By its decision dated 29 December 2023, the Serbian Competition Commission determined that the companies KTG Solucije and Eco Sense from the town of Subotica (in Serbia) entered into a restrictive agreement by colluding in public procurement procedures (i.e., bid rigging).

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the agency responsible for regulating the securities markets and protecting investors in the U.S.A, granted approval to 11 spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETF), in its Approval Order on 10 January 2024.

Serbia has been hard at work implementing extensive revisions to its immigration laws – merging the work and residency permits, for example – producing both timely results and temporary issues, according to DNVG Attorneys Partner Damjan Despotovic.

Poland's Weronika Kapica and Daria Rutecka, Romania's Adina Damaschin and Mara Moga-Paler, Serbia's Zoran Soljaga, Slovakia's Michal Lucivjansky, and Slovenia's Peter Gorse have all been appointed to Partner positions with Schoenherr.

PwC Legal, working with Van Campen Liem, has advised Blue Sea Capital on co-investing to acquire the Telekom Srbija telecommunications tower portfolio alongside Actis and in co-operation with Andrej Jovanovic’s family office.

Kinstellar has announced several appointments to firm-wide practice and sector leadership positions, including Partner Csilla Andreko in Budapest, Partner Iustinian Captariu and Special Counsel Magda Raducanu in Bucharest, Managing Partner Milos Velimirovic in Belgrade, Managing Partner Lukas Sevcik and Counsel Jan Lehky in Prague, and Managing Associate Lukas Mrazik in Bratislava.

NKO Partners has advised Emmezeta on the development of a distribution center in Novi Sad with Structura to perform the construction works.

Insufficiently precise provisions of the law, unharmonized court practice, as well as the average duration of the employment disputes, were affected creating the “fear of litigation” amongst many employers. Due to the stated reasons, instead of unilateral employment termination, even in cases when there is firm evidence confirming its lawfulness and validity, the employers tend to execute the mutual agreement on employment termination, as well as to pay certain one-time compensation on the said basis.

Drakopoulos has become a part of the South East Legal Alliance, thus expanding the network’s reach to Athens, Bucharest, and Nicosia.

Did you know that while only five lawyers worked on ten or more CEE client matters reported by CEE Legal Matters in 2022, a total of fourteen lawyers reached that level in 2023? The 2023 leaderboard was led by Milos Felgr of Clifford Chance in Prague, who worked on a remarkable 20 CEELM-reported client matters last year, with Alper Onar of Istanbul’s Aksan Law Firm, who worked on 19, close behind. Fellow Turk Kerem Turunc, the Managing Partner of Turunc, worked on 17 reported deals, while Djordje Nikolic of NKO Partners in Belgrade worked on 16, and Tomasz Rogalski of Norton Rose Fulbright in Warsaw worked on 15.

Former Zivkovic Samardzic Partner Ana Popovic has joined VMT Vujetic Trisic in Belgrade as a Partner.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. With 2023 marching to an end, we looked ahead and asked about strategies for next year: As the budgeting period is around the corner, compared to 2023, what are the main budgeting lines you expect to increase for 2024 and why?

From personal income tax to compulsory social insurance and punitive measures for tax return submission failures, there is a plethora of tax legislation updates that are critical to stay apprised of in Serbia. Tax novelties are, as usual, numerous and perhaps complex to comprehend for someone who is not well versed in tax issues. However, those devoted to running a successful business can greatly benefit by keeping track of tax updates.

Ana Popovic, the Head of Zivkovic Samardzic's Employment practice and a Partner with the firm, has left the outfit on January 1, 2024.

Arbitration clauses, in their nature, impose on the parties an obligation to refer their disputes to arbitration as set forth in the arbitration agreement. Such agreements are vastly symmetrical – they provide both parties with the equal right to invoke arbitration proceedings.

Karanovic & Partners has advised Doehler on its acquisition of Frikos. Reportedly, Four Legal advised the sellers.

Schoenherr, working with Walder Wyss and the Law Office of Loren Richards, has advised Raiffeisen Bank International on its EUR 31 million project financing to borrower Energy Financing Team SE Bileca to develop a 60-megawatt solar power plant in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BDK Advokati has advised Germany's DEG development finance institution on its EUR 20 million loan to regional FMCG company Atlantic Stark.