2023 CEE Deals of the Year Shortlists
The shortlists for the 2023 CEE Deals of the Year are listed below in no particular order. There are more than three shortlisted deals in cases where there was a tie in the votes scores of several deals.
Austria:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Bauer Media Group's Merger of OCP Business with Netrisk Group |
Netrisk Group: Havel & Partners; Latham & Watkins; Szecskay; WKB Lawyers
Bauer Media Group: Cobalt; Freshfields, Bruckhaus Deringer; Oppenheim, Wardynski & Partners
|
|
Brookfield and Digital Bridge’s Acquisition of GD Towers from Deutsche Telekom |
Digital Bridge (buyer): Allen & Overy; Dorda; Morgan Lewis
Brookfield (buyer): Dorda; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Deutsche Telekom (seller): CMS; Cuatrecasas; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Gleiss Lutz; Noerr; Schoenherr
GIP, KKR, and Stonepeak (bidding consortium): E+H; Latham and Watkins |
|
Rhone Capital's Public Cash Offer for up to 29.9% of RHI Magnesita Share Capital |
Rhone Capital (buyer): Schoenherr; Sullivan & Cromwell |
|
Telekom Austria's Towers Business Demerger and Listing |
Telekom Austria (issuer): CMS
Citigroup (underwriter): Clifford Chance; Dorda |
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
BIMAL’s Acquisition of Sunce Oil Factory from INVEJ |
BIMAL (buyer): Ibrahimovic & Co
INVEJ (seller): Zdravkovic and Partners |
|
Fortenova’s Refinancing |
Fortenova Grupa (borrower): Kirkland & Ellis; Maric & Co.; Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners
|
N/A |
Mercator’s and Konzum’s Merger |
Fortenova Grupa (Mercator and Konzum owner): Maric & Co |
N/A |
Bulgaria
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Cineworld Group's Restructuring |
Acasta Partners UK, AlbaCore Capital LLP (UK), Anchorage Capital Group, L.L.C (NY, US), Antara Capital LP (NY, US), Bain Capital Credit, LP (MA, US), Bardin Hill Investment Partners LP (NY, US), Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. (NY, US), Blackstone Alternative Credit Advisors LP (NY, US), Blantyre Capital Limited (UK), Caius Capital LLP (UK), Carlyle Investment Management LLC (DC, US), CIFC Asset Management LLC (NY, US), Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC (NY, US), Cross Ocean Partners Management LP (CT, US), Cyrus Capital Partners, L.P. (NY, US), Eaton Vance Management (MA, NY), Fidelity Management & Research Company, LLC (MA, NY), First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC (IL, NY), Hayfin Capital Management LLP (UK), Highbridge Capital Management, LLC (NY, US), HPS Investment Partners, LLC (NY, US), Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (IL, US), J.P. Morgan Asset Management (UK) Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities PLC; JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. London Branch, Marathon Asset Management, LP (NY, US), Mariner Investment Group, LLC (NY, US), Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (NC, US), Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (NY, US), Sand Grove Capital Management LLP (UK), Sixth Street Partners, LLC (CA, US), Solus Alternative Asset Management LP (NJ, US), Sound Point Capital Management, LP (NY, US), System 2 Capital LLP (UK), Wellington Management Company LLP (MA, US), Whitebox Advisors LLC (MN, US) (lenders): Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Andersen Tax & Legal Matyka; Arnold & Porter; CLS Cavojsky & Partners; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Rutland & Partners; Kamburov & Partners; Lipa Meir & Co.; Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones; Senica & Partners; Szabo Kelemen & Partners Andersen Attorneys; Taxture Global; Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii; Weil, Gotshal & Manges |
N/A |
Eurobank Bulgaria's Acquisition of BNP Paribas Personal Finance Bulgaria |
Eurobank Bulgaria (buyer): Deloitte Legal; Boyanov & Co
BNP Paribas Personal Finance (seller): Allen & Overy Shearman; Wolf Theiss |
|
TAWAL's EUR 1.2 Billion Acquisition of United Group's CEE Tower Assets |
TAWAL (buyer): Kinstellar; ODI Law |
Croatia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Croatia's EUR 1.85 Billion Bond Issuance |
Republic of Croatia (issuer): No legal counsel |
|
Studenac's Acquisition of Five Retailors in Croatia |
Studenac (buyer): Savoric & Partners |
|
TAWAL's EUR 1.2 Billion Acquisition of United Group's CEE Tower Assets |
TAWAL (buyer): Kinstellar; ODI Law |
|
Yildirim Group's Acquisition of Petrokemija from PPD and INA |
Yildirim Group (buyer): CMS |
Czech Republic:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Carlyle's Acquisition of Meopta |
Carlyle (buyer): Latham & Watkins; Linklaters; White & Case
Electron Capital Partners (co-investor): JSK |
|
Carlyle's Acquisition of Tescan Orsay Holding |
Carlyle (buyer): White & Case |
|
Ceska Sporitelna's Acquisition of Sberbank CZ's Assets |
Ceska Sporitelna (buyer): Skils |
|
J&T Agriculture and Ecology's Acquisition of Spearhead Companies |
J&T Agriculture and Ecology (buyer): Kocian Solc Balastik; Travers Smith; ViaLegalis |
Estonia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
AS Maag Grupp's Acquisition of HKScan' Baltic Business |
AS Maag Grupp (buyer): Ellex Raidla |
|
Eesti Gaas's Acquisition of Gaso from Latvijas Gaze |
Eesti Gaas (buyer): Ellex |
|
Hawesko Holding's Acquisition of 50% Holding in Dunker Group |
Hawesko Holding (buyer): Oppenhoff; TGS Baltic |
|
HellermannTyton's Acquisition of Hoehle from Lagrotte and Osauhing Net Systems Group |
HellermannTyton (buyer): Cobalt |
Greece:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Financing of 840 MW CCGT Power Plant in Alexandroupolis- Greece |
Alexandroupolis Power Production (borrower): Potamitis Vekris
Public Power Corporation (one of the sponsors – majority shareholder of the borrower): Lambadarios DEPA Commercial (one of the sponsors – minority shareholder of the borrower): KBVL Law Firm (member of Deloitte legal) |
|
Grimaldi Euromed, Minoan Lines, and EKEV Consortium’s Acquisition of Majority Stake in Port of Igoumenitsa Authority |
Grimaldi Euromed, Minoan Lines, and EKEV Consortium (buyer): Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm
Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (seller): AKL Law Firm; Dracopoulos & Vassalakis; Your Legal Partners |
N/A |
Public Power Corporation’s Acquisition of Enel Group’s Romanian Assets |
Public Power Corporation (buyer): Legance; Milbank; PwC Legal (D&B David si Baias
Enel Group (seller): Clifford Chance |
Hungary:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
4iG and Corvinus's Acquisition of Vodafone Hungary |
4iG (buyer): CMS |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/hungary/22181-cms-advises-4ig-on-vodafone-hungary-acquisition |
Cineworld Group's Restructuring |
Acasta Partners UK, AlbaCore Capital LLP (UK), Anchorage Capital Group, L.L.C (NY, US), Antara Capital LP (NY, US), Bain Capital Credit, LP (MA, US), Bardin Hill Investment Partners LP (NY, US), Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. (NY, US), Blackstone Alternative Credit Advisors LP (NY, US), Blantyre Capital Limited (UK), Caius Capital LLP (UK), Carlyle Investment Management LLC (DC, US), CIFC Asset Management LLC (NY, US), Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC (NY, US), Cross Ocean Partners Management LP (CT, US), Cyrus Capital Partners, L.P. (NY, US), Eaton Vance Management (MA, NY), Fidelity Management & Research Company, LLC (MA, NY), First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC (IL, NY), Hayfin Capital Management LLP (UK), Highbridge Capital Management, LLC (NY, US), HPS Investment Partners, LLC (NY, US), Invesco Senior Secured Management, Inc. (IL, US), J.P. Morgan Asset Management (UK) Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities PLC; JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. London Branch, Marathon Asset Management, LP (NY, US), Mariner Investment Group, LLC (NY, US), Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (NC, US), Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (NY, US), Sand Grove Capital Management LLP (UK), Sixth Street Partners, LLC (CA, US), Solus Alternative Asset Management LP (NJ, US), Sound Point Capital Management, LP (NY, US), System 2 Capital LLP (UK), Wellington Management Company LLP (MA, US), Whitebox Advisors LLC (MN, US) (lenders): Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Andersen Tax & Legal Matyka; Arnold & Porter; CLS Cavojsky & Partners; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath Rutland & Partners; Kamburov & Partners; Lipa Meir & Co.; Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones; Senica & Partners; Szabo Kelemen & Partners Andersen Attorneys; Taxture Global; Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii; Weil, Gotshal & Manges |
N/A |
Cofidis' Acquisition of Magyar Cetelem Bank from BNP Paribas Personal Finance Group |
Cofidis (buyer): De Pardieu Brocas Maffei; Kinstellar |
N/A |
Orlen Unipetrol's Acquisition of MOL Fuel Stations in Hungary |
Orlen Unipetrol (buyer): Baker McKenzie |
N/A |
Kosovo:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Inspera’s Acquisition of Crossplag from Shkolla Finlandeze |
Inspera (buyer): Pallaska and Associates
Shkoila Finlandeze (seller): RPHS Law |
|
Puratos NV’s Joint Partnership with Korabi Corporation |
Puratos NV: RPHS Law
Korabi Corporation: Law Firm Sejdiu and Qerkini |
Latvia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
BaltCap's Acquisition of HansaMatrix |
BaltCap Private Equity Fund III (buyer): Cobalt |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/latvia/23572-Cobalt-advises-baltcap-on-acquisition-of-hansamatrix |
Eesti Gaas's Acquisition of Gaso from Latvijas Gaze |
Eesti Gaas (buyer): Ellex |
|
Merito Partners' Launch |
Merito Partners: Ellex |
Lithuania:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Highland Europe's Investment in PVcase |
Highland Europe (buyer): Cobalt
PVCase (seller): Sorainen |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/lithuania/23975-Cobalt-advises-highland-europe-on-investment-in-pvcase |
Ignitis Renewables' Acquisition of Wind Farm from E Energija |
Ignitis Renewables (buyer): Walless |
|
PVcase's Acquisition of Anderson Optimization from Axis Op Holdco |
PVcase (buyer): Gunderson Dettmer; Sorainen |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/lithuania/23637-motieka-advises-on-anderson-optimization-sale-to-pvcase |
Moldova:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
AFD's EUR 40 Million Sovereign Loan to Moldova |
Republic of Moldova (borrower): In-house legal team |
N/A |
Insight's Acqusition of Amdaris |
Insight Entrerprises (buyer): Armstrong Teasdale; Gladei & Partners; Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/romania/24619-nndkp-advises-insight-enterprises-on-amdaris-acquisition |
Moldovatransgaz's and Vestmoldtransgaz's Lease Agreement |
Moldovatransgaz (lessor): Vernon | David |
N/A |
Montenegro:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Alcazar Energy's Acquisition of Bijela Wind Farm Project from Simes Inzenjering and Sistem MNE |
Alcazar Energy (buyer): BDK Advokati |
|
Fortenova's Acquisition of the Franca Marketi |
Fortenova (buyer): BDK Advokati |
|
Montenegro's EUR 100 Million Term Facility Agreement with Deutsche Bank |
State of Montenegro (borrower): In-house team at Ministry of Finance |
N/A |
North Macedonia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Bechtel Enka Joint Venture's Deal with the Government of North Macedonia for the Design and Construction of Corridors VIII and X-d |
Bechtel Enka Joint Venture: Karanovic & Partners in cooperation with local lawyers |
N/A |
Linamar's Acquisition of Dura-Shiloh from Dura Automotive |
Linamar Corporation (buyer): CMS; Warner Norcross + Judd |
N/A |
Viva Fresh's Acqusition of Kit-Go Supermarkets |
Viva Fresh (buyer): Zequiri Law Office |
Poland:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Baltic Power's USD 5.2 Billion Financing for Offshore Wind Farm |
Baltic Power (borrower): Advokatfirmaet BAHR; Hogan Lovells; SSW Pragmatic Solutions
International and local commercial banks, the EIB, and the EBRD, supported by three export credit agencies: Euler Hermes, Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, and Export Development Canada (lenders): Linklaters |
|
CCGT Ostroleka Financing |
CCGT Ostroleka (borrower): CMS |
N/A |
Gruppo San Donato and GKSD's Acquisition of American Heart of Poland |
Gruppo San Donato and GKSD (buyers): Rymarz Zdort Maruta |
|
Nrep's Acquisition of Majority Stake in 7R |
Nrep (buyer): Kinstellar; Linklaters |
|
Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund's Investment in R.Power |
Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund S.A. SICAV-RAIF (buyer): Rymarz Zdort Maruta |
Romania:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Geely's and Renault Powertrain Technology Company's Joint Venture |
Geely: BMA – Barbosa, Mussnich, Aragao Advogados; Bofill Mir Abogados; Jones Day; Macedo Vitorino; Musat & Asociatii; Wiener Soto Caparros; Yarsuvat & Yarsuvat Law Firm |
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Hidroelectrica's RON 9.3 Billion IPO |
Hidroelectrica (issuer): Dentons |
|
Polenergia's Acquisition of Naxxar |
Polenergia (buyer): Dentons |
|
SpeedWell's EUR 24.3 Million Green Financing from BRD |
SpeedWell (borrower): Wolf Theiss |
Serbia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Diofa Fund Management's Acquisition of Gordius Private Equity from Indotek Investments |
Diofa Fund Management (buyer): DLA Piper |
N/A |
District Center and PKS-LATEX-HLC's EUR 27.6 Million EBRD Financing |
District Center and PKS-LATEX-HLC (borrowers): Karanovic & Partners |
|
Sopharma's Acquisition of Pharmanova |
Sopharma (buyer): NKO |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/serbia/24818-nko-and-rsp-advise-on-sopharma-s-acquisition-of-pharmanova |
Slovakia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
BHM Group's Acquisition of Trencin Industrial Park from Nova Real Estate |
BHM Group (buyer): Schoenherr |
|
Brantner's and Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel's Joint Venture |
Brantner Group: Taylor Wessing |
N/A |
Immocap's Acquisition of Zapadoslovenska Energetika Real Estate Assets |
Immocap (developer, buyer): Bartosik Svaby |
N/A |
Plan B Investments' Acquisition of Trei Real Estate Czech and Slovak Portfolio |
Plan B Investments (buyer): Dentons; Havel & Partners |
|
Siemens Mobility's Acquisition of HMH |
Siemens Mobility (buyer): Kinstellar |
Slovenia:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Gonvarri's Acquisition of Stake in Hidria |
Gonvarri (buyer): Cuatrecasas; Schoenherr |
|
MOL's Acquisition of OMV Slovenia |
MOL (buyer): Baker McKenzie; Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners |
https://ceelegalmatters.com/news/23731-closing-omv-s-sale-of-omv-slovenija-to-mol-now-closed |
TAWAL's EUR 1.2 Billion Acquisition of United Group's CEE Tower Assets |
TAWAL (buyer): Kinstellar; ODI Law |
Turkiye:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Dubai Islamic Bank's Acquisition of 20% Stake in TOM Financial Group Companies from Aydin Group |
Dubai Islamic Bank (buyer): Norton Rose Fulbright; Pekin Bayar Mizrahi |
|
Marti Technologies Inc.'s and Galata Acquisition Corp.'s Merger |
Marti Technologies Inc.: Esin Attorney Partnership; Latham & Watkins |
N/A |
Tatneft's Acquisition of Aytemiz from Dogan Holding and Aytemiz Family |
Tatneft (buyer): KP Law |
|
Tiryaki Group's Financing from IFC, FMO, and Proparco |
Tiryaki Group (borrower): Galadari Law; Guleryuz Partners; Eversheds Sutherland |
|
Turk Eximbank's Investment in Africa Finance Corporation |
Turk Eximbank (buyer): Linklaters; OzmenYalcin |
Ukraine:
Deal |
Client(s) Name (role): Their Legal Advisors |
CEELM Coverage (If Available) |
Astarta's EUR 30 Million Financing from EBRD |
Astarta (borrower): In-house legal team |
|
DFC, IFC, and EBRD's USD 480 Million Financing for MHP |
MHP (borrower): Avellum |
|
Export Credit Agency of Ukraine's Maritime War Risk Insurance Mechanism |
Export Credit Agency of Ukraine: Asters; Brodies |
N/A |
Rheinmetall's and Ukrainian Defence Industry's Joint Venture |
Rheinmetall Landsysteme: Kinstellar |
|
UKEF's Guaranteed Export Loan From Citibank for Six Bridges in Kyiv Region |
Ministry of Finance of Ukraine (borrower): Avellum; White & Case |