CEE Legal Matters
In-depth coverage of the news and newsmakers that shape Europe's emerging markets
CMS has advised DSK Bank and OTP Bank on the financing of a renewable energy development near Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. Trichkov & Partners reportedly advised the unidentified counterparty.
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.
Havel & Partners has advised PortfoLion Capital Partners on its EUR 30 million investment in GymBeam in a round carried out together with the EBRD. CMS advised the EBRD. Allen Overy Shearman Sterling advised Crowdberry as the existing investor. AKF Legal, and reportedly Dentons, advised GymBeam.
CMS has advised Waracle on its acquisition of Bulgarian software development company HackSoft. Dimitrov Petrov & Co advised HackSoft.
In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. This time around, we asked: What is the one most time-consuming administrative task for you as a Managing Partner, and what, if anything, have you done to try to minimize time spent on it?
CMS has advised Superstruct Entertainment on the sale of Sziget Festival to FestPro IoF2025.
CMS has advised Ceska Sporitelna on the financing provided to Zwg.wine holding in relation to its acquisition of a majority stake in Znovin Znojmo.
CMS has advised Buildcom on the acquisition of a 91.42% stake in Argus, as well as a 95.36% stake in its subsidiary Comcereal Tulcea, from Infinity Capital Investments.
Recent amendments of the Bulgarian Energy Act (EA) are changing the terms of payment for the annual licence fee in the energy sector. Previously, the annual licence fee was payable in two installments – by 31 March and by 30 November for every year following the year that the licence was issued.
CMS has advised Geosolar Kamenyak on putting the 75-megawatt Kamenyak PV project into operation and obtaining permission for it from the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission.
CMS has advised ALPLA on its acquisition of the closure production operations of Serbian manufacturer Energoplast in Belgrade. Markovic, Vukotic, Jovkovic advised Energoplast.
White & Case has advised Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego on the PLN 3.5 billion financing provided under Poland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan to Orlen for the construction of the Baltic Power and Baltic East offshore wind farms in Poland. CMS advised Orlen.
Havel & Partners has advised Amundi Czech Republic on the sale of the companies owning the Forum Karlin office/venue complex and the Hotel Ibis Praha Na Porici, assets previously held within the Realitni Fond KB 2 portfolio, to Patria. CMS advised Patria.
CMS has advised DSK Bank on a project-financing package exceeding EUR 160 million for three battery energy storage system projects in Bulgaria.
CMS has advised PPF Banka on the financing of the Delta Ange battery energy storage system serving Ange Storage Solution AB in Sweden.
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.
The energy sector in CEE has undergone unprecedented transformation since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, forcing governments and energy companies to align their economies, businesses, and strategies with energy security objectives, transforming energy landscapes, and keeping legal teams extremely busy. Law firms have found themselves at the center of energy market changes and the renewables revolution that shows no signs of slowing.
Verdi Law Firm has advised Polisan Holding on the partial spin-off of two subsidiaries into Marmara Holding, a newly incorporated company whose shares were admitted to trading on Borsa Istanbul at incorporation. CMS's Turkish affiliate law firm YBK advised Polisan Holding as well.
CMS Sofia is a full-service law firm, the largest international law firm in Bulgaria and one of the largest providers of legal services in the local market as a whole. The breadth and depth of our practice means that our lawyers are specialised, with a level of specialisation that few of our competitors can match.
CMS Sofia is the Bulgarian branch of CMS, a top ten global legal and tax services provider with over 5000 lawyers in 43 countries and 78 offices across the world.
CMS entered the Bulgarian market as one of the first internationally active law firms in 2005 and is now among the most respected legal advisors in the country. We have 7 partners, 4 counsel and over 30 lawyers in our office in Sofia.
Our legal experts, who are rooted in Bulgaria’s local culture, can also draw on years of experience in foreign countries and are at home in several legal systems at once. We know the particularities of the local market just as well as the needs of our clients and combine both to achieve optimum solutions. Our lawyers are Bulgarian qualified and we also have English qualified experts – all of them regularly working on cross-border mandates.
In our work, we focus on M&A, Energy, Projects and Construction, Banking and Finance, Real Estate, Media, IP and IT law, Tax, Employment law, Competition, Procurement and any kind of Dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation. What’s more, we also take care of the entire legal management of our clients’ projects.