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Kinstellar welcomes Daniele Iàcona as Head of the Italian Desk
Kinstellar is pleased to announce that Daniele Iàcona has joined the firm as Head of the Italian Desk. Based in Bucharest, Daniele will lead the development of our Italian Desk, supporting Italian clients and investors across Central and Eastern Europe. He brings over 20 years of experience in the region, having lived and worked primarily in Romania, with secondments in Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Türkiye, as well as international experience in Australia, Brazil and Spain. A dual-qualified lawyer admitted to the Bar in both Italy and Romania, Daniele focuses on Corporate/M&A and Energy, with relevant experience in international arbitration. He advises Italian investors on cross-border investments and supports
No national taxation of free CO₂ emission allowances (ECJ Case C‑519/24)
April 2026 – In its ruling issued today, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) clarified that Member States may not impose national taxes on CO2 emission allowances allocated free of charge under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The case originated in Hungary, where the authorities, invoking a state of emergency due to the war in Ukraine, introduced a tax on free CO2 emission allowances granted to major emitters. The ECJ stated in its ruling the following: The free allocation of CO2 emission allowances is fully harmonised at EU level on a sectoral basis. National fiscal measures are permissible only if they do not undermine the objectives of the EU ETS. Directive 2003/87/EC aims to maintain economic
Kinstellar announces new Partner and Counsel promotions
Kinstellar is pleased to announce the promotions to Partner of Pavel Kornilov (Almaty), Yerlan Akhmetov (Almaty), Olga Šipka (Belgrade), Dominika Bajzáthová (Bratislava), Theodor Artenie (Bucharest), Maksym Tesliar (Kyiv), Mladen Minev (Sofia), and Svilen Issaev (Sofia), and to Counsel of Katarina Živković (Belgrade), Lukáš Mrázik (Bratislava), Lidia Zarnescu (Bucharest), Razvan Constantinescu (Bucharest), Dániel Péter (Budapest), Adam Němec (Prague), and Radim Kotrba (Prague). Partners Pavel Kornilov, Astana/Almaty Pavel is recognised as a top-tier lawyer with extensive experience in capital markets, debt finance, banking, and M&A matters. He advises clients on equity and debt capital markets
AI washing in the workplace: when “AI made us do it” is not enough
Artificial intelligence is increasingly invoked as the explanation behind organisational changes, productivity shifts, or even workforce reductions. In many cases this reflects a genuine technological transformation. In others, however, AI risks becoming a convenient narrative rather than an accurate description of what actually occurs within a business. The numbers are instructive. According to a report published by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, of the 1.2 million job cuts announced by US companies in 2025, AI was cited in approximately 55,000 of them. When workforce decisions are already subject to scrutiny, explanations that do not hold up to legal or factual examination may create additional risks for employers.
Kinstellar launches its regional, comprehensive Tax Service Line
Kinstellar is pleased to announce the launch of the Tax Service Line, marking a significant step in the continued development of the Firm’s integrated, full-service platform. The new Tax Service Line strengthens Kinstellar’s ability to deliver comprehensive, end-to-end tax and legal support across its jurisdictions. The regional Tax Service Line will be led by our reputable tax lawyer and tax advisors and Co-Heads Maja Mayrhuber (Partner, Austria) and Theodor Artenie (Counsel, Romania), who will drive the strategic direction of the practice area and oversee the rollout of the Service Line across the Firm. They will be supported by a core regional team of experienced tax experts, including Atanas Mihaylov (Counsel
ESG legal update: Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions (Q4 2025)
The final quarter of the year confirmed that ESG regulation across the region is entering a more mature and operational phase. While legislative alignment with EU sustainability frameworks continues, the focus has increasingly shifted towards implementation, enforcement and market readiness. A key theme of Q4 was the consolidation of sustainability reporting regimes following the transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the practical impact of the Stop-the-Clock measures. Several jurisdictions moved from legislative uncertainty to clearer compliance pathways, while companies continue to navigate the evolving scope and timing of reporting obligations amid ongoing EU-level reform discussions.
Digital Product Passports: The regulatory shift fashion brands need to plan for
Fashion and luxury brands selling into the EU should prepare for a regulatory shift that will directly affect how products are documented, traced and placed on the market. Regulatory work is now intensifying on implementing measures, including the rollout of Digital Product Passports (DPPs). DPPs are becoming a central instrument in the EU’s strategy to advance circularity, transparency and sustainability. For the fashion industry, DPPs represent not only a compliance obligation, but a shift in how product data and supply chains are managed. DPPs as a new regulatory standard A Digital Product Passport will function as a product’s digital identity, containing information on origin, material composition
Kinstellar is ranked among the world’s leading investigations practices in GIR 100 2025
Kinstellar is honoured to be featured in this year’s GIR 100, the annual guide that recognises the top 100 law firms worldwide for cross-border and local corporate investigations. The GIR 100, published by Global Investigations Review, highlights firms with strong capabilities in government-led and internal investigations. Each firm is selected based on in-depth editorial research demonstrating its ability to handle complex cross-border, government-led and internal investigations. This year’s guide highlights Kinstellar’s experience advising multinational companies, financial institutions, and global law firms on a wide range of investigations, including internal reviews, whistleblower matters, export-control
Dieselgate settlements – BGH declares shareholders’ resolution void
The German Supreme Court (“BGH”) has annulled the resolution of the general meeting of Volkswagen AG (“VW AG”) in the so-called “Dieselgate” scandal, where settlements concluded with former members of the management board (liability settlements) as well as with the involved D&O insurers (coverage settlements) were approved. The court found that the general meeting had been convened improperly and that the accompanying documents provided insufficient information. With this judgment, the BGH strengthens shareholders’ rights to information and disclosure. Given the substantially identical provisions under Austrian stock corporation law, this judgment is also relevant for Austrian stock corporations (Aktiengesellschaften).
ESG legal update: Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions (Q3 2025)
Drawing on insights from Kinstellar’s ESG Service Line members, we present you summary of the most recent regulatory and policy updates impacting ESG across the Central and Eastern European and Central Asian region. Q3 of 2025 saw continued momentum in ESG regulation, marked by following themes. First, progress on the transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (EU) 2022/2464 (CSRD) and related due diligence legislation under the new direction of the Omnibus proposals remained uneven across the region. Several countries managed to adjust timelines and thresholds in response to the EU’s Directive (EU) 2025/794 (the Stop-the-Clock Directive). At the same time, national authorities are moving
Kinstellar announces leadership appointments across firmwide Sectors and Service Lines
Kinstellar is delighted to announce several leadership appointments across our Service Lines and Sectors: Horst Ebhardt (Office Managing Partner, Vienna) has been appointed Co-Head of the M&A, Corporate and Private Equity Service Line, alongside Jan Juroška (Prague Office Managing Partner), Cătălin Graure (Counsel, Bucharest) will serve as Head of the firm-wide Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening Service Line, and Barbara Kusak (Partner, Prague) and Rusandra Sandu (Partner, Bucharest) will lead our firm-wide Consumer & Retail Sector. Horst brings 25 years of experience in private practice, specialising in complex cross-border M&A, privatisations, and restructuring
ESG legal update: Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions (Q2 2025)
Our ESG Legal Update provides a snapshot of recent regulatory developments across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with input from Kinstellar’s ESG Service Line members. Several cross-border trends emerge. The transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) remains ongoing in many jurisdictions, often delayed or adapted in response to recent EU-level changes. In parallel, regulators in multiple countries—such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Ukraine—are strengthening ESG risk management requirements in the financial sector. There is also a clear push toward more robust environmental compliance and