DUNOVSKÁ & PARTNERS

The firm: DUNOVSKÁ & PARTNERS LLC is ranked as a recommended firm in all editions of The Legal 500 since 2012. The firm is described as a “banking and finance boutique, though its expertise covers many areas and disciplines “.

DUNOVSKÁ & PARTNERS LLC provide complex legal services encompassing the main branches of law with a special focus on Commercial law especially M&A, Corporate, Banking & Financial law and Insolvency law. The founding partners of the firm have long-term working relationships (almost 30 years) with most of the important banks and financial institutions and a prime reputation in finance, work-out, restructuring, insolvency and bank litigation. The firm’s extensive expertise, combined with a deep knowledge of the law, enables solutions to be found for the client’s business practice as well as enforcing these solutions in front of local courts. Experience with resolving problematic and complicated cases and the ability to grasp the core of the problem enables the most effective solution to be achieved.

The firm’s highly specialized and experienced lawyers offer an individual, active and innovative approach, resulting in a distinctive quality of work which, when coupled with the close involvement of a partner for each case, distinguishes DUNOVSKÁ & PARTNERS LLC from its competitors.

Areas of practice

Banking and finance:

Long-term practical experience in all types of banking operations, financial transactions and legal relations between a bank and clients. Model and tailor-made documentation for financing needs (operational, acquisition, structured) as well as products such as factoring, forfaiting and leasing including providing model and tailor-made factoring documentation. Due diligence reports and capacity opinions for bank acquisition finance.

Main long-term clients are the most reputable banking institutions on the Czech market such as Československá obchodní banka of KBC Group (ČSOB), ČSOB Factoring (ČSOBF), HSBC Continental Europe, Czech Republic (HSBC), Česká spořitelna of Erste Group (ČS), Raiffeisenbank, Allianz Trade.  We represent a wide range of clients, including investment companies and corporations such as Odyssey 44 a.s. and Sportisimo a.s., as well as individual investors.

In the past 12 months, the value of cases exceeded CZK  53,87 billion (GBP 1,79 billion) in aggregate.)  Largest cases are:  advising HSBC FACTORING (FRANCE) in drafting and negotiating a factoring agreement in the value of CZK 500 mil (GPB 18,1 million), advising Direct pojištovna in the acquisition of a non-life insurance portfolio, advising HSBC Continental Europe in respect of transfer of factoring agreements from HSBC Prague branch to another entity within the group,

Since 2016 the main legal advisor to ČSOB in acquisition finance projects in the SME and corporate sector. Total value of  these transactions realized in 2023 and 2024 was CZK  251 million (GBP 8,4 million).

Main external legal advisor – comprehensive and continuous legal support and assistance to Allianz Trade since January 2020 in all legal matters.

 Restructuring and insolvency:

Long term experience in cases of large and complex financial and corporate restructuring in both stand-alone and multi-creditor situations applying non-standard and innovative solutions. Experience in high-profile insolvency proceedings where the firm represents large creditors including ČSOB, ČS, HSBC and other banks. Main cases are: advisory of ČSOB in the currently largest problem loan exceeding CZK 500 million (GPB 18,1 million), representing ČSOB in bankruptcy proceedings against a company trading in arms and military material in the value of CZK 940 million (GPB 34 million), legal services to debt crowdfunding platform Investcrown in case of complex restructurings of loans in excess of CZK 100 million (GPB 3,4 million), legal advisory to Česká spořitelna in the analysis  and recovery of a large credit facility  provided to a industrial production company CZK 120 mil (GPB 4 million). Expertise in insolvency proceedings is assured since the two partners are licensed insolvency receivers.

Litigation:

Advice and representation in litigation, tax and customs proceedings, dispute resolution, local and international arbitration. Litigation includes representation at courts of all levels. Successful representation of ČSOB in a long-term dispute against the Ministry of Finance in the value over CZK 480 million (GBP 16,3 million).  Success rate of 100% in all international arbitrations at ICC Paris for CSOB against the Czech State, the largest amounting to almost CZK 26,7billion (GBP 905 million). Representation of Allianz Trade in court proceeding in respect of insurance claims, legal representation of ČSOB in civil, insolvency and restructuring proceedings against a debtor – group of industrial companies, value over CZK 500 million (GPB 18,1million) representation of ČSOB in a complex lawsuit in respect of its client, a major electricity producer in the value of CZK 500 mil. (GPB18,1 million).

 Banking and financial regulation:

Support of banks and financial institutions in banking regulations and in negotiation with the Central Bank with respect of banking supervision, payment systems and electronic money.

M&A:

Advice on acquisitions, mergers, sales of businesses and enterprises, corporate restructuring. Long term representation of Aricoma a.s. and Autocont a.s. from the KKCG group (the largest Czech IT service providers) in their investment activities. In 2024 we have represented these companies in 3 acquisitions of innovative IT companies exceeding CZK 680 million (GPB 22,7 million), for example  SSW/ALOE, SABRIS Group, KCT Data, GIST, TaxLabs. Long term representation of investment company Odyssey 44 a.s.  – assistance in the acquisition and later sale of Direct pojišťovna CZK 1 billion (GBP 33,9 million), representing a client in photovoltaic sector in acquisition and development of a photovoltaic park. Continuing representation of ČSOB in acquisition finance in SME and corporate sectors transactions.

Corporate law, business contracts, labor law:

Advice and support in corporate issues and all aspects of everyday business relationships (all business contracts), employment law issues, together with support of management for important corporate clients such as iStyle a.s., SSFU property, Moravia systems, Aricoma group, Sekyra Group, Direct pojistovna. Advice to foreign companies in their start-up of business in the Czech Republic.

Real estate:

Advice in large real estate transactions financed by banks, development and construction projects (providing construction and engineering contracts), lease agreements, transaction documentation and also due diligence of real estate. The most important project was advisory to SSFU Property in the preparation of project documentation for construction of a photovoltaic power plant, advisory services in the expansion of the hematology-oncology department of the Pilsen University Hospital, complex legal representation in multibillion acquisition of a real estate portfolio by investment company Odyssey 44 a.s.