Gecic Law > Belgrade, Serbia > Firm Profile
Gecic Law Offices
NIKOLE SPASICA 2
11000 BELGRADE
Serbia
Gecic Law > The Legal 500 Rankings
Serbia > Competition Tier 1
Gecic Law‘s practice routinely assists highly regulated entities and governments with groundbreaking cases, with a ‘remarkable track record‘ of acting as lead counsel in Serbia-related EU and competition and trade law matters. The experience of managing partner Bogdan Gecić
includes representing clients before the European Commission (EC) and the Energy Community. The team has seen notable growth with the promotion of EU and competition law and state aid expert Ivana Stojanović Raišić and Jelena Škorić, who ‘has a good grasp of competition matters‘, to counsel and senior associate, respectively.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Their practical experience in competition, EU law and state aid matters is truly unique in the market.‘
‘Their remarkable track record in the most complex of cases speaks more than any evaluation can convey.‘
‘Their approach to cases is efficient and methodical, and their focus and drive to achieve results for the client is nothing short of amazing.‘
‘They are always available, prepared and ready to move on any issue.‘
‘Bogdan Gecić was very much involved in all aspects of the case. He leads the team and always demonstrates a hands-on approach to the work at hand.‘
‘Bogdan Gecić is clearly a fantastic legal professional with tremendous experience, but he also understands our core business thoroughly, and is skilful in incorporating these considerations into legal matters – this makes him quite unique for this market.‘
‘Ivana Stojanović Raišić is a responsible and hardworking lawyer, who is also very precise and thorough.‘
‘Jelena Škorić has a good grasp of competition matters.‘
Key clients
State of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Elektroprivreda BiH
Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the EU
Allied Universal Topco
Arena Channels Group
Government of the Republic of Serbia
Telekom Srbija
Air Serbia
Etihad Airways
EPS Distribucija
Kopernikus Technology
Naftna Industrija Srbije
Gazprom Neft
Work highlights
- Represented Elektroprivreda BiH, the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a landmark state aid-related matter before the Energy Community, which concerned the Tuzla 7 power plant construction project.
- Assisted the Government of the Republic of Serbia with steel sector safeguards proceedings before the EC.
- Represented Telekom Srbija in the ‘cable war’ dispute between cable operators, which involved a series of 41 highly complex multi-jurisdictional cases.
Serbia > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
One of the fastest-growing firms in the Western Balkans, Gecic Law has a broad roster of national and cross-border clients, including medium-sized companies, governments and international conglomerates. Recently promoted from senior counsel to partner, group head Ognjen Colić has over 15 years’ experience in both local and international corporate and M&A transactions, energy, infrastructure and PPP work, and regulatory compliance; competition law expert Bogdan Gecić also acts on major corporate deals. At senior associate level, Danica Misojčić is a corporate governance specialist.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Provides services at the highest level with a very client-oriented approach.‘
‘They are very responsive, and provide precise legal advice that gets to the heart of the matter.‘
‘Strong support for corporate issues, providing whatever assistance is needed.‘
‘Very fast and responsive in relation to all new challenges in the market – and they always take into consideration that we are a regional company that does business in other countries, not just Serbia.‘
‘They understand business and what companies need to become and remain successful. Of course, they are also highly educated, often pointing out legal problems before they happen, thus helping us avoid them.‘
‘Ognjen Colić is a very responsible, serious professional, who devotes himself to his work and is always ready to answer any question. But what really stands out is that he cares about our business and that we are successful – this is an exceptional service, not just a good one.‘
‘Ognjen Colić is very dedicated and understands the business process very well – and in addition to being well educated, he has fantastic experience.‘
‘Bogdan Gecić has been extremely helpful. He is an outstanding professional and a great lawyer, who always provides a unique strategic perspective on solving practical legal issues.‘
Key clients
Allied Universal Topco
UGT Renewables
NBT AS
Dalton Technologies
Petrol d d Slovenia
Nutanix
Takenaka
Natural Sciences State Park
FractureCode Corporation
Work highlights
- Advised NBT AS on the acquisition of a large portfolio of wind projects in Serbia (in partnership with WV International).
- Advised regional petroleum derivatives distributor Petrol d d Slovenia on a complex matter concerning its acquisition of shares in a Serbian company, which involved negotiations with the seller on alleged outstanding obligations from the deal.
- Advised UGT Renewables on an ultra-large-scale solar plant development project in Serbia.
Serbia > Projects and energy
, Gecic Law‘s multidisciplinary energy, infrastructure and PPP practice ranges from cross-border investment projects and financings to complex disputes and renewable energy investments.Gecic Law > Firm Profile
Gecić Law is the most innovative leading law firm in the Western Balkans, with an established reputation as the ‘go-to’ law firm for EU law and trade. The firm’s unrivaled track record of successful cases in the last decade before the European Commission and other EU-related institutions is a testament to its unique understanding of SAAs (Stabilization and Association Agreements) and accession negotiations, under both international and domestic law. The firm advises clients on their trade, competition and state aid matters, as well as on general corporate and international M&As, finance, dispute resolution, labor law, privacy & data protection and other legal matters.
In 2020, Gecić Law won the prestigious The Lawyer European Award for the Law Firm of the Year: Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and was also shortlisted for the European competition or antitrust team of the year – Top Five category, where the firm entered again the revered playoffs, neck and neck with the best competition and antitrust teams from the whole of Europe. This was followed by a victory in 2021, when Gecić Law was named the leading law firm in a dynamic regional market of 150 million people, winning Law Firm of the Year: South Eastern Europe.
In Serbia, the world’s fastest-growing FDI economy according to The Financial Times and Bloomberg, Gecić Law managed to represent and successfully handle most of the largest investment projects in the past five years. Gecić Law is the only regional law firm that has successfully represented clients in all (nine) of Serbia’s pre-accession cases before the European Commission to date, and the only law firm from the Western Balkan jurisdictions that represents clients in EU & competition matters before the Energy Community. Most recently, Gecić Law represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the most important regional procedure before the Energy Community, in a high-profile case related to the construction of Block 7 of the Tuzla Thermal Power Plant. The firm worked on two separate EC investigations that enabled Smederevo steel mill, the second-largest Serbian exporter, responsible for 1% of Serbia’s GDP and indirectly supporting 15,000 jobs, to continue successful operations under the new international owner.
Gecić Law is a truly innovative law firm committed to building long-term relationships with clients, based on reciprocity, trust and the highest standards of professional ethics. Its client portfolio covers multinational and national companies, tech firms, banks and other financial institutions, strategic and financial investors, large SOEs, SMEs and governments across the region.
The firm’s team comes from leading US and European universities – such as Harvard, University of Nottingham, Queen Mary University of London, KU Leuven, and Paris II Panthéon-Assas University – and has extensive local and international experience, with a proven capacity to provide flexible, practical solutions, even in the most difficult and complex cases.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competition law/state aid | Bogdan Gecic | ||
| Corporate/M&A | Ognjen Colic | ||
| Banking and finance | Miodrag Jevtic | miodrag.jevtic@geciclaw.com | |
| Energy, infrastructure and PPP | Ognjen Colic | ||
| Administrative and regulatory | Bogdan Gecic | ||
| Constitutional litigation | Bogdan Gecic | ||
| Data protection | Ognjen Colic | ||
| European law, trade and enlargement | Bogdan Gecic | ||
| Labour | Ognjen Colic | ||
| Legislative and government affairs | Bogdan Gecic | ||
| Litigation | Miodrag Jevtic | miodrag.jevtic@geciclaw.com | |
| Private equity | Bogdan Gecić | ||
| Restructuring and insolvency | Danica Misojčić | danica.misojcic@geciclaw.com | |
| ESG | Ognjen Colić | ||
| Tax | Miodrag Jevtic | miodrag.jevtic@geciclaw.com |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ognjen Colić | Partner | Head of Corporate / M&A | View Profile |
 | Bogdan Gecić | Partner | View Profile |
 | Ivana Stojanović Raišić | Counsel | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 17Languages
Bosnian Chinese Croatian English French German Macedonian Montenegrin SerbianMemberships
International Bar Association AmCham American Chamber of Commerce Serbian Arbitration Association Serbian Bar Association Japanese Business Alliance UAE Serbia Business ClubOther
Contacts : Bogdan GecicPress Releases
Jovana Veličković Joins Gecić Law as Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution
24th January 2023 Underscoring the importance of top-notch dispute resolution in strengthening the firm's market-leading capabilities, Gecić Law is delighted to announce that Jovana Veličković is joining the team as a Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution.Gecić Law Shoots for the Stars with Most Nominations in All of Europe
4th November 2022 Gecić Law continues to reach new heights year after year, receiving even greater recognition for its passion for innovation, consistent growth and excellence in the legal profession at the highest level. The coveted The Lawyer European Awards have nominated us for the fifth year in a row placing us among Europe’s finest law firms. Only, this year, the firm stands neck-to-neck with global powerhouses the likes of Latham & Watkins, with most nominations among this year’s contenders across all of Europe - an unprecedented feat any law firm in the region has ever achieved.Gecić Law Shoots for the Stars with Most Nominations in All of Europe
26th October 2022 Gecić Law continues to reach new heights year after year, receiving even greater recognition for its passion for innovation, consistent growth and excellence in the legal profession at the highest level. The coveted The Lawyer European Awards have nominated us for the fifth year in a row placing us among Europe’s finest law firms. Only, this year, the firm stands neck-to-neck with global powerhouses the likes of Latham & Watkins, with most nominations among this year’s contenders across all of Europe - an unprecedented feat any law firm in the region has ever achieved.Gecić Law named top legal firm in 150-million-strong SEE market
16th December 2021- Gecić Law scoops first “Law Firm Of The Year: South Eastern Europe”, a new category covering huge & fast-growing regional market in The Lawyer European Awards 2021
- Praised for “its rapid growth, its strong deal profile, and its innovative expansion into the consulting arena”
- Gecić Law’s place in European legal elite confirmed after busy year for clients including Serbian and Bosnian governments and Norwegian green energy leader NBT
- A year after winning top Eastern Europe and Balkans prize, latest award demonstrates “strength of our pioneering work, and relentless efforts to provide top-notch service across markets and practice areas” – founding partner Bogdan Gecić
- Gecić Law “at the forefront of redefining the role that a law firm plays in the emerging regional market”
Gecić Law Expands with ESG Practice Launch
12th October 2021 Gecić Law is pleased to announce that it has become the first independent legal services provider in the region to expand into the sphere of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) by launching a new practice that will focus on the needs of businesses in this increasingly prominent area. The practice will be co-headed by Partner and Head of Corporate/M&A Ognjen Colić, and Head of Operations Hristina Kosec.Ognjen Colić Elected Partner at Gecić Law
24th September 2021 Gecić Law is pleased to announce that Ognjen Colić was elected partner. This is a greatly important milestone marking five years of continued successes. Ognjen’s independent practice joined Gecić Law in 2016, complementing its corporate arm and contributing to the strengthening of common values.Bogdan Gecić to Serve as Board Member of Harvard Law School Association of Europe
5th August 2021 Gecić Law is proud to announce the appointment of its founder and managing partner Bogdan Gecić to the Board of the Harvard Law School Association of Europe.Gecić Law’s website honored for the sixth year in a row
2nd June 2021 We are delighted to reveal that Gecić Law’s website continues to attract the attention of professionals globally as it has been recognized by several prestigious rankings. Our website was positioned, for the sixth consecutive year, among the top-ranked Global law firm websites for 2021 in a selection of 23 law firm websites across the world. This prestigious ranking, published by Comrade, a leading US digital marketing network, puts us side by side with the world-class law firm Axiom among others. In another ranking of legal websites worldwide, Astra, a leading web design business, placed the Gecić Law website among the best legal websites globally. Furthermore, Design blog Designbeep ranked our website as one of the Best Law Firm Websites, especially commending our “a beautiful, scenic video” of Belgrade.Gecić Law: 2020 in Review – Light at the End of the Tunnel
29th April 2021 At Gecić Law, we proudly look back at the past year and remember it as a year of significant achievement. Some of our accomplishments singled out in this review testify not only to the ability of our team to quickly adapt to radically different circumstances, but to see them as an opportunity to affirm our core values, to build on them and to grow. We rose to the challenge, learned and developed, and in the process, we helped our employees, clients, and business partners gain the strength to overcome the uncertainty and grow together with us. These are the highlights of our great story.Bogdan Gecić, Founder of Gecić Law: There is a Lot of Room for Innovation
29th April 2021 Diplomacy & Commerce magazine, a syndication of London’s The Economist magazine for Serbia, prepared a special InFocus supplement as part of its February 2021 issue, with the aim of providing the readers a closer insight into the development of bilateral relations and successful cooperation between Serbia and the United Arab Emirates. Bogdan Gecic, Managing Partner at Gecic Law, a founding and exclusive member of the UAE Serbia Business club since 2019, gave an interview, which can be read in its entirety below.Gecić Law’s Energy Practice is Growing Every Day
29th April 2021 Our Energy practice team has repeatedly demonstrated its credibility by devising unique opportunities for greenfield and brownfield investments for our clients. We provide comprehensive solutions related to privatization, regulatory compliance and due diligence in cooperation with eminent regulatory, corporate and financial experts.Legal Developments
Biggest gun-jumping fine or just a slap on the wrist?
2nd June 2021 The Serbian Competition Authority (“SCA”) recently focused on unapproved mergers i.e. gun jumping. The most recent “victim” of the SCA’s investigations into gun-jumping was Fortenova Grupa d.d. (“Fortenova”), with the only previous undertaking fined for gun-jumping being Prointer IT Solutions. Meanwhile, Ernst & Young are also being investigated under same allegations. Is this simply a witch hunt or is there something going on here?Energy Legislation Developments in Serbia – a Path Towards a Green Future
7th May 2021 The adoption of amendments, and the new group of energy-related acts are crucial for Serbia’s energy transition, which is set to be implemented through several new regulations. All countries in the Western Balkans must transition to carbon-neutral energy sectors and become part of the integrated energy market. The main goal of the transition is to increase the share of renewable energy sources, improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Serbian Climate Change Act – what to expect?
7th May 2021 During the session held on March 18, Serbian MPs adopted the Climate Change Act (the “Act”). The Minister of Environmental Protection, Ms. Irena Vujović noted that “the issues concerning environmental protection and climate change are of high priority and have finally received deserved attention from the Government of Serbia.”Silent, but not Uncooperative – an Important Decision by the ECJ
7th May 2021 As the famous Arabic proverb says, ‘Silence is golden’. And it seems that this nugget of ancient wisdom still holds true today – even in law; even when it comes to a high-profile case before the European Court of Justice. To find out why would silence be so important as to cause a stir among lawyers throughout Europe, we must track back to the beginning.Vertical Restraints in the Sights of the Serbian Commission for Protection of Competition
7th May 2021In the last few months, the Serbian National Competition Authority (“NCA”) has turned its attention to sanctioning agreements between undertakings where resale prices are maintained. After taking cases against consumer electronics undertakings, the NCA recently opened an investigation against a general importer and its three car dealers of “Audi” vehicles, in the course of its sectoral analysis of the markets of sales and after-sales services of motor vehicles.