Kinstellar has successfully advised Wienerberger on the acquisition of Betonárna Lesonice, a Czech manufacturer of concrete pavers. This strategic acquisition strengthens Wienerberger’s position in the construction and infrastructure sectors, addressing the growing demand for concrete paving and advanced sound insulation solutions in the Czech market. Kinstellar acted as legal counsel to Wienerberger, providing full-scope advisory throughout the transaction. The team was co-led by Barbara Kusak (Partner) and Michal Janíček (Counsel), with key support from Matěj Bolek (Senior Associate), Tereza Marek, Štěpán Gřešák, Matěj Korduliak (Associates), and Pavel Hrdý (Junior Associate). BDO provided financial
Our TMT Legal Update provides insights from our law experts and aims to keep you regularly up to date with sector news, trends and legislation in the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions. This issue covers key updates from our jurisdictions from the past few months. REGIONAL Implementation status of certain EU regulations Technology 01. New development regarding NIS 2 Directive implementation in various Kinstellar jurisdictions The EU's NIS2 Directive is a cybersecurity act aimed at improving overall cybersecurity in the EU. Member States must implement it by 17 October 2024. Below we provide
Kinstellar is very pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of the Bratislava and Prague offices of the highly respected German law firm, Noerr. The acquisition of Noerr’s Bucharest operations, the final piece of the transaction, is set to close following final administrative approvals which are expected soon. This milestone marks a significant step forward in Kinstellar's growth journey. Over the past 16 years, we have grown from 4 offices to a dynamic international firm with 12 offices across 11 markets in Central, Eastern, and South-eastern Europe, Turkey, Ukraine, and Central Asia. Adding the Noerr teams in Bratislava, Prague and, very soon, in Bucharest substantially enhances our strength and depth in these three markets.
Kinstellar is delighted to announce it has successfully advised CCC—a leading Polish-based footwear manufacturer and retailer with a network of over 1,000 stores across 29 countries—on the Romanian, Czech, Croatian, Hungarian and Slovak legal aspects of a PLN 1.8 billion (approximately EUR 420 million) term and revolving facilities agreement. The financing, which is provided by a consortium of lenders including mBank, EBRD, Bank Pekao, BNP Paribas Bank Polska, PKO Bank Polski, Santander Bank Polska, and Bank Handlowy w Warszawie, as well as the factoring entities Santander Factoring, mFaktoring, PKO Faktoring, and BNP Paribas Faktoring, will support CCC’s ongoing operations and the further development of its brands
Kinstellar has successfully advised on the Czech law aspects of the combination of the businesses of Germany-based KTP Kunststoff Palettentechnik, a portfolio company of VR Equitypartner, and Belgium-based conTeyor International, majority-owned by Gilde Equity Management. The transaction creates a leading group in the sustainable packaging sector, combining KTP's foldable container expertise with conTeyor's textile inner packaging solutions. The newly formed group is expected to generate sales of approximately EUR 200 million annually and employ around 1,000 people. The Kinstellar team in Prague was led by Karla Rundtová (Partner) and included Adam Němec (Managing Associate) and Tereza Holubová (Senior Associate)
Minimum salary A new methodology for determining minimum salaries has been implemented. In line with EU legislation, from 2025 the minimum wage will be determined by an indexation mechanism and be announced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs no later than on 30 September for the following year. The guaranteed salary grading (an additional “minimum” salary scaled according to the complexity of the given work) has been abolished as obsolete. Accordingly, from 1 August the only minimum salary amount which employers must adhere to is the minimum salary, determined and announced as above. The proposed (not yet approved) level of the minimum salary is 42,2 % of the average salary, i.e. CZK 20 600 for 2025
The Czech Republic will soon join a group of European countries that offer incentives to the video games industry. The video games industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors in the Czech Republic in recent years, and enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide – despite the lack of any kind of state support. However, this will likely soon change with the adoption of an amendment to the Czech Act on Audiovision (the “Amendment”). Some of the most significant new changes introduced by the Amendment are the transformation of the current Czech Film Fund into the Czech Audiovisual Fund (the “Fund”) and the extension of the state incentive system to include the video games industry. According to the Amendment
Kinstellar’s Prague office has successfully advised Genesis Growth Equity Fund I, part of the established private equity group Genesis Capital, on the acquisition of a majority stake in Předvýběr.CZ. Genesis Growth Equity Fund I (GGEF I), a private equity fund focused on growth investments in small and medium-sized enterprises operating mainly in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, partnered with the founding owners, František Boudný and Vladimír Kočí, who will retain a significant minority share and remain actively involved in the company's management. Předvýběr.CZ, founded in 2008 and based in Prague, specialises in the time-consuming aspects of candidate recruitment for mid-level and lower-level positions.
Kinstellar has successfully advised ČSOB on the financing of a portfolio of rooftop solar power plants for CPI Property Group in the Czech Republic through a green loan. The transition to an ecological, low-carbon economy is an essential step for our continued operations. Green financing drives changes towards a sustainable future by supporting projects, initiatives, and technologies that positively impact the environment. The current construction of the solar power plants portfolio is one such example in which Kinstellar has played a key advisory role for the ČSOB group. CPI Property Group is a leading European real estate owner with over thirty years of history. In the Czech Republic, it is the largest owner of
Kinstellar is delighted to announce the appointment of new managing partners for our Bratislava and Prague offices, and of a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) effective 1 July 2024. Viliam Myšička is the new Managing Partner of the Bratislava Office, succeeding Adam Hodoň. Adam has been appointed as the Firm’s COO. Viliam has been with Kinstellar since its inception and was previously with Linklaters. He leads the M&A service line in Slovakia and serves as the head of the firm-wide Restructuring & Insolvency service line, as well as the co-head of the firm-wide Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) sector. Viliam brings nearly 20 years of professional experience, advising clients across a wide range
Kinstellar has recently provided expert legal advice to Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in medical innovations for heart disease, as well as critical care and surgical monitoring, through a secondment arrangement, focusing on data protection. This collaboration ensured that Edwards Lifesciences navigated complex data protection regulations effectively, safeguarding their business interests and maintaining compliance with applicable laws. The expert legal advice was provided by Simona Semanová, with further support from our Kinstellar team in Prague led by Tomáš Čihula and Petr Bratský.
The Government of the Czech Republic has introduced new regulations opening up the country’s labour market to citizens of nine countries. The measures, effective from 1 July 2024, are intended as a step towards a more open and flexible labour market in the Czech Republic. Specifically, citizens of Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, US and Israel will no longer require a work permit, employee card, intra-company transfer card or blue card to work in the Czech Republic as of 1 July 2024. The changes abolish an existing requirement for job-seekers to supply details of employment contracts, evidence of professional qualifications or education, a transfer letter and documents evidencing the