PETERKA & PARTNERS

10/12/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS provides legal advice to top Czech exporters
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic is pleased to provide legal services to some of the top Czech export companies. The Economic Chamber of the Czech Republic has announced the best exporters of the year 2019, and among the winners can be found our clients Ferrit, T Machinery and TOS Varnsdorf. PETERKA & PARTNERS Russia also advises TOS Varnsdorf; we are proud to be able to offer legal advice to our clients across all of the jurisdictions of CEE in which we have our offices. Many congratulations to the winners! You can find the full article here (in Czech).

28/11/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS at Beaujolais Nouveau & Svatomartinske evening
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic took part as a partner company at the festive Beaujolais Nouveau & Svatomartinske event organized by the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce. The celebration took place on Thursday, 21 November, in the "Obcanska plovarna" restaurant. The evening included wine tasting, live music, boat cruises and the chance to win prizes given away by the partner companies; PETERKA & PARTNERS gave away a bottle of champagne and a Foie gras gift set.
Thank you to the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce for having us there!
To view photos from the event, please see link and the full gallery you can find in this link.

15/11/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic organized VAT-related seminar focused on cross-border transactions
The Czech office held a successful seminar on 14 November in Prague dedicated to the application of VAT on cross-border transactions, in particular on the 2020 Quick Fixes, and online platforms. To see slides from the event, or should you have any tax-related queries, please contact Mr Rostislav Frelich, Tax Advisor and Leader of the Tax Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS. A photo from the seminar can be found by following this link.

13/11/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS assists, and coordinates legal advice for, SYNOT Group
The Prague and Romanian offices of PETERKA & PARTNERS, over the long term, have been providing legal advice to Channel Crossings Limited from Group SYNOT, an international company providing various services in the Gaming industry, in large cross-border litigation in France and Monaco. The Czech office of PETERKA & PARTNERS, and especially our French Desk, leads and coordinates various French and Monacan legal advisors.

31/10/2019 Petr Hradil to participate in "New Trends in HR" seminar
Petr Hradil, Senior Associate at PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, will participate and speak at the Human Resources and Labour Law oriented seminar "New Trends in HR". The seminar will be organized by the Czech-Polish Chamber of Commerce and take place on 6 November in Ostrava.
Petr will speak especially about current changes to the GDPR and how these changes affect Labour Law. For more information, please see invitation (in Czech) or follow this link.

16/10/2019 Interview with Ondřej Peterka in Lidové noviny
Lidové noviny, one of the most widely read Czech newspapers, has published a discussion with Ondřej Peterka, the Founder and Managing Partner at PETERKA & PARTNERS. Mr. Peterka and other representatives of Czech-based law firms spoke on the topic of Czech law firms doing business internationally and how to succeed on international markets.
Mr. Peterka and the others spoke mainly about their motivations for establishing international branches, issues about doing business globally, and their law firms' goals and future plans.
The full article can be found at this link (in Czech).

08/10/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic assists in case against French company
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic assisted its client, a Czech individual working in the aviation industry, in a potential labour law dispute against her employer, a French company. The assistance was led by our French Desk, which is proud to provide its legal advice internationally.

30/09/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS recommended by IFLR1000
We are delighted to be ranked once again in the latest edition of the annual international legal guide IFLR1000 for the year 2020. Being ranked repeatedly over the last few years, confirms the significant position PETERKA & PARTNERS holds as a truly CEE law firm.
Our offices in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Russia retained our positions in the practice areas of Banking and Finance, M&A, Restructuring and Insolvency and Project Development. Newly, we have been recommended in the Banking and Finance practice area in Ukraine and in the Project Development practice area in Belarus.
Also, with the greatest pleasure, we would like to inform you that the PETERKA & PARTNERS Warsaw office has been ranked by IFLR1000 for the first time as a Tier 5 law firm in Poland for the M&A practice area.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients for their trust in us!
If you wish to see the entire rankings, please click on this link.

08/07/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic provides legal services to NEECO
PETERKA & PARTNERS provides legal services to NEECO, a leading provider of complex, global ICT services, in the field of Labour Law. We are proud to advise a world leader in providing services and delivering hardware to global network operators. The Czech office of PETERKA & PARTNERS advised NEECO France, United Kingdom and India with a future view to advising branches in other countries. The advice was led by Marketa Hanzlikova, Senior Associate.

02/07/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS, proud partner of Polish-Czech Literary Spring 2019
For the second year in a row, PETERKA & PARTNERS was delighted to be a partner of the event The Polish-Czech Literary Spring 2019 organized by the Czech Centre in Warsaw. The second annual Polish-Czech Literary Spring was focused on the “common memory of both countries”. This bilateral project was held from April to June with several events on Czech and Polish authors, artists, journalists and translators to Polish, in whose works you can find an emphasis on the topic of memory.
In April, we sponsored a reading of a new Polish version, translated by Leszek Engelking, of the famous Czech novel Saturnin. Another reading was devoted to Viola Fisherová, a Czech poet, who could not publish after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. The Polish translation was recited by the Polish actress Maja Komorowska.
In May, the film As If We Could Die Today (Jako bychom dnes zemřít měli) was screened, the life story of Catholic priest Josef Toufar, who was tortured to death by the communists. A discussion followed the screening – about the film and the book it was based upon. And in June, there was a reading by the Polish writer Wiesław Myśliwski, whose work has been translated into Czech.
For more detailed information about the events, please see this link (in Polish).
To see some photos of the event, please open this link.

19/06/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic holds tax-related seminar focused on employee benefits
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic held a seminar dedicated to employee benefits and tax effective methods for the remuneration of employees and executive directors. The event took place on 19 June, in Prague. For further information, please see the invitation in the link (in Czech). To see slides from the event, or should you have any tax-related queries, please contact Mr Rostislav Frelich, Tax Advisor and Leader of the Tax Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS. A photo from the seminar can be found by following this link.

03/06/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic Proud Partner of Vodafone Idea of the Year
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic is proud to be taking part once again, as a partner company, in the start-up competition Vodafone Idea of the Year. The grand finale takes place in just two days time, on 5 June 2019, and we will be thrilled to learn about the winners, who will be able to utilize our prize – legal services. If you wish to learn more about the competition, please visit this link.

30/05/2019 Czech and Russian offices named Law Firms of the Year in Benchmark Litigation Europe
PETERKA & PARTNERS is delighted, and proud, to inform you that our offices in the Czech Republic and Russia were named as Law Firms of the Year in the international legal directory Benchmark Litigation Europe, an annual guide devoted to litigation. Jiří Černý, Partner of PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic and Leader of the Litigation and Insolvency Practice, and Vlad Rudnitskiy, Partner, and Deputy Director for PETERKA & PARTNERS Russia, were recommended as Lawyers of the Year. Being ranked by Benchmark Litigation Europe is a great honour and confirms the firm’s significant position on the litigation and disputes markets.
For more information, please see this link.

28/05/2019 Czech, Romanian and Slovak offices contribute to ILN “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace” guide
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, members of the International Lawyers Network (ILN), participated in the preparation of a guide on the legal aspects of sexual harassment in the workplace, published by the ILN and describing the law in force in various jurisdictions. To view the guide, please click on this link.

21/05/2019 Business discussion on "Current Export Opportunities in Romania and Bulgaria" at Czech Trade
Czech Trade has organized a seminar on the topic "The Current Export Opportunities in Romania and Bulgaria" for 23 May 2019. Pavla Kopeckova Prikrylova, Partner, will attend the event as a speaker and share her knowledge there on doing business in Romania. If you have any questions related to the topic, do not hesitate to contact Pavla at prikrylova@peterkapartners.cz.
For more information about the seminar, please visit this link.

24/04/2019 Czech, Romanian and Slovak offices contribute to ILN’s “Buying and Selling Real Estate”
The PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia offices, as members of the International Lawyers Network (ILN), participated in the preparation of an ILN guide on the legal aspects of buying and selling real estate in several jurisdictions. Each article includes chapters dedicated to the purchase of undeveloped and developed plots of land, and the purchase of a building or flat in the respective jurisdictions. The article prepared by the Czech office is available here. The article by the Romanian office can be found through this link. To view the article by the Slovak office, please click on this link.

23/04/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS hosts meet-up of new members of French-Czech Chamber of Commerce
Last Tuesday, PETERKA & PARTNERS hosted the event "Meet-Up of New Members of the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce" at our premises in Prague. After the 22 new members briefly gave some background on their activities, everyone had the opportunity to chat over a glass of wine with both new and old members of the Chamber. Thank you all for coming!
For more information about the event, please click on this link.

18/04/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS once again recommended by Legal500 and by Media Law International
We are delighted to inform you that the latest edition (2019) of Legal500 EMEA, a prestigious publication on the legal services market, recommends PETERKA & PARTNERS in several practice areas in six countries and that our firm has retained its positions and confirmed its outstanding reputation on the CEE market.
We are proud to announce that the PETERKA & PARTNERS Warsaw office has been ranked by Legal 500 for the first time as a Tier 5 law firm in Poland for the Commercial, Corporate and M&A practice area and a Tier 3 law firm for Restructuring and Insolvency.
Also, we are recommended in Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Real Estate and Construction and TMT in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, Bulgaria and Ukraine.
Moreover, PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic and Russia were successfully recommended by the legal journal Media Law International, a specialist guide to the world’s leading firms for media law.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients for their trust in us!

04/04/2019 Business discussion on "The Current Economic Situation And Business Opportunities in Russia" at Czech Trade
Czech Trade has organized a conference and a discussion panel on the topic "The Current Economic Situation and Business Opportunities in Russia" for 10 April 2019. Partner and Leader of the Russian Desk, Monika Simunkova Hoskova, will attend the event as a speaker and share her knowledge there on the localization of production in the Russian Federation. If you wish to talk to her at the event, please do not hesitate to sign up first through the link below and/or contact Monika here at hoskova@peterkapartners.cz. For more information please follow this link.

03/04/2019 First Sanctions Under GDPR
Google has become the first worldwide technology company to be fined for breaching the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The €50 million (CZK 1,280,780,000) fine was imposed by French regulator CNIL at the beginning of this year based on complaints relating to how Google processed the personal data of data subjects. The common opinion is that this case is only the tip of the iceberg and it is considered as the first warning to large administrators and processors of data in the world since the financial consequences of breaching GDPR rules may be serious. The maximum amount of fines under the GDPR is €20 million or in the case of an undertaking 4 per cent of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. In the other EU countries as well, the data protection authorities are starting to impose sanctions under the GDPR. The most common identified transgressions are the lack of transparency and information on processing and invalid consent (the Google case) or inefficient data minimization and insufficient data security (other cases). With the adoption of the new Act on Personal Data Processing and the expiration of one year from the GDPR coming into effect, a change in the approach of the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection, which has not yet imposed any significant sanctions under the GDPR, can be expected.

28/02/2019 New article about foreign online shops operating in the Czech Republic
More and more Czech consumers are attracted by online shops, including foreign ones. What requirements for operating online shops must be met and what rules apply to online shops which offer services exclusively from abroad but are not physically present in the Czech Republic?
An article dealing with answers these questions, written by Gabriela Hájková, was published on the TerraLex website. For the full article, please follow this link.

20/02/2019 DFK EMEA Annual Conference 2019 in Prague
Tax Advisor Rostislav Frelich will attend the DFK EMEA Annual Conference to be held in Prague on 21-23 February 2019 as an official delegate of PETERKA & PARTNERS. If you have any inquiries related to current tax policies and/or are interested in meeting Rostislav, please don't hesitate to contact him at frelich@peterkapartners.cz.
Moreover, today we will proudly host a reception for the DFK Board of Directors in the premises of our Czech office. We are looking forward to meeting all of our invited guests!

17/01/2019 PETERKA & PARTNERS articles published in CEE Legal Matters
PETERKA & PARTNERS had two articles published in the latest issue, focused on Tax, of the magazine CEE Legal Matters.
Rostislav Frelich, Tax Advisor and Leader of the Tax Desk at the Czech office, wrote the article “What Do the Tax Authorities Learn?” in which he summarized the basic principles of exchange of information in the field of taxation. The full article is available here.
The second article was written by Anna Zaitseva, Tax Advisor, and Vlad Rudnitskiy, Partner and Deputy Director, both of the Russian office. The article describes the tax risks for pharma representative offices in Russia. The full article can be found through this link.
If you would like to read the entire magazine, please click here and here.

20/12/2018 New guide "Buying & Selling Real Estate" published by ILN
Our offices in the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia participated in a new overview of the legal aspects of buying and selling real estate, published by the International Lawyers Network, of which PETERKA & PARTNERS is a member. The guide contains information on the types of real property transactions and the major contents of purchase agreements in 20 countries. To view the full guide, please click on this link.

29/11/2018 Employment webinar: EU employment law – England, Poland & Czech Republic
One of the most challenging aspects of an employer’s daily activities is handling disciplinary and dismissal issues. On 5 December, Adela Krbcova, Partner and Director of our Prague office, will be an expert panellist in an international webinar organized by Boyes Turner, one of the UK’s leading full-service regional law firms, and will be discussing current European employment law issues.
There are still some places remaining, check out the event and secure a place with this link or contact us directly at andrascikova@peterkapartners.cz.
Adela and her co-panellists from England and Poland are looking forward to meeting you online!

28/11/2018 Seminar on Trade Unions at PETERKA & PARTNERS Prague
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic cordially invites you to a Business Breakfast on the topic Employer and Trade Unions in the Workplace: How to find common ground with Trade Unions, which takes place on 6th December 2018.
Speakers will discuss issues such as the establishment of new trade unions, rights of employees’ representatives, collective bargaining, problems in practice, etc. For more details, please see the invitation, in Czech (here).
If you wish to attend the event, you may register at andrascikova@peterkapartners.cz.

22/11/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS at the festive opening of French Week: Beaujolais Nouveau & Svatomartinske
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic as a partner company of French week took part in this celebration last Thursday in the stunning venue of Kaiserstejnsky Palace. In addition to Beaujolais Nouveau & Svatomartinske wine tasting, guests had a chance to win a bottle of champagne given away by PETERKA & PARTNERS, and other prizes as well.
Thank you for having us there!
To view pictures from the event, please see here. To find out more information about upcoming French Week events, please follow this link.

08/11/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS to attend IBA European Start-Up Conference as Session Chair
PETERKA & PARTNERS is proud to be a part of the Third IBA Annual Start-Up Conference which will be held on 22 November 2018, in Berlin. The conference will be comprised of various sessions, including one on “Health and Wellness”. This particular session will be focused on mental and physical health in the workplace. The speaker for the Health and Wellness session will be Dr. Marie Skalska from Pro Fit Institut, and Pavla Kopeckova Prikrylova, Partner of PETERKA & PARTNERS, will chair the session. For more information, please follow this link.

05/11/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS ranked by IFLR1000
PETERKA & PARTNERS were recommended once again in the latest issue of the annual international legal guide IFLR1000 for the year 2019. Our offices retained our positions in the practice areas of Banking and Finance, M&A, Projects and Development, Finance and Corporate, and Restructuring and Insolvency.
Also, PETERKA & PARTNERS Russia has improved its position by receiving a Tier 6 ranking in the M&A category and, the PETERKA & PARTNERS Romanian office has improved in the rankings and was recommended in the M&A category.
If you wish to see the entire rankings, please click on this link.

12/10/2018 Our Czech, Slovak and Romanian offices contribute to ILN Corporate Law Guide
We would like to announce that our offices in the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, as members of the International Lawyers Network (ILN), participated in the preparation of a guide which offers a summary of key corporate law principles in 40 countries worldwide and offers practical advice on establishing an entity in these jurisdictions. A comprehensive introduction to establishing a business entity was prepared by Adela Krbcova, Partner and Director for the Czech office, Jan Makara, Partner and Director for the Slovak office, Jaroslav Krupec, Senior Associate in Slovakia, and Cosmina Romelia Aron, Partner and Director for the Romanian office. To view the full guide, please click on this link.

11/10/2018 Celebration of 100 years of Czech and Slovak advocacy
PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic was a proud partner for the celebration of 100 years of Czech and Slovak advocacy organized by the Czech Bar Association. The weekend event was held in the beautiful spa-town of Luhačovice. The event began with a conference, where Monika Šimůnková Hošková, Partner of the Czech office, gave a speech about the observations PETERKA & PARTNERS has made on legal services in Ukraine. The weekend programme was diverse and included sports activities and a party. A few pictures from the celebration can be found by following this link.

04/09/2018 Czech office holding seminar on Tax litigation
The Prague office of PETERKA & PARTNERS is pleased to invite you to a business breakfast on 26 September 2018. Jiri Cerny, Partner and Leader of the Litigation and Insolvency practice, and Hana Skalická, Of Counsel, both from PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, will hold a seminar on the topic: “Tax Litigation”.
For more information on the seminar, see the enclosed invitation in Czech. If you are interested in participating in the seminar, you may register at: simunkova@peterkapartners.cz.

24/08/2018 Opinion of Advocate General re: Slovak Republic v. Achmea BV
In his opinion on case C 284/16: Slovak Republic v. Achmea BV, Advocate General Melchior Wathelet concluded on the compliance of intra-EU BITs with EU law: “Articles 18 TFEU, 267 TFEU and 344 TFEU must be interpreted as not precluding the application of an investor/State dispute settlement mechanism established by means of a bilateral investment agreement concluded before the accession of one of the Contracting States to the European Union and providing that an investor from one Contracting State may, in the case of a dispute relating to investments in the other Contracting State, bring proceedings against the latter State before an arbitral tribunal.” Please see the link. For recent information about the opinion on case, please see the link or please see on the epravo website in Czech.

06/08/2018 Assistance to Descours & Cabaud Group
Complex legal assistance to Descours & Cabaud, a major distributor of work tools and products for industry and construction, in relation to internal consolidation of the Group and intra-group merger of the companies in Slovakia and Czech Republic.

30/07/2018 Road tax refund successfully accomplished
PETERKA & PARTNERS represented the Czech subsidiary of the European leader in the commercial vehicle leasing industry. The case concerned the purchase of several trucks which were not delivered to our client. The legal part of the services consisted of deregistering our client as the owner of the non-delivered trucks from the Czech Register of Vehicles, which was successfully accomplished. After the deregistration, we applied at the relevant Tax Authority for the road tax refund paid for the vehicles in the 2015–2017 period. The road tax of several tens of thousands of EUR was credited to the client´s account, which is unique under Czech tax law. This success story demonstrates the benefits achieved by the effective collaboration between our lawyers and tax advisors.

27/07/2018 VAT exemption application (cost sharing)
PETERKA & PARTNERS represented an international humanitarian organization, operating in 70 countries, on VAT aspects of a shared services centre. The tax advisory consisted in the application of VAT exemption on cost sharing, which is unique as very little relevant EUCJ case law exists and the exemption was in practice impossible. PETERKA & PARTNERS represented the client with an analysis of the breaking EUCJ case law which is binding in the Czech Republic, preparation of appropriate requests and negotiations within the Coordination Committee, i.e., the regular meetings between the Chamber of Tax Advisors and the General Financial Directorate which is a superior body to the Czech tax authorities. We obtained a positive and clear opinion beneficial for the client in terms of claiming input VAT deduction.

26/07/2018 Legal and tax advisory on restructuralization in CEE region
PETERKA & PARTNERS advised one of the world’s leading milk processors in relation to proposed changes to their manufacturing and distribution structures in the CEE region. The firm prepared a summary of the legal and tax implications of a major manufacturing and distribution restructuralization in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania. Advice from both the legal and tax perspectives helped the client to obtain a sufficient grounding for coming to a decision and for quantification of the related risks and potential savings.

18/07/2018 New Amendments to FIFA RSTP Regulations
FIFA, the international governing body of football, recently amended its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which bring about a substantial impact on the contractual relationships between clubs and (professional) football players. Zdenek Beranek, Partner and Leader of the Sport, Media and Gaming Practice has prepared an article about the new amendments, which can be found under this link.

11/07/2018 Article on litigation process in France
Assistance to our clients before French courts is an important part of our legal practice. The successful conduct of court proceedings in France requires knowledge of their specifics. The attached article (please click on this link) introduces the basic details of court proceedings in France, with an emphasis on cross-border disputes.

11/07/2018 "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" guide published by ILN
PETERKA & PARTNERS, as a member of the International Lawyers Network, participated in the preparation of a guide on the legal aspects of sexual harassment in the workplace, which has just been published by the ILN. The guide was designed to serve as a quick and practical reference on the laws in several jurisdictions, including the Czech (written by Adela Krbcova, Partner, Director for the Czech Republic) and Slovak (written by Jan Makara, Partner, Director for Slovakia, and Pavol Kundrik, Senior Associate and Leader of Labour Law) jurisdictions.
To view the guide, please click on this link.

19/06/2018 Autonomous driving regulations in EU
Milan Listík, Senior Associate and Leader of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Automotive Practice, together with Daniel Wuhrmann, Attorney-at-Law from the law firm REUSCHLAW, organized a business conference in Dusseldorf, Germany on the latest issues concerning autonomous driving in the EU, as well as on the related questions of liability.

12/06/2018 Changes in management of our Czech office
We are pleased to announce changes in the management of our Czech office. Adela Krbcova and Barbora Urbancova, partners of the firm, are taking over the roles of Directors for the Czech Republic. Let us all congratulate Adela and Barbora on their promotions and wish them all the best in their new positions! At this occasion, we announce that after many successful years, the cooperation between Premysl Marek and the firm will conclude this week. We would like to thank Premysl for his great work and wish him success in his future personal and professional life. For more information about our new directors, please find attached Adela Krbcova´CV and Barbora Urbancova´s CV

07/06/2018 Compendium E-Invoicing and Retention in Europe
PETERKA & PARTNERS contributed to the attached compendium focused on e-invoicing obligations, the essential data to be contained in invoices, archiving requirements, clearance systems and real-time VAT invoice systems. This handbook will give you an initial overview of the rules applied in many European countries. For further information and more details, please contact us.

04/06/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS recommended by Media Law International
PETERKA & PARTNERS is delighted to announce that our offices in the Czech Republic and Russia have been ranked by the prestigious legal journal Media Law International. We are pleased that we have maintained our position in the journal’s rankings, and in such a specific practice area (Media Law).

13/04/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic organized GDPR seminar
This week, the Prague office of PETERKA & PARTNERS held the workshop “The GDPR and the Risk of Doing Business in Cyberspace”. Considering the GDPR does not come into force until 25 May, the interest in the workshop surpassed our expectations, and for this reason we organized two workshops. Adéla Krbcová, Partner and Deputy Director for the Czech Republic and Pavel Jakab, Senior Associate, spoke about the main implications of the new regulation and answered all of the workshop attendees’ questions. The second part of the event, “Doing Business in Cyberspace”, was covered by our guest, Josef Majer, a cyber-risk specialist from the company MARSH.
By following this link you can see a few photos from the event.

28/03/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS, proud general partner of Czech-Slovak Ball
On 17 March 2018, the Czech-Slovak Ball was held at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Moscow. For PETERKA & PARTNERS it was an honour to be a general partner of this, the 25th ball, and this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia. Ondřej Peterka, Founder and Managing Partner, Monika Šimůnková Hošková, Partner and Leader of the Russian Desk, Svetlana Seregina, Director of the Russian office, Eldar Mansurov, Deputy Director for Russia, and Vlad Rudnitskiy, Partner and Deputy Director for Russia, all attended the ball. We would like to thank the Czech Centre for their smooth organization of the entire ball. For a few photos from the event, please follow the link.

27/03/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS in Chambers and Partners
The prestigious international legal directory Chambers and Partners has just published its 2018 rankings for Europe and PETERKA & PARTNERS has retained its position. In the Czech Republic, the Employment Practice team was included, and in Slovakia, both the Employment and Corporate/M&A Practices were ranked.
The PETERKA & PARTNERS Moscow office was also recognized – in the practice area of Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market – for the first time. Being ranked in this category among prestigious American, British, and Russian mid-sized law firms is a great honour and confirms the significant position PETERKA & PARTNERS holds on the Russian market.
We would like to thank our entire team and all of our clients.

22/03/2018 April's business breakfasts at PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic
As the adoption of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is fast approaching, the PETERKA & PARTNERS Data Protection team is organizing, together with the company MARSH, the workshop: “The GDPR and the Risk of Doing Business in Cyberspace”. The workshop will be held on 11 April, and due to the enormous interest shown, also on 12 April, from 9 to 11 a.m. Seating is limited. For more information, please see the invitation (only in Czech).
On 17 April, Jiří Černý, Partner, and Dan Loukota, Senior Associate, will give a lecture titled: “Protection of Investment in the EU – Implications of the Judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU in Slovak Republic v Achmea BV”. For more information, please see the invitation.
If you are interested in participating in one, or both, of the business breakfasts, please contact us at: lacmanova@peterkapartners.cz.

21/03/2018 Photovoltaic plants in Czech Republic facing systematic examination of potential overcompensation
The Czech Ministry of Industry and Commerce has begun to collect information from photovoltaic plants in the Czech Republic. Legislation in accordance with a European Commission decision has not yet been drafted; however, once adopted into law, a number of owners might face a significant decrease in support in the future or even be obligated to repay part of the support. An article about this issue, written by Martina Milotova, Associate at the PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office, is available (in English) at the following link or on the epravo website (in Czech).

06/03/2018 Luxury goods no longer available online?
Milan Listík, Senior Associate and Leader of the Automotive sector group at the PETERKA PARTNERS law firm has published an article analysing the potential aftermaths of the Coty judgment for selective distribution networks, emphasising the potential broadening of online sales restrictions for competitors offering categories of goods and services beyond “luxury goods”. The article can be found on the Globaladvocaten website or the E-pravo website. For the full article, please follow this link (in English) or at www.epravo.cz (in Czech).

26/02/2018 Czech representation at DFK EMEA Annual Conference in Dubai
On 8-10 February 2018, Rostislav Frelich, Leader of Tax Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, participated in the DFK annual tax conference in Dubai. DFK conferences provide a forum for partners from member firms to meet in person to develop ever closer personal relationships and develop new ways of doing business together. Technical topics included the US tax reform, GDPR, intellectual property case studies, taxation of the digital economy and challenges for cross-border transactions in the EU.

22/02/2018 DG Comp fines shipping and auto parts cartels
The European Commission has handed four car parts and car shipping cartels a total of €564 million in fines, after reaching settlements with all the companies accused of participating in the cartels. Among them, NYK, K Line, WWL EUKOR and CSAV were fined €346 million for participating in a roll-on roll-off vehicle shipping cartel. The EC also handed down €76 million in fines to Bosch and NGK for their roles in a spark plug cartel, and fined Bosch and Continental a total of €75 million for participating in hydraulic and electronic braking system cartels.

08/01/2018 Invitation to next business breakfast at Prague office
The Czech office of PETERKA & PARTNERS is pleased to invite you to our first business breakfast of the new year: “Selected issues of conflict of laws in matters of matrimonial property regimes, in particular with regard to the Council Regulations (EU) No. 2016/1103 and No. 2016/1104”. The breakfast will be held on 25 January at our premises. The speaker will be Petr Hradil, Senior Associate and Leader of the Family and Inheritance Law practice at PETERKA & PARTNERS.
If you are interested in attending the seminar, please contact us at: lacmanova@peterkapartners.cz by Wednesday, 17 January. For more detailed information, please follow this link (the seminar will be held in Czech).

08/01/2018 PETERKA & PARTNERS successfully and systematically represents French governmental agency
PETERKA & PARTNERS systematically and successfully represents a French governmental agency, whose missions covers the protection of French designations of origin and geographical indications, in the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria and Russia, as a claimant in opposition and cancellation proceedings related to trademark filings which are in conflict with protected designations of origin and geographical indications.

22/12/2017 MLI: how and when will double tax treaties be modified?
An article by Rostislav Frelich, Tax Advisor and Member of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Tax Desk will be published in the TerraLex Connections January/February 2018 General Topic Edition. In the article Mr. Frelich describes how and when double tax treaties will be modified by the Multilateral Instrument (MLI) which was signed by 70 jurisdictions. Over 1,100 bilateral tax treaties worldwide will be modified in a synchronized and efficient manner without standard negotiations and long-term approval procedures. This makes the MLI a unique and unprecedented measure. In many countries no consolidated version of modified treaties will be available. In this context, prior to applying double tax treaties, taxpayers should pay special attention to this newly-introduced OECD measure in order to determine whether, and how, a particular tax treaty has been amended by the MLI.
The full article is available at the following link.

22/12/2017 New article in November edition of Online Gambling Lawyer
Zdenek Beranek, Partner and Leader of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Sport, Media and Gaming sector group, published the another article, this time focused on new guidelines on gambling bonuses published by the Czech Ministry of Finance in the November edition of Online Gambling Lawyer (please see this link). PETERKA & PARTNERS advises clients in this dynamic sector throughout the CEE region.

22/12/2017 Will Class Actions be introduced in the Czech Republic?
Class actions, as of yet not included in the procedural system, may well be introduced in the Czech Republic to enable claimants’ groups the use of collective proceedings in order to assert their claims efficiently against a respondent. In September 2017, the Minister of Justice presented a proposal to introduce class actions into Czech law. For details regarding the proposal, see the attached article.

20/12/2017 Article by Jiří Černý on introducing efficient processes to prevent and resolve disputes
An article by Jiří Černý, Partner and Leader of the Litigation and Insolvency practice has been published in the “Czech Exporter” monthly supplement to the newspaper Hospodářské noviny. In the article Mr. Černý describes certain legal risks connected with entering foreign markets. In this context, it is necessary to introduce efficient internal processes in order to prevent disputes with foreign entities, and to resolve the disputes which have arisen. Mr. Černý provides several examples to explain that it is important to be already aware at the moment when a contractual relationship is created that disputes may arise later, and to adopt efficient measures to ensure a strong position in potential litigation or arbitration. For the full article (available in Czech), please follow this link.

08/12/2017 ECJ Coty ruling: Suppliers of luxury goods may prohibit authorized distributors
In the ECJ´s ruling of 6 December 2017, the Court has ruled that selective distribution systems that aim to preserve the luxury image of products do not violate European competition law by restricting third-party online platform sales, and confirmed that platform bans are not hardcore restrictions of competition. The Court ruled that online platform bans can be appropriate in the context of a selective distribution system provided such bans do not go beyond what is necessary to preserve the luxury image of products. In contrast, the ECJ also reiterated that an absolute online sales ban imposed on retailers is not legal unless objectively justified. The Coty judgment ends a period of uncertainty over the legality of online platform bans under EU law, which has been the subject of contrasting interpretations by the national competition authorities and courts, and undoubtedly provides more clarity to luxury brand owners on the legality of their distribution practices.

01/12/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS represented Arnold & Richter Cine Technik (ARRI) in internet domain case
The PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office has successfully represented Arnold & Richter Cine Technik (ARRI), a world leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of motion picture cameras, lenses, lighting and postproduction equipment, in a case regarding the recovery of the Czech TLD internet domain name from an infringer of the client’s IP rights.

23/11/2017 Commission fines five car-safety equipment suppliers in cartel settlement
The European Commission has fined Tokai Rika, Takata, Autoliv, Toyoda Gosei and Marutaka a total of 34 million EUR for breaching EU antitrust rules. The companies took part in one or more of four cartels for the supply of car seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels to Japanese car manufacturers in the EEA.
All five suppliers acknowledged their involvement in the cartels and agreed to settle the case. Takata was not fined for three of the cartels, and Tokai Rika for one of the cartels, as they both revealed the existence of the cartels to the Commission.

16/11/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS chosen ILN Firm of Month for November/December 2017!
We are proud to announce that PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia were chosen by the International Lawyers Network as Firm of the Month for November and December 2017. We would like to express our gratitude for this honour to our partners at the International Lawyers Network, and to our teams of lawyers and clients who helped make this happen.
For more information, please visit this link.

14/11/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office invites you to new business breakfasts
The Czech office of PETERKA & PARTNERS has organized two upcoming seminars on current legal topics: • On 22 November 2017, Adela Krbcova, Partner and Deputy Director, and Martin Murad, Partner, both from PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, will run the seminar “Monitoring zaměstnanců”/“Online monitoring of employees by employers”.
• On 6 December 2017, Rostislav Frelich, Tax Advisor for PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, Vítězslav Kapoun, Manager in the area of direct taxes for Generální finanční ředitelství, and Rudolf Hájek, a specialist in transfer pricing for RSM TACOMA, will run a seminar titled “Transfer Pricing”. For more information about the seminars, please see the enclosed invitations for 22 November and 6 December. If you are interested in participating in one or both business breakfasts, please contact us at: lacmanova@peterkapartners.cz.

09/11/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS leading Czech firm on International Markets for second year in row
We are pleased to announce that PETERKA & PARTNERS advokatni kancelar s.r.o. was the winner of this year’s edition of the 10th Leading Law Firm of the Year competition in the category “Czech Firm on International Markets”. This competition is organized by EPRAVO.CZ, in cooperation with a group of independent advisors who annually evaluate the law firms operating on the Czech market. Being awarded in this category for the second year in a row is a great success and we deeply appreciate the award, as we do the recognition and recommendations of PETERKA & PARTNERS in other categories of the competition: Intellectual Property, Criminal Law, Employment, Antitrust and Competition, Banking and Finance and Tax, and the firm was highly recommended in the category of Sport Law. This success is the result of the efforts of our dedicated team of lawyers and the close cooperation with our clients, to whom we would like to express our profound gratitude for their recommendations. The award ceremony was held in the Žofín Palace on 6 November 2017. The gala was held under the auspices of the Czech Bar Association and JUDr. Robert Pelikán, Ph.D., Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic.
Please visit this link to see pictures from the ceremony.

07/11/2017 Winning employment litigation for Atlas Copco, s.r.o.
PETERKA & PARTNERS successfully represented one of its clients, Atlas Copco s.r.o., part of the international Atlas Copco Group, in a dispute with a former employee regarding alleged invalidity of termination of an employment relationship. The court of first as well as second instance dismissed the claim of the other party in full and awarded our client reimbursement of the court fees.

07/11/2017 Milan Listík speaks at LIB CON 2017 conference
Milan Listík, Senior Associate at PETERKA & PARTNERS, gave a presentation during the LIB CON 2017 conference, focusing on issues related to the GDPR and the protection of personal data within libraries. The presentation was focused on issues of personal data processing by libraries, especially related to information about any book borrowings and their provision to third parties (entities), all this in light of the GDPR.

31/10/2017 New article in September edition of Online Gambling Lawyer
Zdenek Beranek, Partner and Leader of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Sport, Media and Gaming sector group, published an article on auxiliary legislation and guidelines related to the Czech Gambling Bill in the September edition of Online Gambling Lawyer, please see this link. PETERKA & PARTNERS closely monitors gambling legislation in CEE and regularly advises clients in this dynamic sector.

30/10/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS invites you to its business breakfasts on current legal topics
PETERKA & PARTNERS continues in its organization of business breakfasts, and in the month of November we would like to invite you to the following events to be held at the firmʼs Prague premises: · On 1 November 2017, Rostislav Frelich, Tax Adviser for PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, and Jan Rohan, a specialist in international cooperation in the area of direct taxes for Generální finanční ředitelství, will give a lecture titled “Aktuality v oblasti mezinárodního zdanění, včetně automatické výměny informací o finančních účtech”/“International tax news, including the automatic exchange of information on financial accounts”. · On 7 November 2017, Tatiana Timchenko, Director for PETERKA & PARTNERS Ukraine, will give a presentation titled “Participation in public tenders in Ukraine”. · On 22 November 2017, Adela Krbcova, Partner and Deputy Director, and Martin Murad, Partner, both from PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic, will give the presentation “Monitoring zaměstnanců”/“Online monitoring of employees by employers”. For detailed information on these events, please see the invitations for 1 November, 7 November and 22 November. If you are interested in participating in one or more of the business breakfasts, please contact us at: lacmanova@peterkapartners.cz.

24/10/2017 VW (Audi), BMW and Daimler inspected by EU for alleged cartel
Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG were inspected by European Union antitrust investigators as the EU stepped up a probe into allegations that the German car industry colluded on technology for decades. It is not yet clear whether the European Commission will instigate formal proceedings. Both VW and Daimler have claimed for leniency, and BMW is not particularly pleased about this development. The three carmakers worked together on a wide range of technology including discussing the size of AdBlue (a liquid that helps neutralize pollutants in diesel exhaust) tanks.

17/10/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS participated at the UTECH Auto Conference
Milan Listík, Leader of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Automotive practice, was one of the official speakers at the UTECH Auto Conference held in Amsterdam on 12-13 October 2017, see the link. Mr. Listík spoke about the main regulatory aspects within the Automotive sector in the EU, namely about differences based on the specific positions of contractors on the market, the practices sanctioned as hard-core restrictions (and other restrictions) under EU law, and the ways such regulations may develop in the years to come.

05/10/2017 New Membership: Czech Compliance Association
PETERKA & PARTNERS has become a member of the Czech Compliance Association (Česká Compliance Asociace) with effect as of 5 October 2017. The Czech Compliance Association is a group of corporations, institutions and individuals who are convinced that compliance with ethical and legal standards is an obligatory part of the effective corporate governance of corporations and public institutions. Further, the association wishes to help lead shareholders and managers of corporations, compliance professionals, and leaders of public institutions to an understanding of the function of compliance procedures in connection with corporate governance and also to a strengthening of professionalism and reputation through compliance programmes. PETERKA & PARTNERS has a regional compliance group covering all of our offices and wishes to use this platform to create a dialogue with its partners and exchange experience in the field.

29/09/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS at CEE Entrepreneur Forum
Premysl Marek, Partner and Director for the PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office, spoke at the CEE Entrepreneur Forum held by Credit Suisse in Prague in mid-September. This year’s edition of the forum focused on two main topics: “Achieving Maximum Value in Mergers and Acquisitions” – regarding current M&A dynamics, key factors for success and specific cases; and “Structuring the Private Side” which dealt with avoiding post-transaction traps and pitfalls. Premysl Marek spoke as part of the Panel Discussion on the topic: “Post-Transaction Considerations”.

26/09/2017 Article about MLI
Rostislav Frelich, Tax Advisor for PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office has written an article about MLI (Multilateral Instrument). The MLI is an OECD tool that modifies the application of thousands of bilateral tax treaties to eliminate double taxation. To read the article (in Czech), please see the link.

25/09/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS has organized the seminar about GDPR
As you know, on 27 April, the European Commission adopted a new regulation, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The Czech office of PETERKA & PARTNERS has organized for 5 October (and newly also on 12 October) a seminar on this topic called:“GDPR – General data protection, a practical introduction to the issue or prepare yourself in time, and without worrying about a new version of data protection rules”. If you need more information about the seminar, please see the attached invitation (in Czech only).
It might also be useful to read the newsletter prepared by our Data Protection Practice group regarding the GDPR.
Please note again, that due to enormous interest, we have decided to add one more date for the seminar – 12 October!

18/09/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS prepared a compliance programme for a leading provider of car leasing & financing
PETERKA & PARTNERS prepared a compliance programme for a leading provider of car leasing & financing, in connection with the criminal liability of corporations under Czech law and coordination with the compliance programme of the group.

30/08/2017 Article: Compliance in the Czech Republic in 2017
CEE Legal Matters magazine published, in its March 2017 issue, an article by Kaj Ständer, Senior Associate, leader of German Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS, regarding the new challenges and opportunities presented by the amendment to Act no. 418/2011, Coll., on Corporate Criminal Liability. For more details, please click on this link.

30/08/2017 Seminar: “Criminal Liability in the Czech Republic – Changes on 1 December”
A seminar, “Criminal Liability in the Czech Republic – Changes on 1 December”, was held on November 23, 2016. The seminar was held by Premysl Marek, Partner and Director for PETERKA & PARTNERS, and Milan Listik and Kaj Ständer, Senior Associates of PETERKA & PARTNERS, who presented the legal means for corporations to avoid criminal liability in the context of the amendment of Act no. 418/2011, Coll., on Corporate Criminal Liability. The topic was discussed against the background of recently upcoming decisions regarding the criminal liability of corporations.

29/08/2017 Country-by-country reporting (CbC) effective from 2016
The obligations of country-by-country reporting will be implemented in Czech law. It will be mandatory for multinational groups of entities whose aggregate consolidated income amounts to at least EUR 750 million. The first reporting periods are periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016.

29/08/2017 Second stage of electronic recording of sales
The second stage of the electronic recording of sales, applying to retailers and wholesalers, was launched on 1 March 2017. Some questions were subject to extensive discussions, for instance, who will record (and when they will record) cashless payments made via the Internet, cash received on delivery, and foreign source sales.

29/08/2017 Electronic recording of sales for cash-on-receipt
The General Financial Directorate published guidelines regarding the electronic recording of sales for e-shops and other businesses that dispatch goods via carriers which also receive payment. The reporting method primarily depends on the contractual terms and conditions set with the carrier.

18/08/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office is representing a large worldwide car manufacturer
Milan Listik, Senior Associate and Leader of Automotive practice group and Premysl Marek, Partner and Director of Czech office are representing the interests of a large worldwide car manufacturer in criminal proceedings begun in connection with a fire that destroyed one of the production factories of the Recticel Group in Most at the beginning of the year. Our client is one of the damaged parties and seeks the protection of its rights.

18/08/2017 Representation of a Czech exclusive distributor of new vehicles
Milan Listik, Senior Associate, Hynek Peroutka, Partner and Jakub Guth, Associate are representing a Czech exclusive distributor of new vehicles in several litigations with a former dealer, treating especially questions related to the validity of the termination of mutual cooperation.

18/08/2017 Coordinating the negotiations between a worldwide car manufacturer and its former Lithuanian distributor
Mr. Milan Listik, Senior Associate at PETERKA & PARTNERS and leader of Automotive Sector Group is coordinating the negotiations between a large worldwide car manufacturer and its former Lithuanian distributor related to the transfer of IP rights.

18/08/2017 Advising YCE HOUSING in relation to a new residential development in Prague
The PETERKA & PARTNERS Prague office advised YCE HOUSING (a member of Vicus Capital Advisors, a Finnish fund managing real estate investment and development funds) in relation to a development of a residential project in Prague, including drafting all the contractual documentation for the acquisition, construction and sale of the units to the final clients (the project value was approximately EUR 20 million).

18/08/2017 7th Annual Conference on news in Public Procurement organized by the Czech Public Procurement Association
Luděk Trykar, leader of Public Procurement at PETERKA PARTNERS attended 7th Annual Conference on news in Public Procurement organized by the Czech Public Procurement Association in Prague.

18/08/2017 Changes in Polish Public Procurement law
Martin Murad, Partner at PETERKA & PARTNERS had a presentation on the changes in Polish Public Procurement law in Ostrava in October 2016.

18/08/2017 Legal services to FC Viktoria Plzeň, a.s., a leading Czech football club.
Legal services to FC Viktoria Plzeň, a.s., a leading Czech football club, including advice on trademark infringement, assistance in negotiating a new agreement with Puma for supplies of sportswear, and advice on intellectual property.

18/08/2017 Representing Yadex International Gmbh
Representing Yadex International Gmbh, a German subsidiary of the well-known Turkish multi-sector group Yaşar Holding, in intellectual property matters in the Czech Republic.

18/08/2017 Lindhardt og Ringhof Forlag A/S
Legal advice to a Danish publishing house, Lindhardt og Ringhof Forlag A/S on the procedure for the acquisition of digital rights for translations and the procedure for the acquisition of digital rights for eBooks in the Czech Republic.

18/08/2017 Comprehensive advisory services to a construction and development group
Comprehensive advisory services to a construction and development group, part of the global concern Skanska with its headquarters in Sweden, with respect to copyright of architectural work, including drafting contracts for work, licence agreements and other agreements connected with intellectual property in relation to Skanska real estate projects.

18/08/2017 Legal advisory services to RCI Finance CZK s.r.o
Legal advisory services to RCI Finance CZK s.r.o. in connection with preparing and modifying contractual documents concerning the funding of distribution networks of car dealers, including asserting claims against contractual partners (including security instruments such as guarantors’ statements, security blank bills and the related statements on filing them).

18/08/2017 Long-term local as well as cross-border advisory services to Atlas Copco (CEE)
Long-term local as well as cross-border advisory services and coordination of legal services in several jurisdictions, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. The comprehensive services cover various corporate, commercial, mergers and acquisitions, employment, competition, dispute resolution, real estate and insolvency issues.

18/08/2017 Advising Mylan, a worldwide producer of generic drugs
Advising Mylan, a worldwide producer of generic drugs, on the regulatory aspects of pharmaceutical product distribution and marketing.

18/08/2017 Advisory services to Johnson & Johnson, s.r.o.
Advisory services to Johnson & Johnson, s.r.o., a leading medical company, on distribution agreements.

18/08/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS represents several clients in proceedings on the adoption of adults.
PETERKA & PARTNERS is to represent several clients in proceedings on the adoption of adults. The purpose of the adoption is to ensure tax optimization when inheriting or transferring property abroad.

18/08/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS has recently represented several foreign nationals in civil proceedings
PETERKA & PARTNERS has recently represented several clients, foreign nationals, in civil proceedings related to the rights of these clients to their children (minors), such as in proceedings on determining the paternity of the children or on determining the contact of the parents with the children.

18/08/2017 Some Legal Aspects of Computer Crime (Cybercrime) in the Czech Republic
The Czech and Slovak branches of PETERKA & PARTNERS published two articles dealing with criminal aspects of cyber fraud under Czech and Slovak law.

18/08/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS has recently represented several clients in a cyber-fraud criminal proceedings
PETERKA & PARTNERS has recently represented several clients, including a private bank with its seat in Switzerland, in criminal proceedings the scope of which was cyber-fraud, namely payments made by clients based on fraudulent or hacked e-mails.

17/08/2017 Mr. Zdenek Beranek advised the top Czech football club FC Viktoria Plzen
Mr. Zdenek Beranek, leader of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Sport, Media & Gaming sector group, advised the firm’s long-term client, the top Czech football club FC Viktoria Plzen, in negotiating a transfer agreement for the transfer of Under-21 Slovak international, Martin Chrien, to one of the top European clubs, SL Benfica. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed by the parties. We wish Martin all the best in his future career.

17/08/2017 Seminars on Sports Law for university students
Mr. Zdenek Beranek, leader of the PETERKA & PARTNERS Sport, Media & Gaming Sector Group, held two seminars on Sports Law for university students from the Mexican university Tecnológico de Monterrey at the Sports Management Summer School organized by CEVRO Institute, a Czech college. The seminars were focused on contractual, disciplinary and litigation matters in sports law, namely in football (soccer), discussing the latest changes in the regulations and case-law of UEFA, FIFA and the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).

17/08/2017 Advising a major German company on M&A in Poland
The German Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS, together with the Polish M&A team, advised a German company, distributor of construction machinery concerning the acquisition of a Polish competitor.

17/08/2017 Legal advisory services in corporate legal matters to HSH Chemie GmbH
Legal advice to Germany’s HSH Chemie Group, a chemical distribution industry leader in Central and Eastern Europe specialising in coatings, adhesives, building materials, plastics, rubber etc. on corporate and other legal matters in the Czech Republic.

17/08/2017 Advising a major Austrian producer of building materials
The German Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS advised a major Austrian producer of building materials concerning the acquisition of a company in Romania.

17/08/2017 Presentation at a seminar organized by CzechTrade on current opportunities for Czech exports to Russia
Monika Simunkova Hoskova, the leader of Russia/CIS Desk at PETERKA & PARTNERS, held a presentation on current opportunities for Czech exports to Russia during a seminar organized by CzechTrade that took place on May 17, 2017. For more information please follow this link.

17/08/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS at a commercial mission to Ukraine in June 2017
Mr. Ondřej Dušek, Leader of Real Estate Practice Group at PETERKA & PARTNERS was part of a commercial mission to Ukraine with the Czech Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in June 2017.

17/08/2017 Commercial mission to Belarus
Mr. Dan Loukota, Senior Associate at PETERKA & PARTNERS participated in a commercial mission to Belarus in April 2017 organized by the CIS Chamber.

11/08/2017 Employing Ukrainian nationals in the Czech Republic – Comments on recent affairs
The seminar “Employing Ukrainian nationals in the Czech Republic – Comments on Recent Affairs” was held on 25 April 2017. The seminar was run by Martin Murad, Partner and Petr Hradil, Senior Associate and Leader of Family and Inheritance practice at PETERKA & PARTNERS, who presented methods for employing Ukrainian nationals in the Czech Republic and the problems Ukrainian employees and Czech employers face. Topics were discussed against the background of recent affairs, namely the expulsion of Ukrainian nationals working and residing in the Czech Republic based on Polish permits.

11/08/2017 Advice to a Czech company, a member of the Stay Online group
Advice to a Czech company, a member of the Stay Online group, the power cord manufacturer and market leader, on implementing the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and duties under the GDPR when processing personal data.

25/07/2017 PETERKA & PARTNERS successfully represented Skanska Reality
The PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech office successfully represented Skanska Reality, a member of the international corporate group Skanska, which mainly focuses on residential development, in several administrative procedures initiated by the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, and in court proceedings initiated by the Hezké Jižní Město Civil Association in connection with adherence to the Act on Nature and Landscape Protection during the construction of the Milíčovský háj residential project, located close to the Milíčovský les a rybníky Natural Monument. The last phase of this residential project (approximately USD 120 million) passed its final inspection in 2016, and all 750 residential units were sold to final customers. Luděk Trykar and Ondřej Dušek from the Prague office of PETERKA & PARTNERS provided legal advice on this transaction.

20/07/2017 The status of the implementation of the damages directive in the CEE countries
In the past years, the EU competition law enforcement has been subject to major reforms in order to increase the deterrent effect of EU competition rules. These reforms reinforced the participation of private actors in the enforcement of EU competition law, by way of strengthening private enforcement and introducing leniency programmes on the national level. The Court of Justice of the European Union has established that any citizen or business has a right to full compensation for the harm caused to them by an infringement of the EU competition rules. The right to compensation is an EU right, but its exercise is governed by national rules. These often make it costly and difficult to bring antitrust damages actions. That is why in 2013 the European Commission proposed a Directive 2014/104/EU on Antitrust Damages Actions to remove the main obstacles to effective compensation, and to guarantee minimum protection for citizens and businesses, everywhere in the EU. Member States needed to implement it in their legal systems by 27 December 2016. To date, most of the CEE countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have successfully implemented the Directive. PETERKA & PARTNERS actively monitors these developments in the CEE region and welcomes the opportunity to advise clients and bring competition claims before the national courts.

07/06/2017 Opening cocktail reception in the Russian Federation
With a cocktail reception on 6 June 2017, PETERKA & PARTNERS celebrated the opening of its new premises in Moscow, and confirmed its growing position as the biggest Czech law firm on the Russian market.Thank You to all participants! We look forward to you joining us at our next event!

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