The Legal 500

Having taken Slovenia’s largest financial holding company Istrabenz through its €500m debt restructuring programmes in 2009, Sreco Jadek, Simon Gabrijelcic, Aleksandra Jemc, and Ožbej Merc at Jadek & Pensa spent 2010 assisting the company with the €300m sale of its shares in Droga Kolinska following its landmark insolvency procedure. Consistently playing a leading role in corporate restructurings and acquisitions, Boštjan Špec and ‘smart, dedicated and pragmatic’ Pavle Pensa advised AXA on a major potential acquisition. The firm advised lead managers on €1bn state-backed notes issued in March 2010; and is equally strong in intellectual property and commercial litigation, with a notable sports law practice. One client would ‘recommend the firm to any investor who needs professional, helpful and experienced assistants. They are well respected professionals who drive and influence law makers’.

Law firm Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners o.p., d.o.o. has considerable experience in the construction and electricity sectors; and is the only Slovenian law firm to operate an office outside the country, in Belgrade, Serbia. Robert Prelesnik has been active on major PPP projects on behalf of real estate developers and infrastructure investors in highway and healthcare projects, and heads the team mandated on the restructuring of all five Slovenian electricity distributors. The ‘responsible’ Matija Testen is noted by clients for his knowledge in court matters from IP to bankruptcy, recently gaining new instructions from Hypo Group and Nova kreditna banka in this area. Grega Peljhan leads on the current spate of reorganisations for major domestic players. Tomaž Ilešic specialises in competition law.

Four partners at Odvetniki Selih & partnerji are equipped to handle high-level matters from M&A and general corporate affairs for international blue chips to financings and refinancings for European banks and syndicates; and have seen a rise in litigious instructions recently. Nina Selih advised a consortium of US and UK funds on their cross-border acquisition of a share in a sales and media group; and demonstrated continuing strength in finance work with advice to a syndicate of Slovenian banks in respect of a €19m loan to a Slovenian food manufacturer. The team has solid energy project experience and was recently engaged on a real estate development project affecting the Ljubljana railway and bus station.

According to clients, Law Firm Miro Senica and Attorneys d.o.o. has ‘very good knowledge of the Slovenian and Balkan corporate and commercial market’. Furthermore, ‘for Slovenian standards, it is a large law firm, enabling it to offer very good legal services in all areas’, from corporate and commercial to civil and criminal law from five offices around the country. The full range of the firm’s capabilities is illustrated by instructions received from some of the most high-profile domestic organisations: Merkator, Slovenia’s largest retailer, was advised on its potential international sale, its aborted purchase of part of technical products retailer Merkur, and on alleged competition law abuses in 2010. In another key deal, home appliances company Gorenje was assisted with its takeover of Swedish company Asko. Clients are ‘very satisfied’ with both founding partner Miro Senica and Melita Trop ‘as they are very responsive and proactive in finding solutions’.

Schoenherr offers international and, increasingly, domestic clients expertise in local law through its three Slovenian partners as well as a regional perspective through its CEE network. Time Warner was advised on local law and due diligence issues in relation to its acquisition of a 31% stake in Central European Media Enterprises; while a ten-strong team was mobilised under Tomaz Petrovic and Jernej Jeraj in an intense period of support for Mercator on the sale of its assets throughout the region. The group also assisted Dr Oetker in its acquisition of Droga Kolinska’s puddings and powders business. Aside from acquisition advice, the firm’s lawyers are assisting local clients Prevent Dev and Pavovarna Lasko with corporate and insolvency law issues and international technology clients with market entry matters. The firm is seen as having ‘good response times, good knowledge, and appropriate answers’. Banking and finance specialist Luka Fabiani joined as a partner in late 2009.

Experiencing record turnover in 2010, Wolf Theiss’ core M&A practice is picking up re-emerging corporate deals, conducting due diligence on behalf of two insurance and consumer products sector clients and Warburg Pincus in its bid for Droga Kolinska. The firm’s regional coverage was crucial on this, illustrating one of the advantages for clients, such as Hewlett-Packard, which has recently joined the Slovenian office’s client list. Another recent key mandate was from four unsecured creditors in Slovenia’s largest insolvency to date – that of Istrabenz. Markus Bruckmüller’s team has strong finance credentials, advising BAWAG on its Slovenian workout and several banks on their issuance of state-backed bonds; and a sound track record in real estate transactions. Major global corporates such as Kraft Foods and Hofer (Aldi) are attracted to the firm for its general corporate and commercial know-how and competence in employment law issues.

Since formally establishing a Ljubljana office in late 2008 under experienced corporate lawyer Aleš Lunder, CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz d.o.o. has attracted international clients such as HSBC Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Microsoft, Daimler Chrysler and Alstom for advice on corporate and finance matters and leapt into some of Slovenia’s highest profile transactions. Just a few months after opening, the firm advised the Vienna stock exchange on its acquisition of the Ljubljana stock exchange. Since then, the team has advised the IFC on a capital increase as well as a refinancing package for Slovenian appliance manufacturer Gorenje valued at more than €125m, and assisted Droga Kolinska on the sale of one of its businesses. BP has also received advice on several issues regarding the restructuring of its distribution network in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia. Aleš Lunder is praised for his ability to meet crucial deadlines and build relationships.

Not only is Odvetnik Jurij Dolžan (Odvetniki Jurij Dolžan, Mitja Vidmar and Igor Zelmlajari) involved in the acquisition and investment financing of some of Slovenia’s highest profile investments and purchases – advising in relation to a thermal energy project and on the purchase of a major domestic food packaging business – but the three partners are also regularly instructed on sales and acquisitions in the financial sector itself, recently advising a Slovenian bank on the sale of its foreign investments. The firm is often drafted onto cross-border transactions as local counsel by leading global law firms; and is a regular choice for European finance houses in their local investments and for Eurobond issues. In terms of corporate work, the firm has recently assisted an Austrian parent company to transfer shares between subsidiaries.

Peers recognise the IP expertise of Law & Patent Office Nina Drnovsek, where the four-lawyer team provides its clients in the publishing, pharmaceuticals, financial and banking sectors with protection for IP rights and trade marks within Slovenia and internationally, as well as a multidisciplinary service which supports the general commercial activities of these clients.

Personal tax boutique Odvetniška Družba Vidovic & Partnerji o.p. , d.o.o has a good reputation.

Founding partner Andrej Tos’ specialisation in bankruptcy procedure as a licensed bankruptcy practitioner gives Law Office Toš and Partners Ltd the edge in interpretation of the recently enacted insolvency act. The firm has conducted bankruptcy procedures for several Slovenian financial institutions and eight individual insolvencies; and is also active in corporate restructurings and investments in real estate and construction projects.