Kristóf Ferenczi is the Managing Partner of the Budapest office and the head of the firm-wide Energy & Natural Resources sector.

Kristóf has substantial experience in energy and natural resources related transactions, including transactions in the electricity, natural gas and district heating sectors, the implementation of major conventional power plant projects and renewable energy development projects, as well as in advising on national and European energy regulatory issues. In addition, he has also gained considerable experience in the field of private M&A and privatisation transactions.

Kristóf is also an arbitrator of the Permanent Court of Arbitration for Energy and has extensive experience in advising on energy sector related contentious matters, including international and domestic arbitration matters, litigation and mediation, in particular in the electricity and natural gas sectors.

Kristóf Ferenczi understands our strategy. His main strength is his commercial and business understanding. He always provides answers to everything and has a vast knowledge.

Super responsive, very commercial and an absolute pleasure to work with.

Chambers Europe, 2022 & 2023

RECENT ENGAGEMENTS INCLUDE ADVISING

Energy & Natural Resources

• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the USD 8 billion long-term natural gas sale and purchase transaction in the Black Sea region
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the acquisition of 98.99% of the registered capital and voting rights in the Hungarian company Tigázfrom the Italian oil & gas giant Eni, including its gas distribution operations in Hungary
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the establishment of a HUF 97.5 billion 430,000 sqm greenfield electric vehicle battery factory in Hungary
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the greenfield development of two major petrochemical development projects in Siberia, Russia, with an overall value over USD 1.4 billion, including the drafting and negotiation of the suite of EPC contracts successfully concluded for the two projects
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on drafting and negotiation of a Framework EPC Contract for more than five revamp projects of a specific production facility in its petrochemical complex
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on a project regarding the sale of a major mining asset in Hungary
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on a contemplated Hungarian transaction relating to the development of a large-scale PV project with a built-in capacity exceeding 100 MW
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the energy regulatory and insolvency law aspects of its dispute with a large Romanian electricity trading company, which encountered serious financial difficulties and became insolvent
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the regulatory aspects of conducting power and natural gas trading activities in Hungary, Turkey, Albania and Slovenia
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the Hungarian law implications of the acquisition of Renovalia’s renewable energy portfolio including two wind farms in Hungary from Promontoria Holding 124 BV
• A CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT on the expansion of a maleic anhydride unit in the Danube refinery complex in Hungary, including on the preparation of the EPC tender and negotiation with the licensor

EDUCATION

• 2000 – 2001: Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg, France, Postgraduate studies in Business Law
• 1995 – 2000: University Eötvös Loránd, Budapest, Hungary, Faculty of Law, Bachelor of Law
• 1993 – 1995: United World College of the Adriatic, Duino, Italy, International Baccalaureate Diploma

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION

Budapest Bar Association

LANGUAGES

Hungarian, English, French, Italian

PUBLICATIONS

• The first handbook on the operation and regulation of the Hungarian natural gas sector, Complex Wolters Kluwer, 2013 (co-author)