On September 15, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Debevoise & Plimpton had advised Norilsk Nickel on its USD 500 million Eurobond offering due 2025. CEEIHM spoke with Andrey Gavrikov, Head of Direction for Legal Support of Treasury Operations at MMC Norilsk Nickel, to learn more about the issuance.

On July 24, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Cobalt had helped Lithuania's UAB Kedainiai Free Economic Zone draft establishment and operation agreements for Kormotech. CEEIHM spoke with Giedrius Valuckas, Member of the Board at Kedainiai FEZ, to learn more about the agreement.

“The energy sector has been highly affected in the past few months, as global demand went down tremendously, which has a significant impact on the whole value chain," says Rytis Valunas, GC for oil and LNG terminals operator Klaipedos Nafta. "Many companies, especially from the oil industry, caught themselves in a situation they never dealt with previously." And, he says, "with the pandemic evolving further, the business environment is not likely going to improve soon.”

On July 27, CEE Legal Matters reported that Integrites had helped Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine on a dispute involving a change of its energy supplier. CEEIHM spoke with Natalia Vasina, Legal Counsel at Metro Cash & Carry to learn more about the dispute.

“As compliance practitioners, we had to go through a major shift recently with going online, which is quite a new thing in our sector,” says Timur Khasanov–Batirov, Head of Compliance, Russia & CIS at the STADA Group.

“The construction business suffered from COVID-19, but so far less than others," says Agnieszka Dziegielewska-Jonczyk, GC of Skanska Central Europe. "We may see the impact in the coming months. As we are fully dedicated to our customers, Skanska construction sites in Central Europe are open."

On September 21, CEE Legal Matters reported that Greenberg Traurig had advised Madison International Realty on its acquisition of an unspecified stake in Cavatina Office sp. z o.o., the owner of the Chmielna 89 office building in Warsaw, from Cavatina Holding S.A., as well as on its entry into a joint venture agreement with Cavatina Holding and the refinancing of the existing bank debt of Cavatina Office sp. z o.o. CEEIHM spoke with Madison International Realty Managing Director, Matthias Cordier, about the deal.

On August 5, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that the Aksan Law Firm had advised Albaraka Asset Management on its investment in Clotie, an e-commerce company that provides personalized clothing services. CEEIHM talked to Albaraka Asset Management General Manager Emin Ozer to learn more about the deal.

On September 2, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Motieka & Audzevicius had advised Turing College as the recipient of a EUR 1.2 million investment from Startup Wise Guys and the Motieka Investment Fund. CEEIHM spoke with Co-founder & CBDO of Turing College, Benas Sidlauskas, to learn more about the deal.

“The past few months were hard on us,” says Stathis Mihos, Pfizer’s Legal Director for Greece, Israel, Malta, and Cyprus.

On September 9, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that the Kapolyi Law Firm had advised Duna House, a property brokerage group in Central and Eastern Europe, on its participation in the National Bank of Hungary's Growth Bond Program. CEEIHM spoke with Duna House Chief Financial Officer Daniel Schilling to learn more.

On September 14, CEE Legal Matters reported that Sorainen had advised Brette Haus on the preparation of a sales contract template for prefabricated folding houses. CEEIHM spoke with Gennadii Bakunin, CEO of Brette Haus to learn more about the matter.

On July 23, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Redcliffe Partners had advised the EBRD on an up to EUR 25 million term loan to Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise. We reached out to Konstantin Olefirenko, Principal Legal Counsel at the EBRD, to learn more about the deal.

On July 3, 2020, CEE Legal Matters reported that Cerha Hempel, working alongside Deloitte Legal in Germany, had advised Germany's GBTEC Software + Consulting AG on the acquisition of all shares in Avedos. CEEIHM spoke with Sven van Berge Henegouwen, Partner at GBTEC, to learn more about the deal.

"We have faced many difficulties and obstacles this year because of the coronavirus pandemic,” says Istvan Szatmary, Legal Director of Mediaworks Hungary.

In 2019, the In-house Counsel’s Section of the Budapest Bar Association was established to create a knowledge exchange platform for in-house lawyers. Tunde Hegyi, Corporate Senior Counsel at the MOL Group, who is also President of the In-house Counsel’s Section of the Budapest Bar Association, describes the initiative. 

In July, CEE Legal Matters reported that Vasile Tiple, the first in-house counsel and former General Counsel of UiPath, had left that role to become the company’s Head of Legal Automation. Tiple reports on the recent launch of the sArb - Simplified Arbitration Reference Facility software robot that was developed by UiPath for the Bucharest International Arbitration Court.

The “Financial Shield” programs are a part of the Polish Government-established “Anti-Crisis Shield” aid program, implemented by the Polish Development Fund. The programs, worth PLN 100 billion, aim to protect the labor market and to ensure companies’ financial liquidity in periods of severe economic disruption. Joanna Dynysiuk, Head of Legal, Anna Wawrzynczak, Office Director – Legal Office – Corporate, and Anna Blonska, Office Director – Legal Office – Investments, describe the programs and the legal work behind it.