The Commission for Protection of the Competition of North Macedonia (CPC) has significantly intensified its enforcement activities in the food retail sector, signalling a stricter regulatory approach toward potential anti-competitive behaviour.

Asters has advised the International Finance Corporation on the restructuring of a USD 120 million loan facility provided to Nibulon. Baker Botts reportedly advised Nibulon.

Walless has advised Scandi Standard on its EUR 18 million acquisition of six chicken farms in Lithuania.

CMS has advised Nikan Agro on the licensing process before the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission for its 50-megawatt Blatska photovoltaic project.

AP Legal has advised AikBank Beograd and Eurobank Direktna on their merger.

CMS has advised Geosolar Kamenyak on licensing for the 75-megawatt Kamenyak photovoltaic project by the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. 

Sorainen has advised Eiffel Investment Group on a EUR 20 million debt financing provided by the Eiffel Energy Transition III fund to Envolve Capital.

Ellex has advised Nordic Solar on securing EUR 24.15 million in financing from Swedbank for the completion of its 80-megawatt photovoltaic park in the Svencionys district in Lithuania. 

In March 2025, the Hungarian Government decided to significantly strengthen Hungarian citizens’ right to use cash. In this context, the Fundamental Law has been amended, so that the possibility to pay in cash will become a fundamental right. According to the explanatory memorandum, this is necessary to avoid the economy becoming completely vulnerable to electronic financial systems.

White & Case Turkish affiliate law firm GKC Partners has advised Zorlu Enerji on the USD 100 million tap issuance of senior guaranteed sustainability-linked notes due 2030. Baker McKenzie and its Turkish affiliate law firm Esin Attorney Partnership reportedly advised on the transaction as well.

Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in Cooperation with Schoenherr has advised Elixir Group on its recent green bond issuance totaling RSD 4.1 billion (approximately EUR 35 million). 

CMS has advised the Debt and Liquidity Management Agency of the Slovak Republic on the issuance of its first retail government bonds. 

How else could one explain the astonishing surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) filings in Romania in 2024?

Despite a reduction in single-bid contracts, the GVH proposes additional measures to improve competition and transparency.

Through its 27 February 2025 law ("Law 33/2025"), the Moldovan Parliament amended the current rules on control of investments into sectors important for the security of the state ("Law 174/2021" or the "FDI Law"). The amendments enter into force on 20 April 2025.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Bribery & Corruption in CEE.

Contributed by Arzinger.

Contributed by Selih & Partnerji.

Wolf Theiss, working with Morrison Foerster, has advised SoftBank Group Corp on its planned all‑cash acquisition of Ampere Computing from lead investors Carlyle and Oracle Corp.

Schoenherr has advised Austrian health‑tech startup Hi.health and its shareholders on the sale of the business to Pliant. Studio Legal and Dorda advised Pilant.

BBH has advised PPF Group on the disposal of its residual 30% interest in LEAG Holding to EP Group. 

Sorainen has advised Eiffel Investment Group on a EUR 20 million debt financing provided by the Eiffel Energy Transition III fund to Envolve Capital.

Ellex has advised Nordic Solar on securing EUR 24.15 million in financing from Swedbank for the completion of its 80-megawatt photovoltaic park in the Svencionys district in Lithuania. 

CMS has advised Nikan Agro on the licensing process before the Bulgarian Energy and Water Regulatory Commission for its 50-megawatt Blatska photovoltaic project.

Musat & Asociatii has won an appeal before the High Court of Cassation and Justice against a prior decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, allowing the retrial of the review application in the case concerning the torturers of Romanian anti-communist dissident Gheorghe Ursu.

Ellex has offered pro bono representation in a same-sex parenthood case before the national courts in Lithuania, resulting in the first-ever recognition of same-sex parents.

On April 22, 2024, Everlegal announced it had been appointed to provide legal support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – the UN Refugee Agency – for its activities in Ukraine.

Dentons has appointed Partner Anna Szymanska as the new Head of Public Procurement in its Warsaw office.

On 7 April 2025, Mr. János Lázár, Hungary’s Minister of Construction and Transport announced via social media his intention to introduce a major legislative initiative designed to overhaul the oversight of public investments.

TGS Baltic has successfully represented Neverhack Estonia in a dispute arising from the North Estonia Medical Centre’s Cybersecurity Services and Platform 2 public procurement.

Cobalt has advised Creditreform Latvija on a multi-stage reorganization. 

E+H has advised Megatech Industries on its reorganization from financial distress and subsequent sale to Italian mobility supplier Sapa. Wolf Theiss, working with Gianni & Origoni, advised Sapa.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partner has advised approximately 38% of the creditors in the restructuring proceedings of Pierer Industrie on a vote under the Restructuring Ordinance in Austria.

JDP has promoted former Counsels Joanna Ostojska-Kolodziej and Mariusz Nowakowski to Partners.

The Chamber of Deputies has approved an amendment to the Labour Code, which should increase flexibility in employment relations. Unless something unexpected happens, most of the amendment will become

On 17 January 2025, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia rendered two new rulebooks in the field of occupational safety and health, the implementation of which begins on 28 April 2025, as follows:

Schoenherr has advised Austrian health‑tech startup Hi.health and its shareholders on the sale of the business to Pliant. Studio Legal and Dorda advised Pilant.

Schoenherr has advised BPM Capital on providing mezzanine financing for a management buy-in acquisition of Medical Mazella while Gessel advised BNP Paribas Bank Polska on its co-investment in the buyout. Reportedly, Compliance Partners advised co-investor MedPack and Misiewicz, Mosek i Partnerzy advised Medical Mazella.

Allen Overy Shearman Sterling has advised CityFit Group on the sale of CityFit fitness clubs chain to Medicover. CMS advised Medicover.

JDP has promoted former Counsels Joanna Ostojska-Kolodziej and Mariusz Nowakowski to Partners.

The ultimate aim of judicial proceedings is to resolve disputes substantively and eliminate legal uncertainty between the parties. The most critical phase of this process is the “judgment”, which constitutes the final decision rendered by the courts. However, although a judgment is a decision that concludes the trial, in some cases, it may not produce legal effects, meaning it is considered “ineffective”.

CMS has launched a new dedicated Corporate Crime team within its Dispute Resolution and Compliance practice in Belgrade with the joining of Denis Beciric as Of Counsel.

Cerha Hempel has advised Flughafen Wien on a joint venture with international logistics company Bradford Airport Logistics to establish Vienna Airport Logistics GmbH. Sidley Austin and Schoenherr advised Bradford Airport Logistics.

DZP has successfully represented LOT Polish Airlines before the Court of Justice of the European Union against Ryanair.

On February 18, 2025, Taylor Wessing announced that Sennder's acquisition of C.H. Robinson's European surface transportation operations (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on August 5, 2024) is now closed.

Kyriakides Georgopoulos announced that the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund's sale of a 67% stake in the Heraklion Port Authority to a consortium consisting of Grimaldi Euromed and Minoan Lines (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on January 11, 2024) closed on September 18, 2024.

PeliPartners has advised Bogdan Idu and his group companies on the sale of an LPG maritime terminal in Romania to Nawaf Salameh Family Office Group.

Your Legal Partners’ Katerina Politopoulou, Maria Golfinopoulou, and Prokopis Linardos Talk About the Deal of the Year in Greece.

Former Clifford Chance Senior Partner David Kolacek has joined KKCG as Group Chief Legal Officer.

Wolf Theiss, working with Morrison Foerster, has advised SoftBank Group Corp on its planned all‑cash acquisition of Ampere Computing from lead investors Carlyle and Oracle Corp.

Sorainen has advised Eiffel Investment Group on a EUR 20 million debt financing provided by the Eiffel Energy Transition III fund to Envolve Capital.

Sayenko Kharenko has provided pro bono support for a cultural initiative that aims to set war-time poems, written by Ukrainian defenders, to music. 

Musat & Asociatii has won an appeal before the High Court of Cassation and Justice against a prior decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, allowing the retrial of the review application in the case concerning the torturers of Romanian anti-communist dissident Gheorghe Ursu.

Ellex has offered pro bono representation in a same-sex parenthood case before the national courts in Lithuania, resulting in the first-ever recognition of same-sex parents.

Baker McKenzie has advised Kingspan Group on the pre‑construction phases of its EUR 280 million building technology manufacturing campus near Lviv, Ukraine. 

On 9 April 2025, Law of Ukraine № 4292-IX "On Amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine on Strengthening the Protection of Rights of Bona Fide Purchaser" (Law No. 4292-IX) came into force. A bona fide purchaser is a person who acquired property under а repayment contract from another person who had no right to alienate it, provided that the purchaser did not know and could not have known about this.

Reals has advised Conseq Realitni on the sale of the former brewery in Prague’s Holesovice district, known as A7 Office Center. Steinwicht reportedly advised the buyers.

Kinstellar has announced Maja Mayrhuber as the fourth Partner to join its new Vienna office.

On 11 March 2025, the Ministry of National Economy and the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary published an opinion regarding the taxation of assigning dividend claims into a trust structure.

The Romanian Government has introduced Government Emergency Ordinance (GEO) no. 21/2025, officially published in Official Gazette no. 300 on April 4, 2025.

On 17 April 2025, the President of the Hungarian Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) issued Decree 3/2025. (IV. 17.), setting out detailed provisions on cybersecurity supervision, the conduct of regulatory inspections, and the role of the information security supervisor.

On 17 April 2025, the Law on the Implementation of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on the Single Market for Digital Services (the Digital Services Act or "DSA") (the "Law") entered into force in Croatia. The Law marks a significant step in harmonising the national legislation with the EU's regulatory framework for digital services.

KWKR has advised BidFinance, as well as its founders and existing shareholders, on financing amounting to PLN 7 million raised from venture capital funds including 4growth VC, FundingBox Deep Tech Fund, and a group of individual investors. LSW reportedly advised 4growth VC.

CEE Legal Matters is proud to introduce the latest in our Comparative Guides series. This one focuses on Bribery & Corruption in CEE.

Contributed by Arzinger.

Contributed by Selih & Partnerji.