DLA Piper has advised Cube Infrastructure Managers on the acquisition of MVV Energie CZ. Eversheds Sutherland reportedly advised the sellers.

The Hungarian Parliament recently adopted a rather significant update to Act LVII of 1996 on the prohibition of unfair market practices and the restriction of competition (“Hungarian Competition Act”). The updates are, at a number of points, based on recommendations made by the Hungarian Competition Association (with DLA Piper’s antitrust group providing significant input). The amendments will generally enter into force on 1 January 2023 (with some exceptions for 1 February 2023). Below, we have collected some of the key changes for Hungarian and international businesses.

Warsaw-based DLA Piper Partner and Head of the Corporate and M&A practice Marta Frackowiak has been re-elected to the firm’s International Board for a term starting on January 1, 2023.

DLA Piper has advised education technology company Promethean on its acquisition of Explain Everything. Cytowski & Partners advised Explain Everything.

On November 30, 2022, the BLS-CEE Law Firm announced that Wirtualna Polska’s acquisition of the Szallas Group from Portfolion Capital Partners and private individuals (reported by CEE Legal Matters on September 16, 2022) had closed.

DLA Piper has advised DHL on the sale of a real estate portfolio including ten sites across Poland and five other European markets.

Hungarian merger control is generally aligned with the relevant EU rules with only relatively minor exceptions or special rules. For example, a notable special rule – which follows similar trends in major European jurisdictions – is the existence of the soft threshold regime, which enables the Hungarian Competition Authority (the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal, “GVH”) to intervene in case the traditional/“hard” thresholds are not met, but where competition is threatened on a specific market (e.g. in case of “killer acquisitions”).

Former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Senior Associate Ricardo Gardini de Andrade has joined DLA Piper's Vienna office as a Partner to work in the firm's Litigation & Regulatory practice.

Did You Know that, according to the Activity Rankings function of the CEELMDirect website, Havel & Partners has worked on 25 Czech client matters so far this year – more than any other law firm?

The increasing US-based investor interest in Austrian tech start-ups – despite the hard times and a certain lack of governmental decisiveness – is creating a buzz in the country, according to DLA Piper Austria Managing Partner Christoph Mager.

Following in the footsteps of the previously adopted Government Emergency Ordinance no. 27/2022 on the measures applicable to final consumers on the electricity and natural gas market between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, as well as for amending and supplementing certain regulations in the energy sector (GEO 27/2022), as well as the subsequent Government Emergency Ordinance no. 119/2022 (GEO 119/2022), which amended GEO 27/2022 as of 1 September 2022, the Romanian Government has recently adopted a new regulatory act, further amending both GEO 27/2022 and GEO 119/2022, and establishing an even higher degree regulatory control over the energy market, in the form of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 153/2022 for the amendment and supplementation of GEO 27/2022 and GEO 119/2022 (GEO 153/2022), published in the Official Gazette of Romania on 11 November 2022. 

Kocian Solc Balastik, Szecskay, and DLA Piper have advised Sandberg Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in the Green Fox Academy. The Arday, Sisa and Joosz Law Firm reportedly advised the sellers.

In this article we provide a brief summary of the Czech dispute resolution landscape, focusing on commercial disputes.

Approximately two and a half years ago, online gambling providers started being sued by their customers, in various courts in Austria and Germany, demanding reimbursement for their losses by arguing that these services are offered illegally. This article will highlight some of the main issues surrounding these claims.

Sorainen has advised the INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund on its investment in LuxVet through INVL portfolio company MiniVet. DLA Piper’s Luxembourg office reportedly advised the INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund as well.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised the Accolade Group on its land acquisition and development of two logistics parks in Poland – one in Zielona Gora and one in Pila – from Panattoni Europe. DLA Piper reportedly advised Panattoni Europe.

Greenberg Traurig has advised the Trigea Real Estate Fund on its acquisition of a logistics park near Poland's Tricity. DLA Piper reportedly advised the seller.

DLA Piper has advised Wirtualna Polska on its acquisition of the Szallas Group from Portfolion Capital Partners and private individuals. Baker McKenzie advised Portfolion.