Moving in-house
- Andrija Djonovic
- Andrija Djonovic
- Andrija Djonovic
Hitay’s Legal Counsel discusses his nearly-decade career at the organization, what regulatory themes come up often across the group’s portfolio companies, and more.
- Saida Ayupova
Featured
Chief Compliance Officer at First Investment Bank shares his professional journey, what challenges are most pressing for the banking sector in Europe, how the role of compliance leaders will evolve, and more.
- Saida Ayupova
Previously, Yener spent 12 years at BSH, working first as Legal Counsel at BSH Turkey and then as Senior Legal Counsel Data Protection at BSH Home Appliances Group.
- Radu Cotarcea
- Saida Ayupova
Hitay’s Legal Counsel discusses his nearly-decade career at the organization, what regulatory themes come up often across the group’s portfolio companies, and more.
- Contributor
Kosovo has no shortage of entrepreneurial talent. What remains limited is access to finance, especially for early-stage businesses that are too risky for traditional lending.
- Saida Ayupova
Chief Compliance Officer at First Investment Bank shares his professional journey, what challenges are most pressing for the banking sector in Europe, how the role of compliance leaders will evolve, and more.
- Radu Cotarcea
Previously, Yener spent 12 years at BSH, working first as Legal Counsel at BSH Turkey and then as Senior Legal Counsel Data Protection at BSH Home Appliances Group.
- Teona Gelashvili
On October 21, 2025, CEE Legal Matters brought the Balkan General Counsel Summit to Belgrade, gathering leading in-house counsel and legal professionals from across the region.
- Saida Ayupova
Head of Legal at Teleperformance shares his views on leadership, the decision-making process on engaging outside counsel, and the regulatory challenges that are most pressing for the BPO industry.
- Saida Ayupova
Beko Romania's Head of Legal & Compliance shares how she facilitates collaboration across a geographically dispersed legal team, the role of legal and compliance leaders in driving ESG initiatives, and more.
- Saida Ayupova
She makes the move after spending more than a decade at Petrol BH Oil Company, having joined the organization as Head of Legal Department in 2013.
Interviews
Hitay’s Legal Counsel discusses his nearly-decade career at the organization, what regulatory themes come up often across the group’s portfolio companies, and more.
- Saida Ayupova
Chief Compliance Officer at First Investment Bank shares his professional journey, what challenges are most pressing for the banking sector in Europe, how the role of compliance leaders will evolve, and more.
- Saida Ayupova
Head of Legal at Teleperformance shares his views on leadership, the decision-making process on engaging outside counsel, and the regulatory challenges that are most pressing for the BPO industry.
- Saida Ayupova
Beko Romania's Head of Legal & Compliance shares how she facilitates collaboration across a geographically dispersed legal team, the role of legal and compliance leaders in driving ESG initiatives, and more.
- Saida Ayupova
CEE Regional Senior Legal Counsel at Cencora/ Alliance Healthcare Romania shares her professional journey, how she navigates different regulation and business practices across multiple jurisdictions, and her approach to managing relations with outside counsel.
- Saida Ayupova
Head of Legal and General Affairs at DDOR-Garant Beograd discusses his approach to mentoring junior lawyers, balancing regulatory obligations with business growth goals, and legal and compliance risks facing the sector.
- Saida Ayupova
Vesna Paunkoska Dodevska discusses her philosophy on building and retaining strong in-house teams and regulatory challenges and opportunities in the FMCG sector in the region.
- Saida Ayupova
Head of Legal and General Affairs at DDOR-Garant Beograd discusses his approach to mentoring junior lawyers, balancing regulatory obligations with business growth goals, and legal and compliance risks facing the sector.
- Saida Ayupova
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Commentary
Below is an excerpt from the Legal Automation Book: From Bottlenecks to Bots by Vasile Tiple, former General Counsel and Head of Legal Automation at UiPath Inc.
- Contributor
Kosovo has no shortage of entrepreneurial talent. What remains limited is access to finance, especially for early-stage businesses that are too risky for traditional lending.
- Contributor
Taking a closer look at all the Deal 5 interviews, we sought to map out the biggest challenges that got in the way of smooth sailing.
- Radu Cotarcea
Approximately two-thirds of GCs said that the reason behind choosing a specific legal counsel was their successful cooperation in the past.
- Radu Cotarcea
We analyzed the fundamental factors that play a role in GCs’ decision-making process in terms of choosing a new law firm to work with.
- Radu Cotarcea
describe what is at the top of the agenda for their compliance and risk functions and how they nurture a culture of compliance within their companies
- Radu Cotarcea
Corporate Counsel Handbook
your go-to guide for all things in-house legal
Packed with insights from GCs all over CEE, this issue covers everything from team leadership and budget hacks to risk management, compliance, working with external counsel, and so much more. Whether you’re an in-house pro looking to shake things up or a law firm eager to get inside the minds of your corporate clients, the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Corporate Counsel Handbook has something for everyone!
Internal moves and promotions
Dymel has been with the organization since 2023, previously working as Legal Counsel – Coordinator of Legal Services for Investment Products.
- Saida Ayupova
Raszplewicz-Czyzewska has been with the company since 2002, previously working as Legal Counsel CEE.
- Saida Ayupova
Pintilie has been with the company since 2023, previously working in the role of Legal Counsel for South East Subregion.
- Saida Ayupova
Pavlekovic has been with the organization for more than 16 years, originally joining as Contracting Specialist II in 2008 – a role he held until 2009.
- Saida Ayupova
Lalatovic has been serving as the Head of Compliance for South Eastern Central Europe at the company since 2020. He first joined the company in 2015.
- Radu Cotarcea
Simandi has been with the organization for over 13 years, joining in 2012 as Legal and Corporate Affairs Director for Hungary – a position she held until 2017.
- Saida Ayupova
Chekova has been with the organization since 2024, previously working as Head of Legal.
- Saida Ayupova
Halko has been with the organization since 2005, previously working from its Lisbon office as International Network Counsel and Expert between 2024 and 2025.
- Saida Ayupova
Bulic-Keseljevic originally joined UniCredit in 2008 as Vice President Investment Banking Emerging Europe/Senior Legal Counsel.
- Saida Ayupova
Crowdfunding in Kosovo: The Next Step After Capital Markets Legislation