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?

The year 2025 began with a development that raised important questions regarding the interpretation of the Serbian Labor Law, specifically concerning employees’ right to compensation for commuting costs.

The Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Games of Chance, adopted by the end of 2024 and applied as from 6 January 2025, has brought several important changes and new legal solutions that have arisen from the needs of practice and market development. In addition to harmonizing the text of the law with the technological development in this area, the amendments to the law introduced new obligations for organizers and a significant increase in fees for obtaining approval and for organizing games of chance.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia recently adopted a Decree on Additional Requirements for Placing on the Market Products Containing Palm Oil, Palm Fat, or Other Vegetable Oils and Fats ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 47/2025), which entered into force on 7 June 2025 (“the Decree”).

David Vucinic has joined MaxBet, a member of Flutter Entertainment, as its new Compliance and AML Officer.

Moravcevic, Vojnovic, and Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr has advised UniCredit Bank Serbia on the issuance of a mini-bond in Serbia.

The National Bank of Serbia (“NBS”) adopted the new Decision on the Minimum Requirement for Capital and Eligible Liabilities of a Bank (“New MREL Decision”), as part of a package of new or amended bylaws following the latest amendments to the Law on Banks. The New MREL Decision shall replace the existing decision of the same name (“Existing MREL Decision”) and shall apply starting from 1 October 2025.

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

Vukovic & Partners Firm has advised JCG on its acquisition of Tivao Sub Properties from Atlas E75. VN Legal reportedly advised Atlas E75.

JPM & Partners’ energy practice has been busy with projects ranging from drafting Network Codes for transmission system operators, expanding Serbia's gas storage, advising on certification for and obtaining different energy licenses, and the developments of several renewable energy projects, their regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation, according to Senior Partner Jelena Gazivoda, with the current breadth and complexity of energy-related mandates stemming from a pronounced investment cycle in the energy sector of Serbia.

In our previous practice, we have assisted clients in the course of implementation of AI systems (“AIS”), i.e., assessment of the impact of risks of AIS, especially in the medical and research sector. While working on these projects, we came to the conclusion that many companies overlook obligations or are not even aware of risks for safety, health and fundamental human rights which are tied to the implementation and use of high-risk AIS and can result in significant compliance risks under the applicable legal framework.

Mihaj, Ilic & Milanovic has promoted Jelena Papic and Bojan Jankovic to Partner.

Trademark protection represents one of the most important aspects of legal protection of business operations and brand identity in the Serbian market. By properly selecting and registering the appropriate type of trademark, rights holders ensure a competitive advantage, brand recognition, and consumer trust. In this article, we provide an overview of the basic types of trademarks under the current Law on Trademarks (Official Gazette of the RS No. 6/2020), with a special focus on practical aspects of their application.

The Law on the Protection of Personal Data ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 87/2018) - hereinafter: "the Law", and following the example of the Regulation (EU) - 2016/679 - General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), introduced the term and consequently the function – Data Protection Officer ("DPO").

Serbia’s economy remains stable despite slower growth, with signs of renewed M&A activity, ongoing regulatory reforms, and progress in renewables and the capital market, according to Karanovic & Partners Partner Maja Jovancevic Setka.

BDK Advokati, working alongside Kvale, has advised Norway-based Entec Evotec on its acquisition of Fortaco Gruza. Advokatfirmaet Selmer reportedly advised the sellers.

Sibincic, Novak & Partners and Doklestic, Repic & Gajin have advised Intersport ISI on its exit from the Serbian market via the sale of its stores to N Sport. Mrakovic, Markovic & Partners advised N Sport.