Firms To Watch: Dispute resolution

With offices in 10 CEE countries, the bnt attorneys in CEE disputes practice is increasingly active in cross-border litigation, particularly in the IT/communications and new technologies sectors. Dávid Oršula  and associate Róbert Vrablica co-lead the team in Slovakia.
Stentors disputes practice is led by experienced litigator Peter Neštepný and represent clients before a range of courts, including the Slovak Supreme Court, the Slovak Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Dispute resolution in Slovakia

Allen & Overy Bratislava, s.r.o.

Allen & Overy Bratislava, s.r.o.’s multifaceted practice excels in international commercial arbitration and investment treaty arbitration, as well as public law, energy, employment, TMT and construction litigation. Managing partner Martin Magál jointly leads the team with Lucia Raimanová, who was promoted to partner in 2021 and is experienced in disputes arising from bilateral investment treaties, the Energy Charter Treaty and commercial contracts. Another notable individual is associate Peter Stastny, who focuses on public law and energy disputes.

Practice head(s):

Martin Magál; Lucia Raimanová

Other key lawyers:

Peter Stastny; Matej Kosalko

Testimonials

‘Work of partners and associates (or other involved personnel) is very well balanced and adequate to all tasks assigned.’

‘Matej Kosalko – focused on FIDIC contracts in Slovak construction law context. I appreciate his personal involvement and demonstrated level of knowledge in the construction sector.’

‘We had the opportunity to cooperate with a team of great professionals able and willing to dive into the complexities of our local regulation and market practice, and in a highly skilled way, combine the outcome of such analysis with their knowledge and past experience, resulting in a strategy of the highest quality.’

‘The team is composed of young dynamic people, full of energy and enthusiasm (passionate about the work) as well as experienced seniors and long-term experts in their field.’

Key clients

Zero Bypass Limited

BG Exploration and Production India Limited and Reliance Industries Limited

Západoslovenská distribučná, a.s.

Východoslovenská distribučná, a.s.

U.S. Steel Košice, s.r.o.

COLAS

UniCredit Bank

Všeobecná úverova banka, a.s. (Intesa Sanpaolo)

Tesco

Work highlights

  • Representing Zero Bypass Limited, a concessionaire in the D4R7 highway project, in a construction arbitration against the Slovak Republic. The dispute involves a complex interplay between matters of delay, quantum and impaired financial cash flows.
  • Representing BG and RIL in a London-seated arbitration against the Government of India under the UNCITRAL Rules 1976. The claims have arisen under two (Indian law governed) Production Sharing Contracts in respect of oil and gas fields off the west coast of India.
  • Represented a major European bank and its subsidiary in an investment treaty claim at ICSID against Croatia, relating to Croatian legislation allowing borrowers unilaterally to convert Swiss Franc-denominated or indexed loans into Euro loans at historic exchange rates.

Barger Prekop s.r.o.

Barger Prekop s.r.o. has a first-rate reputation in domestic litigation and international arbitration, and its team’s industry expertise comes to the fore in areas such as energy and natural resources, real estate, construction and insurance. The firm has a notable strength in matters involving the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Slovakia. Roman Prekop is ‘an experienced front man with commercial/tactical thinking’ and is active in arbitration proceedings before ICC and VIAC. He co-heads the group with Monika Simorova, who focuses on domestic commercial and administrative litigation, as well as international commercial arbitration. Counsel Peter Petho specialises in insurance and aviation litigation, and he is also experienced in labour matters and waste management litigation.

Practice head(s):

Roman Prekop; Monika Simorova

Other key lawyers:

Matus Lahky; Peter Petho

Testimonials

‘They understand the client’s needs, are flexible and pragmatic. Strong interest in innovation.’

‘BP are experts in energy insfrastructure and regulated business and they use this deep knowledge for litigations and arbitrations in the energy sector. Their lawyers not only know the law but also understand the energy business and we like it. They are very easy going and proactive, always available and responsive. We appreciate that they have a big picture and can advise us in international and domestic disputes.’

‘I work mostly with partners Roman Prekop, Matus Lahky, Monika Simorova and counsel Peter Petho. Each of them has some niche specialisation, but also can substitute each other. They are a good team, nice people to work with.’

‘Roman Prekop – very experienced front man with commercial/tactical thinking. Peter Petho – he does not hesitate to dig in and is also into technical details (beyond lawyer’s role) if it is needed for the case.’

‘The firm is extremely dedicated to its work, extremely responsive and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Our primary contact is Roman Prekop. He acts as counsel in international arbitration and litigation cases. He is very quick in analysing situations and providing practical and legally sound advice. I would also like to emphasize his social skills in dealing with difficult clients. All in all, he is a pleasure to work with.’

Paul Q Law Firm

Paul Q Law Firm's team is adept at handling all stages of disputes for clients, with work ranging from advice on pre-litigation and arbitration strategies to settlements through negotiations and mediation. The firm stands out in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, with mandates covering a wide range of industries. It also stands out representing clients in international courts in relation to cases involving alleged violations of fundamental rights, as well as the application and interpretation of EU law. Tomáš Kamenec's experience includes intellectual property and media disputes. He co-heads the team with Jiří Budinský, who focuses on contentious corporate, commercial and financial law matters.

Practice head(s):

Tomáš Kamenec; Jiří Budinský

Key clients

ARCOLA

BILLA

Československá obchodní banka

FCA Group

IT Asociácia Slovenska

MARKÍZA – SLOVAKIA

News & Media Holding

Petit Press

Podtatranská vodárenská spoločnosť

Team Industries

Universal Media Corporation (Slovak branch)

RELEVANS Law Firm

RELEVANS Law Firm is ‘clearly a leader in the dispute resolution arena in Slovakia’, with it handling a broad cross-section of matters for clients, including those related to commercial, competition, banking, finance, IP, IT, tax and administrative law. It is also active in complex matters arising from alleged violations of fundamental rights and freedoms. Experienced litigator Alexander Kadela is ‘one of the most qualified attorneys in the Slovak market’. Tomáš Bardelčík , whose expertise includes contentious matters involving competition, labour, commercial and constitutional law. Slavomír Máčaj is a ‘great professional with outstanding logical and analytical thinking’.

Practice head(s):

Alexander Kadela; Tomáš Bardelčík; Slavomír Máčaj

Other key lawyers:

Jaroslav Bratek

Testimonials

‘The whole team works very professionally and systematically. They are able to provide perfect legal services even in an extremely short period of time and, if necessary, deploy a sufficiently large team of lawyers. The services provided by this law firm, as I understood during our cooperation, always go through several levels of control. I can rely on TOP quality. They work with high commitment and their outputs meet the highest quality standards. Given their high expertise and great references, we can rely on the firm even in the most complicated court disputes.’

‘Alexander Kadela is truly an exceptional lawyer. I consider him to be one of the most qualified attorneys in the Slovak market. He not only has extraordinary analytical skills, but also has a very detached and complex view on the whole case. He can think strategically and, in combination with his high professionalism, these capabilities make him very recommended attorney for litigation. Slavomir Macaj is a great professional with outstanding logical and analytical thinking. Tomas Bardelcik is very precise and works systematically. He is 100% reliable. Also, I really appreciate work of Jaroslav Bratek. He is very experienced and qualified.’

‘We certainly do recommend Alexander Kadela and the team of litigation lawyers working at RELEVANS and without doubt we would turn to them in the future.’

‘Alexander Kadela, Tomáš Bardelčík and Slavomír Máčaj are definitely strong and experienced in litigation and has a very good knowledge of business issues and constraints. They are always engaged, combative, available and has a very good communication skill. It was a pleasure working with such a highly professionals. We were more than pleased by their expertise and ability to advise on our legal issues.’

‘Relevans is clearly a leader in the dispute resolution arena in Slovakia. The quality of services rendered by Relevans is highly above standard, even in the most demanding assignments. We use to turn to Relevans in cases where their specific expertise is required. Partners are engaged in our cases and I hear from them often, which makes me feel well-supported and comforted knowing there is a senior set of eyes following progress.’

‘Alexander Kadela is an excellent lawyer. He is not afraid of any challenge. He has our confidence in the most important matters and key disputes. Tomáš Bardelík, is one very knowledgeable and experienced litigator.’

Key clients

Poštová banka, a.s.

Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s.

Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska

Východoslovenská distribučná, a.s.

Západoslovenská energetika, a.s.

J&T BANKA, a.s., pobočka zahraničnej banky

Tatry mountain resorts, a.s.

Slovenská záručná a rozvojová banka, a.s.

Carlton Property, s.r.o.

J&T REAL ESTATE, a.s.

ČEZ Slovensko, s.r.o.

MCH-MEDICAL CARE HOLDING LIMITED

Crown Bewcan

RMS Mezzanine, a.s., organizačná zložka

SK-NIC, a.s.

Sandberg Capital, správ. spol., a.s.

Swan a.s.

WOAL s.r.o.

MAC TV s.r.o.

Prvá penzijná správcovská spoločnosť

Danube Facility Services, s.r.o.

Work highlights

  • Defended Západoslovenská distribučná and Východoslovenská distribučná in a number of disputes initiated by the electric power manufacturers as the applicants requesting refunds of payments for access to distribution infrastructure (G-component).
  • Representing Mr. Rudolf Hrubý, Mr. Maroš Grund, ADS PROPERTY, s.r.o. and Carlton Property, s.r.o. in “Carlton case” (several legal proceedings; the cumulative value of three main disputes is more than €200m).
  • Representing Poštová banka, a.s. (one of the largest banks in Slovakia) for its €166m receivable in an insolvency proceeding.

BBH advokátska kancelária, s.r.o.

BBH advokátska kancelária, s.r.o.’s disputes practice draws from the firm’s strengths in corporate, M&A, banking and finance to handle associated litigation and arbitration. The department is equally strong advising on out-of-court and in-court matters, and is noted for having a particular specialism in insolvency and bankruptcy disputes. Olga Beláňová is the head of the team.

Practice head(s):

Olga Beláňová

Other key lawyers:

Matej Blahút; Roman Vydra; Alena Liskova; Maros Kacmar; Adela Svingerova

Testimonials

‘Working with BBH is always smooth, professional and on time. All employees always act very professionally and always find the best possible option for us. They have big team of experienced employees, specializing in different areas of law, which gives us the best outcome for any problems we have.’

‘They provided us with professional legal counselling and represented us with due care. Client support from BBH is outstanding, BBH team is always prepared to provide its professional support based on deep knowledge of matters of law.’

‘Our contact person in BBH is Matej Blahút, but the dispute resolution team is led by Olga Beláňová (partner) and Roman Vydra (senior associate). We appreciate their experience, expertise and overall client approach. Solutions suggested by BBH with respect to our issues with the dispute were really complex and they provided us with support beyond our expectations. We would recommend the BBH dispute resolution team to anyone.’

‘They are innovative in legal solutions, able to think out-of-the-box and always goal-oriented.’

Key clients

Erste Group Immorent Slovensko, s.r.o.

O2 Czech Republic a.s.

Slovenská sporiteľňa, a.s. (Erste Group)

Waldviertler Sparkasse Bank AG (Erste Group)

Česká spořitelna, a.s. (Erste Group)

BMB Partners s.r.o. and their clients

ARVAL SLOVAKIA, s.r.o.

ČEZ Slovensko, s.r.o.

Electrolux s.r.o.

Europapier Slovensko, s. r. o.

KAPRAIN Group

PPF Group N.V.

FORTISCHEM a. s.

Work highlights

  • Acting for Waldviertler Sparkasse Bank in a €105m claim before the District Court Banska Bystrica.
  • Representing O2 Czech Republic in a high-value dispute.
  • Advising banks from Erste Group in relation to several multimillion disputes.

Cechová & Partners

The litigation team of Cechová & Partners represents clients in disputes at courts, arbitration tribunals and in administrative proceedings. The firm participates in foreign and domestic arbitration tribunals, as well as serving as arbitrators in a range of disputes. Other particular strengths include commercial litigation, real estate disputes, damages claims and incidental proceedings, and the practice also acts in pro bono legal assistance. Expert arbitrator Katarina Cechova ‘perfectly uses her knowledge of corporate law and business realities in resolving court disputes’. She co-leads the team with associate Juliana Turcekova , who focuses on real estate disputes, employment litigation and commercial litigation.

Practice head(s):

Katarína Čechová; Juliána Turčeková

Other key lawyers:

Tomas Rybar; Peter Fedor

Testimonials

‘I worked with Cechova in international court cases. The flow of information was at a very good level. Cechova’s lawyers were responsive, proactive, proposing solutions and strategies themselves. Their excellent care made it possible to handle the foreign case with ease and as if it were in my home country.’

‘Tomas Rybar and Peter Fedor are very responsive and pragmatic lawyers – always on duty. Katarina Cechova, a partner of the name, perfectly uses her knowledge of corporate law and business realities in resolving court disputes.’

Key clients

Mattoni

Tubex Slovakia

YIT

Eiffage Construction

SMRC (former Reydel) Automotive Slovakia s.r.o., a member of Motherson Group

DAF Trucks

PACCAR Leasing

P.E.M.

FKP Sojuzplodoimport

Smartwings

Merck, Sharp & Dohme

Reutter SK

RONA

ACCTIVE design corp.

Slovenský autoimport a.s. (SAI)

Work highlights

  • Represents Eiffage Construction Slovenská republika, s. r. o. in significant litigation with former management, including a separate proceeding on security injunction.
  • Represented SMRC Automotive Slovakia s.r.o. in a court proceeding regarding damage compensation due to a defective contractual performance.
  • Represented Merck Sharp & Dohme in litigation concerning conditions of entry of an innovative medicinal product into the system of reimbursement from public insurance, representation on multiple related administrative proceedings

Dentons

Dentons' team is ‘really professional, combining in-depth knowledge of applicable law and business sense’ with global reach and expertise in advisory, litigation and arbitration work. The firm’s strengths include strategic constitutional and EU law litigation, as well as criminal, civil and commercial litigation. On the arbitration side, the practice acts for clients in domestic and international arbitration proceedings, notably under the Vienna Rules, Swiss Rules, ICC Rules, UNCITRAL Rules and Slovak Bar Association Rules. Peter Kubina, who leads the team, can call on the expertise of Juraj Gyárfáš. Former partner Daniel Lipsic left in 2021 to work for the state.

Practice head(s):

Peter Kubina

Other key lawyers:

Juraj Gyárfáš

Testimonials

‘The team is really professional, combining in-depth knowledge of applicable law and business sense.’

Key clients

Slovak individual client – parents of killed journalist Jozef Kuciak and Jana Kuciaková

MARKIZA – SLOVAKIA

Eiffage Construction Slovenská republika

OHL ŽS

The Slovak Republic

Slovak individual clients – Robert Číž and Adrian Čížová

WRIGLEY Slovakia

Grażyna Maria Kulczyk

Tatra banka (Member of the Raiffeisen Group)

Unicredit Leasing

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented MARKIZA the largest private TV Company in Slovakia in one of the most high-profile trials in Slovak history in criminal proceedings concerning forgery of promissory notes in the amount exceeding €68 million.
  • Representing Grażyna Maria Kulczyk – a foreign entrepreneur, art collector and billionaire – in a dispute over the imposition of a tax liability in the amount of several tens of millions of euros. This is probably the highest tax liability imposed on an individual in the Slovak Republic ever.

Kinstellar

Kinstellar’s broad contentious expertise covers matters connected with the energy, automotive, healthcare, real estate, IT and agriculture sectors, as well as white-collar matters. The firm is well regarded for cross-border cases, with particular experience of commercial disputes, private enforcement of competition law, multijurisdictional shareholder disputes and employment litigation. Another core strength of the practice is arbitration. Roman Oleksik is a name to note.

Practice head(s):

Roman Oleksik

Other key lawyers:

Viliam Myšička

Testimonials

‘Roman’s approach to issues is very pragmatic and he his knowledge of local issues in Slovakia and navigating some complicated issues has been extremely valuable.’

‘Roman Oleksik has quickly become a trusted advisor on issues in Slovakia to both our firm and the client. He is always available and is good about proactively identifying issues and offering solutions.’

‘The team are very approachable and personable, which makes our job so much easier.’

‘They are very personable and always ensure your needs are answered in a simple to understand way.’

Key clients

VASA Slovensko

A multinational commodity trading and mining company

A large group of Ukrainian nationals

Viktorija Dmytruk

iCan

Fresenius Medical Care

Delphi/Aptiv

Premier Research Group

Work highlights

  • Representing VASA Slovensko, a Slovak provider of meal vouchers, who was imposed a fine of 10% of its total turnover for the alleged participation in the market sharing cartel
  • Representing Union Health Insurance company in proceedings in front of the Constitutional Court on the complaint against the decision of the Supreme Court dismissing the claim for recovery of damages caused by cartel agreement of the hospitals
  • Representing large group of foreigners in court proceedings on nullity of employment termination.

LEGATE, s.r.o

The ‘knowledgeable dispute resolution team’ at LEGATE, s.r.o handles matters before state authorities at all levels, as well as arbitration proceedings at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Arbitration Court in Prague, the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC) and the Court of Arbitration of Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Particular specialisms include construction disputes, as well as contentious shareholder, tax, energy and administrative law matters. It is also active in cyber security claims against third parties. Experienced litigator Peter Vrabel co-heads the team with Miroslav Dudlák, who focuses on energy law, regulation, consumer protection and contractual matters, and Michal Mistrík.

Practice head(s):

Peter Vrábel; Miroslav Dudlák; Michal Mistrík

Other key lawyers:

Norbert Havrila

Testimonials

‘Legate provides us with a unique combination of in-depth knowledge and fast work pace. They are very flexible, focused on pragmatic solutions and do not devote time to the issues which are not so relevant for the client. This excellent team always delivers very practical advice on very efficient terms.’

‘Peter Vrábel significantly benefits from acting as the arbitrator for the most reputable arbitration court in the country and we see how this experience is utilized in our mandates. We were in good hands right from the start and very much appreciate the professional, precise and structured working method.’

‘Peter Vrábel is an exceptional lawyer who has an ability to see the core of the dispute. His arguments are always very well thought through and structured. He is always on time and his advice is always very rational and practical. He knows how to present the case to the tribunal and has great advocacy skills.’

‘Michal Mistrik is very rational attorney, strongly defending the client and contributing with alternative solutions for the matters. He is so dedicated to the case and very responsible for consistency of evidence presented to the court, argumentation line when it is put by him in the written form is really convincing.’

‘They have a unique depth of expertise, and ability to deliver across the entire spectrum of our needs while keeping the quality at the highest level. They understand the business we are in and provide us with effective billing policy.’

‘They have exceptional and sensible senior partners who are looking at the case very pragmatically. The team is very engaging and reliable, accommodating to our needs. Highly competent and most importantly, they deliver the results. They know how to establish the defending strategy and to open so many front lines to distract the attention of the counterpart.’

‘Peter Vrábel has high analytical skills, delivers quality on time, exceeding expectations. He is a top-class lawyer with vast experience in complicated litigation cases. Mr. Michal Mistrik is always prompt with time limits, always responsive and provides accurate advice. Both have exceptional high integrity, and always introduce plan B solutions to have broader view and opportunities to choose.’

PETERKA & PARTNERS

Active in commercial litigation and arbitration, PETERKA & PARTNERS assists clients with domestic and cross-border civil, employment, commercial, criminal, tax and administrative proceedings. Practice head Andrea Butasova focuses on disputes involving commercial law, real estate, construction and contract law issues.

Practice head(s):

Andrea Butasova

Testimonials

‘Very good professionals.’

Key clients

GEFCO Slovakia

A telecommunication company

An insurance company based in Slovakia

A Czech commercial bank

An owner of a chateau situated in Slovakia

A leading French manufacturer of automated lines of production for the confectionery industry

A leader in vehicle rental and related services

A prominent European manufacturer of specialist fire resistant solutions for compartmentation and smoke evacuation

Czech engineering company

A company from the group of a leading multinational car manufacturer

Work highlights

  • Representing telecommunications company in a litigation with a value of several million Euros against its former contractor.
  • Representing an insurance company based in Slovakia belonging to one of the leading CEE insurance groups, in litigation against its industrial customer.
  • Representing a Czech commercial bank, subsidiary of European banking group, in litigation with a value of several million Euros.

RUŽIČKA AND PARTNERS s. r. o.

RUŽIČKA AND PARTNERS s. r. o. is primarily known for representing clients in cross-border litigation related to competition, procurement and telecommunications law. In addition, it is also active in contentious property matters, as well as banking, finance, insurance and energy litigation. Šarlota Štosová leads the team, which acts for clients at all court levels, including Supreme Court and Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic.

Practice head(s):

Šarlota Štosová

Key clients

Slovak Telekom, a.s. (Deutsche Telekom Group)

Slovnaft, a.s. , (MOL Group)

Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic

Železnice Slovenskej republiky, Bratislava

Univerzitná nemocnica Bratislava (University Hospital of Bratislava)

B. Braun Medical s.r.o.

OTP Banka Slovensko, a.s.

Siemens Mobility, s. r. o.

MetLife Europe d.a.c.

AIG/Colonnade

Komunálna poisťovňa, a.s. Vienna Insurace Group

KOOPERATIVA poisťovňa, a.s. Vienna Insurance Group

ARRIVA SLOVAKIA a.s. (member of Deutsch Bahn)

Trei Real Estate Slovakia (Tengelmann Group)

Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic

Work highlights

  • Representing the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic in several lawsuits on damages caused by a decision of a construction authority with overall value of €30,4m.
  • Assisted KOOPERATIVA poisťovňa, a.s. Vienna Insurance Group and Komunálna poisťovňa, a.s. Vienna Insurance Group with preparation and filing the administrative court action against Decision of the National Bank of Slovakia which sanctioned them for unilateral increase of the insurance premium (in relation to almost 104,000 insurance contracts) as a reaction to implementation of a new indirect tax from insurance.
  • Representing the OTP Banka Slovensko a.s. in court proceedings arising from its banking activities. The number of disputes is currently about 14, with overall value of approximately €10m.

Škubla & Partneri s.r.o.

Known for its ‘very strong dispute resolution team’, Škubla & Partneri s.r.o. ‘has been involved in numerous high profile and complex lawsuits, some of them with high public attention as well as media coverage’. The firm specialises in the fields of business law, commercial and construction litigation, as well as being active in the areas of media disputes, white-collar crime, investment arbitration, financial transaction disputes and corporate (shareholders) disputes. The team is co-led by 'mastermind of most litigation' Martin Škubla; Martin Fábry, who advises on a range of litigation matters; and Dušan Ďurík, who is particularly strong in disputes related to personality rights and trade mark law.

Practice head(s):

Martin Škubla; Martin Fábry; Dušan Ďurík

Testimonials

‘Škubla & Partneri, known for its very strong dispute resolution team, has been involved in numerous high profile and most complex lawsuits, some of them with high public attention as well as media coverage. Its lawyers always apply a solution oriented approach, they not only look for solutions, they create them.’

‘They are solution-oriented, creative, providing requested services in a quality and for the price which meets our criteria. They are able to find a way when others have lost it.’

‘Škubla & Partneri currently represents our client in two disputes that originated in old economic-legal relations, were not resolved in the privatisation process in the 1990s and persist to this day. This is an extremely complicated dispute, which has been repeatedly tried before the Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic as well as before the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic, and it is not excluded that the dispute will be eventually submitted to the ECtHR.’

‘Regarding Dispute resolution practice it could be definitely said that Škubla & Partneri are one of the top runners in Slovakia significantly ahead of competition.’

‘I have known Martin Škubla, Founding Partner, for more than twenty years. I consider him to be a mastermind of most litigation successes his law firm has achieved. Martin is well known for his exceptional legal and analytical skills. Regarding the lawsuit where Škubla & Partneri currently represent our client I closely cooperate with Dušan Ďurík, Partner. Dušan is an experienced lawyer, dispute agenda is definitely his strength.’

Key clients

A.En. Slovensko s.r.o.

Containerships . CMA CGM, GmbH

Dôvera zdravotná poisťovňa, a. s.

Mirakl, a. s. (Dr. Max pharmacy chain)

News and Media Holding, a. s.

Penta Investments, s. r. o.

Penta Investments Limited (Jersey)/ (Cyprus)

Prima banka Slovensko, a.s.

Privatbanka, a. s.

SKELET Bratislava, a. s.

ST. NICOLAUS, a. s.

Veolia Energia Slovensko, a.s.

Work highlights

  • Legal assistance to Prima banka Slovensko in matters of corporate procedures and mechanisms to reduce the negative consequences of the raised Bank levy.
  • Representing a Major construction company in a court dispute based on an action for damages (loss of profit) amounting to several millions of euro as a result of a breach of contract.
  • Representing News and Media Holding (NMH) the largest publishing houses in Slovakia in a wide range of personality rights disputes. Legal advice in connection with the protection of freedom of expression including representation before the Slovak Constitutional Court as well as in proceedings before ECHR.

Squire Patton Boggs s.r.o.

Squire Patton Boggs s.r.o.'s disputes practice covers a wide ambit of matters, which ranges from investment litigation to commercial arbitrations. In one highlight, the firm successfully defended the Slovak Republic in a €160m case under the Polish-Slovak Bilateral Investment Treaty (the Muszynianka case). The practice is led by Tatiana Prokopova, who has two decades of dispute resolution experience. Another key name is associate Eva Cibulková.

Practice head(s):

Tatiana Prokopová

Other key lawyers:

Eva Cibulková

Testimonials

‘Square Patton Boggs’ lawyers are professionals. I am happy to use their service as they always provide good arguments followed by an appropriate explanation. They were able to answer all my questions.’

Key clients

Decathlon SK

Government of Turkmenistan

LafargeHolcim European Business Services

Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Croatia

Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic

Office of State Attorney of the Republic of Croatia

Rand Investments Ltd.

Republic of Kosovo

Romanian Embassy

TESCO STORES SR, a.s.

The Foreign Disputes Department of the State of Libya

Valvoline Inc.

Work highlights

  • Assisted Slovak Republic with obtaining one of the year’s largest victories in international arbitration by successfully defending it in an arbitration worth more than €160 million under the Polish-Slovak Bilateral Investment Treaty. It was the first investment case involving an EU member state’s right to protect water as a strategic resource.
  • Secured the fourth winning judgment for Tesco in complex and lengthy title litigation relating to restitutions and historical title issues.
  • Advising Valvoline Inc., one of the world’s largest producers of oils and lubricants for the automotive industry, on a dispute over the supply of very specific industrial oils with a major Slovak customer.

Taylor Wessing Slovakia

Taylor Wessing Slovakia has a strong track record handling the cross-border enforcement of judicial and arbitral awards, and it is also well-known for resolving contentious matters through alternative dispute resolution. The practice is particularly active in cases related to real estate and construction. It is also regularly appointed to act for state, municipalities and state-owned companies in court proceedings against their former advisors, contractors and business partners. Team head Andrej Leontiev, who is an expert in public procurement procedures, represents clients in claims against procuring authorities.

Practice head(s):

Andrej Leontiev

Testimonials

‘Speed, quality, friendly approach.’

‘Interested in helping the client and doing things 100%.’

Key clients

SEL pro

ZOO Bratislava – príspevková organizácia Hlavného mesta Slovenskej republiky Bratislavy

Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa

Bratislavská vodárenská spoločnosť

Štátna pokladnica

MH Manažment

Ministerstvo hospodárstva Slovenskej republiky

Technopol Servis

NATUR-PACK

Brantner

SALESIANER MIETTEX

Najvyšší kontrolný úrad Slovenskej republiky

Univolt

Slovenská akadémia vied

Rösler Oberflächentechnik

BFF Central Europe

BILLA

Banskobystrický samosprávny kraj

SK-NIC

EEI

Mesto Bratislava

Work highlights

  • Providing legal advice to Mesto Bratislava in a dispute arising from the development of the area surrounding the main railway station in Bratislava, Slovakia.
  • Taken over 13 litigations (some of them have a multimillion Euro value), in which the Slovak National Property Fund was the party. Also represent the client in a litigation with its former lawyers who were paid circa €21m (Bzan) and circa €11m (Dvorecky) on success fees.
  • Representing Banskobystrický samosprávny kraj (Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region) in two proceedings against public service operators (SAD Lučenec and SAD Zvolen). The legal dispute in these cases concerns the determination of whether a public transport contract between the client and a public service operator has been extended in accordance with the paragraph four of Article 4 of the Regulation 1370/2007.

Advokátska kancelária MCL, s.r.o.

Advokátska kancelária MCL, s.r.o. represents clients in a wide range of litigated cases, including those concerning real estate, construction, labour law and contentious shareholder issues. It also acts for clients in arbitration courts. Alternative dispute resolution is another strength of the practice, as is evidenced by the team’s experience of representing clients in mediation and securing favourable out-of-court settlements. The team is co-led by experienced practitioners Martin Jurečko, Matej Firický, Martin Habán and Vojtech Pálinkáš.

Practice head(s):

Martin Jurečko; Matej Firický; Martin Habán; Vojtech Pálinkáš

Key clients

Mr. Pavol Maráček – EMPIRIA

Letisko M.R. Štefánika – Airport Bratislava, a.s. (BTS)

Keramon

STRABAG

Work highlights

  • Representing Keramon in various disputes against Orange, a leading telecommunication company in Slovakia and multiple lessors as the counterparties arising from former client’s collaboration with the telecommunications company.
  • Representing Letisko M.R.Štefánika – Airport Bratislava, a.s. (BTS) in various disputes against multiple land owners registered with the Slovak land registry as the counterparties relating to the rightfulness of land’s ownership and related collection of the registered land owners’ monetary claims for the use of land.
  • Represented Mr. Pavol Maráček – Empiri in construction-related administrative proceedings, including appealing procedures and in a number of disputes against plot owners who have tried to interfere with the project development.

Aldertree legal s.r.o.

Aldertree legal s.r.o. (formerly White & Case s.ro.) is regularly seen in precedent-setting cases that are impactful on key areas of the Slovak economy. In addition, the team in Slovakia works with other practitioners in the firm's European offices on cross-border matters and cases involving European authorities. The firm advises on restructurings, commercial disputes and arbitration matters, as well as white-collar crime investigations. Juraj Fuska acts for domestic and international companies from the telecoms, automotive, construction and insurance sectors. He co-heads the team with Vladimír Ivančo.

Practice head(s):

Juraj Fuska; Vladimír Ivančo

Other key lawyers:

Peter Hodal

Testimonials

‘Peter Hodal is a professional adviser with expertise and knowledge.’

Key clients

FORTISCHEM a. s.

MH Invest, s.r.o.

City of Bratislava

Hlboká 7, s.r.o.

Bartošík Šváby s.r.o. (former BS Legal s.r.o.)

Bartošík Šváby s.r.o. (former BS Legal s.r.o.) regularly succeeds in resolving disputes by way of obtaining out-of-court settlements for clients. In addition, its team is also strong in court proceedings, particularly in relation to disputes concerning real estate, intellectual property and employment. Elsewhere, the group is active in arbitration proceedings, mainly in the construction industry. Boris Svaby jointly leads the group with Peter Bartošík and Igor Šváby.

Practice head(s):

Boris Svaby; Peter Bartosik; Igor Svaby

Testimonials

‘Outstanding knowledge of the market, law and judicial system. Excellent lawyers.’

Key clients

Raiffeisen Bank S.A.

Corsán Corviam Construccion

Clément Guenebeaud

TRANS VAT, s.r.o.

HUFI, s.r.o.

Tricklandia

HatroConsult, s.r.o.

Immocap, a.s.

Plastics – Trade, a.s.

Work highlights

  • Represented the Romanian branch of the Raiffeisen Bank in court proceedings regarding the claims arising from a documentary letter of credit.
  • Represented the Spanish construction company Corsán-Corviam Construcción in a dispute with Slovak entity National Motorway Company, a.s. over claims arising from the contract on work concluded between the parties to the dispute.
  • Represented French citizen Clément Guenebaud in several proceedings concerning the original work of art – bust of Pope Paul VI by Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Glatzová & Co., s. r. o.

The ‘reliable, available, hardworking and knowledgeable’ team at Glatzová & Co., s. r. o. is known for cross-border litigation work, with particular expertise in matters connected with the Czech Republic. Recent highlights included disputes over insurance, M&A and unfair competition issues. Veronika Pázmányová is ‘a brilliant strategist and has exceptional negotiation skills’. She jointly leads the team with Jiří Sixta.

Practice head(s):

Veronika Pázmányová; Jiří Sixta

Testimonials

‘The team is very reliable, available, hard working and knowledgeable. Great team I would recommend for anyone who wants to have a long close personal relationship with their lawyers.’

‘Veronika Pazmanyova heads the team for couple of years. She is a brilliant strategist and has exceptional negotiation skills. Couple of times she helped me achieve great out of court settlements. She has great people skills, understands what the other party wants, sets a goal and achieves it. She is very motivated, diligent, energetic. What I truly appreciate the most is that she has exceptional understanding of business, negotiations and strategy.’

Key clients

MSA a.s.

IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG

Suntel Group a.s.

Mazda Motor Logistics Europe NV

ADDINOL Lube Oil GmbH

NTT DATA Business Solutions s. r. o.

Modus-FAM s.r.o

VÁGNER POOL s.r.o.

MSA a.s.

IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG

Suntel Group a.s.

Mazda Motor Logistics Europe NV

ADDINOL Lube Oil GmbH

NTT DATA Business Solutions s. r. o.

Modus-FAM s.r.o

VÁGNER POOL s.r.o.

Work highlights

  • Advised MSA on a dispute against an insurer seeking a settlement of an insured risk from the insurer. The court in first instance clearly ruled in favour of the client and without disputing, the insurer accepted the decision and paid the claimed amount in full including all the costs of legal representation.
  • Assisted IKB and their Slovak subsidiary IKB Leasing SR, s.r.o. with obtaining an out-of-court settlement with the acquirer of the client’s business concerning claims arising from the sale.
  • Represented ADDINOL Lube Oil GmbH in unfair competition proceedings against the misuse of the reputation of the “ADDINOL” brand pending before the appellate court after the successful first instance proceedings.

SOUKENÍK – ŠTRPKA, s. r. o.

SOUKENÍK – ŠTRPKA, s. r. o. is ‘one of the major players in the Slovak legal services market, based on their results, experience and reputation’. The team's experience spans a wide range of matters, such as breach of warrranty claims, shareholder disputes and product liability/recall claims. It is also increasingly active in international construction arbitration cases. Elsewhere, the firm provides support on debt collection matters. David Soukeník jointly leads the team with Peter Štrpka, who acts for clients in a range of contentious and non-contentious matters, particularly those arising from the energy and construction sectors.

Practice head(s):

David Soukeník; Peter Štrpka

Other key lawyers:

Mojmír Širila; Ivan Uhlár

Testimonials

‘I consider the law firm SOUKENÍK-ŠTRPKA to be one of the major players in Slovak legal services market based on their results, experience and reputation.’

‘SOUKENÍK-ŠTRPKA helped us in solving our legal issues like no law firm has ever done before.’

‘I consider David Soukeník to be a key partner in relation to debt collection issues. I highly recommend him for his deep knowledge of legal as well as practical issues of debt collection stemming from his extensive experience in this field. What I appreciate most is David´s professionalism, detail-oriented attitude and attentiveness to all our needs. Furthermore, I would also like to emphasize the qualities of associates Mojmír Širila and Ivan Uhlár, since I usually work with them in our matters. Both of them are young and talented associates with professional attitude and diligent approach.’

‘Personal advice and legal analysis are provided in a highly professional manner, with concise language and to the satisfaction of the client.’

Key clients

VODOHOSPODÁRSKA VÝSTAVBA, ŠTÁTNY PODNIK

Ministry of Transport of the Slovak republic

Health Care Surveillance Authority

Ministry of Environment of the Slovak republic

National Motorway Company

BILLA s.r.o.

Railways of the Slovak Republic

NOVY SANAT HOLDING s.r.o.

SPP – distribúcia, a. s.

ČSOB Leasing, a.s.

AXA Group

BNP PARIBAS PERSONAL FINANCE SA

Roman Catholic Diocese of Banská Bystrica

BRING TRUCKING a.s.

LENAWER, s. r. o.

Ing. Lorinc, Lorincová

BUČINA ZVOLEN, a.s.

RAJO a.s.

365.bank, a.s.

Nitra, town

ARVAL SLOVAKIA, s.r.o.

Bratislava Self-governing Region

KÚPELE LÚČKY, a.s.

Marius Pedersen, a.s.

Železničná spoločnosť Cargo Slovakia, a.s.

BL Development, s. r. o.

REAL PRIM, s.r.o.

DENNON s. r. o.

EASIT s.r.o.

Work highlights

  • Representing VODOHOSPODÁRSKA VÝSTAVBA, ŠTÁTNY PODNIK, one of the largest guarantors and investors in construction of hydraulic structures in Slovakia in numerous cases against the biggest electricity provider in Slovakia (Slovenské elektrárne, a. s.).
  • Co-represents Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic against the Concessionaire and EPC Contractor in the international arbitration pursuant to the ICC Rules.

Wolf Theiss

Wolf Theiss attracts a wide variety of litigation and arbitration mandates from clients, such as commercial claims, IP/IT disputes and employment litigation. It also acts for clients in contentious matters connected with sectors such as banking, pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Elsewhere, the firm is increasingly prominent in white-collar crime cases and cybercrime matters. Robert Pelikán leads the team, which also includes senior associate Marko Ernek .

Practice head(s):

Robert Pelikán

Other key lawyers:

Marko Ernek