The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a first tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP fields a strong banking and finance practice, ‘understands the needs and priorities’ of clients and keeps to ‘short response times’. The team acts for state-owned financial institutions, large transport companies and domestic energy or resource clients on restructuring, project finance and recapitalisations. Erika Papp heads the practice, in which international finance expert Iván Sefer was recently made up to partner.

Within Capital markets, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a second tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP advises Hungarian banks on Eurobond issues and regulatory matters. Equity capital specialist Anikó Kircsi recently acted for Erste Bank Hungary on a voluntary public offer. Newly promoted partner Iván Sefer focuses on debt capital markets, and the ‘eloquent’ Erika Papp leads the team.

Within Competition, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a second tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s ‘great team of former in-house counsels’ provides the industry insight that clients demand. In 2010 and 2011, the team represented two European airlines in competition litigation. Dóra Petrányi is ‘an influential authority’ in competition law.

Within Dispute resolution, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a second tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP has forged a noteworthy financial services disputes practice to complement its leading banking practice. However, it also represents clients in the pharmaceuticals, energy and transport sectors, including Johnson & Johnson and Ryanair. Gabriella Ormai and Zsolt Okányi represented Siemens in a €47m international arbitration with Budapest Transport Company, relating to the construction of Budapest Metro Line 4.

Within Employment, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a third tier firm,

A Hungarian bank retained Gabriella Ormai’s team at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP to advise on redundancy issues. Gábor Göndös is the group’s key litigator.

Within Energy, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a second tier firm,

Péter Simon – an authority in the renewables space – leads the team of six at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP, which delivers ‘practical and consistent legal advice’. The team recently advised Siemens and Advanced Power AG on an 800MW combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Szeged, and assisted Magyar Telekom with its entry into the gas and electricity markets.

Within Intellectual property , CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a second tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s IP practice has expanded to eight fee-earners under the leadership of Dóra Petrányi. It advises on matters such as patent infringements and IP rights transfers including acquisitions of copyright, and is particularly strong in the TMT sector. Highlights included representing Johnson & Johnson in international trade mark enforcement before the Hungarian IP office, and advising Samsung Electronics on soft IP matters.

Within Legal market overview,

A sluggish year for real estate saw the suspension of a number of retail and office development projects, leaving the modicum of significant deals to be handled by leading firms such as CMS Cameron McKenna LLP and Andrékó Kinstellar. Local powerhouses Nagy és Trócsányi and Szecskay Attorneys at Law continued to lead the way in dispute resolution, which has been one of the buoyant practice areas during the financial crisis. The departure of some foreign businesses has produced challenges and opportunities for key independent firms including Oppenheim, which has been working to build its group and international client base since the departure of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Lakatos, Köves and Partners, which has seen a drop-off since Clifford Chance left Hungary. Simándi Bird & Bird was renamed Eördögh Bird & Bird after Richárd Eördögh was appointed as the new managing partner to replace Andrea Simándi, who joined Microsoft in January 2012.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a first tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s ‘very strong’ M&A group has an excellent track record in cross-border transactions and is able to leverage the network’s offices across Eastern Europe. Group head Anikó Kircsi, ‘the driving force behind the firm’, is ably supported by Ferenc Mátrai, who has advised a number of venture capital funds including Finext Startup and OTP on investments in the TMT sectors; and Eva Talmacsi, who divides her time between London and Budapest. Other clients include Siemens, Advent International and Sun Capital.

Within Project finance, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a first tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s 11-strong team advises domestic banks and large energy and resource companies on major gas projects, real estate refinancing and acquisition finance. Erika Papp and Iván Sefer are two of the most prominent project finance lawyers in Hungary, and Kinga Soltész joined the group from Lakatos, Köves and Partners in September 2011.

Within Real estate and construction, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a first tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s ‘consistent and practical’ real estate group provides ‘a top-standard service in all respects’, and is appreciated for its ‘skills and great sector knowledge’. Its clients include global investors, building contractors and potential occupiers, and it has acted for GTC, Mosaic Property and ING PFCE. Gábor Czike heads the practice.

Within TMT, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a first tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a formidable force across the technology, media and telecoms (TMT) space, and its client roster includes UPC, Chello Media and Kopint-Datorg Zrt. It continues to advise Magyar Telekom on content sourcing, e-health products and mobile payments. The team consistently delivers ‘a level of quality that is always the same, irrespective of who is dealing with the particular task’. Practice head Dóra Petrányi is an ‘influential authority’, and ‘stands out with her skills and ability to find business-minded solutions for clients’ issues’.

Within Tax, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP is a second tier firm,

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s five-strong tax group provides transactional tax support to real estate and private equity firms. Recent instructions include representing Becton Dickinson in a dispute concerning a €2.3m loss carryforward.