April 2022 – Kinstellar is delighted to announce that Csilla Andrékó (Partner in the Budapest office, and head of the firm-wide Banking & Finance service), Diana Dimova (Managing Partner of the Sofia office), and Nina Tsifudina (Partner in the Sofia office) have been recognised among the most prominent women lawyers across the world by the prestigious IFLR1000 “Women Leaders” 2022 ranking.
Csilla, Diana and Nina were selected for their outstanding reputations within their markets, impressive track records working on complex deals, the quality of their advice and service, and their leadership roles with their practices. It is the third consecutive year for Diana, the fifth for Csilla, and the first that Nina has received this international accolade.
Csilla Andrékó is a Partner in Kinstellar’s Budapest office and head of the firm-wide Banking, Finance & Capital Markets, and Restructuring & Insolvency services. She is a specialist in project, property and acquisition finance, restructuring and insolvency matters, PPP/PFI finance, and Hungarian and international banking and syndicated lending and has broad experience in structured trade finance, MTN programmes, and bond and securities issues. In addition to her mainstream banking practice, Csilla leads the Hungarian Compliance, Risk & Sensitive Investigations team. She has been involved in numerous internal investigations across a number of sectors, including energy, retail and pharmaceutical in relation to the risk assessment of operations and white-collar crimes such as bribery, fraud and money laundering.
Csilla has over 25 years of experience in the profession and served as the Managing Partner of the Budapest office for 13 years. She is highly esteemed for her outstanding track record of advising international clients on bond offerings, complex property and project finance mandates.
Csilla is highly respected on the market and is consistently ranked tier-1 in international legal directories. In recent editions, clients highlight that "she is very approachable, responsive and ready with a solution," adding that "she is devoted to representing clients and fights for all issues until the last moment."
Diana Dimova has been Managing Partner of Kinstellar’s Sofia office since its launch in 2014. She has almost 20 years of legal and management experience. She advises corporations and financial institutions on a wide range of corporate and M&A issues across a variety of sectors, including acquisition and disposition of private and listed companies, restructuring and corporate governance.
Diana is annually highlighted as particularly strong in M&A, private equity and public tenders for large infrastructure projects by the leading international legal directories. In recent editions, clients comment: ‘‘Diana Dimova really gets involved and is the driving force behind the practice".
She has advised numerous international companies on their market entry and, subsequently, on the entire spectrum of on-going corporate matters. She led the Sofia team on some of the most notable M&A transactions in the financial services sector in Bulgaria, including the market entry and subsequent expansion of KBC and the largest public-private partnership deal in Bulgaria to date, the concession of Sofia Airport.
Nina Tsifudina has over 14 years of experience advising on large international transactions. She is counsel to local and multinational companies on a wide range of commercial matters and cross-border deals, reorganisations and market-entry strategies, with a focus on the TMT, pharma and financial services sectors. She also represents private equity and venture capital firms on acquisitions, disposals and restructurings, as well as portfolio companies on all corporate matters.
Nina is regularly praised by clients and peers in legal directories. In the recent editions clients describe her as ‘‘responsive and detail-oriented‘‘, and one impressed client praises her flexibility, adding that: ‘‘She reacts quickly.”
Each year IFLR1000 evaluates lawyers and firms on the basis of transactional experience and market feedback. IFLR1000’s “Women Leaders” is a supplement to the IFLR1000, an annual guide to the world’s leading financial and corporate law firms. Rankings are based on market analysis and detailed interviews with both practitioners and clients.