Radu Cotarcea

Marek Szydlowski Becomes General Counsel at Komputronik

Former Grupa TVN Chief Legal Officer Marek Szydlowski has joined Komputronik S.A in June as General Counsel.

Deal 5: Telecentras GC Aida Raziulyte on Mezon Sale

On May 28, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Cobalt had advised Lithuania's AB Lietuvos Radijo ir Televizijos Centras - Telecentras on the sale of its data transmission and digital television business developed under the Mezon brand to the Bite Group. We spoke Aida Raziulyte, General Counsel of Telecentras, to learn more about the deal.

Anna Blonska Appointed Director of Legal Office at Polish Development Fund

Anna Blonska has been promoted to Director of Legal (Investments) Office at the Polish Development Fund.

Inside Insight: Interview with Ingo Steinwender, Group Head of Legal at CA Immobilien Anlagen

CEE Legal Matters first interviewed Ingo Steinwender in 2014, near the end of his first year as Group Head of Legal at CA Immobilien Anlagen AG, one of the largest real estate companies in Austria. Six years later, we check in.

Deal 5: Alistair Ennever of Savills IM on Leroy Merlin Distribution Center Acquisition in Poland

On April 14, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Dentons had advised Savills Investment Management, acting on behalf of Korean institutional investors managed by Vestas Investment Management, on its acquisition of the Leroy Merlin distribution center near Lodz from Invesco Real Estate. We spoke to Alistair Ennever, Transaction Manager at Savills Investment Management, about the deal.

Deal 5: Greiner Head of Group Compliance & Legal Maximilian Wellner on Eurofoam Takeover

On April 14, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Dorda had advised Greiner AG on the takeover of Eurofoam GmbH from Recticel. We reached out to Maximilian Wellner, Head of Group Compliance & Legal at Greiner, to learn more about the takeover.

The Buzz in Bosnia & Herzegovina: Interview with Dino Aganovic of Heta Asset Resolution

“All activities in Bosnia & Herzegovina in the past two months have had to do with the state of emergency caused by the crisis, as they will for the foreseeable future,“ says Dino Aganovic, Head of Legal and Compliance at Heta Asset Resolution in Sarajevo. Nonetheless, he says, as dangerous as the virus is, he believes in being cautious about the steps taken to address it. “I must admit that I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to complete shutdowns,“ he says. “The global economy is sliding into a recession that is bound to impact poorer societies in terrible ways. We need to be thinking about the future as well, not just the present.“

Deal 5: In Balance Grid CEO Simonas Stankus on EUR 950,000 Investment Round

On April 30, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Motieka & Audzevicius had advised the founders of Lithuania's In Balance Grid on the investment of EUR 950,000 into the company by Koinvesticinis Fondas, Contrarian Ventures, and several angel investors. We spoke with Simonas Stankus, Co-Founder & CEO of In Balance Grid, to learn more about the investment round.

Florina Homeghiu Joins Policolor-Orgachim as Legal and Compliance Group Director

Florina Homeghiu has joined the Policolor-Orgachim group as its new Legal and Compliance Group Director in Romania.

Alpha Blue Ocean Hires Former Dentons Budapest Partner Edward Keller as General Counsel

Former Dentons Partner Edward Keller has joined alternative investment firm Alpha Blue Ocean as its General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer.

Deal 5: Oxylabs’ Legal Counsel Urte Karkliene on Appeal of Dismissal of IP Dispute in Lithuania

On April 7, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Motieka & Audzevicius had represented big data company Oxylabs in its successful appeal of a dismissal of an IP rights infringement dispute for lack of jurisdiction in Lithuania. We spoke with Urte Karkliene, Legal Counsel at Oxylabs, to learn more about the case.

Bayer Promotes Krzysztof Mazurek to Regional Legal & Compliance Operations – Head Team EMEA

Krzysztof Mazurek, former Legal & Compliance Director for CEE at Bayer, has been promoted to Regional Legal & Compliance Operations - Head Team EMEA.

Former Herguner Partner Bige Yucel Joins Siemens as Deputy General Counsel in Turkey

Former Herguner Bilgen Ozeke Partner Bige Yucel has joined Siemens as its Deputy General Counsel in Istanbul.

Former Paksoy Partner Selin Barlin Aral Becomes Chief Legal Officer at Getir

Former Paksoy Partner Selin Barlin Aral has joined Getir as its Chief Legal Officer in Istanbul.

Deal 5: IAD Investment Board Member Vladimir Bolek on D48 Acquisition in Warsaw

On April 17, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Greenberg Traurig had advised IAD Investments on its acquisition of the company holding the D48 office building in Warsaw from Penta Real Estate. We reached out to Vladimir Bolek, Member of the Board at IAD Investment, to learn more about the acquisition.

Alan Ragueneau Becomes Europe Managing Director at Nextlaw In-House Solutions

Alan Ragueneau, the former Legal Director Market Operations and Sales EMEA at Whirlpool, has joined Nextlaw In-House Solutions, Dentons’ global legal operation advisory, as Europe Managing Director.

Tomasz Janyst Takes On CCO and MLRO Role with Alipay Europe

Alipay Limited has hired Polish lawyer Tomasz Janyst as its Chief Compliance Officer / Money Laundering Reporting Officer in Luxembourg.

Balazs Toth Joins Telenor Common Operation as Legal Director in Hungary

Balazs Toth has joined Telenor Common Operation as its new Legal Director in Hungary.

Deal 5: Amston Director Henrika Bivainiene on Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson Claim

On March 11, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Sorainen had successfully defended HR solutions provider Amston before the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson in Lithuania. We spoke with Henrika Bivainiene, Director of Amston, about the case.

Deal 5: Head of Hines in Poland Mietek Godzisz On Polish Distribution Parks Portofolio Sale in Poland

On April 9, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Dentons had advised Hines Poland Sustainable Income Fund on the sale of a portfolio of six Polish distribution parks and the Nord Point office building in Warsaw to Chinese investor CGL Investment Holdings Corporation Limited. We spoke to Mietek Godzisz, Head of Hines in Poland, about the deal. 

Deal 5: Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate Manager Jana Wetzel On Office Building Sale in Vienna

On March 27, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Dorda had advised Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate on the sale of a multi-story office building in the Summering part of Vienna to a real estate fund managed by Luxembourg-based Blue Colibri Capital. We spoke with Jana Wetzel, Real Estate Manager at Warburg-HIH Invest, about the deal.

Maciej Szczepanski Becomes European Head of Legal at OLX Group

Maciej Szczepanski has been promoted to Head of Legal Europe at the OLX Group.

Ceren Arslan Becomes VP Legal at Bilgili Holding

Former Klepierre Head of Legal Ceren Arslan has joined Bilgili Holding as its new Vice President Legal in Turkey.

Comparative Guides

Deal 5: Sovcombank’s Sergei Kaduk on SFO RuSol 1’s Green Project Bond Issuance

On March 19, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Linklaters had advised Sovcombank on its arrangement of a RUB 5.7 billion domestic green project bonds issued by an orphan special purpose vehicle, SFO RuSol 1 LLC. We spoke to Sergei Kaduk, Executive Director for Securitization and Project Finance at Sovcombank, about the Issuance.

Deal 5: FirstFarms CEO Anders Noergaard on Land Acquisition in Romania

On March 11, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Kinstellar had advised FirstFarms on its acquisition of agricultural land in Romania from NCH Capital. We spoke to Anders Noergaard, the Group CEO of First Farms, about the deal.

Deal 5: Lazar Petrov on the Fund of Fund’s Set Up of Two Alternative Investment Funds

On January 7, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Tokushev & Partners had helped the Fund of Funds in Bulgaria make arrangements with two financial intermediaries to create several alternative investment funds for equity investments. We asked Lazar Petrov, Director of Financial Instruments and Operational Programmes of the Fund of Funds, to walk us through the set-up of the alternative funds. 

Deal 5: Change Ventures Investment Partner Yrjo Ojasaar on 99math Investment

On February 19, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Cobalt had advised Change Ventures on its EUR 500,000 investment in Estonian educational startup 99math. We spoke with Yrjo Ojasaar, Investment Partner at Change Ventures, to learn more.

Deal 5: Supernova Head of Mergers & Acquisitions Johannes Wurzer on Shopping Mall Portfolio Acquisition in Slovenia

On December 29, 2019, CEE Legal Matters reported that Selih & Partnerji had advised Supernova on its EUR 220 million acquisition of seven shopping malls and five smaller shopping centers from Centrice Real Estate. Johannes Wurzer, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Supernova, spoke with us about the deal.

Deal 5: Project Manager Vladimir Polacky on Franco Real Estate’s Acquisition of Vseobecna Uverova Banka’s Real Estate Portfolio

On December 11, 2019, CEE Legal Matters reported that Stanek Vetrak & Partneri had advised the Czech Republic's Franco Real Estate on its acquisition of Vseobecna Uverova Banka's real estate portfolio. We spoke with Vladimir Polacky, Project Manager for the Slovak Republic at Franco Real Estate, about the deal.