Albania’s start to 2025 has been largely shaped by national elections, which have stalled most developments, according to Hoxha, Memi & Hoxha Partner Dorant Ekmekciu. The focus has been on key judicial appointments and ongoing discussions about the independence of the anti-corruption body.

As part of the broader effort to harmonise national legislation with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, the Albanian Data Protection Commissioner issued Instruction No. 2, dated 30 April 2025 (Instruction No. 2), on the protection of personal data in the health sector. This Instruction repeals the previous 2020 framework and establishes a comprehensive set of rules governing the collection, use, and disclosure of health and genetic data.

The Bank of Albania has introduced a new regulatory framework on marketing and advertising by financial institutions, significantly enhancing consumer protection and transparency in the financial sector. The changes, enacted through Decision No. 11, dated 5 February 2025, amend the Regulation “On Transparency for Banking and Financial Products and Services” and enter into force on 1 May 2025.

Wolf Theiss has advised Winegg Realitaeten subsidiary CWR Realitaeten on the sale of Engerth 173-175 Entwicklungs, the property owner and lessor of the Voco Vienna Prater hotel, to Nowu Hospitality. Hasch und Partner reportedly advised Nowu Hospitality.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Deutsche Bank and Raiffeisen Bank International on the refinancing of financing instruments for Strabag SE.

CMS, working with BakerHostetler, has advised the Alpla Group on its acquisition of KM Packaging.

Contributed by Arzinger

The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures. 

Gecic Law has successfully represented Arena Channels Group, alongside BH Telecom and Mtel Banja Luka, in an antitrust dispute before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

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: For 2025, what is the one sector or industry in the country that shows the most promise for growth, and why?

Big law firms can coast on boring slogans. They’ve got the clout, the infrastructure, and the impressive list of past clients to do the talking. But if you’re a smaller firm and your website sounds like everyone else’s, you are disappearing into the beige background of legal marketing noise.

Schoenherr has advised Enery Element on the sale of its 50% stake in Dunav Solar Plant, the developer of the Gabare photovoltaic project in northwest Bulgaria, to OMV Petrom, as part of a 50-50 joint venture between the two companies. Simultaneously, Enery Element transferred the remaining 50% of its shares to Enery Power Holding.

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.

Bulgaria’s renewable energy sector has seen significant growth in recent years. In 2024, almost 1 gigawatt of new renewable energy capacity was connected to the grid, predominantly from solar energy. Notably, no new wind farms have been commissioned since 2012, primarily due to administrative barriers and local opposition. However, investor interest remains high, especially in the southern and northwestern regions. Projects like the 238-megawatt Tenevo hybrid solar plant in Yambol, which plans to integrate a solar park, wind turbines, and energy storage, exemplify this trend.

Gospic Plazina Stojs has advised lead manager and lead bookrunner Erste&Steiermaerkische Bank on Bosqar Invest’s issuance of EUR 143.2 million in sustainability-linked bonds. Mamic Peric Reberski Rimac advised Bosqar Invest.

CMS has advised Eleport on its market entry into Croatia and Slovenia.

Wahl has advised Magdis on the sale of its shares to H2 Special Purpose Vehicle.

In the coming weeks, the European Commission is expected to discuss amendments to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

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?

DLA Piper has advised Optima Bank on the establishment of its EUR 500 million Euro Medium Term Note Program and the inaugural issuance of EUR 150 million Tier 2 Reset Notes due 2035.

As AI increasingly intersects with nearly every dimension of digital security, so too does the consciousness of creating conditions to use it in a secure cyberspace. As Space Hellas Group General Counsel Konstantinos Argyropoulos puts it, “there is an acceleration in the way AI interfaces with cybersecurity,” pointing to an emerging arms race in which malicious actors and defenders alike adopt increasingly automated tactics. Argyropoulos shared his thoughts on this during the CEE Legal Matters GC Summit 2025 in Prague.

Bernitsas has advised Georg Duncker on its acquisition of Fortius Risk Solutions and National Insurance Brokers.

In April 2025, the Hungarian Parliament adopted significant amendments to the Act on Energy Efficiency, bringing about a major revision of the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS). The new legislative package introduces a range of substantial changes aimed at accelerating the country’s transition toward a more sustainable and energy-efficient building stock while also providing a much-needed stimulus for the domestic construction and renovation sectors.

Former Provaris Varga & Partners TMT and corporate law Partners Adam Liber, Tamas Bereczki, and Aron Bagdi have spun off to launch BLB Legal, effective July 1, 2025.

This is not the sentence commonly heard in law firms across the region at the moment. But that might not be the case for much longer.

Ellex has advised Baltic venture capital fund Superangel on its investment in Kraken Technology Group.

Sorainen has advised Summus Capital on its EUR 30 million bond issuance.

In April 2007, Estonia made global headlines — not for a military conflict or natural disaster, but for one of the first coordinated large-scale cyberattacks against a nation-state. Sparked by the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in Tallinn (known as the Bronze Night), the country’s digital infrastructure was flooded with denial-of-service attacks. Government websites, banks, media outlets, and essential services were knocked offline. It was a wake-up call: digital threats could now paralyze a country just as effectively as tanks and missiles. 

Kosovo is in political limbo after the February elections, with stalled government formation affecting key decisions, according to Ardian Rexha, an Attorney at Law associated with Deloitte Kosova. At the same time, energy reforms and price hikes by the regulator are causing strong reactions from businesses and the public.

Kosovo is accelerating its energy transition, SEPA integration, and corporate transparency, aligning with EU standards to boost investment, competition, and economic stability, according to Nallbani Law Office Managing Partner Delvina Nallbani.

On the evening of April 1, 2025, the Deal of the Year Awards Banquet brought together, under the same roof, over 200 top-tier lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe's leading law firms and General Counsel from across the region in Prague.

In Latvia, the termination of employment relationships for labor union members is specifically regulated to protect their rights. However, in practice, this regulation creates significant challenges for employers, as labor unions almost always refuse to grant consent for dismissal.

In April 2007, Estonia made global headlines — not for a military conflict or natural disaster, but for one of the first coordinated large-scale cyberattacks against a nation-state. Sparked by the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in Tallinn (known as the Bronze Night), the country’s digital infrastructure was flooded with denial-of-service attacks. Government websites, banks, media outlets, and essential services were knocked offline. It was a wake-up call: digital threats could now paralyze a country just as effectively as tanks and missiles. 

Cobalt has advised Eolus on the sale of its greenfield Pienava wind power project to Latvenergo.

In April 2007, Estonia made global headlines — not for a military conflict or natural disaster, but for one of the first coordinated large-scale cyberattacks against a nation-state. Sparked by the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in Tallinn (known as the Bronze Night), the country’s digital infrastructure was flooded with denial-of-service attacks. Government websites, banks, media outlets, and essential services were knocked offline. It was a wake-up call: digital threats could now paralyze a country just as effectively as tanks and missiles. 

Sorainen has advised Nordspace on its EUR 6 million bond offering and listing on the Nasdaq First North alternative market.

Sorainen has advised Key Carbon on a EUR 100 million partnership agreement with InSoil.

Foreign direct investment in North Macedonia has surged in recent years, with 2024 marking a particularly strong period for inflows, despite global uncertainties such as supply-chain disruptions and regional economic slowdowns, according to Law Office Lazarov Managing Partner Dragan Lazarov and Cakmakova Advocates Junior Partner Vladimir Bocevski.

IT Labs Group General Counsel and DPO Ana Zakovska discusses her transition from private practice to in-house roles in the ICT sector, the evolving nature of legal work, and how privacy and AI are shaping the industry.

An in-depth look at Emilija Apostolska of Apostolska Aleksandrovski & Partners covering her 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.

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.

Moldova’s legal landscape is undergoing a period of gradual yet meaningful transformation, according to Balaban & Partners Managing Partner Natalia Balaban who reports an increased reliance on alternative dispute resolution, strides in digitalization, and a wave of legislative reforms tied to the country’s EU accession ambitions.

On 17 March 2025, a new Regulation of the Moldovan Competition Council (the "MCC") on Economic Concentrations (the "New EC Regulation") entered into force in Moldova (as secondary legislation). It introduces several key changes aimed at enhancing the enforcement of competition legislation and increasing transparency. The New EC Regulation transposes several European Union regulations, including the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/914 of 20 April 2023 and the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations 2023/C 160/01.

The Ministry of Economic Development has conducted a public consultation on the draft Law on Class Actions. The primary reason for adopting a special law which regulates matters related to the collective protection of consumers is, above all, the harmonization of Montenegrin legislation with EU law, specifically with Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers and repealing Directive 2009/22/EC. The goal is to prevent and sanction mass violations of consumer rights by traders in the market, while also ensuring fair compensation for harmed consumers. In this text, we briefly present the most important amendments and innovations introduced by the draft Law on Class Actions.

Injac Attorneys has advised Build Your Dreams on its market entry into Serbia and Montenegro.

JPM Partners has advised MFI Flex Credit on obtaining a license to operate as a microcredit financial institution from the Central Bank of Montenegro.

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Panattoni on a long-term lease agreement with Intermarche for a new distribution center located in Panattoni Park Sosnowiec IV, in the Silesia region of Poland.

DZP has advised Arlen and its majority shareholder A.T. Fundacja Rodzinna on the company’s initial public offering and admission to trading on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

CMS, working with BakerHostetler, has advised the Alpla Group on its acquisition of KM Packaging.

VD Law Group has advised Meta Estate Trust on its EUR 1.52 million acquisition of four villas within the upcoming Radisson Blu Grand Mountain Resort Brasov.

An increasing number of law firms have been publicly warning about the misuse of their names in phishing and cyberattacks. PRK Partners Partner Michal Matejka, Musat & Asociatii Partner Stefan Diaconescu, Gugushev & Partners Partner and Head of Data Protection Yoanna Ivanova, and DLA Piper Hungary Partner and Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Zoltan Kozma discuss the growing trend.

Over the past few years, Romania’s property market has matured from a fragmented landscape into one defined by stability, sustainability, and strategic sectoral shifts. Musat & Asociatii Partner Monia Dobrescu, Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii Partner Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa, and Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen Partner Vlad Tanase take a closer look at how secondary cities are outpacing the capital in price growth and major players are doubling down on assets.

Contributed by Clifford Chance.

Contributed by Alrud.

The commercial legal markets of Central & Eastern Europe didn’t appear automatically. They didn’t develop in a vacuum. They were formed, shaped, and led, by lawyers – visionary, hard-working, commercially-minded, and client-focused individuals pulling the development of CEE’s legal markets along behind them as they labored relentlessly for their clients, their careers, their futures. 

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 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?

As digital solutions become more widespread in business operations, the use of electronic signatures for labor-related documents is increasingly common in Slovakia. However, it is crucial for both employers and employees to understand whether such signatures hold legal validity under Slovak labor law. This article examines the key points surrounding the use of electronic signatures in labor documents.

Kinstellar has advised Accolade Holding on its acquisition of a 21,600-square-meter logistics facility in Kosice, eastern Slovakia. Hillbridges reportedly advised the sellers.

The protection against the termination of employment contracts for disabled workers who still have residual working capacity is guaranteed both by the Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1) and the Employment Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons Act (ZZRZI). Despite relatively uniform case law that has developed over the years, two recent rulings from the Higher Labor and Social Court have set new, stricter criteria for assessing the justification of dismissal reasons, which raise numerous dilemmas among employers in practice.

CMS has advised Eleport on its market entry into Croatia and Slovenia.

Cerha Hempel, working with Selih & Partnerji, has advised SES Spar European Shopping Centers on its acquisition of the Arkadia Shopping Center retail park located in Domzale, near Ljubljana, Slovenia, from Generali Adriatic Value Fund I, managed by Generali Investments Slovenija. Sole practitioner Dunja Jandl reportedly advised the sellers.

Norton Rose Fulbright's Turkish affiliate Pekin Bayar Mizrahi has advised the Motherson Group on the acquisition via its Turkish subsidiary Motherson SAS Turkey Otomotiv Servis Ticaret of the entire shareholding held by Erol Senol in SMR Plast Met Molds and Tools and SMR Plast Met Automotive Tec. Caliskan Okkan Toker advised Erol Senol.

White & Case's Turkish affiliate GKC Partners has advised Aksa Enerji on securing a USD 150 million facility from the Africa Finance Corporation to support the company’s natural gas power plant investments across the Africa region. Norton Rose Fulbright and its Turkish affiliate Pekin Bayar Mizrahi advised AFC.

Lexist has advised Efor Holding on wind turbines supply and installment agreements with Nordex Group for Efor Holding subsidiaries Yellice Enerji Uretim and Gelgit Yenilenebilir Enerji ve Elektrik Uretim. 

On 18 June 2025, the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NEURC) adopted a resolution amending the Licensing Conditions for Energy Storage (Resolution No. 882).

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?

It has been almost a year since Ukraine introduced rules regarding the protection of employees in the case of a transfer of a business entity to its Labor Code in accordance with Law No. 3677-IX (Rules). The Rules entered into force on May 15, 2024, and aimed at approximating national legislation to the Transfers of Undertakings Directive 2001/23/EC of March 12, 2001. Even though local businesses continue testing this new legislation in practice, the area still remains terra incognita for many practitioners. Now that some time has passed, it is possible to summarize the major practical imperfections of the Rules.