News

We are currently looking for an experienced business lawyer with sound legal knowledge and a solid background in consultancy, having 4-5 years PQE with impressive command of English language, preferably an LL.M holder. Our soon-to- be-colleague must be flexible in terms of tasks and schedule, passionate about his/ her career, ready to put up with exciting projects and though a team player also a successful individual. On top of that add a warm character, sprinkle the attention to details and goal oriented traits and complete the process by sending your resume and letter of intent to alina.popescu@mprpartners.com.

We are looking for a communicative and neatly organized Office Assistant, with excellent command of English, to handle our front desk and day-to-day administrative tasks under the direct coordination of our Office Manager. If the above coupled with a young, modern, friendly environment and a rather flexible program are your cup of tea, please send your CVs accompanied by a letter of intent to alina.popescu@mprpartners.com

The team led by Gelu Maravela announces its successful representation of a regional contracting authority in a litigation against the Romania’s Ministry of Environment. The contracting authority whose name cannot be disclosed at this point is a state-owned company running a EUR120 million European funding project. The company in question was compelled by the Ministry of Environment to pay a significant financial correction in connection with the project, correction which was annulled following the favourable decision rendered by the Romanian Supreme Court (the High Court of Cassation and Justice) in appeal. Based on that decision, which was one of the few such solutions related to the financial corrections applied by the state-authorities in charge, the contracting authority joined a very small number of authorities with no financial corrections.

Juridice.ro, the reputed Romanian online platform for legal news and updates, requested the opinion of Partner Marius Pătrăşcanu, head of the firm’s insolvency practice group, with respect to the new Romanian Insolvency Code.

If you are an excellent organizer with communicational, interpersonal and multitasking abilities, fluent in both written and spoken English and proud owner of a higher education diploma, ready to support our lawyers and advisers on their day-to-day administrative tasks while keeping our office at its optimum parameters from a logistics perspective, you may be the right candidate for this opening. To our Office Manager we provide an elegant, young and dynamic working environment, career development opportunities and last but not least, a competitive salary!Sounds just about right? Need more information? We’re waiting for your resume and letter of intent in English at alina.popescu@mprpartners.com. We thank you very much for your interest in our Office Manager position and for the numerous CVs that you sent!

The June 2013 issue of the International Bar Association’s International Sales Newsletter features the article authored by Partner Alina Popescu on pros and cons regarding the European Commission’s proposal for a common European sales law. The International Bar Association is the world’s leading organization of international legal practitioners, bar associations and legal societies. Counting over 50.000 members, it influences the development of international law reform and shapes the future of the legal profession throughout the world. For more information about the International Bar Association please visit http://www.ibanet.org/Default.aspx. Full content of the article can be accessed here: https://www.mprpartners.com/docs/Article_8_june_2013.pdf

The International Financial Corporation and the World Bank called for our contribution to the 2014 edition of the reputed Doing Business publication, which provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 185 economies and selected cities at the subnational and regional level. MPR Partners has forthwith provided the IFC and World Bank with valuable information on Romanian legal framework and business practice in several areas, encompassing contract enforcement, financing, investors protection, energy, property registration, construction permits, insolvency, business start-ups, cross-border trading and employment. More information concerning the Doing Business initiative can be found at http://www.doingbusiness.org/.

MPR Partners grows stronger by the recent accession of Marius Pătrășcanu, a dedicated attorney with acknowledged skills in several fields of practice, who has joined us as equity partner. Before joining MPR Partners, Marius has been a senior asscoiate with Mușat & Asociații and has gathered extensive expertise in major M&A deals, intricate regulatory, corporate and commercial matters pertaining to various industries (including IT & Telecommunications and Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare), as well as in all aspects concerning real estate and construction, including financing and securitization. Marius holds an LL.B degree awarded by Iași University Law School, has authored a study on legal protection of computer programs and is a constant contributor to national and international legal publications.

MPR Partners proudly announces that a new equity partner with excellent reputation has joined our ranks! With over 10 years of experience as counsel in a large number of major projects unfolded on the Romanian market, Alina Popescu has gained solid expertise in M&A and FDI matters, commercial & contract law, international arbitration and amicable settlement of high value disputes. In terms of recent achievements, Alina was lead counsel in the successful sale of the state-of-art manufacturing facility held by one of the world leaders in mobile communication devices and has counselled a major German investor in the acquisition of three distressed freight wagons manufacturing businesses holding a significant share of the European market. Before joining MPR Partners, Alina was a partner with one of the top tier Romanian law firms. She holds an LLM degree in European Union Law awarded with distinction of merit by the French University of Montesquieu Bordeaux IV, and has authored numerous legal digests, articles and surveys of interest for the business law community.

MPR Partners’ survey regarding the emerging trends on the real estate market has been featured in Dailybusiness. The well-known business publication quotes MPR Partners’ findings in an attempt to identify where the first stone was laid in the recent boost on the real estate market. Read a summary (in English) here, or read more on the subject (in Romanian) here.

Managing Partner Gelu Maravela reveals the secrets behind his professional success, whilst well-known legal platform Bizlawyer commends MPR Partners as a “leading firm” (“firma de top”). See the English version of the article here and the full article (in Romanian) at https://www.bizlawyer.ro/stiri/piata-avocaturii/cum-a-schimbat-gelu-titus-maravela-meseria-de-motorist-cu-cea-de-avocat-cine-l-a-impins-din-burta-unei-nave-fluviale-pana-in-fruntea-unei-firme-de-top

July special issue of Forbes Romania published MPR Partners’ input on investor remedies to legislative instability, encompassing thoughts on EU regulations, lobbying and investment arbitration. Full article (Romanian) available here.

As always, at MPR Partners, we aim to provide support to talented young lawyers to be. This time we invite you to send your resumes by July 31 to lawyr.it, in order to have easy access to dedicated legal sector employers. More information at http://www.lawyr.it/index.php/lawyr-it-compendium.

Gelu Maravela and Alina Popescu have been designated by the prestigious US based publication Best Lawyers as leading attorneys in their fields, following poles undertaken amongst their colleagues and peers. Gelu Maravela was thus named the Best Lawyers’ 2014-2015 Bucharest Energy Law “Lawyer of the Year” and has been ranked in several other practice areas such as Arbitration and Mediation, Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation, Natural Resources Law, Project Finance and Development Practice. Alina Popescu, on the other hand, has been listed by her peers in Best Lawyers for her Arbitration and Corporate Law practice. Best Lawyers is one the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession, a listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere. More information about Best Lawyers at: http://www.bestlawyers.com

Click here for the full article (Romanian)

Following a thorough research of expertise, insights and overall success rate, the reputed London based Acquisition International Magazine declared MPR Partners’ both Mergers & Acquisitions and Contract Law firm of the year, thus placing the firm among top tier piers, globally. Among this year’s winners we are proud to be sharing titles with, are internationally highly reputed firms such as Linklaters, Herbert Smith, K&L Gates, Norton Rose, Baker & McKenzie, Bird & Bird and many important others. “This year’s winners are some of the most dedicated, forward-thinking and determined we’ve seen in all our time running these awards,” said Kathryn Turner, Chief Coordinator of the 2014 M&A Awards. Full official press release can be accessed here. To read Acquisition International’s supplement in full, click here.

During an interview conducted by the reputed BizLawyer business and legal portal, firm’s managing partners Gelu Maravela and Alina Popescu confirmed market rumors about the top level M&A transactions unfolded under the firm’s legal arm, also browsing other leading practice areas and expectations for the energy sectors. Full article (Romanian) here.

MPR Partners was partner of Forbes Healthcare 2014, event in which important pharmaceuticals companies, clinics, suppliers of medical system, technology producers, pharmaceutical chains and authorities have met to discuss sustainable business solutions in the medical sector. The topics approached included, among others, governmental strategy in the medical sector as well as measures aimed to develop the public health sector, financial solutions for the current year, financial constraints and public needs in the health sector, being discussed on a parallel between public and private health sectors.

We are looking for a communicative and neatly organized Office Assistant, with excellent command of English, to handle our front desk and day-to-day administrative tasks under the direct coordination of our Office Manager.. If the above coupled with a young, modern, friendly environment and a rather flexible program are your cup of tea, please send your CVs accompanied by a letter of intent to andreea.andrei@mprpartners.com

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with a highly professional team;
• work environment based on integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and mandates;
• real career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills through direct access to firm`s development and administrative aspects;
• competitive financial package;
• elegant office premises;

What we are seeking:

• 1 to 5 years of experience in civil, commercial and administrative litigation;
• advanced English (written and spoken) as well as sound knowledge of legal English;
• rigorousness and impeccable legal reasoning;
• genuine openness to continuous professional formation, adaptability to firm`s policies, coordination of the team of associates in subordination;
• desire and skills to form interns;
• LL.M awarded by a foreign university represents an advantage.

To apply, please send your resume and letter of intent briefly describing why you desire to join our team and what motivates you in your legal career, to office@mprpartners.com

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with a highly professional team;
• work environment based on integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and mandates;
• real career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills through direct access to firm`s development and administrative aspects;
• competitive financial package;
• elegant office premises.

What we are seeking:

• sound knowledge and practical experience in corporate, commercial, regulatory & compliance; further experience in M&A and real estate & construction represents a competitive advantage;
• advanced English (written and spoken) as well as sound knowledge of legal English;
• experience of minimum 1 to 5 years since Bar admission;
• rigorousness and impeccable legal reasoning;
• genuine openness to continuous professional formation, adaptability to firm`s policies, coordination of the team of associates in subordination;
• desire and skills to form interns;
• LL.M awarded by a foreign university represents an advantage.

Please send your resume and letter of intent to office@mprpartners.com and you have the chance to work amongst internationally acknowledged outstanding professionals, in a pleasant environment. Please do not forget to mention the position you are applying for.

We are expanding our consultancy team and we are looking for a talented and experienced lawyer, 5+ years PQE.

What we are offering:

• • the opportunity to work with a highly professional team;
  • work environment based on integrity and team spirit;
  • high profile clients and mandates;
  • real career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
  • development of management skills through direct access to firm`s development and administrative aspects;
  • competitive financial package;
  • elegant office premises;

What we are seeking:

• • sound knowledge and practical experience in corporate, commercial, M&A, regulatory & compliance; further experience in capital markets, energy &
  • natural resources, public acquisitions and data protection represents a competitive advantage;
  • advanced English (written and spoken) as well as sound knowledge of legal English;
  • experience of minimum 5 years since Bar admission, in law firms with teams of at least 10 lawyers;
  • rigorousness and impeccable legal reasoning;
  • genuine openness to continuous professional formation, adaptability to firm`s policies, coordination of the team of associates in subordination;
  • desire and skills to form interns;
  • LL.M awarded by a foreign university represents an advantage.
  • To apply, please send your resume and letter of intent briefly describing why you desire to join our team and what motivates you in your legal career, to office@mprpartners.com

In only two years since its establishment, the Romanian law firm MPR Partners has built a solid track record, its founding partners having succeeded to develop both a vast portfolio of top local and international clients and a strong team of professionals, as well as to gather an impressive list of awards and distinctions.

The spectacular results achieved were not left unnoticed internationally, the firm’s various departments having obtained in an impressively short time span a considerable amount of awards, as well as the recognition of international directories.

One of MPR Partners’ most awarded departments is Corporate/M&A, which is a practice area with tradition for the firm’s founding partners Gelu Maravela, Alina Popescu and Marius Pătrășcanu (attorneys with a vast experience in top Romanian and international law firms).

Our most recent distinction in the field comes from the renowned international directory IFLR 1000, which designated on Friday the firm’s Corporate/M&A practice as “notable”, thus including MPR Partners on the select list of the leading Romanian law firms. International Financial Law Review (IFLR) releases each year rankings of law firms from numerous jurisdictions, mainly considering corporate and financial services. The rankings are based on a rigorous research process that includes firm analysis and interviews conducted with their clients and competitors.

The IFLR1000 designation comes after the ranking obtained earlier this year in the reputed international directory Legal 500 for the same practice area, as well as after the “M&A Law Firm of the Year, Romania” awarded last year to MPR Partners by London based business publications Acquisition International, Finance Monthly and ACQ5.

Our Corporate/M&A awards join a considerable number of other distinctions obtained in just two years from the firm’s establishment.

For instance, the well-known British publication The Lawyer shortlisted MPR Partners just this spring for the “Law Firm of the Year: Romania” distinction, which was awarded during The Lawyer European Awards 2015, one of the most important events in the sector.

In addition, MPR Partners’ Projects department was included this year in the first tiers of the reputed European directory of Chamber & Partners. Furthermore, the international business platform CorporateLiveWire awarded the firm also this year for Innovation & Excellency as well as for “Insolvency firm of the year”, while the renowned American guide Best Lawyers International recommends the firm’s founding partners in no less than seven practice areas, Gelu Maravela being also designated 2014-2015 Bucharest Energy Law “Lawyer of the Year”.

“When we started off as MPR Partners, we had quite a few considerable assets and advantages: know-how acquired in many years of practice in top tier national and international firms and a team of professionals exquisitely prepared by my side. It is not only to them but to our clients and pears as well that we extend our gratitude, on this occasion. Our achievements to date are just the beginning – we are going to continue in the same style, rhythm and on the same path with at least the same amount of determination, thus growing our expertise and name in a constant manner.” Gelu Maravela, Managing Partner of MPR Partners.

Our partners share their opinion and debate market trends in various sectors, as the firm’s team and experience in several practice areas are detailed in this year’s issue of the leading Romanian guide to the legal market, published by Govnet. Article (excerpt – English) here.

We have a new position available for a talented young consultancy associate, with 1 to 3 years PQE, sound legal knowledge and good command of English language, both written and spoken. The ideal candidate should be passionate about his/her career, being ready to accept all professional challenges entailed by joining a team of reputed business lawyers. Please send your resume and letter of intent to office@mprpartners.com.

We are currently looking for an associate with sound legal knowledge and 2-3 years of experience in commercial dispute resolution, to join our litigation team. Our soon-to-be-colleague must be flexible in terms of tasks and schedule, passionate about his/her career and ready to put up with exciting projects. Additional experience in insolvency procedures and labour conflicts are definite advantages. Send your resume and letter of intent to office@mprpartners.com and you have the chance to join a team of outstanding professionals. Update: We thank you very much indeed for the impressive number of CVs sent. The position has now been filled, please follow MPR Partners on LinkedIn for further openings!

Co-Managing Partner Alina Popescu has been interviewed by British publication The Lawyer on outlook of investments and Romanian anti-corruption measures. Find the full article (English) at http://www.thelawyer.com/analysis/market-analysis/regions/europe-analysis/anti-corruption-measures-are-beginning-to-benefit-romania/3036875.article.

Our commitment to excellent services and our dedication to every aspect of our clients’ businesses are just two of the reasons we were involved with this amazing project, a premiere in South Eastern Europe and the most important management event of 2015 in the aforementioned area. Speakers with impressive backgrounds and sound experience along with renown guests and an impeccable organizing by Forbes Romania are what made SEE Growth Summit become a successful event. For more details please visit Forbes’ website here.

We are currently looking for two junior associates with sound legal knowledge, one to join our consultancy team and the other one dedicated to our litigation department. Good command of English language, both written and spoken, along with team player skills are a must. Fluency in a second language and a post graduate formation are definite advantages. Send your resume and letter of intent to office@mprpartners.com and you have the chance to join a team of outstanding professionals.

We are expanding our consultancy team and we are looking for a talented and experienced lawyer, 5+ years PQE.

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with a highly professional team;
• work environment based on integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and mandates;
• real career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills through direct access to firm`s development and administrative aspects;
• competitive financial package;
• elegant office premises.

What we are seeking:

• sound knowledge and practical experience in corporate, commercial, M&A, regulatory & compliance;
• further experience in capital markets, energy & natural resources, public acquisitions and data protection represents a competitive advantage;
• advanced English (written and spoken) as well as sound knowledge of legal English;
• experience of minimum 5 years since Bar admission, in law firms with teams of at least 10 lawyers;
• rigorousness and impeccable legal reasoning;
• genuine openness to continuous professional formation, adaptability to firm`s policies, coordination of the team of associates in subordination;
• desire and skills to form interns;
• LL.M awarded by a foreign university represents an advantage.

To apply, please send your resume and letter of intent briefly describing why you desire to join our team and what motivates you in your legal career, to office@mprpartners.com

We are proud of our Co-Managing Partner Alina Popescu who, following an extensive research process conducted by Legal Magazin Media Group, was nominated for the Excellence in Management Award. Winners will be announced on December 7, 2016, during the 3rd edition of the Lady Lawyer Awards Gala, held at the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bucharest. This year’s nominees, divided into 23 distinct categories, are partners of reputed local business law firms and in house counsels from various sectors (including banking & finance, insurance, etc.). Market experience, peer and client recommendations, brand image, leadership style, media presence and academic activity are a few of the criteria taken into consideration during the nomination process. According to the organizers, the Lady Lawyer Awards Gala recognizes the nominees’ tenacity, passion, vision, professional rigor and ability to establish durable partnerships for their firms.

This November, MPR Partners’ leadership structure has been broaden through the promotion of Mihai Buciuman and Daniel Vinerean as managing associates.

Mihai Buciuman has over 7 years of legal pratice, previously being part of the consultancy teams of Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen, Popovici Nițu Stoica & Asociații and Vernon, David and Asociații. Mihai assists clients in a wide variety of aspects spanning commercial, corporate and regulatory & compliance. He furthermore successfully handles all audit, contractual and implementation matters pertaining to mergers and acquisitions. The mandates currently entrusted to Mihai belong to top clients, such as one of the biggest European producers of railcars and freight waggons, a world leading developer and supplier of automotive parts, a renowned Spanish garments producer and retailer with global presence, etc.

Daniel Vinerean holds more than 13 years of legal experience, having formerly acted as corporate counsel in top international companies. Daniel specializes in complex real estate & construction projects, corporate aspects, commercial contracts, mergers & acquisitions and regulatory & compliance matters. He provides assistance to reputed clients, such as the financial division of one of the biggest automobile producers, one of the world leaders in construction and industrial services, a global leader in seeds and plant protection products production, etc.

Mihai and Daniel possess strong economic knowledge, having graduated from the Economic Studies Academy, and thus holding a strong competitive advantage in business law.

“We are glad every time we come across such an occasion, as vertical development, aside from horizontal growth, is a clear sign of consolidation and progress. I congratulate them both and wish them best of luck and many successes in their new positions.” Managing Partner Gelu Maravela.

“Mihai and Daniel have extraordinary professional qualities. In addition, they have wonderfully integrated the team, are ambitious and experienced. We consider this promotion as a first step towards partnership, our firm being open to welcoming new management team members. Only through a solid foundation made of skilled and experienced lawyers we can evolve in a healthy manner.” Co-Managing Partner Alina Popescu

Starting with this year, MPR Partners acts as honorary patron of HOSPICE Casa Speranței’s Adunații Copăceni socio-medical project.

The nongovernmental charity organization HOSPICE Casa Speranței was established in Braşov, in 1992, at the initiative of the British Graham Perolls, with the purpose of introducing and developing palliative care for children and adults suffering from a terminal illness.

The organization currently holds two integrated services centres in Brașov and București and mobile teams in Făgăraș and Zărnești. HOSPICE developed complete palliative care services, offered in day centres, walk in clinics, own inpatient units, at the patients` homes and in partner hospitals. In its 24 years of existence, HOSPICE brought relief and hope for more than 20.000 children and adults suffering from terminal illnesses. HOSPICE Casa Speranței develops palliative care nationally and internationally through informational campaigns, educational programs dedicated to professionals, patients and the entire community, as well as by improving the related legislation.

In its capacity as honorary patron, Maravela supports the activity of HOSPICE Casa Speranței through various endeavours: encouraging its employees and collaborators to redirect 2% of their income tax towards HOSPICE Casa Speranței, attending events organized by the organization (galas, charity dinners, sports events) and actively attending the foundation`s organizational meetings, offering pro bono legal assistance, through press campaigns, involvement in fundraising activities and so on.

“We are grateful for the support MPR Partners provides to HOSPICE Casa Speranței. The need for palliative care is very high in Romania and we continuously try to extend our services in order to reach more patients, thus any help, either from individuals or companies, is of great value to us” declared Mirela Nemțanu, executive director of the nongovernmental organization.

Seizing this opportunity, MPR Partners invites its colleagues and collaborators to take part in and support the endeavours of HOSPICE Casa Speranței and wishes to raise the awareness concerning the usefulness and necessity of providing palliative care in Romania.

“We are proud to support HOSPICE`s cause in any way possible. I believe that anyone is sensitive to the immense drama that people touched by incurable illnesses go through, together with their families. The first thing that springs to mind when you hear the term incurable is hopelessness, and the fact that this organization supports and brings real benefits to these people is extraordinary. I equally consider that everyone should get involved and I congratulate HOSPICE for their countless successes.” stated Gelu Maravela, Managing Partner of MPR Partners.

Companies can support HOSPICE through:

• directing up to 20% of their tax on profit, based on the law of sponsorship (details here);
• informing their employees about the possibility of redirecting 2% of their income tax towards the organization (details here) and of punctual donations (details here);
• facilitating meetings with other companies with a sponsorship potential;
• attending charity events organized in the organization`s benefit and sponsoring;
• marketing campaigns (details here);
• placing donation boxes in selling points (details here).

Individuals can support HOSPICE through:

• volunteering in one of the centres or at the organization’s headquarters;
• punctual or recurrent donations, directly into the organization`s account (details here);
• redirecting 2% of their income tax towards the organization (details here);
• buying from the Bootik Charity Shop (details here);
• attending sports events where HOSPICE benefits from its Team HOSPICE;
• individual fundraising through the Galantom platform (details here).

Further information about the organization’s projects and ongoing campaigns is available on HOSPICE Casa Speranței’s official website, at www.hospice.ro

As part of our continuous team training and informational process, Associate Magda Grigore attended the Annual Competition Conference in Florence, Italy, during October 14-15. Magda stated: “The conference provided an excellent opportunity of discovering inspiring ideas regarding the current trends in antitrust enforcement, as well as a realistic approach to the challenges faced by lawyers involved in mergers at the present moment. Moreover, it was interesting that theme of antitrust in the online world was treated in an innovative manner both from a conceptual and practical perspective. Also, it was enthralling to meet so many highly skilled competition lawyers keen to always learn more on the vast subject of competition.” Currently at its 20th edition, this year’s conference was presented by the IBA Antitrust Committee and was supported by the IBA European Regional Forum. Having as keynote speaker Ms. Magrethe Vestager, Commissioner in charge of Competition from the European Commission alongside many other field related personalities, the conference approached a large panel of professional and up to date subjects, essential for an internationally aligned activity in the practice area of competition. The bundle of interesting topics included public interest considerations and the enforcement of competition law, development and future of multinational antitrust enforcement, mergers in concentrated markets, antitrust in the online world and many others. Full agenda of the conference available here.

Warmest congratulations to our client Astra Rail, the leading European railcar manufacturer, for the recently publicized merger with Greenbrier, the US based global company specialized in the production of railcars and barges. We wish the new team much success in all endeavours! Another great project to be working on! (More information in the press (Romanian) here, here and (English) here.)

We are proud of our senior associate, Daniel Vinerean, who ran for HOSPICE Casa Speranței during the Bucharest Marathon. HOSPICE Casa Speranței offers care to adults and children affected by terminal or life-limiting illnesses, addressing their physical, emotional, spiritual and social concerns. At MPR Partners, we actively support their cause and endeavours in as many ways we can, both individually and as a team, in our capacity as Honorary Patrons.

The entire team of MPR Partners effervescently congratulates our client, the Eberspächer group, for the inauguration of their latest state of the art exhaust technology plant in Oradea. The group’s first project on the Romanian market is a statement of vision, commitment and dedication, furthermore having been developed at an impressive speed, at German highest standards and based on profound human values. We thank Eberspächer group for their confidence in entrusting us with an amazing project, wishing them great achievements and successes in all endeavours. More information (English) available here.

MPR Partners was, amongst other reputed local and international companies, one of the partners of a business and networking event that gathered 400 managers and executives. According to the organisers, other notable partners included Ford România, Vodafone, Raiffeisen Bank, HP Inc, XTB, Enel, Castrol, Unicredit Leasing, Art Georgies, Regina Maria, Farmexpert, Galeria Alexandra’s, Webmagnat, CreditInfo, DAS, Focality, Cotnari, Lions and Uber. More information (Romanian) here.

MPR Partners’ Senior Associate Daniel Vinerean talks about the companies’ employment internal regulation in a Radio France International show touching on legal and financial issues. The importance of the internal regulation as well as companies’ errors in the making thereof and the correct procedure are all briefly discussed in the Expert RFI episode of September 26, 2016. Recording and transcript (in Romanian) available here.

Managing Partner Gelu Maravela attended the End of Year Summit in Prague, organized by CEE Legal Matters, the leading chronicle of the legal industry in the region, alongside notable experts from neighboring jurisdictions. Participating in an expert Round Table conversation about the year just concluded and sharing thoughts about what to look forward to, the event was equally underlining CEE Legal Matters’ fourth successful year of existence. Further detail about the Summit and the attendees can be accessed here.

Our diverse, friendly, repeatedly awarded, internationally recognized and very busy team is searching for a new colleague at entry level/senior level.
Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line: Associate – Litigation & Insolvency.

We are looking for:

• advanced English (written and spoken) including legal English terms and terminology;
• practical experience of minimum 2-5 years since Bar admission (ideally as part of a medium-large law firm) is a plus;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• LL.M or other law degrees awarded by a reputed foreign university represent a plus.

We are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• people oriented work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills;
• elegant and modern office premises.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ensures the right of the data subjects to obtain clear and comprehensive information about the purpose and manner in which their personal data are processed. Applicable to all EU Member States, it will enter into force in Romania on May 25, 2018 and targets all types of entities (private, public, NGOs).

Given these circumstances, MPR Partners have been called upon to engage in several projects on compliance procedures in preparation for the GDPR. Simultaneously, there is work ongoing on audits and GDPR compliance policies for numerous large-scale clients.

Mihai Buciuman, Managing Associate and co-head of the firm’s data protection practice, recently spoke at the GDPR Professional Forum organized by the National Institute for Internal Control (INCIR) and at the TeCOMM eCommerce Conference & Expo, about the gray and interpretable areas of GDPR, providing ideas and advice on how to optimally implement the new regulation.

Also, the Romanian Online Stores Association (ARMO) requested the firm’s assistance in drafting a GDPR Explanatory Guide, as well as to provide advice to members on punctual issues and compliance programs and to collaborate in the preparation of proposals and opinions on draft normative acts in the field.

“The GDPR brings considerable changes in the protection of personal data, adding new obligations for the processors and substantially increased fines. A good understanding of the GDPR’s provisions and their correct application are thus essential. We have increasing numbers of clients, new or already in our portfolio, asking for our assistance in this field, naturally leading to an exponential increase in our data protection department’s activity.” Alina Popescu, Managing Partner of MPR Partners.

“The GDPR constitutes a real challenge from the perspective of correct interpretation, understanding and implementation, which implies a reconsideration and adjustment of the client’s entire business process of with regard to the collection, processing and storage of data. In order to streamline the GDPR implementation process and minimize the risk of fines, we are happy to be actively involved in this context, not just directly, for our own clients. but also indirectly, by attending various events and putting together professional literature and guides.” Mihai Buciuman, Managing Associate of MPR Partners.

Nearly 600 runners, trained good-doers, attended the Raiffeisen Bank Bucharest Marathon. Several of our wonderful team members here are continuing our tradition to support HOSPICE Casa Speranței, as it is the third sporting event where MPR Partners’ team members have either joined the runners’ ranks or volunteered in order to help in any way possible HOSPICE, that care for children and adults suffering from an incurable illness, with professionalism and dedication, offering specialized services for them and for their families. Further information about the event (in Romanian) can be found here.

Our diverse, friendly, repeatedly awarded, internationally recognized and very busy team is searching for a new colleague at entry level/senior level.

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line: Associate – Litigation & Insolvency.

We are looking for:

• advanced English (written and spoken) including legal English terms and terminology;
• practical experience of minimum 1-3 years since Bar admission (ideally as part of a medium-large law firm) is a plus;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• LL.M or other law degrees awarded by a reputed foreign university represent a plus.

We are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• people oriented work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills;
• elegant and modern office premises.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

Our consultancy team’s client portfolio is growing, so we are looking for a talented associate at either entry level or with 1-4 years of experience.

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line: Associate Consultanță.

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• elegant and modern office premises.

What we are seeking:

• practical experience of 1-4 years (out of which, ideally, at least 2 years within a medium/large law firm) is a plus;
• advanced English (written and spoken), including strong knowledge of legal English terms and terminology is an absolute must;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• LL.M and any other degrees in law or economics (ideally awarded by a foreign university) are a plus.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

Our highly professional, friendly and internationally recognized advisory team’s client portfolio is ever growing, so we are looking for a(nother) talented and experienced senior associate with a minimum of 3-5+ years of experience, since final Bar qualification (definitivat).

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com using the subject line: Senior Associate Advisory. Please note that this is NOT a position for dispute resolution lawyers.

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning team that is highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills;
• elegant and modern office premises.

What we are seeking:

• practical experience of 3-5+ years since final Bar qualification (definitivat), out of which at least 3-4 years with a medium/large law firm;
• knowledge of corporate, commercial and M&A matters is required; further experience in either of competition law, banking & finance, IP, IT, environment or energy & natural resources matters is a plus;
• full working proficiency in English (written and spoken) is an absolute must, including strong knowledge of legal English terms and terminology; fluency in a second foreign language is an advantage;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• patience and dedication to forming junior team members;
• LL.M or legal PhD and any other degrees in law awarded by a foreign university are a plus.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

Our repeatedly awarded, internationally recognized and very busy dispute resolution practice’s team is searching for a new colleague with 3-4 years experience since final Bar qualification (definitivat).

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line: Senior – Litigation.

We are looking for:

• advanced English (written and spoken) as well as strong knowledge of legal English terms and terminology;
• practical experience of minimum 3-4 years since final Bar qualification, ideally as part of a medium/large law firm;
• sound skills and experience in civil and administrative litigations; Arbitration & ADR expertise;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• patience and dedication to forming junior team members;
• LL.M or other law degrees awarded by a foreign university are a plus.

We are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• people oriented work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills;
• competitive financial package;
• elegant and modern office premises.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

Managing Associate Mihai Buciuman gladly accepted the invite to attend, as speaker, the GDPR Forum organized by the National Internal Control Institute (INCIR). Mihai discussed about new versus the current privacy protection regulation and its grey areas, presenting practical consequences and potential solutions thereto. The Forum addressed the GDPR Regulation that will enter into force on 25 May 2018 and the fact that implementing GDPR constitutes a real challenge for companies, that will need to be prepared to ensure compliance with the rather complicated legislation in the field of personal data processing and protection. Further information about the event, including speakers and key topics, can be accessed on the official website of INCIR, here.

The law firms that enabled the biggest transactions of 2016 and beginning of 2017, agreements in various sectors such as retail, real estate, industry and energy were awarded by Ziarul Financiar during the eighth edition of the Lawyers’ Gala. MPR Partners received the award for the industry’s largest transaction, closed at the beginning of 2017, being nominated for assisting Astra Rail Industries in the merger with Greenbrier and for the acquisition of Jolidon, Romanian textile producer present in over 60 countries, currently undergoing insolvency proceedings. The award was attributed for the 60 milion Eur merger between the German group Astra Rail Management (currently Astra Holding) and the American group Greenbrier. Full article concerning the gala (in Romanian) is available here.

MPR Partners is the Romanian contributor of Global Legal Guide’s Merger Control International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) for the 2019 edition. Detailing relevant authorities and legislation, transactions caught by merger control legislation, notifications as well as other key aspects, the chapter is a valuable compilation of merger control essentials. The ICLG to: Merger Control is very useful and offers a bird’s eye view on the topic in 55 jurisdictions. The complete Romanian chapter provided by MPR Partners is available here, whilst the comparative tool between jurisdictions is available here.

Our team of experts recently completed updating the comprehensive chapter of Lexology’s Litigation Navigator for the Romanian jurisdiction. Authors for a second year in a row, the detailed chapter brings valuable information together, essential for grasping the litigation landscape in Romania, including the general framework, the conditions for recognition and enforcement, opposition, just to name a few. The entire chapter is available here, whilst you can equally compare litigation in various jurisdictions here.

Our highly professional competition practice and its client portfolio are ever growing, hence we are looking for a qualified competition specialist with 3-5+ years of experience in the field, who would be also open to work in other advisory related practice areas.

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning team that is highly appraised by clients;
• high profile clients;
• interesting and precedent setting mandates;
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• development of management skills.

What we are seeking:

• intensive hands-on experience of 3-5+ years in competition matters;
• full working proficiency in English (written and spoken) is an absolute must, including strong knowledge of legal English terms and terminology; fluency in a second foreign language is an advantage;
• patience and dedication to forming junior team members;
• LL.M or legal PhD and any other degrees in competition awarded by a foreign university are a plus.

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com using the subject line: Senior Competition.

Only selected candidates will be contacted.

The Romanian Competition Council approved Chimcomplex’s 127 million EUR takeover of assets of the petrochemical plant Oltchim S.A.

MPR Partners team that assisted Chimcomplex with the notification and Competition Council’s review consisted of Alina Popescu, founding partner and head of the Competition practice, Răzvan Pele, counsel and Magda Grigore, associate.

“We are proud of the outcome, as the decision concerns a complex concentration between two major players of the chemical industry and the merger review work has raised many interesting aspects of competition law. We are thankful for the close cooperation with all parties involved.” Alina Popescu, Founding Partner of MPR Partners.

The firm’s competition department has a wealth of experience in all segments of competition law, including merger control, anti-competitive practices, dominant position abuse, on-site and forensic investigation procedures, State aid matters and unfair competition.

The outstanding advice provided by MPR Partners’ competition team has been repeatedly acknowledged by the firm’s clients. For instance, one of the partners of a major U.S. based law firm has commended one of the firm’s competition related assignments as “the most comprehensive and best analysis, in a timely fashion and very well written” compared with those of “over 20 law firms in the past 15 years”.

Firm’s competition clients include major international and local companies, such as, Alphatron Marine, Autotehnica Fleet Services, BBraun Avitum, Betty Ice, Chimcomplex, Eberspächer, Japan Radio Co., Monsanto, etc.

MPR Partners’ competition team members are active contributors to publications on competition law. Recently, they have provided extensive literature to several reputed international publications such as the Romanian chapters of International Comparative Legal Guides: Merger control, Getting the Deal Through: State aid, Lexology Navigator: Cartels.

Our consultancy team’s client portfolio is growing, so we are looking for a talented associate at either entry level or with 1-4 years of experience. Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line: Associate Consultanță.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities.

What we are seeking:

• practical experience of 1-4 years (out of which, ideally, at least 2 years within a medium/large law firm) is a plus;
• advanced English (written and spoken), including strong knowledge of legal English terms and terminology is an absolute must;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• LL.M and any other degrees in law or economics (ideally awarded by a foreign university) are a plus.

The guide amounts to a valuable information resource for both legal and business professionals, providing a high-level overview of a large number of aspects, from a general overview of the country’s regulations and specificities, trends and climate, investigations, penalties, private actions, including immunity and leniency. The complete Romanian Cartels Navigator guide is available (in English) on the Lexology website at https://www.lexology.com/navigator#!results/444/view. Lexology is a reputed online platform that collaborates with the world’s leading lawyers and other thought leaders to deliver tailored updates and analysis to business professionals worldwide. It currently comprises over 600,000 articles in more than 30 languages covering 50 work areas worldwide. The Lexology Navigator titles are designed to answer in-house counsel driven demand for an interactive way to research comparative information from reputed contributors across multiple jurisdictions. Current contributors of Lexology Navigator series include big names of the business legal market such as Bird & Bird, Dentons, Eversheds, Hogan Lovells, Perkins Coie, Reed Smith and White & Case.

MPR Partners assisted Precision for Medicine, part of Precision Medicine Group, in connection with the Romanian law aspects of its multimillion EUR value cross-border acquisition of Argint International.

Precision for Medicine supports life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patients more precisely and effectively. With more than 1,450 employees in 25 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe, Precision Medicine Group activates in fields from advanced lab sciences to translational informatics and clinical trial delivery.

Argint International is a contract research organization based in Budapest, Hungary, and it is currently managing studies across 25 countries and more than 600 investigational sites, including several large phase III programs, each involving between 50 and 130 sites. Argint International has a strong presence in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Serbia.

On this transaction, MPR Partners worked closely with the international law firm Bird & Bird, whose London office team coordinated the entire transaction. MPR Partners assisted with all the Romanian jurisdiction related aspects, including due diligence, drafting and negotiating the transaction documents, employment matters, as well as several post completion aspects.

”With another high-valued complex cross border transaction completed, we are glad to further consolidate our niche healthcare M&A position on the market. We are proud to have been selected by Bird & Bird as Romanian counsels and happy to have been part of this significant acquisition.” Dana Rădulescu, Partner of MPR Partners.

Partner Dana Rădulescu coordinated the team involved in the acquisition of Argint International, assisted by Senior Associate Daniel Alexie, Senior Associate Irina Radu and Associate Magda Grigore. Employment aspects were coordinated by Partner Alexandra Rîmbu.

MPR Partners is ranked in IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide 2019 for its M&A activity and noteworthy transactions. Founding Partner Gelu Maravela remains, such as last year, Highly regarded for his M&A expertise, especially in the Healthcare sector, having a very strong reputation on the market. We are proud to have clients commend us: “All services were at a high professional level.” – Regarding our banking, investment funds, M&A, project development, project finance and regulatory services; “Reliability, experience and trust. Mr Maravela impresses us with his knowledge and experience. He is very responsive, and is client, detail and goal-oriented. He is a proactive and confident lawyer, with substantial expertise and experience in M&A projects.” – Concerning our banking, M&A, project development and regulatory expertise.

Client portfolio ever-growing and complex mandates piling up, our consultancy team is currently on the lookout for an experienced colleague, knowledgeable in IT & telecom as well as data protection matters. Our talented and experienced new colleague should have a minimum of 3-5+ years of experience, since final Bar qualification (definitivat).

What we are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning team that is highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on professional and personal qualities;
• development of management skills.

What we are seeking:

• member of the Bar, with practical experience of 3-5+ years since final Bar qualification (definitivat), out of which at least 3-4 years with a medium/large law firm (>10 lawyers);
• thorough knowledge of IT & telecom, data protection and corporate matters is required; further experience in other areas of practice is a plus;
• full working proficiency in English (written and spoken) is an absolute must, including strong knowledge of legal English terms and terminology; fluency in a second foreign language is an advantage;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• patience and dedication to forming junior team members;
• LL.M or legal PhD and any other degrees in law awarded by a foreign university are a plus.

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com using the subject line: Senior Associate Advisory.

Only selected candidates will be contacted.

During an elegant Awards Gala organized by the leading business and financial newspaper and online portal Ziarul Financiar, MPR Partners received the award for the FMCG biggest and most important transaction (namely the sale of Betty Ice to Unilever), whilst being nominated for a second major FMCG transaction (the sale of Nordic Petfood to United Petfood) and for one of the largest transactions in the chemicals industry (Chimcomplex acquiring assets from Oltchim). Founding Partner Alina Popescu alongside Partner Dana Rădulescu and Partner Alexandra Rîmbu were on stage to receive the award.

MPR Partners’ specialists provided essential information concerning the Romanian provisions and context of Tax on inbound investment. The chapter is structured in valuable sections, detailing acquisitions (from the buyer’s perspective), post-acquisition planning, disposals (from the seller’s perspective) as well as trends concerning the topic. The Romanian chapter is part of the Tax on inbound investment 2019 Guide of Legoloxy – Getting the Deal Through. The Guide contains expert local insight (from 20 countries) into the regulation of taxation on inbound investments in unfamiliar jurisdictions, covering areas such as: Acquisitions – execution of acquisition, tax treatment of acquisitions, interest relief and deductibility, company mergers and share exchanges and net operating losses; Post-acquisition planning – post-acquisition restructuring, tax neutral spin-offs, interest and dividend payments, extraction of profits; Disposals – types of disposal, gains on disposal and avoiding or deferring the tax on a disposal gain. There is a compare tool available as well, allowing cross check through jurisdictions, available here.

For the second year in a row, MPR Partners is on the cover of the Legal Innovation Report. Distributed with The Times, the publication is packed with valuable information and insight. This year’s Legal Innovation Report is one of Raconteur’s strongest reports, both editorially and visually, according to its Lead Publisher. The report is available for download, here. Enjoy the read!

During an elegant Gala organized by the leading business and economic newspaper and online platform Ziarul Financiar, two of our major recent and successfully closed M&A transactions were recognized. It is the third year in a row that, during The Lawyers’ Gala, that we are awarded for our hard work. The recognized transactions were in the chemical and FMCG sectors, namely the acquisition of assets by Chimcomplex from Oltchim and respectively the acquisition of Nodfin Petfood by United Petfood. More information about the awards is available here.

Our internationally recognized and very busy dispute resolution practice’s team is searching for a senior colleague with 5+ years of experience.
Please send your resume and letter of intent to (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line: Senior – Litigation.
Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

We are looking for:

• advanced English (written and spoken) as well as strong knowledge of legal English;
• practical experience of minimum 5 years, ideally as part of a medium/large law firm;
• sound skills and experience in civil dispute resolution;
• strong experience in either of the following fields of litigation is a plus: administrative litigation, criminal law, public procurement, construction, IP, competition or tax;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies;
• patience and dedication to forming junior team members;
• LL.M or other law degrees awarded by a foreign university are a plus.

We are offering:

• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, highly appraised by clients (“best of all firms in jurisdictions I have worked with” is, for instance, an eloquent client quote);
• people oriented work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit;
• high profile global and local clients;
• interesting and engaging assignments;
• quick career advancement opportunities based on merit;
• development of management skills;
• a wealth of legal resources to browse;
• attendance to professional events and conferences;
• competitive financial package;
• a really nice, professional and sociable team to work with.
• elegant and modern office premises.

Once again, our Competition team coordinated by Founding Partner Alina Popescu contributed to a reputed Guide edited by Chambers and Partners, this time covering the major topic of Merger Control within the Romanian jurisdiction. The Merger Control guide provides expert legal commentary on the key issues for businesses with competition matters and covers the important developments in the most significant jurisdictions. Navigating a global merger control filing and approval process is a complex business, and it is only getting more complex every year. This work aims to cut through some of that complexity by providing the reader with a practical guide that covers 33 of the world’s leading merger control jurisdictions in a user-friendly question and answer format. The questions in this guide cover the key rules relevant for a merger control filing assessment, including: what kind of transactions have to be notified, what are the filing thresholds, what is the procedure and timeline for notification and approval, what are the substantive considerations of the authorities and what kind of enforcement record do the authorities have? The Romania chapter is available here and information on all jurisdictions can be found here.

The MPR Partners and Squire Patton Boggs LLP consortium was ranked first in the selection process carried out by the Romanian Ministry of Public Finance in order to contract assistance and representation in international investment arbitration performed according to UNCITRAL provisions.

Situated on the first place out of the total of six associations of firms selected to provide legal services, the consortium including MPR Partners benefits from the vast experience of its founding partners Gelu Maravela and Alina Popescu, involved throughout their careers in numerous ICSID and UNCITRAL investment arbitrations, such as for instance the first ICSID arbitration won by Romania, namely Noble Ventures, Inc. v. Romania (ICSID Case No. ARB/01/11) and the famous arbitration case Micula and others v. Romania (ICSID Case No. ARB/05/20).

Currently, the Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP and MPR Partners consortium represents the Romanian Ministry of Public Finance in the ICSID arbitration ARB|18|19, initiated by the claimants LSG Building Solutions GmbH (Austria), Pressburg UK GmbH (Germany), Green Source Consulting GmbH (Austria), Solluce Romania 1 BV (The Netherlands), Risen Energy Solar Project GmbH (Germany), Core Value Investments GmbH & Co KG Gamma (Germany), Core Value Capital GmbH (Austria), SC LJG Green Source Energy Beta S.R.L. (Romania), Anina Pro Invest Ltd (Cyprus) and Giust Ltd (Cyprus).

MPR Partners contributed for yet another edition to the Romania chapter of the State Aid 2019 Guide of Legoloxy – Getting the Deal Through. Founding Partner Alina Popescu and Associate Magda Grigore provided the comprehensive contribution for the Romania chapter of the guide, having as contributing editor Mr. Ulrich Soltész, of Gleiss Lutz . Published in July 2019 and currently at its sixth edition, State Aid aims to explain the effect of EU legislation and regulation surrounding state aid law in major European jurisdictions, providing readers with up-to-the-minute insight on the strategic considerations and best practices for successful state aid applications and competitions. Topics include: national legislation implementing European state aid rules, approval and disapproval rules for state aid programs, information regarding the relevant bodies granting aid and receiving aid applications, national authorities monitoring and enforcing compliance, dispute resolution surrounding illegal and incompatible aid, and much more. The guide is a result of working with many of the best lawyers and law firms in the world to bring together a unique legal information resource, written by experts on each subject area, in every significant jurisdiction. The complete (15 jurisdictions) State Aid publication is available here and the Romania chapter can be accessed here.

It is the third year in a row that our arbitration professionals, coordinated by Founding Partner Alina Popescu, provide the latest provisions and news for the Romanian chapter of the Commercial Arbitration guide of Global Arbitration Review (GAR). GAR know-how provides reliable cross-jurisdictional insight to help cement the building blocks of international practice. Select experienced practitioners answer commonly asked questions for key jurisdictions so allowing readers to be better-placed to solve the challenges of their working days. The Romanian chapter is available here and all jurisdictions are online here.

Our Competition specialists coordinated by Founding Partner Alina Popescu are happy to have contributed to this year’s Romanian jurisdiction related Law and Practice section of Chambers and Partners’ Cartels Global Practice Guide, providing expert legal commentary on the key issues for businesses with competition matters. Covering over 25 major jurisdictions, the guide highlights the important developments in the most significant jurisdictions and is intended as a broad, first-level, survey of principles and practices in a substantial number of jurisdictions. Its scope will also help underscore the fact that effective competition law compliance programs are an essential element of risk management and client education (as well as having potentially salutary effects in affecting the sanctions imposed when companies and individuals find themselves under scrutiny). The Romanian chapter is available here and information on all jurisdictions can be found here.

MPR Partners is listed amongst the top business law firms within the ranking tables of “Economy’s biggest players” Guide, edited by Ziarul Financiar, the most important business and financial newspaper in Romania. The list contains reputed names within the legal landscape, detailing the size of the team and significant recent transactions. The Guide contains numerous insights, articles and ranking tables regarding various sectors of the economy in Romania. The online version of the “Economy’s biggest players” Guide is available here.

Using the digital environment for work related activities entails risks that are enhanced by the continuous digitisation of the society. Such risks include an increase in the number of cyberattacks that can lead to security breaches, including personal data breaches. Therefore, it is important for companies to make sure that the risks mentioned above are contained and minimized. To this end, our technology and data protection specialists have released a comprehensive article on the subject, available in full here.

Though not more than two years have passed since the Directive on security of network and information systems (NIS Directive) had to be transposed by the Member States into their national legislation, the European Commission has announced, early this year, its intention to review the NIS Directive. The initiative comes earlier than planned, due to the fact that there is a dire need to “further strengthen overall cybersecurity in the Union”. The complete article is available here.

This fall, three longstanding attorneys of the firm, namely Daniel Alexie, Anca Băițan and Diana Borcean, stepped up in the MPR Partners hierarchy.

Daniel Alexie was promoted to Managing Associate. Daniel is member of the firm’s consultancy department since 2016. His practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, technology, data protection and consumer protection matters. Amongst the top clients successfully assisted by Daniel there is one of the world leaders in sports equipment manufacturing (Amer Sports Group, holding amongst others the Salomon brand), the German international automotive supplier Eberspächer, the major European airlines Air France and KLM, the American telecom, internet and TV group Liberty Global as well as a global company with Dutch origins, important ships manufacturer Alewijnse.

Anca Băițan was equally promoted to Managing Associate. Anca is a member of the firm’s dispute resolution department since 2016. Her practice encompasses a wide spectrum of commercial and administrative disputes as well as insolvency, restructuring and bankruptcy files. Amongst Anca’s successfully assisted clients we mention Autotehnica Fleet Services, operating the Hertz brand, Teamnet, one of the biggest IT systems integrators in the region, Astra Holding, an important German investment group, a European chain of discount concept supermarkets and Mitcham Industries, a global company active in the seismic equipment sector.

Diana Borcean was promoted to Senior Associate and she is a member of the firm’s consultancy department since 2018. Diana’s activity covers commercial and contracts, real estate and construction, corporate law and data protection. Amongst the clients assisted we mention B Braun Avitum, global healthcare company, Alpha Parking, part of the Belgian group Interparking – European leader in the development and operation of parkings, CTE Trailers, major specialized vehicles distributor and Arinvest, a Romanian investment group.

“Ever since the firm as founded we stayed true to our policy according to which results and had work are rewarded. Furthermore, flawless integration within the firm with regards to the team as well as assimilation of the firm´s values represent highly important criteria in terms of evolution and progress within the firm. Congratulations and appreciation to our colleagues for the results achieved and for their beautiful path so far.” Gelu Maravela, Founding Partner.

“We truly have a wonderful team and the dedication and professionalism shown in the current context have really impressed us. We are thrilled that in these difficult times we have managed not only to keep our entire team (in terms of number of members and fees) but even more to welcome new colleagues and promote three of our senior team members. Congratulations to those promoted at this point. We are closely and eagerly monitoring the developments in order to further promote more of our professional team members”. Alina Popescu, Founding Partner

MPR Partners assisted J. Christof E&P Services S.R.L. and Christof Private Firefighting Services S.R.L. (owned by Christof Industries Global) with the notification to Romanian and Serbian competition authorities of the economic concentration arisen from the externalization by OMV Petrom S.A. of several operations and general surface services, ancillary to extraction and production of petroleum as well as natural gas, together with the relevant assets and dedicated staff.

The outsourcing concerns surface and transport services, operation and minor maintenance, firefighting and ambulance services, field operation services, treatment facilities operation services for five lots throughout Romania. The consortium composed of J. Christof E&P Services S.R.L. and Christof Private Firefighting Services S.R.L. has been awarded two of the auctioned lots.

The merger control notifications were successful, the competition authorities from both Romania and Serbia concluding that this operation does not raise significant competition obstacles in neither of the two respective jurisdictions.

For this matter, MPR Partners allocated a team of competition specialized lawyers, coordinated by Founding Partner Alina Popescu. Senior Associate Magda Grigore and Associates Oana Săvulescu and Andreea Bădiceanu were equally part of the team. The assistance provided included the relevant competition assessments and related strategy, drafting and submitting the notification to the Romanian Competition Council, selecting the Serbian counsel and reviewing the notification submitted to the Serbian competition authority.

D&B David and Baias law firm equally assisted J. Christof E&P Services S.R.L. and Christof Private Firefighting Services S.R.L. regarding the notification submitted in Romania.
Karanovic & Partners law firm provided local assistance in Serbia with regard to the notification formalities.

MPR Partners announces with great pleasure and pride its attendance to GoTech World Online 2020, which has taken place on November 11 and 12, 2020. It was the biggest technology event and business hub of the year in the CEE region. Alongside key representatives of major global companies (such as Amazon, FedEx, Huawei, IBM, PwC and McAfee, just to name a few), Managing Associate Daniel Alexie and Senior Privacy and Technology Consultant Cristina Crețu hosted a presentation on the Cybersecurity Stage about how to keep your data safe in the new digital employment environment. The presentation was a success and, due to the interactive format, the speakers were able to answer live questions from the attendees. For networking purposes, MPR Partners has a state-of-the art 3D booth, in order to warmly welcome online visitors and replicate as much as possible the context of a real event. Further details about are available on the event’s website (direct link here).

MPR Partners has been selected out of over 600 applicants as a member of the National Council for Digital Transformation, consultative body aiming to link civil society and the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania (ADR) with regards to Romania´s digital transformation.

ADR is the state authority holding the main role in Romania´s digital transformation, which will be handling amongst others the implementation of digital flows in the respective activities of Romanian public institutions.

The National Council for Digital Transformation (CNTD) was conceived as a digital agora purported to contribute to Romania´s technological, economic and social development. CNTD´s activity is meant to support and facilitate ADR´s activity in order to achieve its goals. CNTD shall be organized in themed work groups, currently encompassing Interoperability, Governmental Cloud, Electronic identity, Digital transformation, AI and Big data, Digital abilities and Electronic invoicing. CNTD´s launch event took place at the end of October.

„We are thrilled to be part of CNTD and we look forward to actively contribute to the achievement of its long awaited and much needed goals, which should greatly benefit not only the Romanian public sector, but also individuals and businesses present in Romania.¨ declared Alina Popescu, Founding Partner of MPR Partners.

The MPR Partners dedicated team to be involved in CNTD´s activities shall be led by Alina Popescu, Founding Partner of the firm and head of the technology law practice group, alongside Cristina Crețu, Senior Privacy and Technology Consultant and co-head of the firm’s telecommunications and data privacy practice groups. The team shall include attorneys specialising in all relevant practice areas, such as technology and telecommunications law, intellectual property, data privacy, administrative law, etc. Daniel Alexie, Managing Associate, Flavia Ștefura, Senior Associate and Laura Dinu, Associate will handle the day-to-day management of the relevant matters.

Further details about ADR and CNTD are available at https://www.adr.gov.ro/

Data breach notifications were firstly introduced in 2009 by means of amendments to the E-Privacy Directive, where such data breaches occurred in connection with the provision of publicly available electronic communications service. Further on, GDPR extended data breach notification obligation to all industries. The initial scope was to have a single notification regime, as E-Privacy Directive was intended to be replaced by E-Privacy Regulation, when GDPR became applicable. Since E-Privacy Regulation has a long way until entering into force, an electronic communications provider has difficulties in navigating through two regulatory regimes when it comes to data breach notifications. The complete article, courtesy of our data privacy practice, is available here.

After two stages of public consultations in which the grid connection operators became intensively involved, the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (“ANRE”) adopted new rules for connection to the power grid. To this end, our energy specialist released a comprehensive article, which you may find in full here.

MPR Partners was retained to provide legal assistance to the Belgian group Interparking in the acquisition of a parking in Bucharest, in the context of the client’s business expansion in Romania.
Interparking Group is present in 9 countries and over 360 cities, currently owning 783 units with over 360,000 parking spots at European level. In Romania, Interparking currently owns 5 parkings, out of which 4 are located in Bucharest (in the areas Piața Obor, Intercontinental, Piața Universității and Pipera) and one is in Timișoara. The said parkings provide over 2,500 parking spots. Interparking Group acquired the Bucur Obor Parking from Parcaj Subteran Bucur Obor S.R.L.
MPR Partners’ team was coordinated by Partner Dana Rădulescu and provided assistance with regards to due diligence, the transaction documents’ negotiation and drafting. Senior Associate Daniel Alexie and Associate Diana Borcean were equally part of the team.

“This is the second successfully concluded transaction of this nature that we have handled for our Client. Its business expansion plans do not stop at this point, as we were equally stating last year, right after the acquisition of the Timișoara Parking. This project, that post-acquisition consists in the modernizing of the parking site, contributed to an elegant, mandatory and civilized fix of the parking slots situation in Bucharest.” stated Dana Rădulescu, Partner of MPR Partners.

MPR Partners’ professional team is thrilled to have contributed to another issue of AmCham Romania’s Guidelines: Process Design and Implementation of Anti-corruption Risk Control and Management System. The new edition is part of the AmCham agenda to promote ethics and integrity in business and the fight against corruption in the public and private sectors alike. The Guidelines on Process Design & Implementation of an Anti-Corruption Risk Control Management Systems is applicable to businesses irrespective of turnover and industry. The Guidelines are available on AmCham Romania’s website (Romanian an English versions) here.

MPR Partners is delighted to announce that Founding Partner Alina Popescu, has been shortlisted at The Lawyer European Awards 2021, in the ‘European managing partner of the year’ category. Judges of The Lawyer European Awards 2021 stated: ¨In particular this MP stands out in finding new opportunities in times of potential adversity; seeing the next levels of strategic importance and attracting talent to deliver on that. Here we have someone running ahead and taking the rest of the firm along. Great leadership instead of just keeping the boat afloat¨. Alina commented: “It has been a very challenging year and we have all worked extremely hard to make sure that both our team and our business thrived during the pandemics. Making our London office become reality from a bold idea a few months back represents a major achievement. And this is just the first out of a series of brand growth and business development moves planned. Needless to say that this accolade is not only mine but the entire team’s and we are honoured and thrilled to be shortlisted for such a major award.” The complete shortlist is available here. This year’s ceremony will be held virtually on Wednesday, 1 December at 2pm GMT, which can be viewed via the link here.

MPR Partners successfully assisted Aegean Airlines in becoming the majority shareholder of Animawings, a Romanian leisure operator.
The acquiring of the majority shareholding was accomplished in two successful stages, one in early 2020 (25% of shares), by share transfer and the latest just recently (26% of shares), by a share capital increase. Aegean Airlines currently owns 51% of Animawings.
Assistance provided included overall assessment of the endeavour, conducting complex due diligence, advice in establishing the majority shareholding acquisition legal strategy, drafting and revising the transaction documents based on various scenarios, conducting negotiations involving Animawings’ second shareholder, MCP Holding, as well as in implementing the client’s call option to acquire the majority shareholding.
The matter was complex as the airline sector possesses numerous particularities and nuances, which require specialised assistance, furthermore being a niche, highly regulated sector.
MPR Partners’ team was coordinated by Founding Partner Alina Popescu and Partner Dana Rădulescu and consisted of Managing Associate Daniel Alexie, Senior Associate Diana Borcean and Associates Oana Săvulescu and Sonia Benga.
Further information about this transaction is available on Animawings’ official website at https://animawings.com/en/press-media-gallery

MPR Partners are proud to announce our membership to Romania Wind Energy Association (RWEA). RWEA is actively involved in the national and international policy and the dialogue on regulations, communication, research and analysis regarding the extension of renewable energy sources, being the voice of energy transition and the wind energy industry in Romania. RWEA’s member companies currently represent 2700 MW of Romania’s 3000 MW installed wind power. We are committed to actively contribute to RWEA’s goal and pave the way for a sustainable transformation of the Romanian energy system. More information about the association is available here: https://rwea.ro/en/news/

MPR Partners is proud to sponsor an event organized by the Association for the Victims of Sexual Crimes, in partnership with the High Institute for Magistrates. The event takes place between October 26, 2021 an October 29, 2021 and it is an intensive program regarding the evaluation of the validity of sexual abuse depositions of children. The event benefits of the presence of two German specialists, alongside Romanian professionals. The program is dedicated to prosecutors and psychologists and it is a wonderful initiative, seen that in Romania, currently, more than 85% of sexual abuse depositions from children are dismissed due to lack of evidence, before even reaching a prosecutor. More information is available here.

MPR Partners’s founding partners have been awarded anew in this year’s edition of the prestigious Lexology Client Choice Awards.
Established in 2005, Client Choice Awards recognize those law firms and partners around the world that stand apart for the excellent client care they provide and the quality of their service. The criteria for this recognition focus on an ability to add real value to clients’ business above and beyond the other players in the market.
Unlike other awards, you can be nominated for the Client Choice Awards programme only by corporate counsel.
Alina Popescu was designated again as the exclusive winner of the Competition & Antitrust category for Romania. Alina was praised by her clients for providing comprehensive and best analysis, for offering excellent customer care and tailored advice as well as for her responsiveness.
Gelu Maravela was recognized once more as the exclusive winner of the M&A category for Romania. He was praised by his clients for his ability to develop close and efficient working relationships, being known on the market for his expertise and great project management skills even in the most complex cross-border matters.
The two founding partners have been equally awarded last year in the same categories, during the Client Choice 2020 Awards.
Further information about this year’s awards can be found at https://www.lexology.com/clientchoice

During a Gala organized by Entrepreneur Club publication MPR Partners was awarded for the expansion endeavours undertaken recently. Founding Partner Alina Popescu was interviewed by the said publication with regards to the opening of the London Office and the reasoning behind it, differences between the Romanian and British legal systems and other interesting aspects pertaining to current context and business potential. The complete interview (in Romanian) is available here.

Founding Partner Gelu Maravela recently authored an article which was originally published in Thomson Reuters’ Regulatory Intelligence, with regards to the European Banking Authority’s new Anti-Money Laundering provisions. Developments in technology, together with globalisation, have been accompanied by the proliferation of certain types of misconduct, with instances of fraud sometimes appearing to increase on a daily basis. In an effort to improve competent authorities’ and financial sector operators’ understanding of the anti-money laundering (AML) regulatory framework, on August 2 the European Banking Authority (EBA) launched a public consultation paper on draft guidelines regarding the policies and procedures in relation to compliance management, and the role and responsibilities of the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance officer under Article 8 and Chapter VI of Directive (EU) 2015/849 (the guidelines). The complete article, initially published By Thomson Reuters is available here or, directly on Thomson Reuters’ website here.

In addition to existing tax facilities such as the non-taxation of distributed dividends or of capital gains, as well as the tax grouping for VAT purposes, the newly implemented fiscal unity system contributes to the Romanian tax jurisdiction becoming increasingly appealing for holdings and groups of companies facing various development stages and profitability. The complete article of our professionals is available in full here.

Between groundbreaking technology matters, major M&A deals, real estate & infrastructure projects, pharma & healthcare mandates, day-to-day corporate assistance and so on, our consultancy department needs more hands and brains to help us continue to provide top-quality advice to our major international and local clients. We consequently have three openings for year 1 junior lawyers, who are eager to learn and jumpstart their business law careers.

Who we are:

• independent business law firm with offices in London and Bucharest;
• recipients of Highly Commended (Runner-up) European Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer European Awards 2018 accolade; Eastern Europe and the Balkans Law Firm of the Year award, at The Lawyer European Awards 2018; Romania Law Firm of the Year award, at The Lawyer European Awards 2017;
• Recipients of two Lexology Client Choice Awards awarded by in-house counsels for excellence of service and outstanding client care;
• professional legal, tax and insolvency services provider with practice areas ranked by the most reputed international legal directories (such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers International, etc);
• proud holder of an impressive portfolio of major global clients (important names in numerous sectors such as technology, air transport, automotive, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, energy, telecommunications, financial services, and many more);
• constant contributor to reputed international publications and professional platforms (such as The World Bank Group, Thomson Reuters, International Comparative Legal Guides, Lexology – Getting the Deal Through, Sweet and Maxwell, etc.).

What we are seeking:

• proficiency in English (written and spoken), including strong knowledge of legal English is an absolute must;
• LL.M and any other degrees in law or economics (ideally awarded by a foreign university) are a plus;
• previous internships or experience in a firm ranked by major directories constitutes an advantage;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies and high standards.

What we are offering:

• attractive remuneration package;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on both professional and personal qualities;
• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, repeatedly praised by its clients for the services provided and impeccable approach to matters;
• continuous education opportunities (through attendance to professional events and courses, drafting of articles and consequent publication thereof, through the firm’s media channels and partners);
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit.

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject line Junior.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Our corporate-commercial client portfolio has exponentially increased, so we consequently have one opening for a highly qualified lawyer with 2 to 5 years of experience in corporate and commercial matters, including contract review and negotiation. Experience in other consultancy practice areas is not a must but is definitely welcome.

Who we are:

• independent business law firm with offices in London and Bucharest;
• recipients of Highly Commended (Runner-up) European Law Firm of the Year accolade at The Lawyer European Awards 2018; Eastern Europe and the Balkans Law Firm of the Year award, at The Lawyer European Awards 2018; Romania Law Firm of the Year award, at The Lawyer European Awards 2017;
• Recipients of two 2020 Lexology Client Choice Awards awarded by in-house counsels for excellence of service and outstanding client care;
• professional legal, tax and insolvency services provider with practice areas ranked by the most reputed international legal directories (such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers International, etc);
• proud holder of an impressive portfolio of major global clients (important names in numerous sectors such as technology, air transport, automotive, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, energy, telecommunications, financial services, and many more);
• constant contributor to reputed international publications and professional platforms (such as The World Bank Group, Thomson Reuters, International Comparative Legal Guides, Lexology – Getting the Deal Through, Sweet and Maxwell, etc.).

What we are seeking:

• proficiency in English (written and spoken), including strong knowledge of legal English is an absolute must;
• LL.M and any other degrees in law or economics (ideally awarded by a foreign university) are a plus;
• previous experience in a firm ranked by major directories constitutes an advantage;
• openness to continuous professional training, team spirit and adaptability to firm`s policies and high standards.

What we are offering:

• market level remuneration package plus benefits;
• high profile clients and assignments;
• career advancement opportunities based on both professional and personal qualities;
• the opportunity to work with an award-winning highly professional team, repeatedly praised by its clients for the services provided and impeccable approach to matters;
• continuous education opportunities (through attendance to professional events and courses, drafting of articles and consequent publication thereof, through the firm’s media channels and partners);
• work environment centred on strong ethics, integrity and team spirit.

Please send your resume and letter of intent (explaining why you chose to be part of our team and what motivates you in your legal career) to office@mprpartners.com. Please use the subject Corporate.

Due to high number of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted for interviews.

This year three of MPR Partners ‘ specialists have been designated winners during the prestigious Lexology Client Choice Awards. Hence, congratulations for the awards received by Founding Partner Gelu Maravela (#mergersandacquisitions in Romania, third year in a row), Partner Anca Băițan (#Restructuring & #Insolvency in Romania ) and Senior #Privacy and #Technology Consultant Cristina Crețu (Telecoms & Media in Romania).
ClientChoice is different from every other award in that it receives nominations from clients, with no involvement from the law firms during the process. This year there were over 2,500 nominations received, according to Lexology officials and, since our team members were designated winners, they added that this represents a testament to the services provided to clients. Further information about Client Choice awards is available at https://www.lexology.com/clientchoice
Gelu Maravela has over 20 years of experience in the legal profession, being ranked amongst the most prominent lawyers in Romania. Throughout his practice, Gelu has been lead counsel in a large number of high value projects and has worked for an outstanding number of high profile corporations doing business in Romania as well as for many public authorities, being praised for his results-driven, business-oriented approach, negotiation skills and multi-angled strategic thinking, which have paid striking results in some of the most sensitive and/or sub-leveraged matters. Gelu holds a wide ranging expertise in mergers & acquisitions, having been involved in some of the largest deals closed in Romania, including privatizations and all forms of private dealings in the field.
Anca Băițan is a key member of the Restructuring & Insolvency team. She is also well-versed in representing clients in litigation and arbitrations. She represents companies from various key industry sectors before relevant institutions such as courts of law, arbitral tribunals, central and local authorities, etc. Anca’s expertise equally extends to insolvency matters, as she handles for both creditors and debtors a wide range of services including debt recovery, insolvency procedures, representation before courts, elaborating the strategy for the commencement of the insolvency procedure and through the reorganization procedure, etc.
Cristina Cretu has over 16 years of experience in the TMT sector. She has worked with the Romanian telecom regulatory authority (ANCOM), has been a regulatory expert with Deutsche Telekom’s Romanian subsidiary as well as a regulatory manager and data protection officer with Liberty Global in Romania, and is now a Senior Technology and Data Protection Consultant with MPR Partners’ Bucharest and London offices. Cristina is also a Vice Chair of the AmChams Data Protection Task Force, she co-heads the firm’s task force on the Romanian National Council for Digital Transformation and is part of the European Data Protection Board “Support Pool of Experts” List.

MPR Partners is a proud partner of this year’s Global Forum, hosted by The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Romania. Taking place in Cluj-Napoca, Forum 2022 will bring together international leaders from 130 countries and territories to plan the future growth of the Award worldwide. Founding Partners Gelu Maravela and Alina Popescu stated: “We decided to be a part of this phenomenon inspired by the spectacular history of the program, by the way it changes pathways at a global level and equally by the people behind it, who make everything possible. We are glad to contribute and join the people who build the future with the help of today’s non-formal education. Young people need support, shaping and encouragement in order to discover their passions, irrespective of their economic and cultural environment or their ease of accessing resources.” During the Forum, the theme “Support Infinite Potential” will discuss challenges affecting young people today, how the Award can help and how to reach all young people between the ages of 14-24 years, giving them access to the Award to positively impact themselves and their communities. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award champions non-formal education which focuses on developing the wider ‘soft’ – or life – skills that help young people ensure they are ready for the world. When paired with a formal education, it provides a fantastic foundation for a young person to thrive. Further information about the wonderful Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is available here: https://dofe.ro/en/

There is a new legislative project to be adopted at European Union level, namely the Proposal for a Council Regulation on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. The Proposal comes in the context of the energy crisis caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and aims to tackle the rising energy prices by a series of temporary measures adopted at the European Union level. Our professionals analysed the main actions to be implemented according to the Proposal. The complete article is available here.

Founding Partner Gelu Maravela has been ranked in IFLR1000’s 31st edition of Leading Lawyers as Highly Regarded for his M&A expertise, and recognized for his activity in the Healthcare sector. It is the fifth year in a row that he has been bestowed with the ranking. The firm continues to be recognized in IFLR1000’s M&A rankings, alongside other important names on the market. The IFLR1000 has been producing legal market intelligence since 1990 and remains the only international legal directory dedicated to ranking law firms and lawyers on the basis of financial and corporate transactional work.

Romania has recently launched a State aid scheme for the purpose of encouraging investments in the manufacturing industry, with view, on the one hand, to overcome current extensive labour shortages and the diminished trade flows to and from Ukraine caused by the armed conflict therein, and, on the other hand, to facilitate access to new international markets. In this respect, our competition professionals released an article, available in full here.

On July 26^th, 2022, Law no. 265/2022 regarding the Trade Registry and for amending and supplementing certain legal enactments impacting the registration in the Trade Registry has been published in the Official Gazette of Romania (“Law 265/2022”). The new legislation will enter into force on November 26, 2022. In the sections below, we will present the main novelties and amendments brought by Law 265/2022. The complete article is available here.

On August 4^th, 2022, Ordinance no. 18/2022 on the authorization and functioning of representative offices of foreign companies and economic organizations in Romania (“GO 18/2022”) adopted by the Romanian Government has been published in the Official Gazette. GO 18/2022 represents the first change of Romanian legislation on representative offices adopted since 1990, thus bringing much needed updates in the field, including as regards the means by which the procedure will be undertaken, namely via a digital platform. Registering a Romanian representative office implies the payment of an authorization tax amounting to EUR 1,000 per year. The complete article is available here.

MPR Partners assisted V-Ridium in the recent acquisition of a 45 MWp solar park, located in Giurgiu County, Romania, which is part of the expansion strategy of the Portuguese listed energy company GreenVolt.

MPR Partners provided assistance throughout all stages of the project, including a complex due diligence, the bidding process, the structure of the transaction, the mark-up and negotiation of the transaction documents and all other M&A aspects. Our involvement also included assistance and advice related to the acquisition finance and refinancing of the project on the borrower side.
The dedicated team, which provided corporate, M&A, regulatory, energy, financing, real estate and permitting assistance was coordinated by Partner Dana Rădulescu and consisted of Partner Daniel Alexie, Senior Associates, Diana Borcean and Flavia Ștefura and Associates Oana Săvulescu and Sonia Benga. Founding Partner Alina Popescu coordinated all antitrust and foreign direct investment work pertaining to the deal.

Consistent research and involvement from all of our team members have led to a useful product that we are proud to put at your disposal. Key aspects about investing in Romania is an overview of some of the aspects we think of importance when considering expanding your business and/or starting fresh in Romania. Detailing Romania’s positioning, alliances, economic growth, tax incentives, real estate as well as things to improve (just to name a few), the guide offers a starting point to making a first consistent impression with regards to the business landscape. The guide is available for online reading on our London office’s website here and on the top right corner of the same page, a full guide download option is available.

MPR Partners’ Dispute resolution department is ranked anew by the reputed Chambers and Partners in the Europe 2022 edition. Researchers concluded that “MPR Partners offers a dispute resolution practice that represents clients in a number of disputes before Romanian courts and international arbitration tribunals. The law firm is experienced advising on bankruptcy proceedings and employment disputes, as well as on contentious mandates relating to administrative and public procurement matters. The team also offers expertise in transactional and real estate disputes, and has additional skills in pre-litigation and settlement procedures. Notable practitioners: Gelu Maravela is a key contact within the department.” This year’s rankings are available here.