NKO Partners > Belgrade, Serbia > Firm Profile

NKO Partners
NJEGOSEVA 11
11000 BELGRADE
Serbia

Serbia > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3

NKO Partners fields sector specialists in energy, mining, real estate, telecoms, media, and food and drink, as well as pharmaceuticals, banking, publishing and retail. The firm’s corporate and transactional workload encompasses M&A, corporate restructuring, takeover bids, management buyouts, joint ventures, and privatisations. The department is co-led by real estate industry expert Djordje Nikolic; and Djuro Otasevic, who focuses on M&A, corporate and commercial law, along with mining and telecoms-related work.

Practice head(s):

Djordje Nikolic; Djuro Otasevic

Other key lawyers:

Branko Jankovic

Testimonials

‘A number one port of call for Serbian legal advice.’

‘As well as providing excellent advice, they are quick and good value for money compared to other firms.’

‘The team of associates are all of an excellent standard.’

‘The go-to person is Djuro Otasevic who has an excellent understanding of the law and knows the mining business extremely well.’

‘Djuro Otasevic is not only an excellent all-round lawyer, but he also understands clients’ business extremely well and can therefore tailor his knowledge and advice to clients’ needs.’

‘Djuro Otasevic is always available to discuss matters.’

‘Djordje Nikolic is who some clients want to use for all their deals in Serbia. He thinks outside of the box, is very business oriented, practical, and on clients’ wavelength.’

‘Djordje Nikolic works with an excellent team and delegates accordingly when necessary. He is very responsive and has an in-depth knowledge of the local market.’

Key clients

SAGA

Marbo

PepsiCo

Indotek

Dr. Max

Emmezeta

CTP Group

Heineken

Mundoro

Metro Cash & Carry

Konica Minolta

Dundee Precious Metals

Two Desperados

Work highlights

  • Advised a group of Saga’s minority shareholders on Noventiq’s multimillion buyout of their equity.
  • Advised CTP on over 20 acquisitions in Serbia.
  • Advised Dr Max, the Prague-headquartered pharmacy group, on its acquisition of pharmacy chains in Serbia.

Serbia > Competition Tier 3

Delivering ‘expert advice that is tailored to clients’ needs’, NKO Partners assists with the competition aspects of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. The team also advises on the impact of antitrust and competition legislation on clients’ day-to-day operations, the prevention of restrictive and prohibited practices. Competition department head Djuro Otašević, whose ‘knowledge of the law in Serbia is second to none’, is highly active in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors.

Practice head(s):

Djuro Otašević

Testimonials

‘A firm of excellent qualities that provides its services at a reasonable price.’

‘They prioritise clients’ interests and work closely with them to understand their goals and concerns.’

‘Djuro Otašević has extensive knowledge of competition law.’

‘They provide expert advice that is tailored to clients’ needs.’

‘They are well organised, provide a very efficient, quick advice, and have a deep understanding of what clients want and how they work.’

‘Displays an excellent understanding of the law.’

‘Djuro Otašević has an excellent understanding of competition law.’

‘Djuro Otašević’s knowledge of the law in Serbia is second to none and he manages a very competent team.’

Key clients

Heineken

DR. Max

Penta Investment

Actavis Pharmaceutical

PepsiCo International

Marbo Product

PharmaS

CTP Group

Indotek

Konica Minolta

Modekolo

Knauf Insulation

SAGA

AIK Bank

Work highlights

  • Advising Heineken’s key legal advisors on the competition aspects of its day-to-day operations.
  • Advising  PepsiCo International, and its local subsidiary, on the competition aspects of its day-to-day operations.
  • Assisted Konica Minolta with the procedure initiated before the Serbian Competition Commission, in relation to alleged bid rigging in public procurement procedures.

Serbia > Dispute resolution Tier 3

NKO Partners‘ ‘well-organised’ practice focuses on commercial, real estate and employment litigation and disputes, along with enforcement procedures, bankruptcies, insolvencies, and the recognition of foreign court and arbitration decisions. Dispute resolution department head Danica Milic handles complex commercial disputes; Djordje Nikolic acts predominantly in real estate and corporate disputes; and the workload of Djuro Otasevic, whose ‘knowledge of the law in Serbia is second to none’, includes out-of-court dispute-related negotiations.

Practice head(s):

Danica Milic

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘They are well organised, provide very efficient, quick advice, and have a deep understanding of what clients want and how they work.’

‘They display an excellent understanding of the law.’

‘Djuro Otasevic has a deep understanding of clients’ business. His knowledge of the law in Serbia is second to none and he manages a very competent team of partners and associates.’

‘NKO provides an excellent service and is fantastic value for money.’

‘Djuro Otasevic is one of the best lawyers in Serbia.’

‘The litigation team is able to help with very sensitive, internal disputes, and shows a great appreciation of clients’ business, as well as a great understanding of the law.’

‘Djuro Otasevic has an excellent understanding of the law.’

‘Djuro Otasevic is the person some clients go to first. Djuro has a fantastic knowledge of the law and is able to apply that knowledge to the legal problems clients have. He is hard-working, and always delivers on time and on budget.’

Key clients

INA

Heineken

Konica Minolta

Metro Cash & Carry

Vindija

PepsiCo

Marbo

Swarovski

Addiko Bank

Azelis

Sano Holding

Two Desperados

Work highlights

  • Acting for INA in disputes concerning its properties in Serbia.
  • Acted for Konica Minolta in a dispute initiated before the Court in Belgrade to challenge the Serbian Competition Commission’s decision on alleged bid rigging.
  • Acted for PepsiCo in various disputes in Serbia, including matters involving suppliers, customers and employees, as well as several enforcement procedures.

Serbia > Real estate and construction Tier 3

NKO Partners' ‘great real estate team’ advises on the development, construction, leasing, management, structuring, financing, acquisition and sale of commercial and residential real estate. The practice also has extensive experience in implementing FIDIC-based agreements in Serbia. Its track record further includes the development of large shopping malls and logistic parks. Real estate, construction and finance law specialist Djordje Nikolic is ‘a go-to person for real estate deals in Serbia’.

Practice head(s):

Djordje Nikolic

Other key lawyers:

Luka Aleksic

Testimonials

‘A firm of excellent qualities that provides its services at a reasonable price.’

‘They prioritise clients’ interests and work closely with them to understand their goals and concerns.’

‘Djordje Nikolic is a go-to person for real estate deals in Serbia.’

‘They provide expert advice that is tailored to clients’ needs.’

‘NKO has a great real estate team in Serbia.’

‘The team is extremely knowledgeable and always offers excellent advice at competitive rates.’

‘Djordje Nikolic thinks outside of the box, is very business oriented, practical, and on clients’ wavelength.’

‘Djordje Nikolic works with an excellent team and delegates accordingly when necessary. He is very responsive and has in-depth knowledge of the local market and customs. Some clients consider him one of the best real estate lawyers in Serbia.’

Key clients

CTP Group

Emmezeta

Dr. Max

MPC

BHM Group

INA

Indotek

MOL

METRO Cash & Carry

Heineken

Work highlights

  • Advised CTP, a large industrial real estate developer, on over 10 deals.
  • Advises Dr. Max, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the CEE, on the real estate aspects of its business.
  • Advised the Indotek Group on a deal that involved a large real estate portfolio.

Serbia > Employment

NKO Partners' employment practice leader Djordje Nikolic plays a key role in the employment aspects of the firm’s transactional work; and dispute resolution head Danica Milic is a labour dispute specialist, whose experience also encompasses redundancies, individual terminations, drafting employment by-laws, and compliance.

NKO is one of the leading law firms providing the full scope of commercial law services in Serbia and Montenegro. NKO was founded in 2008 by lawyers with extensive experience in commercial law in the region who have led the largest and most complex M&A and privatization transactions since the economic and political transition began in the former Yugoslavia in 2001. NKO is dedicated to providing high-quality legal services to clients across all business sectors and industries, creating solutions that add value to clients’ businesses. The reputation of the firm has been validated by top rankings in the world’s leading directories of recommended law firms, such as Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500.

The firm’s clients are primarily high profile multinational companies operating in various industries, such as food and beverage, wholesale and retail, real estate developers, logistics, infrastructure, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy resources, media, telecommunications, insurance, banking, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, cement industry, the tobacco industry, IT companies, management consultancies, music industry, publishing, etc. We also represent large local companies and state-owned enterprises, medium and small-sized businesses, embassies, and non-governmental organizations.

Department Name Email Telephone
Real estate and construction / Corporate, commercial and M&A Djordje Nikolic djnikolic@nko-law.com +381 11 7150 500
Corporate, commercial and M&A / Competition Djuro Otasevic djotasevic@nko-law.com +381 11 7150 500
Photo Name Position Profile
Djordje Nikolic photo Djordje Nikolic Partner
Djuro Otasevic photo Djuro Otasevic Partner
Fee earners : 15-20
English (fluent)
Serbian
Montenegrin
Croatian
Bosnian
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