Kinstellar launches Vienna office
Explore our news, deals and insights

News, deals & insights

News January 2025

Important notice to our Clients and Contacts: Beware of impersonation emails

6 January 2025 – It has come to our attention that some companies in our countries (most recently from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia) have received unauthorised fraudulent emails falsely claiming to originate from Kinstellar. This appears to be part of an illegal scam (fraudulent impersonation) campaign. We assure you that these fraudulent emails did not come from our official Kinstellar domain and have nothing to do with our Firm. Our IT and Risk & Compliance teams are giving this matter their highest priority and are actively investigating the issue. We are bringing this matter to the relevant authorities. Importantly, this illegal scam campaign appears to have been

Deals March 2025

Kinstellar and Linklaters advised the EBRD and Raiffeisen Bank International on their lending for the 238 MW Tenevo PV power plant in Bulgaria

Kinstellar Sofia acting as Bulgarian counsel, alongside Linklaters Milan acting as lead counsel, advised the EBRD and Raiffeisen Bank International on their lending to Tenevo Solar Technologies for the construction and operation of one of the largest PV power plants in Bulgaria. The total finance package of EUR 114 million will enable Tenevo Solar Technologies EAD, which is owned by Renalfa IPP and Eurowind Energy, to add 238 MW of solar generation capacity to the Bulgarian national energy system. This will be the first renewable energy plant over 100 MW that will sell all its output in the market without a support scheme or a corporate power purchase agreement in Bulgaria. Tenevo is also the first EBRD project in Bulgaria

News March 2025

Harald Strahberger, a leading regulatory lawyer, joins Kinstellar as Partner in Vienna

Kinstellar is delighted to announce that Harald Strahberger has joined our newly launched Vienna office as a Partner. His addition strengthens our public law and regulatory capabilities, further enhancing the firm's expertise in Austria and across the wider Central and Eastern European region. With extensive experience advising national and international clients across all aspects of public law, Harald specialises in environmental law (including facility, waste, and water regulations), energy law, trade law, data protection, and state aid law. He also has a strong background representing clients in administrative proceedings and before Administrative Courts, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Austrian Constitutional

Insights March 2025

Navigating workplace challenges and litigation trends: dismissals and workplace harassment

As we move into 2025, we want to highlight some of the key developments in the Romanian employment dispute landscape over the past year. You can read our summaries of these key trends below, along with our thoughts on where we expect to see more employment litigation activity in the year ahead. I. Romanian market insights Two key drivers in Romania this year concerning the increased risk of employment litigation are economic uncertainty, which could lead company restructurings and related dismissals, as well as the many changes in Romanian legislation relating to whistleblowing and the prevention of discrimination and harassment at the workplace. Specifically, there are two types of employee lawsuits we expect

Deals February 2025

Kinstellar advises Solida Capital on its expansion into the Central and Eastern European market with the acquisition of Victoria Center in Bucharest

Kinstellar is pleased to announce that it has advised Solida Capital, a leading investment and asset management firm, on its first office acquisition in Romania—the purchase of Victoria Center from Manova Partners (formerly Macquarie), an internationally active independent real estate investment company. This transaction marks a significant milestone in Solida Capital's expansion into the Central and Eastern European (CEE) market. Located on Calea Victoriei, one of Bucharest's most prestigious business addresses, Victoria Center is a prime office building with a Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of 8,600 square meters across 10 floors, including ground-floor retail space and 92 parking spaces. The property has been consistently

Deals February 2025

Supporting Energy Transition in CEE – Kinstellar successfully completes landmark CCGT Power Plant Development Project for Hungarian MVM Group at the Mátra Power Plant in Hungary

Kinstellar Budapest is proud to have advised the Hungarian MVM Group on the project to build a major new 500 MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in North-East Hungary—a key milestone in Hungary's transition towards a more sustainable energy system. The new state-of-the-art CCGT power plant will replace low-efficiency and high-emission aged lignite-fired power plant assets, and support thereby the further deployment of renewable energy sources in Hungary. Kinstellar Budapest advised the MVM Group from the initial stages of structuring the project, through the drafting and negotiation with several potential bidders of the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract, as well as the Long-Term Service

Insights February 2025

Navigating the legal landscape: The implementation status of MiCA

As the cryptocurrency market continues to captivate investors worldwide, understanding the regulatory landscape becomes more crucial than ever. In this respect the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (the MiCA) is a ground-breaking initiative by the European Union (the EU) aimed at establishing a robust framework for digital asset markets. With MiCA application having taken effect on 30 December 2024, EU member states are now in the process of aligning their national legislation with the new rules and addressing the practical challenges of implementation.Click on the image below or use the following link to read our overview in English. For more

Insights February 2025

Food prices in Bulgaria: Businesses to remain vigilant even after the competition authority finds no anti-competitive agreements between supermarkets

In a decision that will shape the competitive landscape of the Bulgarian food market, the Bulgarian Commission for Protection of Competition ("CPC") concluded that there is no evidence of anti-competitive agreements between the major supermarket chains regarding food prices. Background and investigation The CPC initiated an investigation in response to the significant increase in retail prices of basic food commodities observed since early 2022 and the first months of 2023. The competition authority aimed to identify any practices restricting competition, such as: covert agreements, collusion, or concerted actions among retailers. While much of the data in the CPC's decision remains confidential

Insights February 2025

Digital Finance Act: A new era for crypto-assets in the Czech Republic

On 15 February 2025, Czech Act No. 31/2025 Coll., on the implementation of European Union regulations in the area of financial market digitisation (the Digital Finance Act), came into force. This legislation serves as an adaptation act to the EU MiCA Regulation and introduces significant changes to the regulation of crypto-assets and financial markets. Czech National Bank to supervise crypto-asset market Under the Digital Finance Act, the Czech National Bank has been designated as the competent authority for crypto-assets. The Czech National Bank is now responsible for receiving notifications and applications under the MiCA Regulation and exercising supervisory powers over crypto-asset service providers (CASPs)

About us

Kinstellar acts as trusted legal counsel to leading investors across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Southeast Europe (SEE) and Central Asia. Our reputation for quality, excellence and integrity speaks for itself.

With offices in 12 jurisdictions and over 300 local and international lawyers, we deliver consistent, joined-up legal advice and assistance across diverse regional markets – together with the know-how and experience to champion your interests while minimising exposure to risk.

Our clients include leading international and regional corporations, banks and other financial institutions, state bodies, multi-lateral institutions, and international law firms with clients that require top-quality legal counsel in our jurisdictions. We handle the most important and complex assignments for clients across diverse industries and business sectors.

13
offices
300
lawyers
60*
top-tier
rankings

solutions


*2024 rankings in core practice areas in international legal directories (Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, IFLR1000)

Meet our people

With expert local knowledge and a track record at the international level, our lawyers provide top-tier advice and client service in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Southeast Europe (SEE) and Central Asia.

Our Team

Newsfeed

We are pleased to announce that our Belgrade team, together with international legal advisor Sullivan & Cromwell LLP., has successfully advised e& PPF Telecom Group BV, a global leader in telecommunications majority-owned by Emirati-based e&, with Czech Group PPF as the other shareholder, on their acquisition of SBB d.o.o. Beograd. 📈🌍 The deal, structured on a debt-free and cash-free basis, paves the way for e& PPF Telecom Group BV to merge SBB with Yettel, its mobile operator. This merger will unlock new opportunities, enhancing services for clients in Serbia. SBB will continue its media broadcasting operations seamlessly. 📡📱 In parallel, United Group B.V. has divested 100% of its NetTV Plus, DTH assets in Serbia and North Macedonia, as well as Sport Klub rights licenses in the Western Balkans to Telekom Srbija Group, also on a debt-free and cash-free basis. 💼📺 We are proud of our team's role in advising across the full spectrum of this complex transaction. Meet the experts behind the success: • Milan Samardžić, Partner, Corporate/M&A ⚖️ • Mina Sreckovic, Managing Associate, Head of Corporate and M&A 🧑💼 • Mario Kijanović, Managing Associate 🧑💼 • Katarina Živković, Managing Associate 🧑💼 • Srna Popovicć, Senior Asssociate 💼 • Djordje Ilijasevic, Associate 💼 • Jelisaveta Folić, Associate 💼 A special thank you to our colleagues Olga Šipka, Special Counsel, and Dusan Djuric, Junior Associate, for their invaluable expertise on all competition-related matters. 👥💡 🔗 https://lnkd.in/duihKn2G #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #MergersAndAcquisitions #Telecommunications #CorporateLaw #MNA #LegalAdvisory #ePPF #SBB #Yettel #Telekom

📢🎮 We're pleased to share that our Sofia team successfully advised Paradox Interactive, one of the premier developers and publishers of strategy and management games, on the acquisition of Haemimont Games, one of the first video game development studios in Bulgaria. 👾 The renowned video games publisher enters the Bulgarian market in the first video game transaction in Bulgaria for 2025, part of Paradox’s strategy to grow the management games genre, and an important development for the entire video games industry in the country. 🕹️ Meet our team who provided legal advice on all aspects of the transaction – from the initial due diligence, through structuring and assistance with the transaction agreement: Georgi Kanev - Managing Associate, Head of Interactive Entertainment & Gaming; Diana Dimova - Partner, Corporate/M&A; Denitsa Kuzeva - Senior Associate, Corporate/M&A; Atanas Mihaylov - Counsel, Tax and Corporate/M&A; with further assistance from Vanya Evtimova, Debora Dineva, Vilislava Kolarova and Simona Damyanova. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d3kWhWns #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #gaming #mergersandacquisitions #Bulgaria

📩 Our Bucharest office is delighted to invite you to an insightful discussion at JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, as part of TaxEU Forum 2025, featuring Theodor Artenie (Tax Advisor, Counsel) as a key speaker in the panel 📌 Tax Inspections in 2025: Challenges we know but cannot control.   📅 When: Thursday, 13 February, 2:00 PM 📍 Where: JW Marriott Hotel, Bucharest ✍ Register here: https://lnkd.in/dXNMASEY   🔎 Key discussion points:   ✔️ Tax planning and optimization strategies: Sustainable solutions to minimize tax burdens ✔️ The latest challenges in tax inspections and their implications ✔️ Insights into tax planning and risk mitigation strategies   Additionally, Theodor will take part in a debate session later in the event—stay tuned for more details!   #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #Romania #TaxConference #TaxUpdates #StrategicInsights

🌟 We’re proud to share the recent precedent-setting success of our Almaty office: our Dispute Resolution team has successfully represented Freschette Limited before the AIFC Court. The decision of the AIFC Court established that the AIFC Court can have jurisdiction over disputes concerning the foreclosure of pledged immovable property. What makes this decision such a significant one? ☝️ 🏘️ This is the first time that the AIFC Court has addressed the question of its jurisdiction in a real estate dispute, affirming that they can have jurisdiction over such cases. This milestone decision provides that Articles 31 and 467 of the Kazakh Civil Procedure Code do not limit the AIFC Court’s jurisdiction in cases when the parties agree to turn to the Court. 📝An important procedural precedent was set when the AIFC Court granted, for the first time ever, an injunction against the defendants pursuing proceedings on the matter in the Almaty courts. 💡 Our Dispute Resolution team was led by Ardak Idayatova (Partner), and included Farukh Iminov (Associate), Usen Tastanbekov (Junior Associate), and Dinara Nurgazy (Associate). 💻 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dmNsb6F4 #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #DisputeResolution #AIFC #Precedent #RealEstate #LawUpdate

👋 Meet us at Renpower Central Asia 2025 on 📅 19-20 February in 📍 Radisson Blu Hotel, Tashkent. We're proud to be the 🤝 Lead Partner of this conference hosted by Euroconvention Global, where renowned experts from the region will get a chance to discuss the fast-paced transformation of the 🔋 energy landscape across Central Asia. 💡 Make sure to attend 🔦 Session 6: "Financing of Renewable Energy Projects in Central Asia", brought to you by Sher Yunusov, Partner in our #Tashkent office, on Day 2. 🛎️ We've got you covered on Day 1, too, as we're hosting the morning coffee break. Come and join us for some 🗨️ insightful conversations coupled with a ☕ cup of coffee. ✍ Register to the event here: https://lnkd.in/dZ9an8Hk #ExceptionalTogether #LeadPartner #InTheKnow #Renpower #Energy #RenewableEnergy #LawConference #CentralAsia #Uzbekistan #Tashkent

♻️ New #EU #Packaging Regulation: What You Need to Know ♻️ The EU has introduced new rules on packaging and packaging waste to drive sustainability and circular economy goals. The PPWR, that enters into force on 11 February 2025, imposes stricter requirements on businesses. Key changes impacting businesses: ✅ Mandatory recyclability  ✅ Compostable packaging for certain types of products ✅ New labelling requirements  ✅ Deposit & return systems across the EU by 2029 ➡️ Swipe through to learn more!  🔗 Read the full article, written by our experts Péter Vörös and Fanni Oroszi, LL.M: https://lnkd.in/dajewM4n #ExceptionalTogether #EU #EURegulations #Packaging #PPWR

⚠️You can still register! Join our unique online webinar on 📅 11 February, 11:00 CET, focusing on the latest status of transposition of the 🌏 Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), along with regulatory updates on ESG. ♻️ You will gain: 📑Valuable insights into the crucial legal factors in preparing for CSRD reporting; 📌Up-to-date knowledge of the CSRD transposition status in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia; 🌱Comprehensive understanding of important ESG rules being rolled out in CEE and beyond; 💡 Answers to any questions you might have about the topic. Register here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dkKddspw Our reputable group of presenters includes: 🇧🇬 Svilen Issaev (Counsel, Bulgaria) 🇭🇷 Vedran Kopilović (Counsel, Croatia) 🇨🇿 Jan Lehký (Counsel, Co-Head of ESG, Czech Republic) 🇭🇺 Monika Frank (Of Counsel, Hungary) 🇷🇴 Carmen Mazilu (Senior Associate, Romania) 🇷🇸 Sara Ostojić (Senior Associate, Serbia) 🇸🇰 Roman Oleksik (Partner, Slovakia) 🇹🇷 Şeyma Olğun (Senior Associate, Turkey) 🇺🇦 Olena Kuchynska (Managing Partner, Co-Head of ESG, Ukraine) 📩 If you have any questions, please contact Mariana Varbanova at . Looking forward to a #Stellar discussion with you! ✨ #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #Webinar #LawWebinar #ESG #CSRD #CEE #Europe #EU #Insight

🇧🇬📣 Kinstellar successfully advises TSH Investment, the joint venture between the real estate investment companies Trinity Capital AD and HUS Invest AD, on the acquisition of 🛍️ Park Center shopping mall, strategically located in the heart of Sofia. 🚀 TSH Investment acquired Park Center from Revetas Capital Advisors, a European real estate investment advisor. The purchase is set to enhance the potential and appeal of the mall. ♟ Kinstellar advised on all aspects of the acquisition, including transaction structuring, debt restructuring elements, and real estate acquisition, by providing multidisciplinary support to the in-house team of TSH. 🤝 The team was led by Antonia Mavrova (Partner and Head of Real Estate) and Atanas Mihaylov (Counsel and Head of Tax Practice), with the key support of Nikolay Gergov (Senior Associate) on the transaction and Georgi Kanev (Managing Associate) on the due diligence. 🖱️ https://lnkd.in/dr7JNcbB #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #propertymarket #propertyinvestment #Bulgaria #Sofia #MergersAndAcquisitions #Tax #RealEstate

📢 🇺🇦 Congratulations to Natalia Kirichenko and her IP&T team in Ukraine! 🎉   🏅We are proud to share that Natalia Kirichenko and Kinstellar’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice have been awarded the Bronze band by World Trademark Review in the WTR 1000 2025 rankings for their outstanding work.   💡 Kinstellar helps clients effectively protect, manage, and monetize their IP assets. We offer comprehensive IP services tailored to your needs covering both contentious and non-contentious matters.   #Exceptionaltogether #IntellectualProperty #WTR1000 #Kinstellar #IPExperts #leadinglawyers #Ukraine #Trademarks