CEE Legal Matters
In-depth coverage of the news and newsmakers that shape Europe's emerging markets
Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in Cooperation with Schoenherr has advised UniCredit Bank Serbia and Structured Invest on the establishment of UniCredit Invest JSC, a UCITS management company licensed in Serbia.
Kinstellar has advised Banca Intesa on the issuance of collateral-free mini-bonds in Serbia in a transaction valued at RSD 470 million, arranged for Diopta.
NKO Partners has advised Dr Max on its acquisition of Zalfija.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia has adopted a set of laws regulating the banking sector and the protection of financial services users on March 6th this year:
Belgrade-based law firm Dodic, Djuric, Dabic has rebranded and is now operating under the name of Dodic Law Firm.
Effective 1 October 2025, amendments to the Law on the Centralised Records of Beneficial Owners (UBO) in Serbia will introduce important new obligations for a broader range of entities.
Harrisons has advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on a EUR 5 million loan extended to Erste Bank Novi Sad under the EBRD’s SME Go Digital program with support from the European Union.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) has recently issued a significant judgment in the case “Lindenapotheke” (C-21/23), taking a clear stance on the processing of special categories of personal data, namely health data, in the context of online medicine sales within the pharmaceutical industry. The ruling sheds light on how the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) applies to the data that users provide when ordering pharmacy-only medicinal products online, even those not subject to prescription, and provides clear guidance on the rights and obligations of data controllers.
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.
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 dug deeper into a discussion point that came up during our last event: During our annual General Counsel Summit held in Prague recently, we’ve learned that even with the inflation in CEE having hovered around 14-20% in recent years, legal fees have remained static or have even decreased in some jurisdictions. Given that, how has your firm managed to consistently deliver high-quality service under these constraints?
The year 2025 began with a development that raised important questions regarding the interpretation of the Serbian Labor Law, specifically concerning employees’ right to compensation for commuting costs.
The Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Games of Chance, adopted by the end of 2024 and applied as from 6 January 2025, has brought several important changes and new legal solutions that have arisen from the needs of practice and market development. In addition to harmonizing the text of the law with the technological development in this area, the amendments to the law introduced new obligations for organizers and a significant increase in fees for obtaining approval and for organizing games of chance.
The Government of the Republic of Serbia recently adopted a Decree on Additional Requirements for Placing on the Market Products Containing Palm Oil, Palm Fat, or Other Vegetable Oils and Fats ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 47/2025), which entered into force on 7 June 2025 (“the Decree”).
David Vucinic has joined MaxBet, a member of Flutter Entertainment, as its new Compliance and AML Officer.
Moravcevic, Vojnovic, and Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr has advised UniCredit Bank Serbia on the issuance of a mini-bond in Serbia.
The National Bank of Serbia (“NBS”) adopted the new Decision on the Minimum Requirement for Capital and Eligible Liabilities of a Bank (“New MREL Decision”), as part of a package of new or amended bylaws following the latest amendments to the Law on Banks. The New MREL Decision shall replace the existing decision of the same name (“Existing MREL Decision”) and shall apply starting from 1 October 2025.
Injac Attorneys has advised Build Your Dreams on its market entry into Serbia and Montenegro.
Vukovic & Partners Firm has advised JCG on its acquisition of Tivao Sub Properties from Atlas E75. VN Legal reportedly advised Atlas E75.
SOG in cooperation with Kinstellar is a full-service business law firm in Serbia that provides foreign and domestic clients with premium-quality legal advice and assistance across a wide range of key areas of corporate law. The firm was founded in 2015 by a group of seasoned, internationally-trained lawyers. SOG has developed a distinctively dynamic culture, bringing together top talent, fostering entrepreneurship, and maintaining exceptional relationships with its clients.
SOG has achieved consistent growth in the volume of its business, accompanied by an exponential increase in the number of hired associate lawyers and the firm’s network of business contacts. SOG has a robust client base of multinationals, investment and private equity firms, and financial institutions. Clients praise SOG for being commercially minded, very responsive and knowledgeable.
Establishing permanent cooperation with Kinstellar is part of realising SOG's long-term development strategy to be the leading provider of legal services in the Western Balkans market.
Firm's website: https://www.kinstellar.com/
