🇺🇦 Ukraine greenlights strategic & critical minerals lists Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers officially defined strategic (e.g., ⚛️ uranium, ⚙️ titanium) and critical minerals (e.g., 🔋 lithium, 🌍 rare earths) essential for national security and modern technologies. This move aligns with Ukraine’s updated National Mineral Resources Development Program and the Ukraine Facility Plan. Key highlights: 🏞️ 60 subsoil areas/deposits with strategic/critical minerals to be offered via electronic auctions. 🤝 26 areas to be allocated through production sharing agreements. 🌐 Investment opportunities for Ukrainian citizens, OECD residents, and partners. These reforms aim to attract investment, drive industrial growth, and integrate Ukraine into global critical mineral supply chains — supporting a sustainable, secure future. Read the full commentary here 👇🏻 https://lnkd.in/dwbJEpeA For mining regulation advice, reach out to Olena Kuchynska, Managing Partner, Kyiv. #ExceptionalTogether #Ukraine #Mining #CriticalMinerals #Investment #NationalSecurity #OECD #MineralResources #Sustainability #UkraineReconstruction #UkraineFacilityPlan

🔐 Navigating NIS 2: How businesses can achieve cybersecurity compliance across the EU The NIS 2 Directive — the European Union’s cybersecurity framework — places strict obligations on critical sectors, and makes it a top management responsibility. While EU Member States are at different stages of transposing NIS 2 into national law, businesses can’t afford to wait. At Kinstellar, we support organizations in navigating the implementation across multiple EU markets by: ✅ Assessing NIS 2 applicability; ✅ Supporting self-registration; ✅ Providing actionable legal guidance; ✅ Reviewing internal policies and procedures; ✅ Advising on legal aspects of cybersecurity incident management; ✅ Ensuring supply chain and service agreement compliance. ➡️ Read our overview, written by Lukas A. Mrazik (Firm-wide Head of Data & Cybersecurity), and get in touch with our experts to secure your NIS 2 compliance strategy today: https://lnkd.in/dxQ7_-QP #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #NIS2 #Cybersecurity #EUCompliance #CybersecurityCompliance #EU #NIS2Directive

🌟 We are delighted to welcome Raluca Gabor as Counsel in our Bucharest office, further strengthening the Energy & Natural Resources practice in Romania and across the region. 💼 Raluca brings over a decade of experience advising on complex energy, natural resources and #infrastructure projects, ranging from #renewables, conventional #electricity, #onshore and #offshore #oil & #gas, #mining, natural resources and #petrochemicals. In addition to Energy & Infrastructure, she also covers Corporate and M&A, with a strong emphasis on large-scale project development and regulatory compliance. ⚖️ She has also contributed to shaping major energy laws through public consultations and has supported state-owned entities, investors, and developers on high-profile, market-defining projects. Raluca joins an established team of Energy and Natural Resources law specialists in our Bucharest office — a team that has advised on several of the most significant energy deals on the local market in recent years. 🙌 💬 Iustinian Captariu, Head of Firm-wide Energy sector, comments: "We are delighted to welcome Raluca to our team. Kinstellar is a recognised leader in the energy and natural resources sector, advising on the full spectrum of work — renewables, trading, electricity, gas, nuclear and upstream. Raluca’s strong background and practical insight into both regulatory and transactional matters will further strengthen our ability to support clients across all segments of the energy market. This move reflects our long-term commitment to remaining a go-to legal partner in one of the most fast-moving and strategic areas of the market." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dDdv_ZBp #ExceptionalTogether #Welcome #NewJoiner #Romania #Energy #NaturalResources #EnergyLaw #Counsel

📢🇺🇦 Open banking now in Ukraine! The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has officially launched a comprehensive #open_banking framework, setting the stage for a new era in financial services and digital payments. This milestone reform brings #Ukraine closer to the #EU standards and promises significant opportunities for banks, fintech companies, and end users. 🔍 Our latest summary explores: 📌 What services fall under the new open banking model 📌 Why client consent is central to the system 📌 Who can participate – and under which authorisation rules 📌 Key responsibilities and liabilities for service providers 📌 The phased implementation timeline through 2026 💬 Our #Banking & #Finance team in #Kyiv breaks down what these changes mean in an overview by Illya Muchnyk (Partner, Head of local Banking and Finance, and Firmwide Head of FinTech), Oleksandra Poliakova (Managing Associate) and Zakhar Oprysko (Junior Associate). Read our article, available in English and Ukrainian, here: 👇🏻 https://lnkd.in/gr7n7D34 #ExceptionalTogether #NBU #InTheKnow #BankingAndFinance #Fintech #DigitalTransformation #FinancialRegulation #PSD2 #LegalInsight

📢 Our team, together with Addleshaw Goddard as lead counsel, has advised Phoenix Equity Partners Limited, a leading UK-based private equity investor, on its acquisition of FutureMeds, a fast-growing European clinical trial site network operating across Europe, including its subsidiaries in Bulgaria and Ukraine. We provided local legal support on all Bulgarian and Ukrainian aspects of the transaction, including legal due diligence and regulatory analysis, including advice on competition, anti-trust and tax queries. The firm’s multidisciplinary teams in Sofia and Kyiv worked closely with Addleshaw Goddard to ensure seamless cross-border execution.   🇧🇬 The Kinstellar team in #Bulgaria was led by Diana Dimova (Managing Partner) and Denitsa Kuzeva (Senior Associate), and included Atanas Mihaylov (Counsel), Simeon Vachev (Senior Associate), Debora Dineva (Senior Associate), Vanya Evtimova (Consultant) and Simona Damyanova (Junior Associate).   🇺🇦 The Kinstellar team in #Ukraine was led by Olena Kuchynska (Managing Partner), and included Natalia Kirichenko (Partner), Lyudmyla Dzhurylyuk (Managing Associate), Yulia Eismont (Counsel), Olena Stanishevska (Senior Associate), Tetiana Kolha (Senior Associate), Olena Tsygulska (Associate), Diana Malysh (Associate) and Danylo Kholodyan (Associate). 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/duiaPUty #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #Pharma #LifeSciences #Healthcare #MergersandAcquisitions #MandA #PrivateEquity #CompetitionLaw #AntiTrust #Tax

⭐ We are pleased to announce that we have advised East Grain S.A, a leading Romanian agribusiness company specialized in grain origination, trading, and logistics, on the acquisition of a 90% stake in Maragro Group, a major local agricultural player headquartered in Giera, Timiș County. 🔄 The transaction represents a major step for East Grain, marking a shift toward integrating value-added activities across the agribusiness supply chain. 🌟 Our team was led by Zsuzsa Csiki (Partner, Co-Head of Corporate/M&A, Romania) with the strong support of a multi-practice team of talented people, who went the extra mile at each phase of this complex transaction. Madalina Perte coordinated all aspects of the transactional and due diligence processes of this complex deal, making sure everything is aligned, being an absolute powerhouse during negotiations. • Further transactional matters: Andrei Băluş handled the closing matters with meticulous endurance. Other corporate matters were further covered by Cosmin Vasilescu, Teodor Lupu and Mirela Ivana. • Competition and FDI matters: Cătălin Graure ensured efficient filing processes, supported by Cristina Costin. • Financing matters: Razvan Constantinescu played a key role in ensuring all financing aspects were effectively addressed, together with Daria-Maria Buhus. • Further due diligence matters, primarily in real estate and regulatory/compliance, were handled by Catalin Dinu, Mălina Andrieș, Diana Radu, Denisa Constantin, and Dana - Andreea Sârbu and Ioana-Mihaela Criste, ensuring comprehensive coverage across a complex group structure. 🙏 “We are grateful to East Grain for their trust and for this opportunity – and thank you to Tamás Vincze, Alpár Kiss-Griz, Kende Pásztor, and Máté Bodnár. It has been a privilege to work alongside such a professional team. 🤝 And not least, thank you to our wonderful Kinstellar team – without your resilience and professional stamina, none of this would have been possible. It’s teamwork and exceptional talent that make all this – and more – possible. I feel humbled and proud to be part of it.” — Zsuzsa Csiki, Partner, Co-Head of Corporate/M&A, Romania 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dW55XZ4S #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #Romania #MandA #MandALaw #MergersAndAcquisitions #agribusiness #trading #logistics #grainorigination #EastGrain

🚨 As of 22 July 2025, Bulgaria's foreign direct investment (#FDI) regime is fully operational. With the final implementing rules now in force, transitional exemptions have expired. Any qualifying transactions initiated after February 2024 but not completed before 22 July 2025 must now go through prior FDI screening. While the legal framework is in place, its broad scope and ambiguous provisions raise important questions for investors: - Who is subject to the regime? - What counts as foreign direct investment? - Which economic activities are relevant for FDI screening? - What are the exceptional cases? 📌 Bulgaria’s regime goes beyond the traditional definitions and introduces low thresholds and the potential for ex officio and ex post screening. Until consistent enforcement practice develops, caution and early legal risk assessment are strongly recommended. 💡 Read the most important updates in our article, written by Nina Tsifudina (Partner) and Milka Nikolova (Of Counsel): https://lnkd.in/dMDkMxym #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #Bulgaria #RegulatoryCompliance #ForeignInvestment #LegalUpdate #FDIRegime #FDIScreening

We’re pleased to have advised Mitiska REIM on their acquisition of OC Cassovia, one of the largest retail centres in Eastern Slovakia, located in Košice. It offers ~23,000 sq meters of leasable area and 1,200 parking spaces. 🏢 💼 Our team - Tomáš Melišek (Partner), Dáša Labašová (Managing Associate), Michaela Straková, and Norbert Stilla (Senior Associates)  - provided full legal support on both the transaction and financing, including due diligence, contract negotiation, and closing. We’re proud to have supported our client through this important transaction and look forward to continue and assist with similar projects. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dzgc5n-6 #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #Slovakia #MergersandAcquisitions #RealEstateLaw #RetailCentre

📢 We are pleased to have advised Odine on its acquisition of a 53.03% stake in Logate, a Montenegro-based software company active in 5G core networks, banking infrastructure, and digital transformation across Europe.   This strategic step supports Odine’s global expansion in next-generation connectivity and enterprise tech. 🌍   Kudos to Emre Edmund Ozer (Partner, Istanbul) and the whole team for their dedication and cross-border collaboration.   Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/dAE-uZtN #ExceptionalTogether #donedeals #Odine #MergersAndAcquisitions #5G #DigitalTransformation #CrossBorderDeals #TechAcquisition #MandA