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Legal updates impacting Romanian citizenship law

25/09/2024 Legal updates impacting Romanian citizenship law
Currently, the procedure and requirements for obtaining and regaining Romanian citizenship is regulated by Law no. 21/1991 on Romanian Citizenship (hereinafter referred to as “Law no. 21/1991”).
Law no. 21/1991 sets the general framework, establishing that Romanian citizenship can be obtained by birth (ius sanguinis being the applicable principle of nationality law), by adoption, or upon request in specific regulated cases.
While obtaining Romanian citizenship by birth or adoption do not raise many practical challenges, obtaining Romanian citizenship upon request is a highly bureaucratic procedure.
Our Romanian colleagues have summarized the latest legal updates concerning the Romanian citizenship matter in this article posted on our blog here .
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania remains at your disposal to provide more information and/or related legal assistance connected to this topic

New rules increase consumer protection in regards to total cost of credit in Romania

25/09/2024 New rules increase consumer protection in regards to total cost of credit in Romania
Law 243/2024 on Consumer Protection in regards to the Total Cost of Credit and the Assignment of Receivables (“Law 243”) was published in Official Gazette no. 807/13.08.2024 and shall enter into force 90 days from the date of publication.
This law applies to legal relationships between consumers, non-banking financial institutions, and entities engaged in debt recovery activities in relation to consumer credit and establishes the rules for the protection of consumers against excessive interest rates with the aim of maintaining contractual balance and ensuring the integrity of the internal financial-banking market.
The status of a consumer acting for personal or family purposes is presumed and analysed in relation to the credit contract that falls under the scope of Law 243, and not to the debtor's entire activity.
What are the other main aspects summarized by our Romanian colleagues in respect of this topic? For more details, please follow this link on our blog and read the full article .
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania remains at your disposal to provide more information and/or related legal assistance connected to this topic.

PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in acquisition of shares

06/08/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in acquisition of shares
PETERKA & PARTNERS provided legal services to a venture investment fund, J&T VENTURES CG SICAV, in connection with the acquisition of shares in a Series A investment round co-led by US Momenta Ventures. The investment was made in a Czech company Sprayvision, a European leader in spray pattern digitalization, analysis, evaluation, process control, and non-contact thickness measurement. PETERKA & PARTNERS assisted J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in drafting and amending transaction documentation and negotiating with the founders and co-investor, Momenta Ventures.
EN website - Momenta EN website - Vestbee CZ website - HOSPODARSKE NOVINY EN website - Nordic 9

EU AI ACT AND ITS IMPACT ON AI-DRIVEN BUSINESSES: KEY DATES & TAKEAWAYS

31/07/2024 EU AI ACT AND ITS IMPACT ON AI-DRIVEN BUSINESSES: KEY DATES & TAKEAWAYS
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania is pleased to inform you about an important legislative update connected to artificial intelligence. On July 12, 2024, the EU AI Act was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, establishing harmonized rules on artificial intelligence. The Act will come into force 20 days after publication, making August 1, 2024, the compliance start date for relevant entities such as providers, operators, and deployers. The EU AI Act aims to create an ethical and legal framework grounded in the values of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania invites you to read a more in-depth material and guidance on navigating this latest important regulation by following this link .

PETERKA & PARTNERS Ukraine assisted in obtaining the status of a critically important company for the functioning of the economy of Ukraine for two entities of the client’s group

26/07/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS Ukraine assisted in obtaining the status of a critically important company for the functioning of the economy of Ukraine for two entities of the client’s group
PETERKA & PARTNERS is pleased to announce that our Ukrainian office successfully secured obtaining of the status of a critically important company for the functioning of the economy of Ukraine for two entities of the client’s group which is a leading full-service global contract research organization providing clinical development services across the full continuum. The said status allows companies to file for so-called reservation of their employees, which grants them a deferment from mobilization. This ensures keeping the company’s core team of valuable specialists and, consequently, uninterrupted activities during wartime in Ukraine. PETERKA & PARTNERS’ team advising on the matter comprised: Taras Utiralov, Partner and Director for Ukraine, and Anastasiia Kusherets, Senior Associate. PETERKA & PARTNERS раді повідомити, що за допомоги нашого українського офісу дві українські компанії клієнта – провідної міжнародної контрактної дослідницької організації, що надає повний спектр послуг у сфері клінічних досліджень та надає послуги з клінічних розробок, – були визнані критично важливими для функціонування економіки України. Цей статус дає право компаніям подавати на бронювання своїх працівників, що забезпечує їм відстрочку від мобілізації. Це, у свою чергу, дає можливість компанії зберегти свою ключову команду спеціалістів та, як наслідок, безперевність її бізнес-процесів під час війни. Над проектом працювали Тарас Утіралов, партнер та керівник українського офісу, та Анастасія Кушерець, старший юрист.

Warsaw Office Celebrates 15th Anniversary

15/07/2024 Warsaw Office Celebrates 15th Anniversary
In June 2024, the Polish office of our firm celebrated its 15th Anniversary. Since its opening in 2009, the office has grown to over 30 experts. The event gathered together our dear Clients, Equity Partners, Directors of other offices in the CEE region, and our key and trusted colleagues from the entire firm. We are proud and grateful to all of our clients for the trust that they place in us to handle their important legal and tax matters. The partnership we enjoy with our clients is special and a source of great pride to all of us at PETERKA & PARTNERS. We are deeply committed to the success of our clients' goals and objectives and look forward to celebrating more historic milestones with them, and our attorneys, staff and alumni throughout the next years. The firm’s practices and lawyers are regularly ranked in various international rankings such as Chambers and Partners, Legal500, and IFLR. We are also recognized in local research. For more information, visit the firm’s 15th Anniversary article in Rynek Prawniczy and our recent post on LinkedIn.

Sofia team of PETERKA&PARTNERS successful in a case against Bulgarian customs

10/07/2024 Sofia team of PETERKA&PARTNERS successful in a case against Bulgarian customs
PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgaria represented the local subsidiary of a major European logistics group in a dispute related to VAT and customs duties claimed by the Bulgarian customs authorities. The dispute involved complex legal assessment on the role and liability of a forwarder with respect to VAT and customs duties in cases where the recipient of the goods fails to pay the relevant amounts to the state. The representation was successful at two court instances with a final decision in favour of the client issued by the Supreme Administrative Court.

Sofia office of PETERKA&PARTNERS supporting the entry to the local market of a provider of services to job applicants

13/05/2024 Sofia office of PETERKA&PARTNERS supporting the entry to the local market of a provider of services to job applicants
PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgaria advised a Dutch based operator of an international platform providing solutions for creation and processing of resumes and application letters on Bulgarian law aspects relevant to client’s terms of service and various policies in view of start of operations on the local market.

We're thrilled to announce the launch of the Data Protection Guide by ILN!

29/04/2024 We're thrilled to announce the launch of the Data Protection Guide by ILN!
Authored by the team of cybersecurity and data privacy experts, this comprehensive resource is designed to provide invaluable insights into data protection regulations across multiple jurisdictions. Covering a wide array of topics, including governing legislation, scope of application, legislative framework, requirements for data processing, rights and duties of data providers, regulatory authorities, consequences of non-compliance, and much more, this guide is your go-to reference for navigating the complexities of data protection laws. We're especially proud to highlight the contributions from our Czech, Romanian, and Ukrainian offices of PETERKA & PARTNERS, whose expertise and dedication have been instrumental in crafting this invaluable resource. Whether you're a legal professional, compliance officer, or business leader, this guide is an indispensable tool for ensuring your organization remains compliant and secure in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Ready to dive in? Click this link to access the Data Protection Guide and stay ahead of the curve!

PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES

19/04/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES
PETERKA & PARTNERS provided legal advisory services to a venture investment fund J&T VENTURES, in connection with investment in company Apify, a world leader in providing cloud platforms for developing and running web scraping solutions, in particular executing DD, drafting and amending transaction documentation, and negotiation with founders and seed investors.
The PETERKA & PARTNERS´ team was led by partner Ondrej Dusek. The other team members involved in providing services to the client were Patricie Calova and Jakub Guth.
More information is available here: CZ website - Lupa CZ website - CzechCrunch CZ website - Forbes EN website - StartUpKitchen EN website - TheRecursive

Sell side advice on a new transaction by our Bulgarian team

09/04/2024 Sell side advice on a new transaction by our Bulgarian team
The Bulgarian office of PETERKA&PARTNERS advised the shareholders of a leading provider of materials and equipment for the advertising industry in Bulgaria on the clauses of the SPA with a purchaser of the shares in the company. The assistance covered comprehensive advice with respect to the contractual clauses and various aspects in the context of the internal relations of the sellers.

Účast PETERKA PARTNERS na Francouzsko-českém ekonomickém fóru v Jihlavě

05/04/2024 Účast PETERKA PARTNERS na Francouzsko-českém ekonomickém fóru v Jihlavě
Advokátka Markéta Hanzlíková, vedoucí pracovní skupiny PETERKA PARTNERS pro francouzské záležitosti (Leader of French Desk), se v termínu 4. - 5. dubna 2024 zúčastnila Francouzsko-českého ekonomického fóra v Jihlavě, které pořádala Francouzsko-česká obchodní komora ve spolupráci s Krajem Vysočina. Tato událost svedla dohromady zástupce francouzského regionu Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Kraj Vysočina, Velvyslanectví Francie v České republice, Francouzsko-českou obchodní komoru a další klíčové aktéry francouzsko-české podnikatelské komunity, včetně zástupců nukleárního sektoru. Setkání, které se konalo pod záštitou hejtmana Kraje Vysočina Vítězslava Schreka a předsedy správní rady Francouzsko-české obchodní komory Rolanda Bourgeoise, se zúčastnili i excelence J. E. Stéphane Crouzat, velvyslanec Francie v České republice, a pan Phillipe Meunier, viceprezident regionu Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. PETERKA PARTNERS, jakožto advokátní kancelář, která dlouhodobě podporuje česko-francouzské vztahy a je aktivním členem Francouzsko-české obchodní komory, tedy u této významné události nemohla chybět. Připomínáme, že naše kancelář již od svého založení v roce 2000 poskytuje komplexní právní služby francouzským klientům v zemích CEE a naopak asistuje klientům ze střední a východní Evropy ve Francii ve spolupráci s místními advokátními kancelářemi, které jsou vybírány z řady spolupracujících partnerů v souladu s individuálními potřebami klientů a konkrétní povahou případů. Vybrané reference, jak z oblasti právních služeb, které poskytujeme francouzským klientům v CEE tak klientům ze střední a východní Evropy ve Francii naleznete v brožurách zde: Legal services for French clients in CEE Legal services for CEE clients in France

PETERKA PARTNERS attended French-Czech Economic forum in Jihlava

05/04/2024 PETERKA PARTNERS attended French-Czech Economic forum in Jihlava
Attorney-at-law Markéta Hanzlíková, Leader of French Desk in PETERKA PARTNERS, attended the French-Czech Economic Forum in Jihlava on 4 - 5 April 2024, organised by the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Vysočina Region. This event brought together representatives of the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Vysočina Region, the Embassy of France in the Czech Republic, the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce and other key players in the French-Czech business community, including representatives of the nuclear sector. The meeting, which was held under the auspices of the Governor of the Vysočina Region Vítězslav Schrek and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce Roland Bourgeois, was also attended by H.E. Stéphane Crouzat, Ambassador of France to the Czech Republic, and Mr. Phillipe Meunier, Vice President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. PETERKA PARTNERS, as a law firm that is in longterm supporting Czech-French relations and is an active member of the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce, could not miss this important event. We would like to remind you that since its establishment in 2000, our firm has been providing comprehensive legal services to French clients in CEE countries and, in turn, assisting clients from Central and Eastern Europe in France in cooperation with local law firms, which are selected from a range of cooperating partners in accordance with the individual needs of clients and the specific nature of the cases. Selected references, both in terms of the legal services we provide to French clients in CEE and to CEE clients in France, can be found in the brochures here:
Legal services for French clients in CEE Legal services for CEE clients in France

Romanian companies must meet RO e-Transport reporting obligations

05/04/2024 Romanian companies must meet RO e-Transport reporting obligations
The RO e-Transport monitoring system emerged in the second half of 2022, when Romania implemented it through Government Emergency Ordinance No. 41/2022 (“GEO no. 41/2022”) as a system initially designed to combat tax evasion by monitoring the transport of goods with high fiscal risk (RO e-Transport).
The categories of road vehicles subject to monitoring in the RO e-Transport system are those with a maximum technically admissible mass of at least 2.5 tonnes, loaded with goods with (i) a total gross mass of more than 500 kg or (ii) a total value of more than 10,000 Lei, corresponding to at least one consignment of goods subject to transport.
Although the system has been fully operational since 2022, its early scope was limited to the transport of goods with high fiscal risk, and therefore it had little influence on the business sector in terms of taxpayers being targeted for reporting responsibilities.
However, reporting obligations are returning to the spotlight, as beginning on December 15, 2023, GEO 115/2023’s new regulations amended GEO no. 41/2022, and introduced the obligation to report via RO e-Transport for all international road transport of goods.
For deeper insights, please read the full material prepared by our Romanian Senior Associate Alexandru Ososchi, by following this [link]: (https://blog.peterkapartners.com/romanian-companies-must-meet-ro-e-transport-reporting-obligations/)
Our team remains available to smoothly guide you while navigating this challenging topic within your business.

Rules on Remote Work and Other Labour Code Updates

04/04/2024 Rules on Remote Work and Other Labour Code Updates
Amendments concerning home office regulations and certain other employment rules have been introduced recently in Bulgaria. Our article below summarizes the main changes. It’s recommendable for employers to review their employment agreements and internal regulations and introduce respective adjustments. Read about it HERE.

Peterka & Partners assisted Saint-Gobain

04/04/2024 Peterka & Partners assisted Saint-Gobain
Peterka & Partners’ Prague and Zagreb offices assisted Saint-Gobain with Czech and Croatian legal aspects of the acquisition of Glass Service a.s., a leading provider of digital solutions for glass furnaces, including advanced control systems and simulation software that enables customers to reduce their energy consumption. The closing of the transaction was subject to antitrust approvals and took place on 2 April 2024. This acquisition will complement Saint-Gobain’s range of digital services, offering predictive, diagnostic, and data-driven solutions to improve energy efficiency for its customers and reduce the carbon footprint of their products and processes. Peterka & Partners closely cooperated with the leading French law firm Gide Loyerette Nouel, which leaded legal teams in six jurisdictions. The Peterka & Partners team was led by partner Ondřej Dušek, with associates Petr Říha, Patricie Čalová and Anja Haramija.

Taras Utiralov Acknowledged as a Leader in Ukraine's IP and IT&TMT Practices / Тарас Утіралов серед лідерів практик інтелектуальної власності та IT&MT в Україні

04/04/2024 Taras Utiralov Acknowledged as a Leader in Ukraine's IP and IT&TMT Practices / Тарас Утіралов серед лідерів практик інтелектуальної власності та IT&MT в Україні
Taras Utiralov, Partner and Director of the Ukrainian office of PETERKA & PARTNERS, Leader of the Law of Information Technologies practice, has been recognised among the leaders of Intellectual Property and IT&TMT practices in Ukraine according to the Client's Choice survey by Yurydychna Gazeta (Legal Newspaper). This recognition underscores his exceptional expertise and commitment to delivering high-quality legal services in these ever-evolving sectors. Taras Utiralov's leadership and expertise in IP and IT&TMT practices position him as a trusted advisor. Taras expresses sincere gratitude towards both clients and peers for their continuous support and acknowledgment. Client's Choice: TOP 100 Lawyers in Ukraine is independent research, covering the entire Ukraine, on the quality of legal services provided by Ukrainian lawyers, the purpose of which is to help corporate lawyers and businesses locate and choose the best legal advisers in a particular field of law.
Тараса Утіралова, партнера та директора українського офісу PETERKA & PARTNERS, керівника практики інформаційних технологій, визнано лідером практик інтелектуальної власності та IT&TMT в Україні за результатами дослідження Вибір клієнта від Юридичної газети. Це визнання підкреслює його винятковий досвід і відданість наданню високоякісних юридичних послуг у цих секторах, що постійно розвиваються. Лідерство та досвід Тараса Утіралова в практиках інтелектуальної власності та ІТ&ТМТ позиціонують його як надійного радника. Тарас висловлює щиру подяку як клієнтам, так і колегам за постійну підтримку та визнання. Вибір Клієнта: 100 Найкращих юристів України - всеукраїнське дослідження якості надання юридичних послуг українськими юристами, мета якого – допомогти корпоративним юристам і бізнесу в пошуку та виборі юридичного радника у відповідній галузі права в Україні.

A precedent judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court in Poland

03/04/2024 A precedent judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court in Poland
We would like to share with you that the recent success achieved by our combined real estate and litigation teams in Warsaw! Our colleagues from Warsaw office: Beata Składanek-Wikieł, Leader of Litigation in Poland and Sławomir Patkowski, Partner, Deputy Director for Poland have obtained a precedent judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court in which the court recognized a diplomatic mission as a party to administrative proceedings concerning a building permit on real property in the near vicinity of the mission. We managed to derive legal interest to participate in the proceedings directly from the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The direct procedural effect of the judgment is that the relevant administrative body is obliged to recognize the Client's appeal against the decision on the building permit. The broader significance of this judgment is to demonstrate that the parties to the proceedings for granting a building permit can be extended beyond the entities listed as parties in the Construction Law.

Individually informing and consulting workers in event of collective redundancies is not an option under EU case law

25/03/2024 Individually informing and consulting workers in event of collective redundancies is not an option under EU case law
The Court of Justice of the European Union has recently issued a preliminary ruling, in the case C-496/22, relating to the employer’s obligation in case of collective redundancies, as far as informing and consulting workers is concerned, if the employees do not have representatives appointed.
The request for a preliminary ruling concerns the interpretation of the first subparagraph of Article 1(1)(b) and Article 6 of Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies.
The main objective of the Directive and related case law is to ensure that employees subject to collective redundancies are protected.
For such purpose, collective redundancies are subject to prior consultation with the employees’ representatives and prior notification to the competent public authority.
We, at PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania, consider the preliminary ruling in the case C-496/22 very important in a not so common situation in which the employees are not represented while the employer is facing the situation of needing to carry out a collective dismissal.
Collective dismissals are a necessary evil in certain business situations with impact both on the employer and the employees. In case you are facing such situations in your business, please do not hesitate to contact our highly experienced employment lawyers in any PETERKA & PARTNERS office.
We invite you to dive into this challenging topic outlined by our Romanian colleagues and to read the full article available at this [link]: (https://blog.peterkapartners.com/individually-informing-and-consulting-workers-in-event-of-collective-redundancies-is-not-an-option-under-eu-case-law/)

Comprehensive legal advice on advertising campaigns provided by our Romanian team

25/03/2024 Comprehensive legal advice on advertising campaigns provided by our Romanian team
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania provided legal advisory services to the local subsidiary of a well-known international manufacturer of skylights and one of our long-term important clients, in relation to the implementation of various marketing campaigns. Our tailored assistance consisted in providing advice on the relevant applicable legislation on promotional campaigns, advice on relevant data protection implications, as well as review and adaptation of relevant promotional documents.

Advertising campaigns are driven by unique creative efforts and mastering such activities within the legal framework is definitely a challenge. Our trusted experts across all PETERKA & PARTNERS offices are frequently helping businesses to effectively navigate these challenges and to draw the best marketing campaigns.

Prague and Bratislava office in latest Chambers rankings

20/03/2024 Prague and Bratislava office in latest Chambers rankings
The highly-anticipated CHAMBERS Europe 2024 rankings are now live and PETERKA & PARTNERS have some remarkable news to share! Our Czech and Slovak offices have once again kept their positions among the leading law firms in the Employment and Corporate/M&A practice areas. We would like to thank all of our clients, partners, and colleagues, for their continued trust and support. Special thanks goes to the leaders of our Practice Groups and their dedicated teams: - Adela Krbcova and Kristina Čermáková, Leaders of Labour Law
- Gabriela Hájková, Leader of Corporate
- Dorota Ploskowicz and Agnieszka Siwińska, Leaders of Mergers and Acquisitions

Furthermore, we're proud that PETERKA & PARTNERS Slovakia has earned recognition also in the exclusive Chambers Global 2024 guide for the Corporate/M&A practice area and, as the only Slovak law firm, in the Corporate/M&A practice area (France). Special thanks therefore go out to our colleagues from the French Desk, led by Andrea Butasova. The Desk’s specialized knowledge and understanding of the French milieu have been invaluable in serving our clients effectively and played a significant role in securing this prestigious recognition.

PETERKA & PARTNERS advised Fenix Outdoor International AG

19/03/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS advised Fenix Outdoor International AG
The Prague office of Peterka & Partners, along with its Slovak and Hungarian offices, provided legal advisory to an important Swedish outdoor equipment producer and retailer in relation to acquisition of a minority shareholding in a Czech company that distributes the client’s products both online and in brick-and-mortar stores in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. The advisory encompassed due diligence of the target company, drafting and negotiation of transaction documentation and handling all closing matters in cooperation with a partner law firm in Munich, Germany. Once again, Peterka & Partners proved its ability to provide seamless legal services by its own teams in several jurisdictions and cooperate with partner law firms on other jurisdictions. More information is available here: EN website - Fenix Outdoor

PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in travel platform investment

14/03/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in travel platform investment
Peterka & Partners’ Prague office provided legal advisory services to a venture investment fund, J&T VENTURES CG SICAV, in connection with a new investment round in a London-based start-up platform (USD 10 Mil.). This platform connects tourists with local drivers who transport them door-to-door, from one city to the next. PP advice encompassed commenting and amending transaction documentation, as well as negotiating with founders and new investors. Read more about it: EN website - Businesswire EN website - The Recursive EN website - PhocusWire

PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in Choice investment

05/03/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS advised J&T VENTURES CG SICAV in Choice investment
The Prague office of PETERKA & PARTNERS, together with Polish and Ukrainian offices, advised J&T Ventures in their investment in Choice.
Choice offers a wide range of tools for restaurants, including a digital menu, a website for pick up and delivery, table reservations, QR codes, and more. Thanks to this investment, Choice is going to expand across Europe. Read more about it: Ondrej Dusek´s LinkedIn EN website CZ website

PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic assisted V-Sharp Ventures Alpha

13/02/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS Czech Republic assisted V-Sharp Ventures Alpha
The Prague office of PETERKA & PARTNERS advised V-Sharp Ventures Alpha SE, a venture studio, on its investment in Leya AI, a Lithuanian start up operating an innovative and research-based English learning app featuring an AI-Tutor, fun games, personalized lessons and a guided learning path. More information is available here in English (https://leyaai.com/blog/leya-preseed-round-closed/) and here in Czech (https://cc.cz/umela-inteligence-jako-kouc-ktery-vas-nauci-vse-co-potrebujete-do-litevskeho-startupu-investuji-i-cesi).

Transactional Advice in Bulgaria

08/02/2024 Transactional Advice in Bulgaria
The Bulgarian team of PETERKA&PARTNERS advised one of the subsidiaries of a US based Nasdaq and Fortune 1000 tech group on corporate, IP and employment aspects related to an asset transaction in Bulgaria.

PETERKA & PARTNERS among Airlines for Europe members

02/02/2024 PETERKA & PARTNERS among Airlines for Europe members
In January 2024, our law firm became a member of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) association. The main goals of the A4E are to ensure the sustainable growth of aviation and contribute to the socioeconomic development of European nations, and to support, and build up, business relationships among enterprises operating in the aviation sector in Europe.
Martyna Ryś-Wilgus, Senior Associate, and Leader of the Aviation Practice, has been handling cases for clients from the aviation sector for several years, and since January 2024, she has also been the coordinator of the firm's cooperation with Airlines for Europe.
PETERKA & PARTNERS has significant experience with the aviation industry and offers comprehensive legal advisory to entities in this field throughout the entire CEE region. For several years now, our Aviation Team have been representing a large air carrier in litigations initiated by passengers (or large companies buying passenger claims) for compensation for delayed flights. Our Litigation Department provides comprehensive legal analysis regarding our clients’ operations on the CEE market, including compliance with the obligatory requirements under applicable law (including advisory on general PNR and API data transmission obligations). The advisory covers also full legal assistance in disputes with passengers related to delayed or cancelled flights and other consumer disputes.

Succesful asisstance regarding a recent market entry in Romania, provided by our Bucharest office

01/02/2024 Succesful asisstance regarding a recent market entry in Romania, provided by our Bucharest office
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania provided legal assistance to a consultancy and advisory group focused primarily on legal requirements on EU market in case of products (articles), mixtures and chemical substances, hazard and risk assessment in connection with its entry onto the Romanian market by means of incorporation of a limited liability company. Our assistance consisted in providing advice on the relevant applicable corporate legislation to preparing all relevant corporate documents and carrying out the registration formalities with the Romanian authorities.

Updates on computation of fines and leniency and immunity from fines introduced by recent amendments to Romanian Competition Law

25/01/2024 Updates on computation of fines and leniency and immunity from fines introduced by recent amendments to Romanian Competition Law
Government Emergency Ordinance no. 108/2023 amending and supplementing Competition Law no. 21/1996 (“Competition Law”), as well as other normative acts (“GEO 108/2023”), was published in the Official Gazette on December 6, 2023 with certain provisions entering into force within 30 days after the publication.
It is an important legislative change, through which Romania has completed the transposition process of the European Directive 2019/1 and aligns with the policy of empowering its competition authority to be a more effective enforcer and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market.
The main amendments brought to the Romanian Competition Law, together with valuable insights envisaging the business climate onto this market are briefly summarized on our blog, by following this link .

An article by Markéta Hanzlíková on the proposed amendment of the Czech Civil Code in matters of family law.

17/01/2024 An article by Markéta Hanzlíková on the proposed amendment of the Czech Civil Code in matters of family law.
More simple and faster divorce proceedings in the Czech Republic? The amendment of Czech Civil Code currently under debates and if approved, shall be efficient as of January 1, 2025. The main objectives of the proposed amendment include simplifying divorce proceedings, promoting amicable divorces, removing unnecessary sources of escalating conflicts between divorcing spouses that burden both family relations and the courts, and eliminating some already overdone formalities. Only partial changes are thus proposed, with the existing concept of divorce based on the principle of matrimonial breakdown remaining. However, the proposal does introduce certain restrictions on divorce formalities and, in particular, the possibility of combining divorce proceedings with proceedings for the custody of minors if the spouses have agreed on all aspects of the divorce. This would remove the current need for two court hearings even in the case of an agreed divorce. This should also result in a speeding up of divorce proceedings. There have been a number of comments on the proposed amendments and more changes can be expected, but if it is adopted in its current form, it will not mean a revolution in divorce proceedings; for example, it will not be possible to divorce in Czech Republic before a notary in the case of fully agreed divorce. Read the full article regarding the above and further changes in family law that may be adopted in Czech here.

Polish directors for PETERKA & PARTNERS share their insights in leading their office

11/01/2024 Polish directors for PETERKA & PARTNERS share their insights in leading their office
Our Partners, Directors for Poland Agnieszka Siwińska and Dorota Ploskowicz share interesting insights into leading the Polish branch of PETERKA & PARTNERS. They both also specialize in M&A projects and as they say, managing such projects is an excellent preparation for running a law firm. Read more about it HERE.

PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgaria successful with objections in insolvency proceedings

11/01/2024 PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgaria successful with objections in insolvency proceedings
Bulgarian office successfully represented the local subsidiary of a major European logistics group in insolvency related proceedings of a client’s debtor, in particular with objections against a refusal of the insolvency trustee to accept some of the client’s claims.
The matter required complex argumentation associated, among others, with the justification of the secured/privileged status of the claims in circumstances where no earlier case law could be put forward in support.

Fast-track liquidation procedure suggested by Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria

09/01/2024 Fast-track liquidation procedure suggested by Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria
New fast-track liquidation procedure has been suggested by the Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria. Read about it HERE.

Another Sucessful Family Law case

03/01/2024 Another Sucessful Family Law case
Our law firm sucessfully represented a client, U.S. citizen in a court dispute with his ex-wife over the maintenance and contact with their young son. We are very happy that the client, Mr. Hedstrom wrote us the following kind reference: "Markéta Hanzlíková from PETERKA & PARTNERS was my attorney through a very difficult international custody and visitation case for my young son. Markéta handled his case with a steady hand, giving sound advice to me, negotiating with the opposing side's attorney, communicating very well, and representing us in court exceptionally. I give my highest recommendation to PETERKA & PARTNERS.

Thomas Alexander Hedstrom, U. S. Citizen."

TAX-FREE ACQUISITION OF START-UP SHARES IN HUNGARY

20/12/2023 TAX-FREE ACQUISITION OF START-UP SHARES IN HUNGARY
On 1 January 2024, a new era will begin for start-ups in Hungary, as they will be able to offer tax-free shares to their employees and executive officers, provided that they do not divest their shares for at least 3 years after acquisition. Read about it here.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria successfully represented EU air carrier in a tort claim filed before Bulgarian court

13/12/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria successfully represented EU air carrier in a tort claim filed before Bulgarian court
PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria successfully represented one of the largest European air carriers before a Bulgarian court with respect to a tort claim submitted by a deported passenger against the client. The case involved unconventional legal issues in the areas of citizenship and the status of stateless persons, transportation of deported passengers, air security, border controls, etc. The claim required in-depth analysis of international regulations in the field of air transportation, as well as deep understanding of the local regulation of seafarer competencies.

Czech Business Mission to Romania

04/12/2023 Czech Business Mission to Romania
We are honoured that our law firm attended the latest Czech business mission to Romania, which took place in Bucharest, at the end of November. The delegation which accompanied the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic on his trip to Romania, gathered Czech companies from the fields of military, energy, IT, and automotive. Cosmina Aron, Partner and Director of PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania, attended the event in Bucharest and gained valuable insights about the economic and political relationships between Czech Republic and Romania, as well as about the active business exchange between these two CEE jurisdictions. We are excited to see that the business between the Czech Republic and Romania is active and constantly developing in both directions, offering us the opportunity to be a reliable partner for our clients in these markets and beyond.

Article by Markéta Hanzlíková on the proposed regulation of the unacceptability of physical punishment of children in the Czech Republic

29/11/2023 Article by Markéta Hanzlíková on the proposed regulation of the unacceptability of physical punishment of children in the Czech Republic
The end of "cooker education" in Bohemia? An article by Markéta Hanzlíková on the proposed amendment of the Czech Civil Code on the unacceptability of physical punishment of children. Current legislation in the Czech Republic prohibits corporal punishment in education, prisons and employment. Violence is prosecuted between adults, including domestic violence in partner relationships. However, when it comes to children, the most vulnerable members of our society, physical punishment is still tolerated by law and society. Consequently, we welcome the forthcoming amendment to the Civil Code, which proposes changing the above and fix the duties and rights of parents to care for the child, including in particular care for the child's health, physical, emotional, intellectual and moral development': "without corporal punishment, mental hardship or other degrading measures". Although the proposal as currently drafted does not contain a stronger formulation in the form of an explicit prohibition of physical punishment of children, nor any specific sanction in the event of a violation, it would certainly be a shift for the better if the legislator were to adopt the proposal, and at the very least an unequivocal declaration that the use of physical punishment against children would not be considered "normal" in Czech society. Read the full article regarding the above in Czech here: https://blog.peterkapartners.com/?p=421

Minimum wage increase in Hungary

28/11/2023 Minimum wage increase in Hungary
The Hungarian Government has decided to increase the minimum wage and guaranteed minimum wage for the second time this year. Read about it HERE.

PETERKA PARTNERS in Euro magazine

27/11/2023 PETERKA PARTNERS in Euro magazine
PETERKA PARTNERS achieved recognition as a standout player in the legal field, securing a coveted position in EURO’s top-tier. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for this acknowledgment and extend our hearty congratulations to our fellow distinguished law firms.

Alongside this recognition, Euro magazine featured a compelling interview with our partners, Zdenek Beranek and Hynek Peroutka, who shed light on the legal services landscape in the CEE region and the various challenges confronting legal professionals (and not only them).

Hynek also shared his thoughts on handling large amounts of data by law firms nowadays and contemplated the dilemma of representing clients who may be deemed not “Green” enough.

The issue also includes insights into AI by our colleagues Agnieszka Siwinska, Director of our Polish office. The quoting of this wonderful “woman in law” further underlines the success of our colleagues Adela Krbcova and Pavla Kopeckova Prikrylova in the overview of the Top 100 Women in the Czech Legal Business.

Article by Dan Loukota from PP CZ

20/11/2023 Article by Dan Loukota from PP CZ
On 6/11/2023 an article regarding unsufifciently identified owners of real estate in Czech Republic was published by Dan Loukota from PP CZ. With the New Year, the properties of insufficiently identified owners in Czech Republic will pass to the state.

In this article, Dan explores the historical roots of this issue and provide crucial steps to safeguard the property rights. Learn how to check the list maintained by the Office for Government Representation in Property Affairs, initiate inheritance proceedings, and protect the family's legacy.


Read the full article here.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria advised a leading global generic pharmaceuticals group on a special distribution agreement

16/11/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria advised a leading global generic pharmaceuticals group on a special distribution agreement
PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria advised a leading global generic pharmaceuticals group on a special distribution agreement related to delivery of flu vaccines to health care professionals within the 2023 – 2024 flu vaccination campaign. The agreement covered various unconventional elements and arrangements related among others to the requirements under the framework of the national vaccination program.

TOP 100 women in the legal business

16/11/2023 TOP 100 women in the legal business
Naše Právničky v Žebříčku TOP 100 Žen v Právním Byznysu S obrovskou radostí a hrdostí oznamujeme, že dvě naše vynikající právničky, Adéla Krbcová a Pavla Přikrylová Kopečková, se staly součástí prestižního žebříčku TOP 100 žen v právním byznysu. Adéla byla oceněna v kategorii TOP partnerky, zatímco Pavla vyniká v oblasti M&A, Korporátní právo a Private Equity. Adéla Krbcová - TOP Partnerka Adéla není pouze právničkou; je symbolem excelence, odhodlání a lidskosti v právu. Její brilantní právnické dovednosti a schopnost nalézt optimální řešení pro naše klienty ji řadí mezi nejlepší v oboru. Umístění v kategorii TOP partnerky je výsledkem její tvrdé práce, oddanosti a vize pro spravedlnost. Pavla Přikrylová Kopečková - M&A, Korporátní Právo a Private Equity Pavla se v oblasti M&A, Korporátního práva a Private Equity stala uznávanou autoritou. Její expertíza a schopnost navigovat v komplexních transakcích ji řadí mezi špičkové profesionálky v oboru. Toto ocenění v žebříčku TOP 100 žen je zaslouženým uznáním jejího výjimečného přínosu v oblasti korporátního práva. Oceňujeme Jejich Úspěchy Tato umístění nejsou jen úspěchem pro naše právničky, ale i pro celý náš tým. Jsme hrdí, že můžeme mít takové výjimečné profesionálky ve svých řadách. Jejich práce, oddanost a profesionalita posilují naši firmu a posouvají naše právní služby na novou úroveň. Gratulace od Nás Všech Srdečně gratulujeme Adéle Krbcové a Pavle Přikrylové Kopečkové k těmto prestižním oceněním. Jsou to zářné příklady výjimečnosti a inspirace pro nás všechny. Těšíme se na další společné úspěchy a neuvěřitelný přínos do budoucnosti.
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Our lawyers in the TOP 100 women in the legal business We are very proud and pleased to announce that two of our outstanding female lawyers, Adéla Krbcová and Pavla Přikrylová Kopečková, have been included in the prestigious TOP 100 Women in Legal Business. Adéla has been recognized in the TOP Women Partners category, while Pavla excels in M&A, corporate and private equity. Adéla Krbcová - TOP female partner Adéla is not just a lawyer, she is a symbol of excellence, commitment and humanity in law. Her brilliant legal knowledge and ability to find optimal solutions for our clients make her one of the best in the field. Being ranked among the top partners is the result of her hard work, dedication and vision for justice. Pavla Přikrylová Kopečková - M&A, corporate and private equity Pavla has become a recognized authority on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and private equity. Her expertise and ability to navigate complex transactions make her one of the top professionals in the field. This Top 100 Women award is a well-deserved recognition of her exceptional contributions to the field of corporate law. Recognition of her achievements This ranking is not just an achievement of our female lawyers, but of our entire team. We are proud to have such exceptional female professionals in our ranks. Their work, dedication and professionalism strengthen our firm and take our legal services to the next level. Congratulations to all of you We sincerely congratulate Adela Krbcova and Pavla Přikrylová Kopečková on these prestigious awards. They are a shining example of excellence and an inspiration to us all. We look forward to more successes and incredible contributions together in the future.

IBA - Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for Lawyers

06/11/2023 IBA - Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for Lawyers
Diversity has a positive effect on productivity and competitiveness and brings with it the opportunity for expansion on both domestic and international markets. At PETERKA & PARTNERS, we are fully aware of how diversity is important for our progress and we have made great effort in this area for many years. Today, we are honored and proud to share that our Partner Pavla Kopeckova Prikrylova together with Antonia Verna of Portolano Cavallo led the initiative and launched a “truly transformational instrument” – a Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for law firms. The project started at European level and with the support of the IBA special projects fund and was extended to become a global IBA initiative at the start of 2023. The D&I Toolkit is available in its interactive form on the IBA website: https://lnkd.in/dTMt6PPP

Successful end of a 13-year-long litigation

02/11/2023 Successful end of a 13-year-long litigation
PETERKA & PARTNERS’s Prague office led to a successful end a nearly 13-year-long litigation on behalf of our client, a Czech subsidiary of TOUAX, a prominent French-origin global group and a family-run business, which later became a subsidiary of Modulaire Group, Europe, and Asia Pacific's leading specialist in modular services and infrastructure. The case centred on an alleged breach of a subcontracting agreement and the associated contractual penalty and the value of the case exceeded 2 million EUR. Our team defended the nullity of the agreement by arguing and evidencing a conflict of interest involving the signatory. The case was tried three times before the court of first instance, two times before the appellate court, and twice before the Supreme Court. It ended with a final win for our client at the Supreme Court followed by a settlement agreement concluded by the parties in order to solve a few remaining auxiliary claims.

Changes in Bulgarian whistleblowing legislation

25/10/2023 Changes in Bulgarian whistleblowing legislation
While the time limit for the majority of businesses for introduction of internal reporting channel and related compliance measures approaches (December 2023), the Bulgarian whistleblowing legislation have undergone amendments in the beginning of October 2023. Please refer to our article on the matter for further details.

Renewable energy in Bulgaria – new rules in force since October 2023

19/10/2023 Renewable energy in Bulgaria – new rules in force since October 2023
Important amendments of the rules on renewable energy have been passed by Bulgarian Parliament recently. Among other things those include:
• Expansion of the framework for encouragement of RE projects; • Various changes to the rules on connection of RE installations to the grids; • Rules aimed at increased transparency and improvement of procedures and administrative service related to construction and commissioning of RE projects; • Introduction in local law of renewable self-consumers and renewable energy communities.
Further details available in our article HERE.

PETERKA&PARTNERS Newsletter

10/10/2023 PETERKA&PARTNERS Newsletter
Dear Clients, Business Partners and Colleagues, it is our pleasure to share with you the latest edition of PETERKA & PARTNERS Newsletter prepared by our colleagues.
You may read it here.
As per usual, we bring you the summary of practical legal and tax news from our jurisdictions as well as latest news from PETERKA & PARTNERS. We hope you will enjoy the reading!

Global Advocaten Annual Meeting - Bratislava

10/10/2023 Global Advocaten Annual Meeting - Bratislava
PETERKA & PARTNERS had the privilege to host this year's Global Advocaten annual meeting in the charming city of Bratislava. We really enjoyed welcoming all colleagues and friends from different countries and continents. While we did some serious work, we also appreciated the great time we spent together enjoying the gorgeous city of Slovakia in the lovely autumn and making our relationships stronger in the network. We would like to thank all members who attended the meeting and we are looking forward to next year's meeting!

ILN 2023 European Regional Conference

10/10/2023 ILN 2023 European Regional Conference
We are proud that we hosted another International Lawyers Network conference in Prague, the heart of Europe. It has been 15 years since we had the opportunity to welcome our international colleagues and friends in Prague, where our firm's headquarters is located. Along with Lindsay Griffiths, Pavla Kopečková Přikrylová, the Chair of the Board and the team of the event planners from Dynamic Events, we sincerely hope all the guest enjoyed our wonderful city and the conference.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania attended the first IBA CEE conference hosted in Bucharest

03/10/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania attended the first IBA CEE conference hosted in Bucharest
We are delighted that our law firm took part in another interesting IBA (International Bar Association) conference.
“The Future of Law Firm Management” - the first IBA CEE Conference hosted in Bucharest at the end of September was definitely a hotspot event for legal industry leaders aiming to find out what will tomorrow's law firm look like.
Our Romanian management represented by Cosmina Aron and Ioana Sebestin, were amongst the privileged attendants of the event and had the occasion to dive into captivating topics like:
- Law Firm Future Readiness - Navigating Converging Crises
- Law Firm Spending Decisions - Smart and Otherwise
- Are Law Firms Sustainable? Does It Matter?
- Will AI Eat the Law?
- Where are your clients looking to spend their budgets?
- Fostering a Healthy Team in a Remote Working Environment
- Legal M&A - Can Small Still Be Beautiful
- What Do the Clients Think?
We are eagerly waiting for the next insightful IBA conferences. By opening this link, you will see few pictures from the event.

Wines of Ukraine

21/09/2023 Wines of Ukraine
On September 14, we had the pleasure to be an exclusive Partner of the event Wines of Ukraine organized by the Ukrainian Embassy in the Czech Republic. The event brought together representatives of the Association of Ukrainian Wine Producers, potential Czech partners along with the Czech government officials; ambassadors accredited in the Czech Republic and representatives of Czech business circles and trade networks.
At the opening, Mr. Vitaliy Usaty, Chargé d'affaires a.i. greeted the guests and thanked Czech partners for their consistent and extensive support of Ukraine and Mr. Ondrej Peterka stressed out the importance of supporting Ukrainian exporters in promoting their domestic products to foreign markets, aimed at contributing to their integration into the European business community. We are glad that our continuous support to Ukrainian companies helps establishing mutually beneficial partnerships between the business circles of Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
To see pictures taken at this event, please click here.

Europe New (Green) Deal - The Net Zero Industry Act

14/09/2023 Europe New (Green) Deal - The Net Zero Industry Act
The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) in the spotlight - a crucial topic on the European Commission’s table.
Brief overview of The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA)
In March 2023, the European Commission published a legislative proposal which followed as an EU response to the US Inflation Reduction Act: The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA). The NZIA proposal, part of the massive EU Green Deal Industrial Plan, did not pass through the usual ex-ante exercise done by European Commission services to assess the likely impact of the proposal compared to alternatives. It was only followed-up by a working document discussing NZIA investment needs and funding options.
The NZIA aims at promoting investment in the manufacturing of products that are key in meeting the EU’s climate neutrality goals.
By accelerating the development and production of net-zero technologies, the NZIA also aims to reduce the risk of replacing EU reliance on Russian fossil fuels with other strategic dependencies on key technologies and components for the green transition.
Overall, this initiative should contribute to strengthening European self-sufficiency and the resilience of net zero manufacturing technologies in the EU, in order to meet REPowerEU objectives, which will make up the backbone of an affordable, reliable, and sustainable clean energy system.
Does NZIA foresees a reshaping?
The European Parliament Environment Committee (ENVI) will vote its opinion on the file in September 2023, followed by the Industry Committee’s (ITRE) deliberation on its position in October. The Council is due to agree on its negotiating position (general approach) by early December 2023.
Read the full material powered by our dedicated Energy Practice by opening this link.

Slovak team advises Roffelsen Plastics Slovakia on real-estate transaction

31/08/2023 Slovak team advises Roffelsen Plastics Slovakia on real-estate transaction
PETERKA & PARTNERS has advised the local subsidiary of a Netherlands-based group ROFFELSEN, a leading manufacturer of plastic products and a specialist in extrusion technology, in the acquisition of an industrial site near Nitra, western Slovakia, so that it can expand its current production. Legal assistance provided by Slovak branch of PETERKA & PARTNERS included, in particular, preparation of contractual documents related to the transaction, negotiations, legal due diligence of the acquired properties, and assistance in the preparation of bank documents. We thank our long-term client for their trust, and our colleagues from the Bratislava office for their hard work, especially Andrea Butasova for leading the team, and Lubomir Lesko, Marian Lauko, Nicole Srolova, and Marek Follrich, for their great contributions.

New amendments to Law 53/2003 on the Labour Code regarding work from home/tele-working by parents

31/08/2023 New amendments to Law 53/2003 on the Labour Code regarding work from home/tele-working by parents
The recent legislative amendments brought to the Romanian Labour Code continue to sustain the European and national policies implemented during the last years, in view of encouraging and improving work-life balance.
As of 24 July 2023, there are in force certain additional provisions regarding work from home/tele-working of employees that are providing for minors up to the age of 11.
According to Law 241/2023 amending Law 53/2003 on the Labour Code (hereinafter “Law 241/2023”), employees who provide for children up to 11 years of age shall have the benefit, upon request, of 4 days per month of work from home or under tele-working regulations, except when the nature or the type of work does not allow for the carrying out of such activity under such conditions.
In addition, such an employee should have at his/her own disposal all the means that are necessary for carrying out his/her duties under his/her job description during such period of work-from-home/tele-working.
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania prepared an extended material which encloses important aspects connected to this legislative change. The material is available here.
For more details and related legal assistance connected to this matter, do not hesitate to contact our Romanian office.

New rules on taxation of structures in Poland

28/08/2023 New rules on taxation of structures in Poland
Currently, objects, identified as structures related to the business activity of a given taxpayer, are subject to 2% Real Estate Tax (“RET”) paid annually. This taxation is based on the depreciation value of the given object for income tax purposes.
Due to the ambiguity of the provisions, it is not clear as to which objects are subject to RET. Consequently, this issue has been the matter of numerous disputes between taxpayers and the Polish tax authorities. Groundbreaking Judgment on Polish Real Estate Tax
The Polish Constitutional Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has issued unprecedent judgment concerning real estate taxation of structures. The current tax provisions concerning taxation of structures will be repealed. A brand new system of taxation of structures will be in force starting from 1st January 2025. What has changed?
On July 4th, 2023 the Tribunal issued a judgment in which it found the legal definition of the structure for Real Estate Tax purposes as unconstitutional. Moreover, the Tribunal has stated that the relevant tax provisions will cease to apply within 18 months from the date of publishing the judgment in the Journal of Laws.
Therefore, it is expected that starting from 1st January 2025, a brand new regime of RET on structures in Poland will come into force. So far, no draft legislation has been proposed by the Polish lawmakers. What can Peterka&Partners do for you?
Given that the RET on structures could be a major tax burden, each RET payer should analyze whether the judgment of the Tribunal may affect their tax position.
The Polish Peterka&Partners office has considerable experience in tax advisory concerning RET, including handling disputes between taxpayers and the tax authorities.
Specifically, the Polish Peterka&Partners team may assist you in:
⎯ analyzing the impact this judgment could have on the way your structures are taxed;
⎯ assessing the potential tax savings to be achieved in the area of RET;
⎯ complying with the new real estate tax provisions once the draft legislation has been published. * * *
This article was prepared by Filip Biegun, Tax Advisor, Of Counsel at PETERKA & PARTNERS Poland. No information contained in this article should be considered or interpreted in any manner as legal advice and/or the provision of legal services. This article has been prepared for the purposes of general information only. PETERKA & PARTNERS does not accept any responsibility for any omission and/or action undertaken by you and/or by any third party on the basis of the information contained herein. only and may not be considered a legal opinion or advice.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania advised a reputable non-profit international organization which conducts intercultural programs on the conclusion of a general IT services agreement and related risks

25/08/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania advised a reputable non-profit international organization which conducts intercultural programs on the conclusion of a general IT services agreement and related risks
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania is delighted to have provided legal advisory services to an international, voluntary, non-governmental and non-profit organization which conducts intercultural programs on a worldwide scale. Our assistance consisted in the analysis of a services agreement to be concluded with an independent IT contractor. The related advice included both the review and amendment of the draft services agreement from the perspective civil provisions, as well as the analysis of related risks of re-qualification of such agreement as a labour agreement from the perspective of Romanian law.

Changes in rules on insolvency and stabilization in Bulgaria

16/08/2023 Changes in rules on insolvency and stabilization in Bulgaria
Insolvency and stabilization proceedings in Bulgaria have recently undergone legislative amendments introduced with the objective of increasing their effectiveness.
Our Bulgarian team summarised the changes in this article.

Long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) with renewable energy generators under Romanian Energy Law

02/08/2023 Long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) with renewable energy generators under Romanian Energy Law
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania is bringing into your attention an interesting topic connected to the dynamic Energy sector.
The legal article prepared by Dan Ciupala, Leader of Energy Practice within our law firm, focuses on a presentation of the specific issues related to the sale of the electricity generated from renewable sources through market-based long-term power purchase agreements (“PPAs”), that had been reintroduced in Law 123/2012 on Electricity and Natural Gas (“Energy Law”) by Government Emergency Ordinance No. 143/2021 (“GEO 143/2021”), that was approved in its final form by Law 248/2022, enacted on 24 July 2022, after being banned for more than eight years.
We consider this topic to be of interest to operators on the current market, for the following reasons: - energy generation from renewable sources has substantially improved in terms of technology and efficiency, making renewable energy generation competitive with conventional technologies of power generation;
- despite market volatility at the end of 2021, PPAs have continued to be seen as a long-term investment, providing developers with long-term bankability, reflected by cheaper prices for longer contracts, protecting prices against short-term market fluctuations;
- there is no state-sponsored support scheme available in Romania for renewables: the previous green certificates scheme ended at the end of 2016. As a result, the installation of new renewable generation capacities has almost stopped since 2017;
- the significant increase and volatility of wholesale electricity prices increased the demand for longer fixed-price electricity sourcing arrangements. Depending on the pricing formula, a long-term PPA can provide price certainty for a fixed period and thus protection against the volatility in the electricity prices both for the generator and the off-taker. A predictable and stable revenue stream are essential for the bankability of renewable projects. The extended version of this insightful legal material is available to read by opening this link. For more details and related legal assistance connected to this matter, do not hesitate to contact our Romanian office.

Terralex launches cross-border guide to ESG & Sustainable Finance

01/08/2023 Terralex launches cross-border guide to ESG & Sustainable Finance
Our Colleagues from Czech and Slovak office have collaborated to create the newest cross-border guide on the topic of ESG and Sustainable Finance by TerraLex.

Thank you Adéla Krbcová, Barbora Urbancová, Johannes Röll and Kristina Nankova for your contributions on this increasingly important topic. You may access it here.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Teambuilding in Sopot, Poland (14-18 June 2023)

01/08/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Teambuilding in Sopot, Poland (14-18 June 2023)
After a couple of years, we could finally all meet in person, and spend some quality time together in the beautiful surroundings of Hotel Haffner in Sopot City, Poland. These numbers would best show the enormous scope of the project: 5 days
8 offices representing 8 countries
122 participants
5* Hotel in Sopot
3 workshops
2 contests
3 special awards from Ondřej Peterka
18 contests winners
a myriad of inspirations and networking Great thanks to Magdalena C. Oleszycka and Anna Kalbarczyk (Dzienio), MBA for truly exceptional performance in coordinating the entire event, and their huge efforts to provide probably the best team building in the entire history of our company.
Recent years were very important for the PETERKA & PARTNERS as we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Group back in 2020 and “round” anniversaries of six offices.
Our team building was a great opportunity to see our colleagues on childhood photos. Jan Liška and Radka Čejkova organized the “Guessing game”, where chosen representatives from each office had to guess who was presented in a photo. Adéla Krbcová and Barbora Urbancová moderated very important session on our ESG policy. We were inspired by everyone with the new ideas on our ESG&CSR programs, so thank you, girls for organizing this important session. During Q&A session, Ondřej Peterka and Jan Liška with full transparency tackled the hardest topics that were brought up by their coworkers. As PETERKA & PARTNERS values open communication, it goes both ways, each voice is heard and matters. During the Gala Dinner, Dorota Ploskowicz and Agnieszka Siwińska who manage our Warsaw office, talked of times filled with challenges and its recent growth. Sławomir Patkowski, Partner and Deputy Director for Poland helps them with such great development of our Polish office. Management prizes were handed out as well to: Petr Hradil for long-term exceptional performance
Beata Składanek-Wikieł was awarded for the successful development of the Polish litigation practice, which is the largest in the entire firm
The main prize went to the entire PETERKA & PARTNERS Ukrainian Team, led by Taras Utiralov and Halyna Melnyk, for maintaining and developing the Ukrainian office despite the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. We would also like to give special thanks to the Hotel Haffner management. Tymoteusz Skuza, Adrian Chyliński, MBA and Magdalena Dunowska who coordinated the entire event with us – from the beginning to the final hour of our presence there. We appreciate your professional and friendly attitude, highest level of services and perfect organizational skills. Hotel Haffner will be our first choice when organizing any global event in Poland. Thanks to all of our PETERKA & PARTNERS colleagues for such a great time spent together in Sopot, Poland. See you soon!

A new type of company introduced in Bulgaria

01/08/2023 A new type of company introduced in Bulgaria
A new type of company has been introduced in Bulgarian company law for the first time in decades. The new company form is the variable capital company and our Bulgarian team has prepared a concise leaflet presenting the main features of the variable capital company in comparison with the two most popular traditional company types. Read about it here.

Amendments to anti-money laundering legislation in Bulgaria

26/07/2023 Amendments to anti-money laundering legislation in Bulgaria
A new law amending the Bulgarian Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Act was published on 14th of July 2023. It introduces a number of measures, some of them upon the recommendations of certain European institutions. We have selected and presented below those we find most important.
I. Notifications to the Registry Agency in regards to incorrect UBO data The obliged entities under the AML Act (banks, insurers and insurance brokers, lawyers, notaries public, other credit institutions, etc.) now have an additional obligation.
In particular, when such entities detect a discrepancy between the data concerning the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) of their clients entered in public registers (the Commercial Register and the BULSTAT register) and the UBO data collected by the obliged entities in the course of the performance of their AML duties, e.g., in the course of an AML customer due diligence, they shall be obliged to file a notification on the discrepancy to the Registry Agency. It’s worth noting that the AML Act contains an express rule that such notification may not result in liability for a breach of a confidentiality obligation by the respective obliged entity or its employees.
The filing of a notification would trigger a special procedure within which the respective company should either prove to the Registry Agency that the registered UBO data is correct or take the necessary steps to modify the registered data to reflect the correct status in the register. A failure of the company concerned to act in accordance with the said procedure may result in a fine and, if following its imposition, the company does not act in accordance with the law, the Registry Agency may keep fining the company for each month of non-compliance.
The new mechanism shall be effective as from 16 July 2024. It’s recommendable for all companies to check the UBO data in their files with the respective register and, if needed, adjust or update the data by then in order to avoid the potential triggering of the described procedure and risks of the associated sanctions.
II. Storage of UBO data Up until now the obligation to store the information concerning clients’ UBOs for a certain period of time applied to the obliged entities under the AML Act.
The amendments introduce the obligation for all legal entities and other entities established in Bulgaria, including for their managers, liquidators and contact persons, to store the data for the UBO of the relevant entity for a period of 5 years from the termination of this entity.
III. Listed companies and UBOs Thus far, the AML Act has stipulated that if a client is a listed company, instead of identifying the UBO, the AML obliged entity must collect certain information on shareholding exceeding the threshold subject to disclosure as per the rules of the jurisdiction where the client is listed.
The law was not sufficiently clear when it comes to a controlling listed company, i.e., when it is not the client but instead another entity in the group which controls the client that is a listed company.
The amendment makes it clear that the same approach also applies to controlling entities by inserting an express reference to this end.
IV. Identification of natural persons As a matter of principle, AML obliged entities must apply measures for identification to all their clients before commencing to work with them.
Regardless if a natural person is the client or he/she is the UBO of a legal entity which is the client, upon performance of an AML identification, the natural person should provide certain personal data (such as name, date and place of birth, country of permanent residence, etc.).
The amended law envisages that this obligation shall apply not only to the natural person subject to identification but to his/her statutory representatives (in the case of individuals with limited legal capacity) and/or proxies. ____________________________________________________________________________ This article was prepared by Ivana Ilcheva, Associate at PETERKA & PARTNERS for Bulgaria.
No information contained in this article should be considered or interpreted in any manner as legal advice and/or the provision of legal services. This article has been prepared for the purposes of general information only. PETERKA & PARTNERS does not accept any responsibility for any omission and/or action undertaken by you and/or by any third party on the basis of the information contained herein.

ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2023

24/07/2023 ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2023
PETERKA & PARTNERS is honoured to be shortlisted for ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2023 in the following categories: - CEE Tax Firm of the Year
- CEE Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year Winners will be announced at a live ceremony in London on the 27th of September 2023.

ITR EMEA Tax Awards have taken place annually since its inception in 2005 and recognise the remarkable achievements and developments by tax professionals from throughout the EMEA region over a 12-month period. The awards recognize achievements in tax technology, innovation, policy, compliance, and reporting, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. PETERKA & PARTNERS provides a one-stop shop for legal and tax services for the entire CEE region. We provide tax advisory services, whether on a stand-alone basis or as an integral part of full legal services. The Tax Desk is led by Rostislav Frelich and Lenka Paluchova. We extend warm congratulations to the PETERKA & PARTNERS Tax Desk for receiving this well-deserved recognition!

Hungarian whistleblower protection act to come into force on 24 July

13/07/2023 Hungarian whistleblower protection act to come into force on 24 July
The Hungarian Whistleblowing Act will come into force on 24th of July 2023 for companies with more than 250 employees and service providers subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act regardless of the number of employees.

The new Act also applies to companies with 50-249 employees from 17th of December 2023. Companies may also operate a common whistleblower protection system, however, a common channel operated at the central level of a company group would not be possible, since compliance with special Hungarian regulations is also necessary. Companies with fewer than 50 employees could also decide to establish a whistleblower protection system even if they are not obliged to do so.

Employers may decide to handle the reports of whistleblowers fully internally or it is possible to involve an external organization or a whistleblower protection attorney. An important factor for companies to consider is that the new Hungarian Act differs from the EU Directive and contains some special provisions, e.g., it defines who is considered as an employee of the company, expands the scope of persons who can make a report, and sets out in detail the documentation requirements for reports made in person.

PETERKA & PARTNERS advised on the sale of a majority share in FC Viktoria Plzeň

07/07/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS advised on the sale of a majority share in FC Viktoria Plzeň
The Prague office of PETERKA & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice in connection with the sale of the majority share in FC Viktoria Plzeň, a leading Czech football club, to an Austrian-Swiss business group.

Our role included drafting transaction documentation, negotiations and managing the closing agenda.

The transaction implies providing the club with financial stability, higher ambitions, motivation and a desire to work conceptually and move the club forward.

Zdeněk Beránek, Partner for the Czech office of PETERKA & PARTNERS and Leader of Sport, Media and Gaming practice, led the project.

Deputy director for Ukrainian office joined the ILN podcast / Заступник директора українського офісу в новому епізоді подкасту ILN

04/07/2023 Deputy director for Ukrainian office joined the ILN podcast / Заступник директора українського офісу в новому епізоді подкасту ILN
“The IT sector is doing quite well in Ukraine and we have this special regime; a tax and legal incentive for IT companies and for big companies. So it's been developing and it's been developing quickly. And I'm curious whether it will result in new IT market players coming to Ukraine, even despite the war, because the incentive is really good.” Dive into the dynamic conversation between Lindsay Griffits of ILN and Halyna Melnyk, Tax Advisor and Deputy Director for Ukrainian office of PETERKA & PARTNERS in the latest episode of the Law Firm ILN-telligence podcast: Click here to see the podcast - "ІТ-сектор в Україні почувається добре, наразі в нас встановлено особливий режим; податковий і юридичний стимул для ІТ-компаній і для великих компаній. Тому він розвивається, і розвивається досить швидко. І мені цікаво, чи призведе це до того, що в Україну прийдуть нові гравці ІТ-ринку, навіть незважаючи на війну, тому що стимул дійсно хороший." Пориньте в динамічну розмову між Ліндсі Гріффітс з ILN та Галиною Мельник, податковим радником та заступником директора українського офісу PETERKA & PARTNERS, в останньому епізоді подкасту ILN-telligence: натисніть тут, щоб переглянути подкаст.

PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgaria advised local subsidiary of a leading chemical distributors in CEE on regulations governing the reserves of oil and related products

28/06/2023 PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgaria advised local subsidiary of a leading chemical distributors in CEE on regulations governing the reserves of oil and related products
PETERKA&PARTNERS Bulgarian team advised the local subsidiary of one of the leading chemical distributors in the region of Central and Eastern Europe on matters arising under the regulations governing the reserves of oil and related products. The advice required a complex legal analysis, including unconventional issues and exploration of court practice in the context of requirements and limitations deriving from EU law applicable to similar circumstances.

The fragile balance within ESG

22/06/2023 The fragile balance within ESG
Following our previous newsletters introducing the new ESG rules, we will now consider the fragile balance between two critical pillars of ESG, the environmental policies (the “E” pillar), and the social and labour policies (the “S” pillar).
The ESG revolution is a challenging topic for all industries and we would like to present some interesting features below.
A recent example of how the fragile balance between these ESG pillars can be easily upset was brought to light by the fine-dining industry, where innovative restaurants are more open than ever to take into consideration hyper eco concepts, using only ingredients local to the region in which they are operating.
Still, the most telling example comes from the clean energy industry, where to achieve Net Zero by 2050, the solar and electric energy sectors intend to become the central part of the worldwide energy system.
Our Romanian team is inviting you to read here an extended material in view of gaining more knowledge about ESG, one of the most trending topics. For more details and related legal assistance connected to this matter, do not hesitate to contact our Romanian office.

Interview with Managing Partner Ondrej Peterka in Lawyers and Business

09/06/2023 Interview with Managing Partner Ondrej Peterka in Lawyers and Business
The latest issue of Lawyers and Business features an interview with our Managing Partner, Ondrej Peterka, who had a pleasure to discuss recent developments and the future plans at P&P group with Jan Janus. You can read the article in Czech under this link or in English here.

Ukrainian Tax Team assisted client during the tax audit of input VAT / Українська податкова команда допомогла клієнту під час податкової перевірки

08/06/2023 Ukrainian Tax Team assisted client during the tax audit of input VAT / Українська податкова команда допомогла клієнту під час податкової перевірки
Peterka & Partners Ukraine assisted its client, a Ukrainian subsidiary of the world leader in the heavy lifting industry, during the tax audit of input VAT.
Our tax team elaborated a successful strategy for defending the client’s right to report input VAT following certain VAT adjustments related to the re-exportation of equipment.
As a result, the company’s right to around EUR 600 thousand of input VAT was confirmed, and tax inspectors found no violations in the relevant VAT reporting of the client, regardless of certain ambiguous tax clarifications on the matters concerned.
Moreover, the above served as a ground for the cancellation of risky VAT payer status for the client, which has been a significant impediment to the client’s business for the past several months.
Halyna Melnyk, Tax Advisor and Deputy Director for the Ukrainian office of PETERKA & PARTNERS led this project. ***
Український офіс PETERKA & PARTNERS здійснив юридичний супровід податкової перевірки від’ємного значення з ПДВ свого клієнта, дочірньої компанії світового лідера у сфері переміщення великогабаритних вантажів. Наша команда податкових юристів розробила успішну стратегію захисту права клієнта на декларування від’ємного значення з ПДВ за наслідками певних коригувань податкових зобов’язань з ПДВ, пов’язаних із реекспортом обладнання. У результаті зазначеного, за наслідками перевірки було підтверджене право клієнта на від’ємне значення з ПДВ на суму приблизно 600 тисяч євро. Також за результатами податкової перевірки не було виявлено жодних порушень, незважаючи на наявність певних неоднозначних податкових роз’яснень, які могли бути потенційно застосовані до предмета перевірки. Окрім того, за наслідками успішного проходження перевірки клієнту було скасовано статус ризикового платника ПДВ, що створювало суттєві перешкоди бізнесу клієнта протягом останніх кількох місяців. Даним проектом керувала Галина Мельник, податковий радник та заступник директора українського офісу PETERKA & PARTNERS.

PETERKA & PARTNERS team on EBACE2023

31/05/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS team on EBACE2023
We are delighted to share with you that two of our aviation professionals Zdenek Beranek, Partner, from the Czech Republic office, and Martyna Ryś-Wilgus, Leader of our Aviation Practice, from the Polish office, attended the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2023) in Geneva, Switzerland from 23-25 May 2023.
The EBACE is the most recognizable event in the aviation industry. It is organized by the (European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and brings together global leaders in the aviation sector.
EBACE has long been recognized as a premier gathering for aviation enthusiasts, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts from around the world. It serves as an invaluable platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and exploring cutting-edge advancements in business aviation.
Our law firm is a proud member of the EBAA.
Photo gallery available here.

Doing business in the countries of Eastern Europe / Ведення бізнесу у країнах Східної Європи

31/05/2023 Doing business in the countries of Eastern Europe / Ведення бізнесу у країнах Східної Європи
On May 30, as part of the cooperation of the Ukrainian office PETERKA & PARTNERS together with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, the Diplomatic Academy named after Hennadiy Udovenka under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the international platform Nazovni, a practical seminar for representatives of Ukrainian business was held.
The focus of the conversation was:
• legal aspects of doing business in Eastern European countries: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland.
• mechanism of interaction between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Ukrainian exporters through the NAZOVNI platform.
The discussion was held by:
• Hennadiy Nadolenko, director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine;
• Alina Shishkina, head of the Exporter Support Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
• Yulia Sereda, senior lawyer of the Ukrainian office of the law firm Peterka & Partners;
• Oleksandra Sologub, head of the department for work with exporters of the international platform NAZOVNI.
You can watch the video recording of the seminar at the following link. 30 травня в рамках співробітництва українського офісу PETERKA & PARTNERS разом із Посольством України в Чеській Республіці, дипломатичною академією імені Геннадія Удовенка при МЗС України та міжнародною платформою Nazovni, відбувся практичний семінар для представників українського бізнесу.
У фокусі розмови були:
• правові аспекти ведення бізнесу у країнах Східної Європи: Чехія, Словаччина, Угорщина, Хорватія, Румунія, Болгарія, Польща.
• механізм взаємодії МЗС України та українських експортерів через платформу NAZOVNI.
Спікерами практичного семінару були:
• Геннадій Надоленко, директор Дипломатичної академії України;
• Аліна Шишкіна, начальник Управління підтримки експортерів МЗС України;
• Юлія Середа, старша юристка українського офісу юридичної фірми Peterka & Partners;
• Олександра Сологуб, начальниця відділу по роботі з експортерами міжнародної платформи NAZOVNI.
Переглянути відеозапису семінару можна за посиланням:
https://youtu.be/FGelX61dNKw

Join our Ukrainian Team for an Exciting Summer Opportunity!

28/05/2023 Join our Ukrainian Team for an Exciting Summer Opportunity!
PETERKA & PARTNERS, a fully integrated regional law firm that provides a full range of legal and tax consultancy at the highest level, operating in the CEE area and originating directly from this region is thrilled to announce our Summer Internship Program opening for July and August in our Ukrainian office.
Are you a motivated and ambitious law student looking to gain practical experience and immerse yourself in the legal world? This is your chance to work alongside our esteemed team of attorneys, expand your legal knowledge, and develop invaluable skills in various practice areas.
Program Details:
Duration: 3 July to 31 August
Location: PETERKA & PARTNERS, Kyiv, Ukraine
Practice Areas: Corporate Law, Tax Law, Employment Law, and Litigation
Compensation: Competitive stipend
Schedule: Full-time, Monday to Friday
Why Join PETERKA & PARTNERS Internship Program?
Comprehensive Exposure: As an intern, you will have the opportunity to work on real cases and projects under the guidance of experienced attorneys. This exposure will enable you to better understand the legal profession and refine your skills in corporate, tax, employment law, and litigation.
Mentoring and Guidance: Our dedicated team of lawyers is committed to providing mentorship and guidance to help you grow personally and professionally. You will receive constructive feedback, participate in regular meetings, and engage in discussions on legal matters.
Professional Development: Through hands-on experience and collaboration with our skilled attorneys, you will develop practical legal skills, including legal research, writing, negotiation, and client interaction. We aim to foster your growth as a future legal professional.
Networking Opportunities: Our firm values the importance of networking. As an intern, you will have the chance to connect with our diverse network of legal professionals, including partners, associates, and clients. These connections can open doors to future career prospects.
Requirements:
Currently enrolled in an accredited law school program
Strong academic record
Excellent research and writing skills
Attention to detail and strong analytical abilities
Passion for corporate, tax, litigation, or employment law How to Apply
To be considered for the internship opportunity, please submit the following documents:
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Cover letter highlighting your interest in the practice areas offered
Law school transcript (unofficial transcript is acceptable)
Please email your application materials to tkachenko@peterkapartners.ua with the subject line "Summer Internship Application - [Your Name]." The deadline for applications is 16 June.
We will review applications promptly and notify shortlisted candidates for interviews. If you have any questions regarding the internship program or the application process, please feel free to contact Ilona Tkachenko at tkachenko@peterkapartners.ua
Join us at PETERKA & PARTNERS and embark on an enriching journey where your legal aspirations can flourish. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable experience and contribute to our firm. We look forward to receiving your application! Sincerely,
PETERKA & PARTNERS Team

PETERKA & PARTNERS actively driving collaboration between Poland and Ukraine / PETERKA & PARTNERS активно розвиває співпрацю між Польщею та Україною

26/05/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS actively driving collaboration between Poland and Ukraine / PETERKA & PARTNERS активно розвиває співпрацю між Польщею та Україною
Polish and Ukrainian offices of PETERKA & PARTNERS were honoured to participate in the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) workshop dedicated to preparing the Polish business for the resumption of exports and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. This workshop is a part of the “Reconstruction of Ukraine” project.
During the event, Marcin Kryszko, Senior Associate and Leader of the Polish Desk in PETERKA & PARTNERS Warsaw office, addressed the entrepreneurs from the IT/ICT sector, speaking about the typical risks in the cooperation of Polish and Ukrainian business in the IT industry and the field of human capital.
PETERKA & PARTNERS remains committed to fostering meaningful collaborations and actively driving economic growth in Poland and Ukraine. The firm's participation in this esteemed workshop underscores its dedication to providing valuable insights and comprehensive legal guidance to businesses operating in the IT industry, ultimately fortifying bilateral ties and paving the way for mutual success.
Польський та український офіси PETERKA & PARTNERS мали честь взяти участь у семінарі Польського агентства інвестицій і торгівлі (PAIH), присвяченому підготовці польського бізнесу до відновлення експорту та післявоєнної реконструкції України. Цей семінар є частиною проекту «Відбудова України».
Під час заходу Марчін Кришко, старший юрист та лідер Polish Desk варшавського офісу PETERKA & PARTNERS, звернувся до підприємців сектору ІТ/ІКТ, розповівши про типові ризики, які виникають при взаємодії польського бізнесу з українським ІТ бізнесом та людським капіталом.
PETERKA & PARTNERS продовжує сприяти плідній співпраці та активному стимулюванню економічного зростання в Польщі та Україні. Участь фірми в цьому семінарі підкреслює її відданість наданню інсайтів і всебічного правового консультування компаніям, які працюють в ІТ-індустрії, зрештою зміцнюючи двосторонні зв’язки та прокладаючи шлях до спільного успіху.

New Interpretative Decision on Preliminary Contracts in Bulgaria

19/05/2023 New Interpretative Decision on Preliminary Contracts in Bulgaria
On May 9, 2023, the Bulgarian Supreme Court issued a new interpretative decision concerning preliminary sale contracts and their conversion into final ones.
Background
Preliminary contracts are contracts on future contracts, i.e., agreements signed at an early stage of a transaction that aim to bind the parties to undertake certain steps and subsequently proceed to the signing of a final contract in a form which goes beyond the simple written form (notary deed or notarization of signatures). Typically, these are used in transactions for the transfer of real estate.
A distinctive feature of the preliminary contract is the opportunity for either party to file a court claim if the counter party does not perform its obligation to conclude the final contract. If the claim is upheld, the final contract becomes valid and binding from the date the decision enters into force. Diving deeper into th
e topic, Bulgarian law provides for a hypothesis where the claimant itself has not fulfilled a counter obligation that must be performed at the time of conclusion of the final contract, e.g., has not paid the price. This is not a reason for rejecting the claim but instead the court would issue a decision declaring the contract final under the condition that the price is paid. Then, the claimant has a two-week term to pay and if it does so the decision would enter into force and replace the final contract.
The Problem and the New Court Decision
Due to the existing contradictory court practice, the Supreme Court was addressed with the situation where the parties have contracted a condition that the final contract would be concluded only after the buyer has paid the price and the question was whether in such case there is an obstacle for conversion of a preliminary contract into a final one upon a claim by the defaulting buyer who actually has not paid the price.
The Supreme Court ruled that even in this scenario courts may declare a preliminary contract final and apply the procedure described in the section above, i.e., buyers would be obliged to pay the price within two weeks of the entry into force of the court decision.
The outcome practically somewhat favours buyers in the circumstances described as it allows them to achieve the conversion of preliminary contracts into final ones despite their own contractual breach and leads to the conclusion that the only way for sellers to avoid such scenario, despite the express agreement of the parties that no final contract shall be signed until the price is paid in full, would be to terminate the preliminary agreement in an anticipating move.
Such approach raises the question of whether the court does not go too far in this decision by practically intervening in the contractual autonomy. There are also certain technical legal arguments against it which motivated a good number of judges from the Supreme Court to attach to the decision their dissenting opinions.
Yet, the decision of the Supreme Court is a fact and, since it’s an interpretative decision, its value is practically equal to a law. Thus, parties to preliminary contracts and courts should take this into account in the future. * * * This article was prepared by Plamen Peev, Partner and Director and Ivana Ilcheva, Associate at PETERKA & PARTNERS Bulgaria. No information contained in this article should be considered or interpreted in any manner as legal advice and/or the provision of legal services. This article has been prepared for the purposes of general information only. PETERKA & PARTNERS does not accept any responsibility for any omission and/or action undertaken by you and/or by any third party on the basis of the information contained herein. only and may not be considered a legal opinion or advice.

PETERKA & PARTNERS at EBACE 2023

11/05/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS at EBACE 2023
We are pleased to announce our participation at the upcoming European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) organized by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), to take place May 23-25 at Geneva International Airport. Zdeněk Beránek, Partner, and Martyna Ryś-Wilgus, Attorney-at-Law and Leader of the firm’s Aviation practice, will represent PETERKA & PARTNERS at the event.
For several years now, we have been representing a large air carrier in litigations initiated by passengers (or large companies buying passenger claims) for compensation for delayed flights. Our Litigation Department provides its clients with legal advisory on API data transmission obligations, as well as representation concerning immigration, and PNR-data administrative cases related to air transport.
EBACE is a premier event and the annual meeting place for the European business aviation community. The exhibition brings together business leaders, government officials, manufacturers, corporate aviation department personnel, and all manner of people involved in nearly all aspects of business aviation.
PETERKA & PARTNERS is a proud member of the EBAA.

New Publicity Rules for Granted Building Permits

09/05/2023 New Publicity Rules for Granted Building Permits
Law 102/2023 for the amendment and completion of Law no. 50/1991 regarding the authorization of construction work, of the Administrative Litigation Law no. 554/2004, as well as for completing Art. 64 of Law no. 350/2001 regarding territorial development and urban planning ("Law 102/2023") was published in the Official Gazette on 18 April 2023, and entered into force on 21 April 2023.
This important legislative update brought significant changes in connection with the publicity of building permits and derogatory deadlines for the benefit of social organizations claiming an interest in appealing resolutions approving land use and urban planning documentation.
The law introduces several new provisions in relation to the publicity of granted building permits, with the aim of providing more effective information for interested persons.
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania has prepared an extended material dedicated to this topic and invites you to read it here.
Our specialized team remains available in assisting you in any legal topics connected to your business.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania, a proud speaker at the business breakfast and seminar "Masterminds in action" organized by The Netherlands Romanian Chamber of Commerce (NRCC)

07/05/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania, a proud speaker at the business breakfast and seminar "Masterminds in action" organized by The Netherlands Romanian Chamber of Commerce (NRCC)
We are pleased to announce our participation as a speaker at the upcoming business breakfast seminar “Masterminds in action”, organized by NRCC in Bucharest on May 11, at 8:30 a.m., at the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest.
Ioana Sebestin - Nazaru, Deputy Director for Romania, will be proud to speak on behalf of PETERKA & PARTNERS during this exciting event, part of a top- notch series of seminars mastered by NRCC, with the aim of bringing together highly recognized experts ready to share their inside expertise with the audience.
We invite you to join us at this seminar and obtain the best insights from our Romanian leader Ioana Sebestin - Nazaru regarding the latest labour market challenges and how to beat them. Besides this panel dedicated to labour issues, there will also be another interesting and valuable speeches connected to opportunities and pitfalls in tax and legal and how to benefit from it.
By pressing this link you may read a detailed presentation of this interesting event.
For details regarding the registration at this business breakfast and seminar, please contact: info@nrcc.ro

Poslanecká sněmovna přijala návrh zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů

02/05/2023 Poslanecká sněmovna přijala návrh zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů
Koho se to týká?
• Návrh zákona přináší povinnosti zaměstnavatelům, kteří naplní definici povinného subjektu. Tím budou zejména všichni zaměstnavatelé, zaměstnávající 50 a více zaměstnanců.
Povinnosti
• Zřídit vnitřní oznamovací systém, kam budou moci oznamovatelé podávat oznámení o porušování předpisů, o kterém se dozvěděli v souvislosti s prací nebo jinou obdobnou činností.
• Informovat o zřízení oznamovacího systému a možnosti, jak lze oznámení podávat, a to způsobem, umožňujícím dálkový přístup.
• Určit příslušnou osobu, která bude mít na starosti vyhodnocování přijatých oznámení a navrhování opatření k nápravě zaměstnavateli a poučit tuto osobu o jejích povinnostech ze zákona.
• Zaměstnavatelé s 249 a méně zaměstnanci mohou vnitřní oznamovací systém sdílet nebo využít vnitřní oznamovací systém zavedený jiným povinným subjektem. Povinnost určit příslušnou osobu tím však není dotčena.
Co může být oznamováno?
• Jednání, jež má znaky trestného činu.
• Jednání, jež má znaky přestupku, za nějž lze uložit pokutu s horní hranicí alespoň 100 000 Kč.
• Jednání porušující právní předpisy nebo předpisy EU v některé z v návrhu vymezených oblastí. Co musí oznámení obsahovat?
• Údaje o jménu, příjmení a datu narození, nebo jiné údaje, z nichž je možné dovodit totožnost oznamovatele.
• Neobsahuje-li tyto údaje, není příslušná osoba povinna se oznámením zabývat (to neplatí, je-li příslušné osobě totožnost oznamovatele známa).
Od kdy povinnosti platí?
• Návrh musí ještě projít Senátem a být podepsán Prezidentem.
• Zákon nabyde účinnosti prvním dnem druhého kalendářního měsíce následujícího po dni jeho vyhlášení. Pravděpodobným datem je 1. červenec.
• Zaměstnavatelé s 250 a více zaměstnanci budou povinni mít funkční vnitřní oznamovací systém k datu účinnosti zákona
• Zaměstnavatelé s 50 až 249 zaměstnanci budou povinni zřídit vnitřní oznamovací systém do 15. 12. 2023.
Jak Vám můžeme pomoci?
• Proškolíme Váš management, srozumitelně jej seznámíme s povinnostmi ukládanými zákonem a také poskytneme individuální doporučení ohledně nejsnazší možné implementace vnitřního oznamovacího systému, jeho vedení a dalších Best Practices.
• Poskytneme Vám komplexní balík služeb ke splnění zákonem uložených povinností, v jehož rámci pro Vás můžeme rovněž zajistit zavedení vnitřního oznamovacího systému.
• Pomůžeme s nastavením interních compliance procesů a připravíme interní předpisy.
• Proškolíme pověřenou osobu a seznámíme ji s procesem přijímání a vyhodnocování oznámení a s jejími zákonnými povinnostmi a jak jim nejlépe dostát.

PETERKA & PARTNERS Newsletter

25/04/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS Newsletter
We are excited to announce the release of our latest newsletter, which contains all the latest legal and tax news from our jurisdiction, as well as exciting news from our firm.
Keep up to date with all the latest news in the legal world and find out what's new at PETERKA & PARTNERS!
Check out our newsletter on the link.

Newly introduced Whistleblowing regime in Hungary

24/04/2023 Newly introduced Whistleblowing regime in Hungary
The Hungarian Parliament adopted a new Whistleblowing Act on 11 April 2023 with the purpose of implementing the 2019/1937/EU Directive in Hungary.
The Act is expected to be published soon and it will enter into force on the 60th day after its publication for companies with more than 250 employees, and service providers subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act regardless of the number of employees.
The new Act also applies to companies with 50-249 employees from 17 December 2023. They may operate a common whistleblower protection system, however, a common channel operated at the central level of a company group would not be possible, since compliance with special Hungarian regulations is also necessary.
Employers may decide to handle the reports of whistleblowers totally internally, or it is possible to involve a whistleblower protection attorney.

Slovak Constitutional Court rules on costs recorded in the court file / Nález Ústavného súdu k nároku sporových strán na trovy vyplývajúce zo súdneho spisu

24/04/2023 Slovak Constitutional Court rules on costs recorded in the court file / Nález Ústavného súdu k nároku sporových strán na trovy vyplývajúce zo súdneho spisu
Ustanovenia Civilného sporového poriadku stanovujú povinnosť všeobecných súdov vyčísliť všetky trovy, ktoré vyplývajú z údajov v súdnom spise. Napriek tomu, že táto povinnosť jasne vyplýva zo zákona, v našej praxi sme sa stretli aj s prípadmi, kedy všeobecné súdy uvedené ustanovenie interpretovali nesprávne a od sporových strán nad zákonný rámec vyžadovali vyčíslenie aj takýchto trov. Pokiaľ tak strany neurobili, súdy to sankcionovali nepriznaním trov, ktoré si strany nevyčíslili, a to aj napriek tomu, že o ich vzniku nebola na podklade spisu žiadna pochybnosť.
Aj keď sa Ústavný súd k otázke náhrady trov vyjadruje dosť sporadicky, vo svojom nedávnom rozhodnutí v zhode s našou argumentáciou definitívne ozrejmil, že je povinnosťou všeobecných súdov samostatne a iniciatívne rozhodnúť o trovách, ktoré vyplývajú zo súdneho spisu bez akejkoľvek aktivity sporových strán. Viac sa dočítate v priloženom dokumente TU.

PETERKA & PARTNERS recommended by Media Law International

21/04/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS recommended by Media Law International
PETERKA & PARTNERS is delighted to announce that our office in the Czech Republic 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 of Media Law.

PETERKA & PARTNERS recommended in 14 practice areas in The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 edition

19/04/2023 PETERKA & PARTNERS recommended in 14 practice areas in The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 edition
We are thrilled to announce that PETERKA & PARTNERS has been recommended in 14 practice areas in The Legal 500 (Legalease) EMEA 2023 edition!
Our firm was ranked as a leading firm in three countries - the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Moreover, we are proud to share that Adela Krbcova, Director for the Czech office and Leader of Labour Law, was ranked as a leading individual in Employment Law.
The Legal 500 is one of the most respected legal directories in the world, and we are honored to have received such recognition. We would like to thank our clients for their trust and loyalty, as well as our team for their hard work and dedication.
We remain committed to delivering the highest quality legal services to our clients, and we look forward to continuing to grow and strengthen our practice.

Vládní návrh zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů míří do třetího čtení

18/04/2023 Vládní návrh zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů míří do třetího čtení
Poslaneckou sněmovnou prošel dne 4. dubna 2023 ve druhém čtení vládní návrh zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů, transponující Směrnici Evropského parlamentu a Rady (EU) 2019/1937 o ochraně osob, které oznamují porušení práv Unie.
Návrh zákona má přinést řadu nových povinností pro velké množství zaměstnavatelů, kteří budou mimo jiné povinni zřídit vnitřní oznamovací kanály a určit pověřenou osobu, jejímž úkolem bude vyhodnocovat oznámení, která budou prostřednictvím těchto kanálů přijata. Právě povaze oznámení a rozsahu jeho vyhodnocování se věnuje většina předložených písemných pozměňovacích návrhů. K těmto návrhům vyjádřil v pátek 14. dubna 2023 své stanovisko Ústavně-právní výbor jakožto výbor garanční. Stanovisko bylo přijato jako sněmovní tisk 352/4.
Výbor doporučuje ve třetím čtení přijmout návrh poslance Marka Bendy, jenž by přidal pověřené osobě i povinnost zabývat se oznámeními přestupků, jejichž horní hranice je alespoň 100 000 Kč.
Doporučeny naopak nebyly návrhy, které měly za cíl přidat pověřené osobě povinnost zabývat se oznámeními přestupků nezávisle na výši pokuty, kterou je za ně možno uložit. Výbor tak učinil, i když ve svém předchozím stanovisku doporučil právě takový pozměňovací návrh poslance Jakuba Michálka přijmout. Dále nebyly doporučeny návrhy, požadující, aby se povinnost zabývat se oznámením vztahovala i na oznámení podaná anonymně. K návrhu na povinnost zabývat se anonymním oznámením jen ve vztahu k veřejným zadavatelům či jimi ovládaným osobám, nebylo žádné stanovisko přijato.
Další projednávání návrhu je možné od 19. dubna 2023. Projde-li návrh třetím čtením, bude ještě nutné, aby jej přijal Senát a podepsal Prezident. Zákon by poté měl nabýt účinnosti prvním dnem druhého kalendářního měsíce následujícího po dni jeho vyhlášení.

Amendment to law on protection of whistle-blowers

12/04/2023 Amendment to law on protection of whistle-blowers
Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law was transposed by Law 361/2022 on the protection of whistle-blowers (“Law 361/2022”).
Law 361/2022 came into force at the end of December 2022, and it provides for: (i) a certain protection mechanism for persons (including employees) who report “breaches of the law”, either internally or externally, (ii) certain obligations for employers (under particular conditions), as well as for, (iii) rules regarding the reporting itself (either internal or external).
Barely entered into force, an amendment was soon brought to Law 361/2022 by means of Law 67/2023, which came into effect on 31 March 2023.
PETERKA & PARTNERS Romania is pleased to invite you to read extended information about this topic in the legal article available here.
Our dedicated team remains at your disposal in view of providing more information and any related legal assistance connected to this topic.

The tax team of Peterka & Partners Ukraine has successfully represented client in the VAT dispute / Податкова команда Peterka & Partners Ukraine успішно представила клієнта в спорі щодо ПДВ

11/04/2023 The tax team of Peterka & Partners Ukraine has successfully represented client in the VAT dispute / Податкова команда Peterka & Partners Ukraine успішно представила клієнта в спорі щодо ПДВ
The tax team at Peterka Partners Ukraine recently achieved another victory for their client, a Danish-based high-tech company, in a value added tax (VAT) dispute. The team provided effective representation and guidance throughout the proceedings, resulting in a favorable outcome for the client.
Through the diligent efforts of the Peterka Partners Ukraine tax team, a major part of the denied input VAT was restored by the State Tax Service. This significant result allowed the client to effectively resolve the dispute within administrative proceedings, avoiding a lengthy court battle.
Galyna Melnyk, Tax Advisor and Deputy Director for PETERKA & PARTNERS Ukraine and Klara Karapetian, Associate, played a key role in securing this positive outcome for the client.
Податкова команда Peterka Partners Україна нещодавно здобула чергову перемогу для свого клієнта, високотехнологічної компанії з Данії, у суперечці щодо податку на додану вартість (ПДВ). Команда забезпечувала ефективне представництво клієнта протягом усього процесу, що завершилося позитивним результатом для клієнта.

Завдяки наполегливим зусиллям податкової команди Peterka Partners Україна Державна податкова служба визнала право клієнта на значну частину оспорюваного від’ємного значення з ПДВ. Такий вагомий результат дозволив клієнту ефективно вирішити спір в адміністративному порядку та уникнути затяжного вирішення спору у судах.

Галина Мельник, податковий радник та заступник директора PETERKA & PARTNERS Україна та Клара Карапетян, юрист, відіграли ключову роль у забезпеченні позитивного результату для клієнта.