Firms To Watch: TMT

MPR Partners‘ TMT team covers a range of key regulatory and corporate issues affecting the market, under the leadership of Alina Popescu and Cristina Crețu. Recently-promoted partner Daniel Alexie is also a key name to note.
Beatrice Onica- Jarka & Asociații is recommended for its strong work advising clients in the media, entertainment and advertising industries, with partner Ana Mirea developing a notable track record in this area.

Firms in the Spotlight TMT

Mihai, Lucian si Asociatii

Mihai, Lucian si Asociatii logo

The employment practice is coordinated by Ileana Lucian who has over 16 years of experience in the employment field, being a well-known lawyer in this area. Her professional activity started in 2003 within a Romanian top tier law firm, where she held the position of partner in the employment department for more than 4 years.

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TMT in Romania

bpv Grigorescu Stefanica

bpv Grigorescu Stefanica has a ‘commercial and efficient’ TMT practice which is widely recognised as a market leader. For technology-sector transactions, the firm’s ‘experience and specialist knowledge is invaluable‘. Clients come from all corners of the market, from technology end-users, through to venture capital funds, start-ups and established IT giants such as Google. The full service offering covers corporate M&A, finance, regulatory, IP and outsourcing support, and includes strong insights into major growth industries such as fintech. Founding partner Cătălin Grigorescu is ‘always available to provide quick and accurate advice’ and has ‘an impressive network of contacts in other jurisdictions in Europe‘.

Practice head(s):

Cătălin Grigorescu


Testimonials

‘Very quick, professional and friendly.’

‘We have worked with the corporate and commercial/IP teams on tech-sector transactions, and their experience and specialist knowledge is invaluable. They understand how venture-based high growth companies operate and are always commercial and efficient when providing advice.’

‘Cătălin Grigorescu is the partner with whom I have worked the most. His depth of knowledge, combined with his work ethic, means he is always available to provide quick and accurate advice. Cătălin Grigorescu would be the first lawyer I would contact for any tech-focused work in Romania and he also has an impressive network of contacts in other jurisdictions in Europe.’

Key clients

Google


Essilor Luxottica


Fitbit


Smart Id Dynamics


Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company


BCR Private Pensions


FintechOs


Gapminder VC


Everli Spa


REFLEX.IO


Zebrapay


Footprints For Retail


Innoship


Heraeus Kulzer


Work highlights


  • Advising MassMutual, the global life insurance company, on its investment into Romania, including the outsourcing of its IT operations.
  • Representing Google before the courts in relation to tort liability for defamation and analysis of whether right to be forgotten conditions were met.
  • Advising Fintech OS on all legal issues following Draper Esprit VC’s $60m Series B investment and subsequent top-up venture debt transaction from UK-based KREOS Capital.

Filip & Company

Filip & Company fields an experienced TMT practice which is noted for being ‘highly efficient and swift in execution‘, while doing ‘an exceptional job‘ and always being ‘at the client’s disposal‘. The firm has a longstanding presence in the market, particularly in key areas such as telecoms and broadcasting, where its lead counsel role to the Romanian giant RCS & RDS is demonstrative of the firm’s full-service expertise in the area. This extends to the full range of industry concerns, including corporate and M&A matters, litigation, IP, data protection, regulatory advice and outsourcing. Other major clients include international film studios, and IT hardware, software and e-commerce companies. Clients are quick to praise ‘outstanding‘ practice head Alexandru Bîrsan and corporate specialist Olga Nita. Corporate finance expert Monica Statescu and disputes specialist Catalin Alexandru are also highly active in this space.

Practice head(s):

Alexandru Bîrsan


Other key lawyers:

Olga Nita; Monica Statescu; Catalin Alexandru


Testimonials

‘Highly efficient and swift in execution, great communication. They demonstrated great capabilities and quality of service.’

‘Alexandru Bîrsan and Olga Nita – both of them were outstanding in the service provided.’

‘The team is very professional and is always at the height of the client’s needs. They do an exceptional job, they are always at the client’s disposal, both in terms of consultations and their availability for calls or video conferences. They exceed expectations and have very high quality standards.’

‘The individuals that are part of the team are great lawyers and professionals. Both the partner and the associates always provide precise, rigorous answers and are able to see beyond the problem by mentioning different scenarios with their advantages and risks.’

‘It is about people. they build a connection and provide personalised advice.’

‘They blend legal know-how with a commercial perspective. I also don’t doubt their integrity.’

Key clients

RCS&RDS


Digi Communications


Total Soft


Romanian Business Consult


2Perfomant


Inform Lykos


Octavian Radu


Vicentiu Zorzolan


eMAG


Amber Studio


Work highlights


  • Assisted Digi Communications and RCS & RDS with the sale of DIGI Távközlési Szolgáltató  and its subsidiaries Invitel, I TV and DIGI Infrastructure to 4iG.
  • Advised Romanian Business Consult, a major provider  of IT solutions for the retail and food industry in Romania, on its acquisition of Ropeco.
  • Advising Inform Lykos, a commercial printing and business solutions company, on acquiring full control of Next Docs Expert and Next Docs Confidential.

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen

The ‘highly experienced and responsive team‘ at Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen is praised for its ‘industry knowledge of the telecoms sector‘, as well as its expertise in the privacy field. The multi-faceted practice has strong credentials for representing clients before the relevant regulatory bodies and also advising them on their internal compliance issues. In addition, the team has a strong track record in corporate M&A, dispute resolution and the full range of technology transactions, including IP licensing, outsourcing and software-as-a-service agreements. Adina Chilim-Dumitriu is especially experienced in regulatory matters, while Roxana Ionescu and Iurie Cojocaru are ‘simply the best‘ for data protection. Clients also commend managing associate and telecoms expert Alina Boureanu.


Practice head(s):

Adina Chilim-Dumitriu; Roxana Ionescu; Iurie Cojocaru


Other key lawyers:

Alina Boureanu


Testimonials

‘Highly experienced and responsive team.’

‘Very responsive and high quality advice. We mostly work with Alina Boureanu and Adina Chilim-Dumitriu.’

‘Good industry knowledge of the telecoms sector.’

‘Alina Boureanu is the lawyer assisting us with various telecoms-related queries. She is a very thorough lawyer with good industry knowledge.’

‘They are the Top Gun in this field among all law offices on the Romanian market.’

‘Roxana Ionescu and Iurie Cojocaru – simply the best.’

 

Key clients

Orange Romania


Ericsson


British Telecom


Zoom


Google


NTT


Interroute


Ooma


VMware


Work highlights


  • Advising Orange Romania on the transfer of business assets from Ericsson Romania.
  • Assisting Ericsson group with obtaining its 5G authorisation.
  • Advising major companies including British Telecom, Zoom, Google, NTT, Interoute, and Ooma on a range of regulatory telecoms issues.

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is recognised by clients as ‘a top-class firm‘ with a ‘wide understanding of the media market‘. Leveraging the expertise of a full-service firm which fields experienced corporate finance, M&A, regulatory, IP and dispute resolution practitioners, the multidisciplinary team is able to handle the full range of related issues, including growing areas such as data privacy - where partner Ciprian Timofte has developed a niche - and technology outsourcing. Other lead partners include Cătălin Băiculescu, who is recognised by one client as ‘probably one of the best TMT lawyers in the country‘, and Vlad Cercel, who has over 20 years’ market experience spanning IT-related transactional and regulatory matters. Senior associate Florentina Petrisor is recommended for data privacy work.

Practice head(s):

Vlad Cercel; Cătălin Băiculescu; Ciprian Timofte


Other key lawyers:

Florentina Petrisor


Testimonials

‘I worked with Cătălin Băiculescu, who is an outstanding individual and legal counsel. He is easy to reach out to (via multiple channels), is very responsive, thoroughly professional and very knowledgeable. He knows Romanian commercial law very intricately and is always super clear in his guidance. I thoroughly enjoy working with him and truly appreciate his partnership and professionalism.’

‘The team has a wide understanding of the media market and a firm grasp of our business so they can offer practical legal advice linked to our commercial interests. Overall, these lawyers are responsive, commercial and have the expertise we need from our external advisers. Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii have always met our requirements and even frequently managed to exceed our expectations.’

‘Cătălin Băiculescu is a well-known figure and proficient on all matters raising from the media/audiovisual and entertainment sectors. Always on time and very efficient. I especially like that he provides very detailed advice, combined with an assertiveness that can only lead to a desirable outcome. I could say he is probably one of the best TMT lawyers in the country. He shows excellent judgment and knowledge of the applicable laws and regulations.’

‘The firm advises clients across the whole spectrum of IT matters. The entire team is knowledgeable and very competent as regards IT agreements, software and hardware licensing, outsourcing arrangements, regulatory issues, cloud computing, e-commerce, data privacy etc.’

‘Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii is a top-class firm and all work has been handled with great professionalism, attention to detail and has been of top quality. They demonstrate a strong sense of business coupled with profound experience in this sector.’

‘Cătălin Băiculescu carefully considers the interests of all parties involved and has a deep knowledge of the IT sector, while at the same time being extremely technical. He knows how the market works and how investors think. In addition, he always manages to deliver results despite the extremely tight deadlines we have in our business.’

Key clients

The Estée Lauder Companies


Orange Romania Communications (formerly Telekom Romania)


Vodafone Romania


Ericsson Telecommunications Romania


Netcity Telecom / Direct One


E-Infra


Verifone/ 2Checkout


Comarket


Creative Media Development


Playtika Romania


Raiffeisen Bank


Ringier Romania


Work highlights


  • Advising Vodafone Romania on a range of TMT regulatory and data privacy matters arising from its Romanian operations.
  • Advising Booking Holdings, owner of Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable and Rentalcars.com, on the establishment of its IT centre in Bucharest.
  • Advising the owners of Comarket, a B2B digital platform for the HoReCa industry, on all IT matters, as well as data privacy issues.

Boanta, Gidei & Asociatii SCP (in association with CEE Attorneys)

Boanta, Gidei & Asociatii SCP (in association with CEE Attorneys) is praised for its ‘experience in working on transactions in the technology sector in Romania‘, where it has developed an extremely good reputation for advising start-up companies and investment funds. This has included advice on seed financings across multiple sectors, including digital banking, agritech, healthcare technology, data protection, and waste management. Clients consider the team ‘one of the most experienced in regulatory matters and GDPR, as well as technology and start-ups‘. Highly regarded practitioner Kirsztina Voicu jointly leads the team with Sergiu Gîdei.

Practice head(s):

Sergiu Gîdei; Krisztina Voicu


Testimonials

‘They have good experience in working on transactions in the technology sector in Romania, so they understand the dynamics and needs for transactions involving venture capital funds.’

‘They understand the issues easily and deliver the work, updates and advice required above expectations every time. They answer all requests promptly, deliver the work on time or or even before agreed deadlines.’

‘The firm is one of the most experienced in regulatory matters and GDPR, as well as technology and start-ups. We have worked with them on these areas and what I liked best was their ability to communicate proactively, to find solutions when we thought there were none, as a result of their experience and knowledge.’

Key clients

Sparking Capital Venture Fund


DataWare


Coca-Cola HBC Romania


Flip.ro


Fagura


SevenX Ventures


EshopWedrop Group


Kinderpedia


Bunnyshell


PAGO


Pragmatic Play Group


Cora


Moonlet


Elefant


Silo Software Consulting


OPPO


SmartIT Global


Ingram Micro Distribution


Work highlights


  • Advising investment fund Sparking Capital on financings to various Romanian start-ups, in various fields, as well as assisting with obtaining its Romanian license as a self-managed venture capital Alternative Investment Fund.
  • Advising the UK venture capital fund Kreos Capital on its growth-debt investment during the Series B financing round of the Romanian start-up FintechOS.
  • Assisting Bunnyshell, a platform developer, with its expansion into the US market.

Bondoc si Asociatii SCA

Bondoc si Asociatii SCA haș established a stellar reputation in the IT and telecoms industry. The firm's notable client list spans several key sub-sectors, including social media, fintech and e-commerce, as well as broader industries such as biotechnology and media. In addition to industry service providers, the firm also assists end-users in strategic sectors such as energy and healthcare. The lead partners bring a broad range of skillsets to the table, with Monica Iancu particularly strong on commercial contracts, regulatory matters and data privacy issues linked to the media and telecoms sectors, while managing partner Lucian Bondoc focuses on complex software agreements, IP and M&A.

Practice head(s):

Monica Iancu; Lucian Bondoc


Key clients

A&M Capital Advisors Europe


Aptiv Technology Services & Solutions


British American Tobacco


Cargus


Clariant Products Romania


Dante International


Dogan Media International


Egis Pharmaceuticals


Elena Martin Aesthetics


Engie Romania


Fondul Proprietatea


Finexpert – Boscolo


Flip Technologies


Fresenius Medical Care


Intervet Romania


Merck Sharp & Dohme Romania


Nod Network


Oney Finances / Oney Bank


Organon Biosciences


Pfizer


Profi Rom Food


Pronetis


Restart Energy


Radio Free Europe


Returo Sistem Garanţie Returnare


Sanofi Romania


Samax Romania


Token Payment Services


Verumex Data Services



Work highlights


  • Advised Restart, a large Romanian independent electricity and natural gas supplier, on e-electricity related matters, including various IT issues linked to the implementation and operation of a decentralised energy platform which rewards green energy certificates to consumers of renewable energy.
  • Advising Meta on regulatory matters and issues related to freedom of speech, including take-down requests issued by supervisory authorities, disputes between platform users, and requests for information from criminal investigation bodies.
  • Advising Token Payment Services, part of the KOC Group, on the development of its activities in the Romanian fintech sector, including its authorisation as a payment institution.

CMS

CMS fields an experienced practice which provides regular support to major technology and media companies; M&A and corporate finance forms a core part of the firm’s overall workload, though the team’s ongoing advice to start-ups and growth companies is also significant, with a host of day-to-day regulatory and transactional issues catered for, including data protection. The firm’s cradle-to-grave offering is best demonstrated through its pre-IPO advice to the Romanian cybersecurity company Bitdefender on its proposed New York IPO. Managing partner and CEE corporate head Horea Popescu leads the team, with strong support from recently-promoted regulatory specialist Cristina Popescu.

 

Practice head(s):

Horea Popescu


Other key lawyers:

Cristina Popescu


Key clients

Bitdefender


Romanian Business Consult (RBC)


Finqware


Universe Software


Alten


Tech Data Advanced Solutions


Tech Data Distribution Sro Praga – Sucursala Bucuresti


Work highlights


  • Assisting Bitdefender with international pre-IPO due diligence.
  • Advising Finqware, a financial API aggregation platform which is a member of the CMS equIP programme, on day-to-day issues.
  • Advising Alten, a financial API aggregation platform which is a member of the CMS equIP programme, on day-to-day issues.

DLA Piper Dinu SCA

DLA Piper Dinu SCA is noted for its ‘tailored approach‘, and is particularly well regarded for its ability to provide advice to start-ups and venture capital funds, with interests across several key sub-sectors, including artificial intelligence and fintech, while also supporting established companies such as Vodafone in the telecoms sector. In addition to transactional, IP and day-to-day matters, the firm also has expertise in data privacy and other associated compliance and regulatory issues. The firm’s international network adds weight on cross-border transactions. Counsel Ana-Maria Andronic heads the IP, media and technology team, with competition head Livia Zamfiropol also very active in this space.

Practice head(s):

Ana-Maria Andronic; Livia Zamfiropol


Testimonials

‘Client focused and solution oriented team.’

‘Tailored approach.’

Key clients

Brainstash


Bright Spaces


Fameup (Inovatie Alia)


Simartis


Vodafone Romania


International Personal Finance


Work highlights


  • Advising Brainstash on all its local and international legal matters.
  • Assisting Bright Spaces with drafting, negotiating and concluding customer software licensing and data processing agreements.
  • Advising Fameup (Inovatie Alia) on tailoring its intellectual property legal framework, including drafting commercial contracts with influencers, brands and the general terms and conditions of the website and software application.

Kinstellar

The well regarded TMT team at Kinstellar is ‘experienced, knowledgeable, and committed to getting the best results for clients‘. The group's ‘very creative‘ lawyers provide clients ranging from established technology and media companies, such as Hewlett Packard and Canal+, to major growth companies, including online learning platform Mondly, to leading private equity and venture capital funds with ‘a lot of innovative ideas‘. Domestic and cross-border M&A and corporate advice features prominently, though the firm also advises on day-today regulatory and data privacy issues. Highly regarded corporate practice head Zsuzsa Csiki leads the team.

Practice head(s):

Zsuzsa Csiki


Testimonials

‘Kinstellar is a great choice for clients looking for the best possible legal representation. The team is experienced, knowledgeable, and committed to getting the best results for clients.’

‘First, they are all very intelligent and have a strong work ethic. They are also very creative and have a lot of innovative ideas. Additionally, they are all very passionate about their work. Finally, they are all very friendly and easy to work with.’

Key clients

Mondly


Court Square Capital Partners


Mobileum


KINCARTA


GTT Communications


Wipro Limited


Ubisoft


NAGA Global


Google


GoPro


HCL Technologies


S IMMO Romania


Temenos


DXC Technology


Bitpanda


Neopets


J2 Global


Wayfair Stores Limited


Vice Media


Genui GmbH


Trulioo Information Services Inc


HelloFlow ApS


Super Hippo Studios


edding Tech Solutions


Origindata SAS


Cerner Corporation


Fujitsu Technologies


Modis Competence Center


Covantis


Varicent Software


Verizon Media


Key Way Group Limited


Workday


Farben Information Technology


Work highlights


  • Advised the owners of Mondly, a language learning platform developed by the Romanian startup ATi Studios, on its sale to the British group Pearson.
  • Advising Mobileum, a designer and developer of data analytics solutions, on the Romanian law implications of its acquisition of Niometrics, a network analytics company.
  • Advised private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners on the due diligence process and Romanian law implications of the acquisition of Connatix Holding, a company operating next-generation video platforms for publishers.

Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii

Popovici Nitu Stoica & Asociatii has extensive experience in the TMT field, with a strong selection of longstanding clients in the telecoms and technology sectors. High-end corporate support remains a major focus, with notable highlights including the firm’s advice to Orange Group on its post-acquisition integration of the controlling stake in fixed operator Telekom Romania Communications. The team also has a notable track record in negotiating contractual partnerships and regulatory matters, and often appears before the authorities. Lead partners include Ernest-Virgil Popovici, Bogdan C. Stoica, Silviu Stoica and Mihaela Ion.

Practice head(s):

Ernest-Virgil Popovici; Bogdan C. Stoica; Silviu Stoica; Mihaela Ion


Key clients

S&T


Hewlett-Packard Romania


SIMAVI


Orange


UPS


GTS Telecom


Asseco SEE


Enea


NTT Data


Yandex


Work highlights


  • Advised Orange Group on various post-acquisition matters following its acquisition of the controlling stake in fixed operator Telekom Romania Communications from Deutsche Telekom’s OTE.
  • Advising Orange Romania on the development of its premium TV service.
  • Advised the Swedish group Enea on the sale of Enea Services Romania to AROBS Transilvania Software.

RTPR | Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu SCA

RTPR | Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu SCA offers a broad spread of expertise to clients operating in the TMT sector. The full service practice incorporates everything from M&A, finance and capital markets, through to dispute resolution, IP, data protection and competition law; this includes related support on cloud services, data compliance audits, and licensing, technology transfer and distribution agreements. Clients include major end-users, investment funds, media companies, and software and technology start-ups. Key contacts include managing partner Costin Tărăcilă, who represents funds and corporates operating in the sector, and Mihai Ristici who assists several major technology and social media companies.

Practice head(s):

Costin Tărăcilă; Mihai Ristici


Key clients

Sarmis Capital


ENGIE Group


Evolution Gaming


Catalyst Romania


Berg Software


IV Future


Zenith Media


AROBS Transilvania Software


Abris Capital Partners


Work highlights


  • Advised SARMIS Capital on the acquisition of a majority shareholding stake in Smart ID Dynamics, a provider of highly customised end-to-end automation solutions.
  • Advised AROBS Transilvania Software on the acquisition of a majority stake in Enea Services Romania, the software development services business of the Swedish group Enea.
  • Advised Abris Capital Partners and GTS Global Intelligence on the bolt-on acquisition of a 73% stake in Knowledge Investment Group, which operates under the Lummetry brand.

Wolf Theiss

Wolf Theiss is singled out as a ‘a top choice for cross-border work‘, with clients benefiting from a strong domestic full service offering that works closely with the firm’s wider CEE network. The ‘pro-active‘ team has a ‘strong understanding of the local market‘, and is well versed in key areas affecting the TMT sector, including outsourcing, cloud computing, e-commerce, data protection, media, and wholesale and retail telecoms. The firm is particularly active in corporate transactional matters, but also has significant expertise in IP, data protection and regulatory issues, particularly since the recruitment of counsel and new TMT, IP and data protection head Flavius Florea from DLA Piper Dinu SCA in June 2022. Corporate expert Ileana Glodeanu  is another key contact.

Practice head(s):

Ileana Glodeanu; Flavius Florea


Testimonials

‘I worked directly with Flavius Florea, whom I appreciate for his passion for the profession and for his particular ways of creating articulate curricular agenda for dedicated events.’

‘Overall, the lawyers were responsive and always conscious about the strict timeline the client demanded. They were also flexible about the change in the structure of the potential deal.’

‘Ileana Glodeanu was leading the team and her advice was clear and reliable.’

‘The practice coordinator is very involved in the projects and is hands-on.’

‘Flavius Florea is very persistent in solving all issues and gives most pertinent advice business-wise.’

‘Wolf Theiss is amongst the most active and large firms in the CEE/SEE region. Their full-service capability and cross-jurisdictional presence makes them a top choice for cross-border work. In the TMT space they cover several areas such as IT sourcing, e-commerce, online entertainment and media, and others. We have been engaging with Wolf Theiss for several years and find them to be extremely pro-active with a strong understanding of the local market.’

Key clients

AMC Studio


AROBS Transilvania Software


AT&T


Bet Master


CGI


Databricks


Electronic Alarms Systems S


Elvaston Capital Management


Glovoapp23 SL


Greater Sum Ventures LLC


Ivanti Inc


Main Capital Partners


MHC Software LLC


Oracle Romania


Razor Group


Snyk Limited


The FuelPlus Group


Total Specific Solution (TSS)


Visma AS


WorldQuant


Work highlights


  • Assisted the founders of AMC RO Studio – a studio which makes 3D visual development and design for games, film and digital media – with the sale of its shares to Keywords Studios, a publicly listed video game industry services company.
  • Assisted Arobs, a major Romanian software development company, with the acquisitions of Berg Computers and Nordlogic.
  • Assisted Total Specific Solutions with the full takeover of a Romanian technology company.

Buzescu Ca

Buzescu Ca assists leading domestic and international technology and software companies on a range of issues, including data protection, corporate, employment, IP and tax. The firm's client list spans end-users and major technology providers. The team includes founding partner Peter Buzescu, Adrian Tomescu and highly regarded associate Corina Papuzu.

Practice head(s):

Adrian Tomescu; Peter Buzescu; Corina Papuzu


Key clients

Celestica


Herbalife


Kautex Textron


Canam Steel


Travelport


Algolia


Nvidia



Work highlights


  • Advised Celestica on the notification of a data breach to the Romanian Data Protection Authority.
  • Advised Kautex Textron on implementation of a video monitoring system at the client’s plant.
  • Advised Herbalife on issues linked to customers’ personal data.

Dentons

Dentons is a firm of choice for ‘intricate and challenging matters‘, and its ‘cross-border capacity is indeed of paramount importance’ to clients. The firm has a dedicated venture technology practice led by Cristina Daianu, who ‘can reach a true trust-based, counselling-level relationship with key top-management executives’. Clients come from all corners of the market, including media, telecoms, e-commerce, fintech and gaming. Managing partner Perry Zizzi co-ordinates the wider TMT group, supported by senior associate Andrei Vartires, noted for his ‘amazing insight’. 

Practice head(s):

Cristina Daianu; Perry Zizzi


Other key lawyers:

Andrei Vartires


Testimonials

‘Andrei Vartires – handled the matter as expeditiously as possible with excellent communication and deft expertise.’

‘The Dentons team in Romania is very collaborative and their communication is open, direct and timely.’

‘Andrei Vartires and Perry Zizzi are very knowledgable and give clear communication.’

‘Extraordinarily fast ramp-up in intricate and challenging matters. Ability to provide true counselling relationships to senior executives.’

‘Cristina Daianu stands out among the many law firm partners I worked with. She can reach a true trust-based, counselling-level relationship with key top-management executives. She helped us overcome challenging and high-exposure issues, blending dedication, ability to reach insightful yet prudent solutions, and leveraging the firm’s other practices. I particularly appreciate her pragmatic problem-solving and ability to quickly take the client perspective in a mature fashion.’

‘They were very approachable, creative and we could easily rely on their extensive cross-border capacities, whenever needed in the project. Their cross-border capacity is indeed of paramount importance for founders and differentiates them from competitors since they have the unique expertise to advise on international rounds and on the scale-up process to other markets. Also they speak the language of the investors, since often they represent those.’

‘We have worked with Cristina Daianu, who is very knowledgeable, easy to work with and passionate about her work. She is very well connected to the start-up scene and works with lots of technology companies and investors.’

‘Excellent expertise, strong network of experts, access to international network.’

Key clients

Tata Communications


Netflix


MBC Studios


Motion Picture Corporation of America


Here Global


Blackline


Shift One


Lucy Zodion


Work highlights


  • Advised Netflix on all copyright and regulatory issues in 18 countries in Europe, including on the implementation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the Copyright Directive.
  • Advised Tata Communications on several regulatory issues specific to the Romanian market concerning digital and telecoms products.
  • Advised Lucy Zodion on the acquisition of shares in Flashnet from Engie.

Eversheds Sutherland Romania

Eversheds Sutherland Romania is known for advising domestic and international companies on a range of transactions within the TMT space. Corporate advice to major telecoms companies, including Vodafone, has latterly featured prominently on the roster, demonstrating the firm’s capacity to handle large-scale M&A and company reorganisations. The team also assists technology suppliers and users with broader commercial issues, including outsourcing contracts and technology procurement agreements. Data protection, cybersecurity and other forms of internal compliance and regulatory matters are also key areas of work. Managing partner Mihai Guia has a strong track record in this area, as does corporate expert Alexandra Sulea.

Practice head(s):

Mihai Guia; Alexandra Sulea


Key clients

Accenture


AT&T


Cisco


Deutsche Telekom


eMAG


John Lewis


Hervis


HP


Microsoft


Vodafone Romania


TELUS International


Suvoda


Veoneer Group


ZF TRW Group


Work highlights


  • Advised OTE Group on the sale of its stake in Telekom Romania Communications to Orange Romania.
  • Advising Vodafone Romania on its restructuring process.
  • Assisted eMAG with its reorganisation of processes and activities across the CEE region.

GNP Guia Naghi & Partners

TMT clients ‘totally recommendGNP Guia Naghi & Partners, which is especially strong on regulatory issues and competition law. The firm also offers strong expertise in data protection and IP issues, as well as handling day-to-day commercial and corporate transactional support. The bulk of the firm’s clients are telecoms and technology providers, including start-ups and growth companies, but the team also assists end-users with related issues. Practice head Bianca Naghi is singled out as a ‘remarkable' advisor.

Practice head(s):

Bianca Naghi


Other key lawyers:

Otilia Vîlcu; Tudor Nacev


Testimonials

‘GNP assists us with a variety of projects, acting as our day-to-day legal advisors on any complex legal problems we may have. They have a very business-oriented approach, providing pragmatic solutions in a timely manner. We choose GNP due to their high-quality services, the ability to cover a wide range of legal areas, analysing any matter from all legal perspectives and shadowing any legal argument with a client-oriented perspective.’

‘On TMT and IP projects we mainly work with the team coordinated by Bianca Naghi, who is a remarkable and very experienced lawyer, showing a close attention to the details of all legal matters and having a very in-depth approach.’

‘Our experience with GNP was bliss. They acted promptly, professionally and guided us through each step of our collaboration. We feel really lucky to find them and I totally recommend. They have good work ethics in place, acts professional and transparent. Our software service has a global impact and working with them to put all the legal aspects in place gave us the trust needed that we can truly go global.’

‘Implication and approach to clients. Proactive in any matter. Great people, creative, with a lot of initiative and out-of-the-box approach.’

‘Bianca Naghi. Best. Period.’

‘Always answering phones and emails, very good communication. Going the extra mile in advising.’

‘Excellent communication and support.’

Key clients

Orange Romania


Dante International


HCL Online Advertising


Vivre Deco


OLX Online Services


Clever Tech


Macromex


Smarty Ride Tech


Proptech Corp


Guidefai


Home Away Platform


Baselinker


Nestle Romania


Neobility


Baneasa Developments


Racord Furnizare


Coaliția Pentru Economia Digitală


Pressinfra


Suntalent


Hopcity


Work highlights


  • Assisted eMAG with the implementation of the Omnibus Directive in Romania, advising the client on all working groups created at industry level that led the negotiations with the public authorities.
  • Advised Beesers on changing its business model, including the provision of online telemedicine services alongside its existing business model.
  • Advised Tazz on updating the contractual framework applied to various types of partners enrolled in the platform.

Musat & Asociatii

Musat & Asociatii fields a multidisciplinary TMT practice which advises on the full range of corporate, litigation and regulatory matters. Data protection and cybersecurity advice are significant sources of work, with the firm advising major technology service providers and end-users in these spaces. On the regulatory side, clients particularly appreciate the team’s ‘good connection with local authorities for precise answers to questions‘. Versatile deputy managing partner Iulian Popescu leads the team, which also benefits from the presence of several well regarded associates, including managing associate Ana Maria Abrudan. Clients also single out out the ‘always very kind and helpful‘ corporate specialist Andrei Ormenean.

Practice head(s):

Iulian Popescu


Other key lawyers:

Ana Maria Abrudan; Andrei Ormenean; Razvan Stoicescu


Testimonials

‘The law firm is always very helpful in all the issues we ask them for advice. In the meetings we had the possibility to have different experts from different areas which made the discussions more fruitful and allowed us to have an overview of possible impacts in the various areas.’

‘Andrei Ormenean – always very kind and helpful. Very consistent and strong in the approach. Also very efficient.’

‘Good collaboration with the team and we appreciate the deep analysis of the issues we request and the accuracy of their answers. Good connection with local authorities for precise answers to questions.’

‘They are always prompt in replying with a high level of detail and explanation. They are cleverly taking care of our requests even when the person in charge is absent, by involving a replacement.’

‘Razvan Stoicescu is an expert.’

‘Ana Maria Abrudan has good market knowledge.’

Key clients

Facebook


Verizon Romania


Telecom Italia Sparkle


Ovidius Clinical Hospital


Animawings


Dover Corporation


Hypercentage


Future Healthcare Romania


Emerson


Work highlights


  • Advising Verizon on various telecoms matters, as well as representing the client before the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications.
  • Advising Telekom Italia Sparkle on various telecoms matters.

Reff & Associates SCA

Reff & Associates SCA has a strong focus on the TMT sector, advising clients across a broad spread of technology and telecoms issues. The team has a strong track record in the privacy, digital content, e-commerce, consumer protection and IP spaces. Recently, the firm has also advised on several high-profile software agreements and business digitisation projects, including some significant mandates in the financial services sector. Corporate head Georgiana Singurel leads the team, with support from managing associate Andreea Zaharia.

Practice head(s):

Georgiana Singurel


Other key lawyers:

Andreea Zaharia


Key clients

ING


Intesa Sanpaolo Romania


CEC Bank


Apa Nova Bucuresti – Veolia Group,


B2Kapital part of B2 holding


NEPI Rockcastle


LC Waikiki


HP


Zebrapay


adidas Romania


Untold


Up Romania


Deloitte Consultancy Czech Republic


Andreas Stihl Motounelte


IKEA Romania


Lendrise Marketplace


Work highlights


  • Advised ING on the establishment of a new application developed as part of a technology innovation initiative.
  • Assisting Intesa Sanpaolo Romania, the Romanian branch of the Italian international banking group, with the cloud outsourcing of certain key activities to Microsoft.
  • Advised CEC Bank on the digital transformation of the bank and related systems including assistance with the privacy and data protection aspects.

STOICA & Asociatii – Attorneys at Law

STOICA & Asociatii – Attorneys at Law has an experienced TMT practice which is firmly embedded with major industry clients operating in the telecoms and technology sectors. While it is best known for its dispute resolution capabilities, where it acts on a broad range of high-value civil, administrative and regulatory claims, the practice is also noted for its ability to handle ‘very different legal issues'. Key partners include Andreea Micu, who has a strong track record in competition issues; disputes expert Dan Rareş Răducanu; and IP specialist Dragoș Bogdan.

Practice head(s):

Andreea Micu; Dan Rareș Răducanu; Dragoș Bogdan


Testimonials

‘The ability to deal with very different legal issues, from public acquisitions, to IP rights, to electronic signatures.’

‘They never give up.’

‘The team have a deep knowledge of all business implications of the mandates. They provide value for money as well as on-the-spot legal advice all the time. The lawyers are very accurate and trustworthy when carrying out the advisory work. They are able to handle complex and sophisticated mandates. Their commitment to diversity is also very strong.’

‘Dan Rareș Răducanu is an excellent lawyer with a deep understanding of all legal and business implications. From the beginning of our collaboration, he has stood out through his exceptional professional training. He is able to find the proper solutions to legal problems subject to analysis, through professional rigour, punctuality, and counselling for the most advantageous solutions.’

Key clients

RCS & RDS


Telekom Mobile Romania


Orange Romania


Work highlights


  • Representing the Romanian telecoms operator RCS & RDS in a significant dispute with the Romanian Data Protection Authority.
  • Representing Netcity Telecom, a major provider of electronic communication infrastructure, in various civil and administrative disputes.
  • Representing Telekom Mobile Romania in a complex dispute with the Romanian fiscal authorities.

Stratulat Albulescu Attorneys at Law

Stratulat Albulescu Attorneys at Law’s TMT team is commended for its ‘deep technical knowledge and strong involvement‘. The firm handles a broad range of corporate, contractual, data protection, regulatory, litigation and IP matters for technology suppliers and end-users. Coupled with this is a strong track record for venture capital advice. IP and competition head Ana Maria Kusak leads the practice. Other key individuals include managing partner Silviu Stratulat, counsel Costin Sandu, and managing associate Elena Stan.

Practice head(s):

Ana Maria Kusak


Other key lawyers:

Costin Sandu; Elena Stan; Silviu Stratulat


Testimonials

‘The team is extremely friendly and responsive – a pleasure working with them. Silviu Stratulat is amazing.’

‘Sound experience and knowledge of the legislation, deep technical knowledge and strong involvement both for understanding the client’s needs and finding the most appropriate solution.’

‘Costin Sandu is our most valuable wingman in TMT projects. He did miracles within our most important projects in this field, both from a legal point of view and from a negotiation point our view, in the most advantageous manner for our company. We simply could not have carried it out without him. Also, super involved and balanced and a very nice and warm person.’

Key clients

World Class Romania


Î.M. Vinăria Purcari


Titluri Quality


SelfD ID


Rogalski Damaschin Public Relations


Undelucram


Cyscale Systems


Cordia Corarilor Development


Sound Feed


Mindfully Technologies


Work highlights


  • Advised SelfD ID on various intellectual property and data privacy matters.
  • Advising Cyscale Systems on the process of securing its IP rights over software developed by employees, as well as third-party suppliers.
  • Assisted Mindfully Technologies, owner of the XVision platform, with a due diligence and risk assessment of the its IP and IT assets.

Voicu & Filipescu SCA

Clients strongly appreciate the ‘individual attention’ they receive from Voicu & Filipescu SCA, where the lawyers take a ‘strong, personal interest in their clients' concerns'. The firm represents a broad portfolio of clients operating in the telecoms and IT sectors, including consultancy and outsourcing companies, including Accenture and Capgemini. Advice ranges from interconnection and service agreements, through to regulatory compliance and M&A. The lead partners are Marta Elena Popa and Raluca Mihai; the latter is noted as ‘a creative problem solver and a trusted advisor‘.

Practice head(s):

Marta Elena Popa; Raluca Mihai


Testimonials

‘At Voicu & Filipescu clients know that they are receiving individual attention. The attorneys take strong, personal interest in their clients’ concerns, offering continuous advice. Their pro-active approach, allied with open lines of communication, enables them to aim higher with every project.’

‘We, as a client, feel like their approach is open and honest, always striving for a high level of communication.’

‘Our company has been working for several years with Raluca Mihai, who is committed to the principles of professionalism, ethics, impartiality and providing the best legal services. She focuses on giving practical legal advice tailored to our needs. Also, Raluca Mihai is a creative problem solver and a trusted advisor.’

Key clients

Accenture


Capgemini


Rewe


Work highlights


  • Advising Capgemini Services on its IT outsourcing business in Romania.