The Legal 500

Ádám Máttyus leads the 12-strong M&A team at Andrékó Kinstellar, which acts for some high-profile clients. It advised Turkish Telekom on a €221m acquisition, while other active clients include Johnson & Johnson, Mars and Banco Santander.

The team at Horváth & Partners DLA Piper is ‘pragmatic’, ‘available 24/7 and responsive’. Practice head Gábor Molnár has ‘impressive negotiation skills’ and a ‘professional approach’. The eight-fee-earner team advised Austrian industrial giant OMV AG on its €1.4bn exit from MOL, and Gazprom is another prominent client.

The ‘outstanding’ team at Kajtár Takács Hegymegi-Barakonyi Baker & McKenzie continued to advise Magyar Telekom Nyrt on two major acquisitions, of local internet and cable company Modultechnika Kft and the DK Group, with a combined value of HUF3bn. Local partner Ákos Fehérváry has a ‘strong transactional background’ as well as a ‘solution-orientated attitude’.

Since the departure of Clifford Chance from Budapest, its former Hungarian office Lakatos, Köves and Partners has maintained a good relationship with the firm and continues to benefit from its international connections, and is active in environmental and energy-related work. It advised Permira in relation to its investment in BorsodChem, and worked alongside Nagy és Trócsányi on a project for Suez Environnement.

Oppenheim has dealt with a number of restructuring deals over the past year. The ‘effective and flexible’ team of 12 fee-earners continued to work with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, including working on CVC European Equity Partners’ acquisition of InBev. It also advised on the sale of Allianz Bank Hungary to FHB Bank, representing Allianz Hungaria Insurance. The ‘very good’ Mihály Barcza is praised for his ‘strong negotiation skills’ and heads up the department, and József Bulcsú Fenyvesi is ‘flexible, fast and professional’.

Réczicza White & Case LLP’s practice is led by the experienced and highly rated Rob Irving. It advised Slovenia’s Istrabenz on the €382m sale of one of its major holdings, Droga Kolinska, to Atlantic Grupa, a Croatian food and drink company, and also acted for long-term client Invitel Holdings on a number of complex matters.

The ‘outstanding’ eight-fee-earner team at Siegler Law Office/Weil, Gotshal & Manges has been busy with several energy-related matters. It continued to advise oil giant MOL plc, on a significant acquisition by a Russian gas company, and also advised Mid Europa Partners in its high-profile acquisition of the debt and equity of the Invitel group for close to €700m. The team, led by managing partner David Dederick, has ‘exceptional knowledge of acquisition issues’, and is ‘highly motivated’. László Nagy is a ‘key factor to success’.

The arrival of Éva Talmácsi as a partner from Simmons & Simmons has bolstered the 14-strong M&A team at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP, led by Anikó Kircsi. Dealing with both domestic and cross-border matters, its major deals included working with Iberdrola on a 25% sale of the company, and also advising CIB Bank on restructuring issues.

Erös Üqyvédi Iroda / Squire Sanders & Dempsey (US) LLP’s nine-lawyer team is led by Ákos Eros. It acted for Olympus on the $800m sale of its diagnostics business to US company Beckman Coulter, and also acted for Russian investment bank Troika Dialog on a major steel group acquisition.

The team at Faludi Wolf Theiss, led by János Tóth, has been handling some complex cross-border deals including the merger of a Swiss energy company’s Hungarian and Czech holdings. Advising MVM Zrt on a €30m deal was also a highlight.

The experienced Zoltán Forgó continues to lead the M&A practice at Forgó, Damjanovic & Partners Law Firm, although it has seen the loss of former name partner János Tamás Varga, also a highly experienced M&A lawyer. The firm has been advising clients such as Eurovegas Hungary, a casino development company, and Singapore’s global investment management company GIC.

The ten-fee-earner M&A team at Gide Loyrette Nouel saw the arrival of former CMS Cameron McKenna LLP partner Isván Kovári. It advised Danone on the sale of its Hungarian division and GDF Suez on the structuring of its new Hungarian gas-trading agent, and has started to attract a number of non-French companies to its client roster, including CIB Bank and US industrial company National Starch.

Nagy és Trócsányi has used its local status to build up strong relationships with a number of foreign law firms without an office in Budapest, working frequently with international legal network Lex Mundi and receiving referrals from Latham & Watkins LLP. Major gas supplier EMFESZ is a new client, and the team also advised Lexmark International Technology on the merger of two of its subsidiaries.

András Lendvai, former head of TMT/IP at Linklaters LLP Hungary, continues to lead the M&A team at Simándi Bird & Bird, and is noted for his ‘high level of knowledge’. The firm advised Vodafone as well as Czech IT company BRICKBOX S.R.O.

The team at Szecskay Attorneys at Law is led by managing partner András Szecskay, Judit Budai and Orsolya Görgényi, and is active in domestic and cross-border matters. It advised Állami Nyomda Zrt, a major Hungarian printing company, on an acquisition in Romania, and was involved in the highly publicised privatisation of Budapest Airport. Attila Jásdi advised Vnesheconombank on a $2.7bn acquisition.

János Tamás Varga leads the team at VJT & Partners Law Firm, which is noted for its ‘fast and professional’ service. It advised the owners of Házipatika.com, an online healthcare company, on the sale of the company, and also acted for private equity fund Euroventures III.

Ilona Rónay-Csordás and Andrea Presser head up the team at CHSH Dezsö. The firm advised AGFA on the major cross-border merger of group companies in Austria and Hungary, as part of its restructuring programme, as well as advising ING Leasing Hungary on several matters, and handling a Hungarian acquisition for a prominent German pharmaceuticals company.

Attila Fest continues to lead the team at Gobert, Fest & Partners Attorneys-at-Law / Taxand, which is active in cross-border mergers and works closely with the firm’s real estate team.

The M&A team at Jalsovszky Law Firm provides an ‘excellent’ service, and grew with the arrival of Steven Conybeare, previously at PRK Partners. The ‘thorough’ Pál Jalsovszky leads the team, which picked up an acquisition mandate from major Hungarian gas company Prímagáz Zrt and restructuring work from BorsodChem Zrt.

Kõvári and Tercsák – Salans Ügyvédi Iroda benefits from the firm’s large network of international offices. Practice head Tamás Tercsák advised a major Luxembourg company on its acquisition of several properties throughout Hungary.

Managing partner Balázs Lendvai heads the team at four-partner firm Lendvai és Társai Ügyvédi Iroda, whose recent work includes various acquisitions.

Zoltán Lengyel is a key member of the team at Morley Allen & Overy Iroda.

Noerr & Partners Law Office’s M&A team is headed by István Rozgonyi-Tóth. The team takes advantage of its German-speaking capability and regularly works with German clients. It assisted the Knaus Tabbert group on a major restructuring, as well as advising a significant German pharmaceuticals company on the opening of a new flagship company in the CEE region.

The six-fee-earner team at PRK Partners advised Showtime on the sale of a majority interest in the company to Sony. Practice head Gyorgy Feher led the advice to Advanced World Transport on several potential acquisitions in Hungary.

Partos & Noblet in co-operation with Hogan Lovells International LLP has been involved in several cross-border deals including a transaction for Italian gambling group Lottomatica. Major industrial company Camoplast is also a client.

PwC law firm Réti, Antall & Madl Landwell is active in venture capital transactions and leveraged buyouts.

M&A is a key practice area for Sándor Szegedi Szent-Ivány Komáromi Eversheds. The team, led by Tamás Sándor, has advised clients such as Red Bull and materials company Isola, and is advising Toyota on a major acquisition valued at HUF3.1bn.

Busy on several multimillion-euro deals recently, Szabo Kelemen & Partners Attorneys provides a ‘timely and business-oriented response’ to multinational clients. László Kelemen is ‘knowledgeable and practical’.

bnt Szabó Tom Burmeister Ügyvédi Iroda advised international food production company Bunge on a major acquisition, and also acts for FedEx and global IT company Ness Technologies. The ‘very good’ team, known for its ‘competence and quick responses’, is led by Jan Burmeister.

Bárd, Cseri & Partners advises multinational and domestic companies.

Burai – Kovács & Partners advises on issues ranging from privatisations to mergers and demergers.

Orsolya Bánki heads up the M&A team at the Budapest office of Austrian firm enwc Natlacen Walderdorff Cancola Attorneys at Law. Highlights included acquisition work for major exporting company Punto Fa SL.