Firm Profile > Musat & Asociatii > Bucharest , Romania
Musat & Asociatii Offices
43 AVIATORILOR BOULEVARD
1ST DISTRICT
011853 BUCHAREST
Romania
Musat & Asociatii > The Legal 500 Rankings
PPP and procurement Tier 1
Muşat & Asociaţii's ‘engaged and thoughtful’ team ‘understands’ and ‘accommodates’ the client’s needs ‘whenever possible’. The four-partner practice handles the full range of transaction structures including public procurement of works and services, privatisations, joint ventures, government-owned contractor-operated agreements and outsourcing contracts. Iulian Popescu is assisting Construcciones y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles with a public tender for 51 six-car metro trains launched by Metrorex. Mona Musat and Angela Porumb are the other key members of the team and head the practice together with Popescu and Mihai. Bogdan Petru-Mihai is now of counsel with Popescu & Asociatii.
TMT Tier 1
Muşat & Asociaţii handles regulatory matters, transactions, sector-related intellectual property aspects and commercial disputes. Data protection is a further field of expertise and the team advised Deutsche Bank on processing employees' sensitive personal data. Facebook is a notable client and sought advice on EU law covering fixed and wireless telecoms, internet and broadcasting and transmission services. Iulian Popescu leads the team, which also acts for clients including DropBox, Discovery and Sony Europe. Bogdan Petru-Mihai is now of counsel with Popescu & Asociatii.
White-collar crime Tier 1
At Muşat & Asociaţii, ‘the service is good and professional’. The group predominantly represents multinational corporations and large local companies and handles the full range of white-collar matters. Gheorghe Musat and Liviu Togan jointly head the practice and are representing Rompetrol Rafinare in a case implicating tax evasion and money laundering with an estimated prejudice of €14bn. In another highlight it advised an individual at Credit Suisse in relation to charges of treason, espionage and the organisation of a cross-border criminal group. Octavian Popescu left to establish Popescu & Asociatii.
Banking and finance Tier 2
Mona Muşat, Monia Dobrescu and Razvan Stoicescu lead the team at Muşat & Asociaţii and act on both local and international transactions. Project finance is a particular strength of the practice, with Muşat currently acting for an Asian bank in relation to the financing of five photovoltaic projects across Romania. Elsewhere, Stoicescu acted for a chemical industry company on refinancing its existing debt via a bank credit facility. The recent caseload also includes a number of real estate transactions.
Capital markets Tier 2
Highlights for Muşat & Asociaţii included acting for The Government Agency of State Ownership and Privatization in connection with the secondary public offering on the Bucharest Stock Exchange of the Romanian state's 15% share in Transgaz. The team also advised Banca Transilvania on the structuring and preparation of a €30m convertible bonds issuance. Gheorghe Musat and Razvan Stoicescu jointly lead the practice, which possesses considerable experience with acting on major IPO projects.
Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
Muşat & Asociaţii has a ‘strong local presence in Romania’ coupled with ‘an impressive ability to coordinate a cross-border deal’. In a recent highlight the team advised Spectrum Brands on the proposed $2bn sale of its international battery and portable lighting business to Energizer Holdings. The team handles corporate and commercial matters in addition to M&A transactions. It acts for Novares Automotive Romania, a Novares Group subsidiary, in respect to all matters falling under Romanian law including a recent rebranding process. Gheorghe Musat and Razvan Stoicescu, who ‘stands out for his understanding of business needs’, jointly head the practice.
Dispute resolution Tier 2
Muşat & Asociaţii is well regarded for disputes in the commercial and corporate, administrative and fiscal, real estate and employment spheres. Practice heads Gheorghe Musat and Gheorghe Buta represent KMG International in relation to commercial and civil liabilities claims totalling €1.6bn. The firm also hosts a reputed arbitration practice, with Buta representing the Romanian National Railway Company in international arbitration regarding an infrastructure project in Romania financed by the European Investment Bank and the European Union. Octavian Popescu left to establish Popescu & Asociatii.
Employment Tier 2
Muşat & Asociaţii's team is ‘characterised by professionalism and a pro-active attitude’, providing ‘great support from the legal point of view’. It acts for a predominantly multinational client base on a wide range of matters, from day-to-day counsel to labour litigation. Practice head Monia Dobrescu regularly assists Amazon in employee representative negotiation and internal policy regulation. Anca Vătășoiu departed to establish her own firm.
Energy and natural resources Tier 2
Praised as ‘the strongest energy and natural resources practice locally’ by one client, Muşat & Asociaţii is ‘prompt, knowledgeable’ and possesses ‘a wealth of highly skilled individuals’. Practice heads Iulian Popescu and Razvan Stoicescu have an ‘excellent track record’ and are acting for Belgium-based Engie Energy Management on a number of matters, including an assessment of the options available for establishing a local presence in Romania.
EU and competition Tier 2
The ‘highly knowledgeable and highly experienced’ team at Muşat & Asociaţii ‘knows the market very well' and ‘delivers a complete package’ of competition services. Electromagnetica called upon Paul George Buta's ‘excellent strategic thinking’ for a Competition Council investigation into bid rigging and other collusive practices in the electricity meter market. ‘Highly experienced’ managing associate Manuela Lupeanu is ‘up-to-date on everything competition-related’.
Intellectual property Tier 2
Practice head Paul George Buta is the name to note at Muşat & Asociaţii. His team assists BNP Paribas with the international registration of the FORTIS trade mark and advised Dr. Max on IP rights transfers following its acquisition of A&D Pharma. Amazon received advice on several trade mark infringements by Romanian companies and Spotify on IP considerations regarding its potential market entry.
Restructuring and insolvency Tier 2
Mihai Popa heads the practice at Muşat & Asociaţii and represents clients throughout all steps of restructuring and insolvency. The team acts for a number of clients in the energy, construction, pharmaceutical, retail and financial industries. Managing associate Iuliana Bidalache is highly recommended.
Tax Tier 2
Muşat & Asociaţii covers the full range of tax issues on both the contentious and advisory fronts. Razvan Graure and Angela Porumb head the practice, which advised Amazon on various employee-related tax considerations. Graure also assisted Enel Distribuţie Banat with a general tax inspection as well as the tax implications of a share capital increase. The group directs particular attention towards the financial services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, real estate and construction, media and technology, and energy industries.
Real estate and construction Tier 3
Muşat & Asociaţii's ‘response times and technical abilities’ are ‘exceptional’. Practice head Monia Dobrescu is experienced in representing landlords, tenants, lenders and developers and recently advised Novares on its development of a new Romania-based facility. Senior associate Anca Simeria is ‘indefatigable’ and the overall team is praised for its ‘willingness to embrace commercial lateral thinking’.
Musat & Asociatii > Firm Profile
The firm
Mușat & Asociații has 28 years of history on the Romanian market, being one of the first law firms established after the fall of communism. The firm has over 100 dedicated attorneys and a portfolio of over 2,500 high-profile clients, including leading national and international companies, governmental authorities and agencies, financial institutions and investment funds.
Areas of practice
M&A/privatisation: acting on complex cross-border transactions and on a full range of deal structures. Clients: Penta Investments, Spectrum Brands, DAMEN Shipyards Mangalia, Sterling Resources, Enel Group, SabMiller, GDF Suez, Abbott, CRH Ireland.
Corporate and commercial: structuring and negotiating complex secured and unsecured transactions. Clients: Amazon, Google, Capgemini, Emerson, Premier Capital, Inditex, Roche A.G.
Dispute resolution: the full spectrum of representation, from lower courts to the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the Constitutional Court. Clients: Orange, Enel, Thyssen Krupp, Roche, Colas.
Real estate and construction: advises on the acquisition of land, construction and maintenance, permitting aspects, residential, office and commercial projects, as well as mixed-use scheme developments and asset management work. Clients: CRH, Intercora, Kaufland, Colas, ING Real Estate, Grupo Lar, La Caixa, Immoeast.
Energy and natural resources: experienced in encompassing energy trading, generation, distribution, transmission and supply licensing, emissions trading and renewable energy and environmental legal aspects related. Clients: ENGIE (ex-GDF Suez), ENEL, Sterling Resources, Shah Deniz , Petrofac, Nereo Green Capital.
Infrastructure and PPP/public procurement: assists clients in public tenders, property finance and leasing, concession of public assets and services, drafting and negotiating PPPs and concession agreements, feasibility studies. Clients: CAF, Italferr, European Investment Bank.
Banking and finance: advises on syndicated loans; structured, acquisition, asset and project finance; securitisation. Clients: PPF Banka, Unicredit, Citi, Raiffeisen, BRD – Groupe Société Générale, EBRD, CIECH S.A.
Capital markets: handles transactions involving publicly held companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. Clients: UBS, Swiss Capital, BT Securities, Citi, Raiffeisen, Société Générale.
Telecom, IT and media: advises in all areas of communications, broadcasting, E-commerce, internet services, software development and licensing, infrastructure and equipment finance. Clients: Disney, Sony, Google, Apple, Intel, Intact Media, Telekom, AT&T, Amazon.
Competition and antitrust: legal assistance in all stages of antitrust proceedings and investigations carried out at national and EU level, concerning both cartel-type behavior and alleged abuses of dominant position. Clients: Orange, Roche, McCann Erickson, Eli Lilly, Servier, Electrolux, Muller Diary.
Labour and employee benefits: covers individual and collective agreements, management contracts, labour law advice in M&A projects, outsourcing, executive immigration, employee benefits and pensions. Clients: Kaufland, Abbott, Capgemini, Gefco, Unilevel, Intel, Enel.
Restructuring and insolvency: covers pharmaceuticals, real estate, oil and gas, maritime technology, transportation and constructions. Clients: Termoelectrica, BCR, Groupe Société Générale, EnergoConstructia.
Taxation: advises on structuring in a wide range of corporate and financial transactions and fiscal matters. Clients: Amazon, Emerson, Servier, SabMiller, Sermedic, Universal Music.
Healthcare: counsels on M&A, restructurings and reorganisations, regulatory, competition and compliance related advisory work. Clients: Eli Lilly, Servier, Abbott, Lundbeck, Novartis, Astellas Pharma.
IP: experienced in acquisition, development, implementation, enforcement, licensing and other exploitation of IP rights, as well as in patent, trade mark and copyright regulatory matters. Clients: Deutsche Telekom, ZTE, L’Oreal, Blue Air, Otsuka Pharmaceuricals, Apple.
Transport: advises on trade and transport of goods by sea, road and air, such as sale/purchase, charter, cargo insurance, recovery, arrest, execution, cargo and freight claims. Clients: CAF, Tip Trailer, China Gezhouba, Aerovista.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| M&A/privatisation | Gheorghe Mușat | ||
| M&A/privatisation | Răzvan Stoicescu | ||
| M&A/privatisation | Iulian Popescu | ||
| Banking and finance | Gheorghe Mușat | ||
| Banking and finance | Mona Musat | ||
| Banking and finance | Monia Dobrescu | ||
| Banking and finance | Razvan Stoicescu | ||
| Real estate and construction | Mona Musat | ||
| Real estate and construction | Monia Dobrescu | ||
| Corporate and commercial | Mona Musat | ||
| Corporate and commercial | Monia Dobrescu | ||
| Corporate and commercial | Iulian Popescu | ||
| Telecoms, IT and media | Iulian Popescu | ||
| Competition and antitrust | Paul Buta | ||
| Taxation | Razvan Graure | ||
| Shipping, aviation and transport | Iulian Popescu | ||
| Intellectual property | Anca Buta Musat | ||
| Dispute resolution | Gheorghe Musat | ||
| Dispute resolution | Gheorghe Buta | ||
| Dispute resolution | Liviu Togan | ||
| Energy and natural resources/environment | Răzvan Stoicescu | ||
| Energy and natural resources/environment | Iulian Popescu | ||
| Infrastructure and PPP/public procurement | Mona Mușat | ||
| Infrastructure and PPP/public procurement | Iulian Popescu | ||
| Infrastructure and PPP/public procurement | Monia Dobrescu | ||
| Capital markets and securities | Razvan Stoicescu | ||
| Labour and employee benefits | Monia Dobrescu | ||
| Healthcare and pharmaceuticals | Paul Buta | ||
| Restructuring and insolvency | Mihai Popa | ||
| Restructuring and insolvency | Razvan Stoicescu |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Mr Gheorghe Buta | View Profile | |
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Mr Paul George Buta | View Profile | |
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Ms Monia Dobrescu | View Profile | |
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Mr Razvan Graure | View Profile | |
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Mr Cosmin Libotean | View Profile | |
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Ms Angela Mare | View Profile | |
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Ms Mona Musat | View Profile | |
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Mr Gheorghe Musat | View Profile | |
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Mr Mihai Popa | View Profile | |
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Mr Iulian Popescu | View Profile | |
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Mr Razvan Stoicescu | View Profile | |
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Mr Liviu Togan | View Profile |