The CEELM Top 10 series looks back over the past ten years and celebrates the milestones we have achieved together. First up: most-read Briefings, with each article featuring a short description reflecting the authors’ opinion at the time.

The passing of time makes claims unenforceable in front of courts. While in some countries, a simple notice letter interrupts the limitation period, in Hungary creditors who want to avoid the limitation of their claim must initiate a lawsuit. Is it always enough to start litigation to interrupt the limitation of claims in Hungary? The Hungarian Supreme Court addressed this question in a recent case.

After a long period of preparations the Whistleblower Protection Act has been finally passed.

Below is a round-up of selected updates on developments in Europe of ESG regulations and policies. Please note that this list is not comprehensive and may not include all such developments that may be relevant to your business.

In June 2023, Kinstellar announced that the first step of OTP Bank's acquisition of Ipoteka Bank in Uzbekistan – the acquisition of a 73.71% stake from the state – (reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 22, 2022) had closed. 

Kinstellar has advised the Budapest Stock Exchange Plc on listing its shares in the BSE regulated market Standard category. The company went public on June 21, 2023, on the 33rd anniversary of its re-establishment.

According to the legislation in force in Hungary, when entering into a sale or lease contract of a real property, the buyer or tenant must declare in the contract that he/she has received a document called energy performance certificate (“EPC”) which certifies the energy performance rating of the property and EPC’s unique identification number shall be included in the contract.

Although probation may be one of the most well-known legal institutes of the Labour Code and is a standard element of the employment agreements, the latest amendment of the Labour Code will make the parties pay more attention to their related statements.

From 1 July 2023, the interest income of natural persons will also be subject to a 13% social contribution tax. This means that - inter alia - interest on deposit accounts, together with personal income tax, will be subject to a total of 28% tax rate.

A recently published government bill plans to modify the Hungarian personal income tax law by abolishing significant tax advantages associated with Hungarian trusts in a short period of time.

Sustainability is crucial for ensuring the long-term wellbeing of the planet and future generations. It encompasses responsible practices that preserve natural resources, mitigate climate change, and promote social and economic balance, ultimately creating a harmonious and sustainable world for all.

Lawyers are keeping busy with new legislation, dispute resolution, and technology work in Hungary, while transactional work and FDIs show a marked slowdown, according to DLA Piper Hungary Country Managing Partner Andras Posztl.

Wolf Theiss has advised a group of investors represented by PolSolar on the engineering, procurement, and construction of a 250-megawatt solar power plant in Mezocsat, Hungary.

 Act C:2021 on the land registry (E-Land Registry Act) was announced on June 28, 2021. It was expected to take effect in February 2023, but it will come into effect on February 1, 2024.

An in-depth look at Peter Berethalmi of Nagy es Trocsanyi covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about his as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

The Hungarian telecoms market saw several major transactions during the past few years, with 2022 and early 2023 witnessing undoubtedly the largest transaction in decades: the acquisition of Vodafone Hungary by 4iG (51%) and state-owned Corvinus Zrt. (49%) for a deal value of approximately EUR 1.7 billion.

Energy crisis, inflation, and the forint exchange rate slide: what impact have these circumstances produced on the office lease market? This article aims to provide an overview of the challenges the office lease market faces in Hungary in such a turbulent period.

In terms of legislation, first, a long-awaited amendment of the insolvency act allows the liquidator to upkeep the debtors’ operation during the liquidation process even if it is at a loss, if it can be assumed that the operation preserves the assets better than shutting off the business would. The liquidator can decide to continue the operation for the first 120 days of the liquidation procedure, but any further extension of this operation period requires the approval of the court.