With new AI guidelines, shifting tax rules, and ambiguity around the Svarc system, Slovakia’s legal landscape is in flux, according to Majernik & Mihalikova Partner Ivan Kormanik. Yet M&A activity remains exceptionally strong, fueled by regional investors and the booming defense sector.

Croatia is navigating two notable legal developments at the moment: a partly implemented FDI regime that has slowed non-EU investment activity, and a new zoning proposal that is drawing mixed reactions from the market, while broader economic pressures continue to unfold, according to Ostermann Ivancic Managing Partner Mojmir Ostermann.

Ukraine’s legal market continues to operate under the shadow of the war, where reconstruction planning and defense-sector expansion dominate nearly every strategic discussion, according to Baker McKenzie Partner Lina Nemchenko, who observes that both clients and law firms are positioning themselves for the post-war landscape.

Poland’s legal and business landscape is being shaped by a mix of geopolitical uncertainty and strong domestic fundamentals, creating a nuanced environment for investors and advisers alike, according to Addleshaw Goddard National Managing Partner for Poland and Head of Real Estate Janusz Dzianachowski.

Bulgaria’s legal and business landscape is currently being shaped by a combination of major defense-sector projects and sweeping regulatory adjustments, according to Gugushev & Partners Senior Partner Antoniya Markova, who highlights how a simultaneous push toward defense modernization, euro adoption, and AI-related reforms is creating a dynamic period for policymakers and market participants.

Lithuania’s regulatory landscape is undergoing a very significant shift, with crypto-asset licensing reforms and stricter fintech governance rules reshaping the market, according to Walless Partner Laurynas Narvydas.

An in-depth look at Oleg Efrim of Efrim Rosca Asociatii, covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer, as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

An in-depth look at Jakub Celinski of Dentons, covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer, as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

With accession ambitions accelerating and energy security still front-of-mind, Moldova has secured a sizable EU support package. Cobzac & Partners Managing Partner Daniel Cobzac analyzes the size, conditions, priority sectors, and likely immediate impact on investment and private-sector growth.

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen’s Competition practice has navigated a broad mix of mandates, including investigations, complex litigation, and a growing volume of merger control and FDI filings, according to Partner and Head of Competition, State Aid, EU Law, and FDI, Anca Diaconu. The team has also seen clients make fuller use of procedural tools, reflecting a more sophisticated and fast-moving enforcement environment.

Greek M&A has been exceptionally busy due to strong economic growth, increased foreign investment, and a wave of corporate restructurings supported by RRF funding and a flexible legal framework, according to Drakopoulos Partner Mika Lalaouni. Looking ahead, activity is expected to rise further, driven by a growing real estate pipeline and continued interest from European, Middle Eastern, and Asian investors seeking to enter or expand in the Greek market.

An in-depth look at Stevan Dimitrijevic of Dimitrijevic & Partners, covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer, as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

On January 16, 2025, competition experts from Moldova, North Macedonia, and Romania, sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the evolving role of the regulatory authorities in their countries.

On November 14, 2024, banking and finance experts from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Poland sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss digitalization and the impact of tech on the banking sector in CEE.

On November 7, 2024, M&A experts from Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine participated in a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the FDI screening regimes in their country and key developments in the area on the horizon.

On February 29, 2024, energy experts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Turkiye, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the key developments in the field of oil & gas over the past few years.

On March 26, 2024, TMT/IP, fintech, and emerging technology experts from Hungary, Romania, and Turkiye sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Neag to discuss how Blockchain-related technologies, businesses, and legislation are shaping up in their jurisdictions.

On November 21, 2023, corporate/M&A and private equity experts from Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkiye, and Ukraine sat down for a virtual round table moderated by CEE Legal Matters Managing Editor Radu Cotarcea to discuss the key developments in the field over the past decade.

Legal directories present themselves as neutral arbiters of professional merit. Through structured submissions, peer reviews, and client references, they promise a transparent hierarchy of legal excellence. Yet for many practices in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), rankings often feel misaligned with observable quality.

Law firms can claim to be next-gen, world-class, or strategic until the cows come home. None of it matters if clarity and proof are nowhere to be found.

Picture this: a desert highway, a coyote clutching a subpoena, and a roadrunner attorney zooming past, muttering “Beep Beep, see you in court.” Welcome to the uncanny overlap between client-lawyer dynamics and Looney Tunes logic, where legal ethics and Wile E. Coyote’s antics collide.

Reputation in Central and Eastern Europe used to be something firms cultivated through good work and word of mouth. Today, it has quietly morphed into something more structural: a risk indicator. Foreign clients, investors, banks, and multinational GCs, have begun treating a firm’s public footprint the way they treat KYB/KYC information. They check for clarity, consistency, and external validation long before they send an email.

CEE Legal Matters recently concluded a series of local and regional events – the Hungarian, Balkan, and Turkish General Counsel Summits – with around a dozen law firms participating as sponsors across the three summits.

Many law firms treat their website as a project to be handed off to an external agency: the website is developed, content is added, and then the site goes live. After that, control rests almost entirely with the agency.

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.

Legal directories present themselves as neutral arbiters of professional merit. Through structured submissions, peer reviews, and client references, they promise a transparent hierarchy of legal excellence. Yet for many practices in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), rankings often feel misaligned with observable quality.

In the shifting terrain of the Balkan legal sector – particularly within the realm of intellectual property – 2025 has emerged as a year of strategic recalibration. While the broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) region continues to witness law firm mergers and lateral expansions, the Balkans are carving out a distinct narrative: one marked by regulatory tightening, enforcement innovation, and a growing appetite for regional cooperation.

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: Would you ever hire a non-lawyer as a CEO/Managing Partner for your firm? Why/why not?

Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Schoenherr Elena Todorova and AECO Law Partner Emre Atayilmaz analyze how officials are testing different playbooks to blunt food-price pressures in their jurisdictions.

Poland’s private sector is juggling overlapping EU digital frameworks while investors and counterparties raise the bar in transactions. Traple Konarski Podrecki & Partners Co-Managing Partner Agnieszka Wachowska, SSW Partner Jakub Kubalski, Schoenherr Partner Katarzyna Szczudlik, Woloszanski & Partners Head of Crypto Practice Lukasz Kudela, and Addleshaw Goddard Head of TMT/IP Szymon Sieniewicz break down where companies stand now, what’s coming next, how internal compliance is changing, where deals are feeling it, and the risks many still underestimate.