The Legal 500

‘One of the best,’ Allen & Overy Bratislava, s.r.o. is praised for its ‘can-do’ attitude on corporate and M&A matters. Hugh Owen and Martin Magál lead a knowledgeable, experienced team, which has been busy recently with divestments and acquisitions. It acted for Smurfit Kappa Group on the closure of local operations and a buyout of minority shareholders, and assisted Kraft Foods with its de-listing from the Bratislava Stock Exchange. The group advised Slovintegra and Telefónica O2 on M&A locally, and acted for A&D Pharma Holdings and automotive maker Edscha on cross-border matters.

Cechová & Partners’ highly professional team is well reputed for its representation of Slovak and international corporate clients on domestic transactions. Practice head Katarína Cechová, ‘whose experience and knowledge is excellent’, has recently been acting on several domestic acquisitions, including an international construction company’s takeover of local competitors. Tomáš Maretta is recommended for competition law advice, and acted for a European mail-order company in acquiring the local subsidiary of an international competitor. Tomáš Rybár and Simona Haláková are recommended for restructuring and divestments. Clients of the practice include Imperial Tobacco Slovakia, Vienna International Airport and Electricité de France.

Cernejová & Hrbek acts for local subsidiaries of international corporations from a wide range of industries and handles domestic real estate and construction-related transactions. Senior partner Alena Cernejová has substantial experience advising international clients on competition, corporate and M&A matters.

Led by managing partner Patrik Bolf, Kinstellar’s recent focus has been on real estate matters. The group advised ProLogis on restructuring its Slovak companies and Portugal-based Mota Engil on acquiring a share in a local developer. The group also acted for Vinci Concessions on the first PPP project in the jurisdiction. Other clients include Arcapita, BMW, Delphi and Slovak Telekom. Of counsel Miroslav Németh provides commercial and energy sector expertise, and recently acted for aluminium conglomerate Slovalco on various corporate matters.

Offering ‘good quality’ service, Squire Sanders s.r.o. is valued for its international expertise on high-value transactions. Energy corporations form a core client base. Julian Juhasz, Peter Šuba and Adrián Barger lead on key matters, including acting on Yukos International’s sale to the government of its share in Slovak-based Transpetrol, and representing Tesco on land acquisitions. The highly regarded Roman Prekop recently left the practice.

Weinhold Legal, v.o.s. ‘provides clear and highly professional advice’ to a range of international and Slovak corporations across sectors including automotive, energy and finance, assisting with real estate needs, energy sector acquisitions and establishing local operations. The group advised Enel as the successful bidder for the privatisation of Slovak Electricity Company, while the Ministry of Finance is also a key client. Rastislav Kuklis heads the team in Bratislava, and stands apart for his clear and comprehensive advice and excellent knowledge. Daniel Weinhold and Pav Younis, who spend a portion of their time in Prague, provide support on transactions. Tomáš Čermák acted for a German investor on power project acquisitions.

White & Case’s Bratislava team advises Slovak and international companies, investors and government entities, among them Johnson Controls, ICU Medical and Zentiva. M&A experts Ivo Bárta and Marek Staron co-head the practice, and represented Slovakia’s Ministry of Economy on its multimillion-dollar buy-back of shares in Transpetrol, in what was one of the country’s most noteworthy acquisitions of 2009. Other work included advising on cross-border transactions and inbound investments in Slovak energy developments. Senior associate Juraj Fuska leads on corporate matters.

ARS Iuris Slovakia, spol. s.r.o.’s ‘responsive and professional’ team most notably acts for energy and insurance sector clients. The practice advised on Slovakian aspects of QBE’s restructuring and negotiations with the National Bank of Slovakia. Associate Michaela Lipkova is recommended along with team head Katarína Miháliková.

B&S Legal s.r.o. is well regarded for its local knowledge and ‘excellent attention to detail and accuracy’ in litigation. Peter Bartošík and Boris Šváby lead a team of ten fee earners, which is best known for its service to French-speaking clients but also advises clients from across Europe and North America. Clients include Michelin and PSA Finance, while the group advised local developer Immocap on a high-value, mixed-use scheme. Senior associate Igor Šváby is ‘very precise, detailed and thorough’.

Czech firm BBH advokatska kancelaria, s.r.o. handles cross-border and domestic transactions, and utilises its other offices on regional deals. The group advised on the Slovakian aspects of Husqvarna’s takeover of German-based Gardena. Olga Belánová and Peter Bak lead on matters in Bratislava, while attorney Miroslav Fašung has been advising on cross-border joint venture transactions.

A ‘highly professional law firm’, CHSH Siska & Partners S. R. O. Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is recommended for serving international clients. Practice head Karol Šiška specialises in leasing matters, particularly of a cross-border nature. Ladislav Poloma led on Honeywell’s restructuring of domestic operations. Other clients include Procter & Gamble and real estate developer Mid Group. Senior attorneys Jozef Bannert and Ivana Šedová are recommended, as is the ‘very responsive, precise’ associate Zuzana Mikulová.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach has a strong international client base, while Slovak clients include banking group Prva Stavebna Sporitelna. Newly promoted partner Michaela Stessl led the team on various cross-border mandates, including advising CIT Aerospace on leasing transactions in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Dedák & Partners advises on general corporate and commercial matters for clients including Merck, British American Tobacco, SAP and local paper manufacturer Metsä Tissue. Practice head Pavol Blahušiak is an experienced hand on large-scale domestic transactions, while Boris Brhlovic advises local and international corporations with a focus on German clients. Jirí Budinský acted for local insurance broker Sevisbrokers on a domestic acquisition.

A well-regarded local firm, Law Firm Detvai Ludik Maly Udvaros expertly assists international corporations with setting up Slovak operations. Jozef Malý is recommended for real estate and privatisation matters. Štefan Detvai, Zoltán Ludik and Ladislav Udvaros are recommended for general corporate and commercial advice.

An ‘admirable spin-off of an international firm’, Hillbridges continues to develop well, and is increasingly advising private equity groups. New clients include Amec, Mol and Area Property Partners. Recent work includes energy and real estate mandates; advising an international client on setting up operations locally; and an investment managed by CEE-based bank Wood & Company. The group shows ‘commercial sense’, and includes the ‘very good’ Zuzana Bartošovicová and Miroslav Trencan, who ‘provides an international touch on a local level’.

Noerr’s Bratislava team includes managing partner Zuzana Wohlmuth as well as senior associates Timotej Braxator and the ‘very reliable’ Pavol Rak, ‘an excellent lawyer in all fields, who provides great communication with the client’. The practice’s international clients include numerous German corporations.

Czech firm PRK Partners s.r.o. advises a range of public and private entities on general corporate matters and M&A, and is particularly strong for cross-border transactions. Practice head Peter Oravec specialises in energy and competition law.

Peterka & Partners’ ‘strong team of lawyers’ offers good business know-how and a professional service to international companies, notably Francophone groups. Dairy food producer Senoble is a key client, which the practice advised on local real estate and corporate transactions as well as domestic litigation. Bratislava team head Premysl Marek and senior associate Ján Makara are recommended.

Ruzicka Csekes s.r.o. continues to build its scope, having acted on some high-profile telecoms and energy sector transactions for major local and international corporations. The group represented Slovak Telecom during its merger with T-Mobile to create the biggest telecoms player in the jurisdiction, and state-owned nuclear power plant operator Javys on its joint venture with CEZ. New clients include Tatra Banka and Honeywell. The team includes the highly regarded Jaroslav Ružícka and Erika Csekes. Jana Pagácová and Adriana Kováciková lead the corporate and M&A and commercial groups, respectively. Ján Azud is also recommended.

Of counsels Katarína Pecnová and Sona Hanková head Salans Europe LLP’s team on the ground, which provides M&A, corporate, commercial and regulatory advice, with an emphasis on corporate finance and private equity investment. The group’s cross-border mandates span IT, telecoms, energy, real estate and pharmaceuticals.

Schoenherr’s responsive Bratislava team produces high-quality work. Its core practice centres on Slovak aspects of M&A and corporate restructuring for international clients such as Siemens, Volkswagen and Delphi Holdings. Stanislav Kovár is recommended.

Carnogurský ULC s.r.o. is well regarded for its corporate and commercial expertise, encompassing real estate, energy, EU and competition law. Practice head Jan Carnogurský represents industrial and financial sector clients, and has specialist expertise in privatisation.

Wolf Theiss acted for an international bidder on the public tender for one of the Slovak government’s first PPP projects, and has been advising on Slovak aspects of Flextronics’ takeover of Slomedical and Futurelab’s sale to a private equity firm. Recently promoted partner Luboš Frolkovic now co-heads the office alongside Erik Steger.

The well-regarded BNT – Sovova Chudácková & Partner, S.R.O. has expanded its core German-speaking client base to serve a wider range of international groups. Clients include Renergie and Fresenius. Managing partner Dávid Oršula is the key figure for corporate and M&A, while Zuzana Chudácková specialises in tax, competition and healthcare matters and Margareta Sovova advises financial sector groups.

Balcar Polanský Eversheds s.r.o. serves a number of international manufacturers, such as Tyco International, for which it completed the merger of Czech and Slovak subsidiaries in 2010. Jaroslav Polanský heads the team in Bratislava, while Prague-based Michal Zahradník co-heads the corporate and commercial practice across the Czech and Slovak offices.

DT Legal s.r.o.’s commercial practice offers a ‘personal approach and wide knowledge of the local market’, assisting clients with domestic acquisitions and establishing local operations. The well-regarded Dušan Tomka leads an eight-lawyer team of ‘specialists within their areas of expertise’. Tomka previously worked at Deloitte & Touche and specialises in foreign investment and M&A. Associate Natália Kiššová is ‘well prepared and has a solutions-oriented way of thinking’.

enwc Natlacen Walderdorff Cancola Attorneys at Law represents a variety of retail and manufacturing clients on M&A, including cross-border transactions. Andrej Leontiev and Radovan Pala head the team.

Futej & Partners, s.r.o. recently advised the shareholder of private health insurer Apollo on its merger with Dovera – one of the biggest private health insurance acquisitions in Slovakia – and acted for Kia on developing a €100m local production facility. Name partner Daniel Futej heads the team.

Dagmar Yoder leads Konecná & Safár’s team in Bratislava, which specialises in projects, real estate and competition law, and represents a range of domestic and international clients.

Maple & Fish s.r.o. focuses on real estate and commercial law, and advised the CEZ/MOL joint venture on a €1.4bn power plant project in Slovakia. It has also been acting for Italian corporations, Geox and CEE-based multiplex operator Palace Cinemas. Martin Javorcek and Viliam Karas head the eight-lawyer team.

Rowan Legal’s ‘very good, skilled and experienced lawyers’ display a ‘high level of business/industry knowledge’, particularly in the IT sector. Practice head Barbara Meinl leads corporate advice to Slovak IT companies. Tomáš Nielsen and the ‘very proactive and flexible’ senior associate Lucia Menkeová are also recommended.

Valko & Partners serves corporations locally and also operates in the Czech Republic. Andrea Tomlainová represented power corporation Slovenské elektrárne in contract litigation, while Motor-Car Bratislava is another key client.