accounts[3].

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

CMS Partners Horea Popescu, Alexander Rakosi, and Ryszard Manteuffel discuss the ebb and flow of M&A deals in CEE, highlighting that the M&A landscape experienced a significant drop in overall deal values prompting strategic shifts amid ongoing geopolitical and financing challenges.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by Gugushev & Partners.

CMS has advised Geosolar Kamenyak on licensing for the 75-megawatt Kamenyak photovoltaic project by the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. 

CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.

Lovric, Novokmet & Partners has advised Fortenova on the sale of Agrolaguna and Vinarija Novigrad to Badel 1862. Miskovic & Miskovic advised Badel 1862.

Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka has promoted Dina Salapic and Andrej Zmikic to Partner in a promotion round that also saw Sanja Novoselic and Dominik Glavina promoted to Senior Attorneys at Law.

Reals has advised Conseq Realitni on the sale of the former brewery in Prague’s Holesovice district, known as A7 Office Center. Steinwicht reportedly advised the buyers.

Clifford Chance has advised Finep on the sale of its Stodulky Residential rental project to Reico Nemovitostni. Wilsons reportedly advised Reico Nemovitostni.

BBH has advised PPF Real Estate on a joint venture with Michal Strnad aimed at acquiring the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by Kyriakides Georgopoulos.

Papapolitis & Papapolitis has advised Evropi Holdings on the acquisition of a 65% stake in Europa Insurance. 

The regulatory landscape for crypto assets is undergoing significant changes, driven by the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) (Regulation 2023/1114).

The Hungarian Ministry of National Economy published a bill to amend the ESG Act on 21 March 2025, simultaneously launching a public debate on the proposal. According to the official justification, the amendment aims to optimise the ESG reporting framework for sustainability aspects of Hungarian enterprises, to further strengthen the competitiveness of enterprises and to reduce the reporting and administrative burden on enterprises.

In recent years, the European Union has paid special attention to the management of non-performing loans (NPLs), as these loans significantly impact the economic and financial stability of member states. As part of this effort, (EU) Directive 2021/2167 was introduced, which member states were originally required to implement into national law by 29 December 2023. However, in Hungary, the draft law aimed at implementing the directive was only presented to Parliament in March 2025.

TGS Baltic has successfully represented Neverhack Estonia in a dispute arising from the North Estonia Medical Centre’s Cybersecurity Services and Platform 2 public procurement.

TGS Baltic has advised Soldera on its approximately EUR 2.5 million investment round led by Nordic VC fund Lifeline Ventures.

Pohla & Hallmagi has advised Norway-based Karmsund Group on the acquisition of three production plots at Soodevahe industrial park as well as the Rail Baltic future maintenance center from Flebu Properties.

Kosovo is accelerating its energy transition, SEPA integration, and corporate transparency, aligning with EU standards to boost investment, competition, and economic stability, according to Nallbani Law Office Managing Partner Delvina Nallbani.

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With 2024 behind us, we asked: Looking at transactional volumes for this year, would you say that 2024 was better or worse than what you originally expected it to be, and why?

Sorainen has advised Noda on registering its trademark in the European Union.

Cobalt has advised Creditreform Latvija on a multi-stage reorganization. 

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

Sorainen has successfully represented the Nordcurrent Group before the Court of Justice of the European Union in a case that clarified the application of dividend tax exemption rules. 

TGS Baltic has advised a Sutntib Tewox subsidiary on its acquisition of two Lidl store buildings from Lidl Lietuva through a leaseback transaction.

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.

On 6 March 2025, the European Payments Council officially accepted North Macedonia’s application and included North Macedonia in the Single Euro Payments Area (“SEPA”). With this, North Macedonia became the 39^th member of SEPA.

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by Gladei & Partners.

Through its 27 February 2025 law ("Law 33/2025"), the Moldovan Parliament amended the current rules on control of investments into sectors important for the security of the state ("Law 174/2021" or the "FDI Law"). The amendments enter into force on 20 April 2025.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by KBP Legal.

The word “fiduciary” originates from the Latin language and in translation means trust or pledge and dates back to Roman law and denotes a contract that is created when one party, the fiduciary (fiducians), hands over to another party a fiduciary (fiduciarius) something for ownership, and the fiduciary undertakes to return the same thing to the ownership of the fiduciary after the expiration of a certain term or the fulfillment of a certain condition. The fiduciary transfer of ownership rights i.e. fiduciary (“Fiduciary”) was introduced as a legal institute into the Montenegrin legal system through the Law on Fiduciary Transfer of Rights (“Official Gazette RCG No 23/96”) and after that, it continued to live under the Law on Property Relations (“Official Gazette CG No 19/09”).

Wardynski & Partners, working with Vinge, has advised Scania on its acquisition of assets from Northvolt Systems’ Industrial Division. Wolf Theiss and Mannheimer Swartling advised the sellers.

Gessel has advised the shareholders of ELA Wyrob Folii i Opakowan on its sale to TEP Capital. Crido reportedly advised TEP Capital.

Schoenherr has advised Bank Pekao on the financing granted to Prime PV Group.

Schoenherr has advised Verbund Wind Power Romania on the acquisition of a 272-megawatt wind project from Monsson. Berechet Rusu Hirit reportedly advised Monsson.

DLA Piper has advised Autoliv on two Virtual Power Purchase Agreements with renewable electricity producers Alight and Eurowind Energy. 

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen has assisted MedLife on increasing its syndicated loan by EUR 50 million, reaching a total financing amount of EUR 330 million. Legal Ground advised the banking syndicate involved.

Contributed by Clifford Chance.

Contributed by Alrud.

The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures. 

AP Legal has advised AikBank Beograd and Eurobank Direktna on their merger.

CMS has launched a new dedicated Corporate Crime team within its Dispute Resolution and Compliance practice in Belgrade with the joining of Denis Beciric as Of Counsel.

Gecic Law has appointed Jelena Bjelanovic as its new Head of Finance and a member of the firm’s Executive Management Committee.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by Legate.

CMS has advised the Debt and Liquidity Management Agency of the Slovak Republic on the issuance of its first retail government bonds. 

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.

Contributed by Senica.

CMS has advised Synlab International on the sale of its business activities in Eastern Europe – including its entities in Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkiye, and Cyprus – to Medicover Group. Schoenherr advised Medicover.

White & Case Turkish affiliate law firm GKC Partners has advised Zorlu Enerji on the USD 100 million tap issuance of senior guaranteed sustainability-linked notes due 2030. Baker McKenzie and its Turkish affiliate law firm Esin Attorney Partnership reportedly advised on the transaction as well.

The ultimate aim of judicial proceedings is to resolve disputes substantively and eliminate legal uncertainty between the parties. The most critical phase of this process is the “judgment”, which constitutes the final decision rendered by the courts. However, although a judgment is a decision that concludes the trial, in some cases, it may not produce legal effects, meaning it is considered “ineffective”.

The final and binding nature of arbitral awards provides legal predictability to the parties while also allowing for the possibility of material errors or omissions in the arbitral decisions.

On 9 April 2025, Law of Ukraine № 4292-IX "On Amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine on Strengthening the Protection of Rights of Bona Fide Purchaser" (Law No. 4292-IX) came into force. A bona fide purchaser is a person who acquired property under а repayment contract from another person who had no right to alienate it, provided that the purchaser did not know and could not have known about this.

On 9 April 2025, Law of Ukraine No. 4292-IX On Amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine on Enhancing the Protection of Bona Fide Owner's Rights (the "Law") came into force. The Law aims to enhance the protection of bona fide owners' rights by establishing a time limit for the reclamation of real estate of such bona fide owners and providing compensation to them for such reclamation.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Litigation in CEE.