Draškovic Popovic & Partners

Senior Partner Vuk Drašković discusses latest trends in a challenging market   What do you see as the main points that differentiate D2P Law from your competitors? At D2P Law, we differentiate ourselves through our long-standing client relationships, deep understanding of both legal and business needs, and integrated expertise across multiple practice areas. We provide pragmatic, commercially minded solutions that are tailored to each client, while our focus on developing and retaining top talent ensures a stable and highly experienced team. This combination of client-centricity, technical excellence, and continuity allows us to act not just as legal advisors, but as trusted partners guiding clients through complex challenges.   Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that? Over the next 12 months, we expect to see particularly strong growth in employment, data protection and regulatory compliance, as well as technology-related advisory work. Companies are increasingly navigating complex issues related to workforce restructuring, hybrid work models, and evolving employment regulations. At the same time, the rapid adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence is creating significant demand for legal guidance on data protection, cybersecurity, and AI regulation, particularly in light of evolving European regulatory frameworks. Businesses are also placing greater emphasis on compliance and risk management as regulatory requirements continue to expand, making strategic legal advice in these areas more critical than ever.   What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients? One of the most significant developments within the firm is the upcoming implementation of a new AI-driven platform that has been carefully designed to support our internal processes and the way we deliver legal services. While the platform is currently in the process of being introduced, we expect it will enhance efficiency, improve knowledge management, and increase the speed of legal research and document analysis across our practice areas. Once fully integrated, this technology will allow our team to work even more efficiently and provide clients with faster, more precise, and strategically focused legal advice while maintaining the high level of professional expertise that complex matters require.   Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them? Technology is increasingly shaping the way we interact with our clients and deliver legal services. Digital communication tools, secure document-sharing platforms, and advanced research technologies enable us to respond more quickly, collaborate more efficiently, and manage complex matters with greater precision. At the same time, we see technology as a tool that enhances, rather than replaces, the personal relationships and professional judgment that remain at the core of our client service.   Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business? We see our role as going beyond that of a traditional law firm and more as a long-term business partner to our clients. Many of the companies we advise, including international brands such as adidas, Samsung and Disney, have been working with us for over a decade. Through these long-standing relationships, we develop a deep understanding of their business models and commercial priorities, which allows us to contribute not only legal advice but also strategic input when they adapt or restructure their operations in the local market. As a result, clients frequently involve us in broader business decisions, reflecting the level of trust built over time and the value we bring to their overall strategy in the country.   Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time? As I mentioned in the previous question, we consider our firm not just a legal advisor but a long-term business partner to our clients. Over the next three years, we aim to strengthen this role by deepening our understanding of clients’ commercial needs, supporting strategic decisions, and guiding them in adapting or restructuring their operations in the region. By combining legal expertise with practical business insight, we strive to remain a trusted partner that clients can rely on for both stability and forward-looking guidance.

Senior Partner Uros Popovic discusses latest trends in a challenging market   What do you see as the main points that differentiate D2P Law from your competitors? Our main strengths are definitely our people. We promote from within and are very proud of the number of junior associates that have grown into senior associates and even partners within the firm. We have always differentiated our work environment from comparable law firms by making sure to treat our team fairly with a special focus on work-life balance. This has been a tremendous factor in maintaining loyalty and long term cooperation which our clients have especially grown to appreciate (e.g. working with the same lawyer for 7+ years).   Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that? Serbia has been experiencing a large inflow of Russian and Ukrainian citizens relocating here in the past several years. This has resulted in the relocation of significant commercial endeavors, sometimes involving thousands of employees. A lot of our firm’s work during this period was related to these brown and greenfield investments, with a heavy focus on employment matters (besides the usual corporate, commercial, contractual, and compliancy matters). We believe that this trend will continue for the next 12 months as well. We are also seeing a slight increase in transactional work and hope this will pick up even more in the near future.   What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients? Our firm is constantly evolving in order to be able to adequately respond to the emerging trends. For example, we have formed an ESG department with a Partner, a Senior Associate, and an Associate who are constantly attending and organizing ESG events, as well as hosting workshops on CBAM and Omnibus regulations which are increasingly becoming more relevant in Serbia.   Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them? I would have to say that we have not yet felt a significant shift in client interaction due to technology as the prevailing use is still related to traditional e-mail, virtual data rooms, and so on. However, we are staying on top of issues introduced by the emergence of AI, especially from the legislative perspective.   Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business? We like to consider our firm as not purely a law firm but a business partner for our 300+ active clients. Some of them like e.g. adidas, Samsung, and Disney we have been serving for over 10 years. In such situations one becomes so familiar with the client’s business model and commercial needs, that we are often involved in restructuring their model of doing business even from a commercial perspective. These and numerous other clients therefore often see us as partners rather than providers of solely legal services and we believe that such trust is an excellent indication of the value we bring to their overall business strategy in the country.   Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time? Yes, please see the answer under 5) above. As for our firm in three years' time, assuming that the previous 13 years are a good indicator, I believe that we will grow both in terms of clients and team members by about 30 to 50%. As mentioned above, we will continue to grow our ESG practice and follow closely the emerging trends in AI both in practical and legislative terms.