Romania: seeking more foreign investment
Romania’s government is making some progress on corruption but a cut to the VAT rate and a new investor-friendly Fiscal Code should help reverse a dip in foreign investment.
Wolf Theiss team quits to launch Viennese litigation boutique
A team of five lawyers from Austrian heavyweight Wolf Theiss have quit the firm to launch a litigation boutique in Vienna. The boutique, Knoetzl, is led by former Wolf Theiss litigation head Bettina Knoetzl. She has been joined in the new venture by Wolf Theiss’s former arbitration head Florian Haugeneder and Platte Rechtsanwälte arbitration partner […]
International focus: A Cypriot sea-change
A raft of new legislation that frees up investment opportunities while clamping down on corruption could be the tonic the country needs. Q: How important is it that Cyprus completes the privatisations it has planned, and why has the process been so slow? Pavlos Aristodemou, partner, Harneys: Privatisation has been the matter of a debate in Cyprus […]
Motor drive: Bulgaria special report
Bulgaria is a vibrant car components and business process outsourcing centre, while its IT and telecoms sectors are catching the eye of investors too.
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Gide loses Ukraine and Hungary teams to French rival Jeantet
French firm Jeantet is launching in Hungary and Ukraine with the hire of Gide Loyrette Nouel’s teams in Budapest and Kiev. The moves take place on 1 November and see Jeantet establish its first presence in Eastern Europe. The firm also has offices in Luxembourg, Morocco and Switzerland. Jeantet is picking up two partners through […]
White & Case sees four partners exit for Greenberg Traurig and Bakers in Poland
White & Case has lost former disputes head Pawel Pietkiewicz to Greenberg Traurig in Warsaw, at the same time as three of its litigators are understood to be departing for Baker & McKenzie. Pietkiewicz joined White & Case in 2011 and has been appointed to head up Greenberg Traurig’s litigation and arbitration team. The former office […]
All change in the Baltics as Borenius offices move to Cobalt
There has been a significant amount of change in the Baltics legal market this year. Back in May pan-Baltic firms Lawin and Raidla Leijins & Norcous split up. LAWIN’s Latvian and Lithuanian offices teamed up with Raidla’s Estonian branch to create Ellex, while Raidla’s Latvian and Lithuanian teams joined up with Lawin’s Estonian office to […]
Baltics shake-up continues as Cobalt merges with Borenius offices
Baltics firm Cobalt has announced it is merging with the Baltics offices of Borenius in a the latest stage of a major shake-up of the legal market in the region. Pan-Baltic firm Cobalt was formed earlier this year when the Latvian and Lithuanian offices of Raidla Lejins & Norcous joined forces with the Estonian office of […]
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A&O, Cleary, Skadden and Slaughters lead on billion-dollar Coca-Cola merger
A raft of UK, continental and US firms have advised on Coca-Cola Enterprises’ agreement to combine with Coca-Cola Iberian Partners and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke (CCEAG) to create the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler based on net revenues. The company will be called Coca-Cola European Partners and will be incorporated in England and be publicly traded. Cleary […]
Anti-corruption measures are beginning to benefit Romania
Anti-corruption measures are beginning to bite but for now lawyers are pinning their hopes on work in areas such as banking, pharma and agriculture. Q: Have you seen any sign that foreign clients are being discouraged from investing in Romania as a result of the investigations into corruption and the related political crisis? Stefan Damian, deputy […]
Sunny side up: legal work picks up in Cyprus
It’s not been always plain sailing for Cyprus, but economic improvements and an increase in work have left lawyers feeling more positive. Q: The economy has picked up in the first quarter of 2015. How has this translated into legal work? Elias Neocleous, vice-chairman and head of the corporate and commercial department, Andreas Neocleous & Co: […]
A cross-border future: Serbia looks towards EU accession
Life is still tough but regional ties are strengthening among law firms and businesses as Serbia keeps one eye on EU accession.