The Legal 500

Within Corporate and M&A, Maric Law Office is a first tier firm,

Maric Law Office is a four-partner firm headed by Branko Maric, regarded by clients as ‘the leading man in the Bosnian legal market’. Mr Maric specialises in banking and finance work and, whilst 2008 proved a quiet year for BiH, the firm advised the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) in relation to their support for micro-finance organisations in the country. In M&A, the firm advised Turkish Airlines in the part-privatisation of B&H Airlines – the Bosnian domestic airline – which took the form of an exchange of shares in the airline for a major capital investment. Partner Predrag Radovanovic continues to be active in the energy sector, advising on an acquisition of several hydro power plants under construction. The firm handles the local end of international M&A deals, advising multi-national clients on merger-related competition and employment issues.

Within Intellectual property, Maric Law Office is a first tier firm,

Respected partner Emina Pasagic left the practice at Maric Law Office in November 2008 to form her own IP boutique. Associate Anisa Strujic now heads the office, which is a registered trade mark agent. As well as acting to protect clients’ general, industrial and geographical trade marks, the firm advises on copyright and brand protection. Leading clients include Philip Morris International, Spirits Products International and LVMH Holding, responsible for brands including Moet Henessy and Louis Vuitton.

Within Legal market,

Both the Federation and RS have separate laws, courts and bar associations, mirroring political fractures. The Federation accounts for the bulk of the economy and consequently Sarajevo houses the major law firms. Domestically, Maric Law Office continues to dominate, with a reputation amongst foreign clients as the most professional and reliable of the home-grown outfits. Three-partner Lawyers Office Bojana Tkalcic-Dulic, Olodar Prebanic & Adela Draganovic is not far behind and recommended sole practitioner Advokat Karabdic Kerim goes from strength to strength. The only international firms present in the market are regional players Law Office Femil Curt and Wolf Theiss, for whom their Bosnian offices represent the realisation of a general policy of ubiquity across Central and Eastern Europe. Whilst the latter firm continues to lead operations from Vienna, the former changed strategy in 2008 and concentrated on creating a more self-sufficient local practice. Both remain the first port of call for foreign investors and the influence of their respective networks guarantees a level of quality that the domestic market struggles to produce. Both are fending off hostility from Bosnian firms and the two bar associations. BiH’s profoundly illiberal legal market continues to discourage the presence of foreign firms. The RS has only a handful of firms, all operating out of its unofficial capital Banja Luka. Attorney at Law Office Ruzica Topic, Advokatska Firma Sajic o.d. and Stevan Dimitrijevic Law Office in cooperation with Karanovic & Nikolic – the one-partner outpost of Serbian operation Karanovic & Nikolic – are the leading players. Observers agree greater liberalisation is needed if the market is to grow and standards are to rise. Despite the modest demand, there remains a shortfall of highly qualified, multilingual lawyers capable of dealing with international clients.

Within Real estate and construction, Maric Law Office is a first tier firm,

In 2008, Maric Law Office advised on several small real estate deals for domestic and regional clients, including acting for Slovenian supermarket chain Tus on the purchase of several sites. Highlight of the year in real estate was the firm’s appointment to advise the buyer in a multi-million Euro purchase of several hydro-electrical power plants in BiH.