We are proud to share that Kinstellar has been awarded CEE Firm of the Year at the Chambers and Partners Europe Awards 2026. 🌟 These prestigious awards recognise law firms that stand out for the quality of their work, client service, innovation, and overall contribution to their markets. Being recognised across the Central and Eastern Europe region is a significant achievement and a testament to the strength and expertise of our teams. 👏 A huge congratulations to our entire team across all offices for this #Stellar result. This recognition is the result of your hard work and collaboration across offices and practices, and your continued commitment to delivering the highest quality for our clients. 🙏 Thank you to our clients for your continued trust and partnership. This achievement would not be possible without you. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #ChambersEuropeAwards2026 #CEE #CEEFirmoftheYear #ChambersEuropeAwards

🇪🇺 The EU Pay Transparency Directive is no longer a distant HR compliance topic. It will require employers to review how pay is set, documented, disclosed and justified, with a particular focus on equal pay for equal work and work of equal value. EU Member States must transpose the Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. The European Commission has confirmed that, after that deadline, it will assess whether national legislation properly reflects the Directive’s requirements. With the deadline now only weeks away, the picture across the region remains uneven. 📌 Read our latest overview, prepared by our regional Employment & Labour Law team, led by Nina Tsifudina, summarising the transposition status of the Directive in the CEE as of early May 2026: https://lnkd.in/dQkMgFS2 #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #PayTransparencyDirective #PayTransparency #PayEquity #EU #LabourLaw #EmploymentLaw

This week, our Belgrade team had the pleasure of taking part in the two-day ELSA Career & Internship Fair at the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Law, where we connected with many talented and motivated law students eager to begin their professional journeys. 🎓   It was a great opportunity to introduce students to the work we do at Kinstellar and to present our Summer Internship Program, designed to provide practical experience, mentorship and a first-hand look at life in an international law firm.   🙏 We would like to thank ELSA Belgrade for organising such a well-run event and to all the students who stopped by our stand. We truly enjoyed the conversations and look forward to welcoming some of you to our team in the future.   #ExceptionalTogether #ELSA #CareerFair #LegalCareers #SummerInternship #Belgrade #LegalInternship

🇧🇬 The expiry of the decade-long moratorium on the disposal of residual agricultural land in #Bulgaria marks an important milestone for investors in the energy and infrastructure sectors. 🌿 As of 24 December 2025, municipalities are once again permitted to dispose of residual agricultural land under the general statutory regime, following the expiration of the restrictions for the lands under Article 19 of the Agricultural Land Ownership and Use Act introduced in 2015 and prolonged in 2020. This regulatory change is expected to create new opportunities for: • renewable energy developments; • technical infrastructure projects; • strategic investments requiring access to municipal agricultural land previously subject to transfer limitations. Investors considering projects in Bulgaria involving agricultural land should assess the practical implications of the revised framework and the opportunities now available for acquiring in rem rights over such land. ➡️ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dHQjYSxw #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #Agriculture #LandOwnership #UseAct

📣 We are pleased to have advised Raiffeisen Bank International AG on a double-digit million-euro growth financing for REPLOID Group, an Austrian pioneer in circular economy solutions. 🌿 The transaction underlines the strong momentum behind scalable and sustainable business models. REPLOID processes organic residual materials and combines circular economy principles with innovative insect technology to produce high-quality proteins, fats, and organic fertilisers, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy. 💡 Our team, led by Laurenz Liedermann (Partner, Banking & Finance), with support from Florian Sesztak (Associate, Regulatory), working together with Ilja Baudisch (Partner, SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz) and Till Kotterer-Rädecke (Associate, SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz), provided comprehensive legal advice to Raiffeisen Bank International. The transaction was carried out in close cooperation with Christoph Renner and Alexander Essig from Herbst Kinsky Rechtsanwälte, advising REPLOID Group, and Bernhard Fiedler with his team from Norton Rose Fulbright, who supported on the German law aspects. Thank you for the excellent cooperation in this matter! Many thanks to Karin Puehringer and Sven Balciunas from TUDC - Thumbs Up Disruption Company for supporting the transaction. Congratulations to principals Melanie Mayer and Hannes-Ludwig Böhm from Raiffeisen Bank International, and Philip Pauer from REPLOID. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/d-kwQ__E #ExceptionalTogether #DoneDeals #Austria #Financing #Banking #BankingAndFinance #Raiffeisen #Reploid #Sustainability

📍 Today at our Prague office: A thought-provoking discussion on pay transparency & the gender pay gap This morning, we had the pleasure of welcoming clients and guests to our Prague office for a timely seminar focused on the upcoming legal obligations surrounding transparent remuneration and gender pay gap reporting in the context of new European regulation. The discussion was led by our colleagues Iva Bilinska (Managing Associate) and Aleš Fajstaver (Junior Associate), who guided participants through the practical implications of the newly published Czech legislation transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Key topics included: 🔸 New obligations employers will face under the proposed legislation 🔸 Differences between the Czech proposal and the EU directive 🔸 Expected impacts on compensation systems, recruitment, and internal communication 🔸 Timing, effectiveness, and transitional periods under the proposed law 🔸 Practical challenges companies should already start preparing for A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the discussion and networking breakfast. We greatly appreciate the engaging exchange of insights and perspectives throughout the morning and look forward to future events. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #PayGap #GenderPayGap #PayTransparency #LegalEvent #Prague #EUdirective

🇺🇦 📢 Ukraine introduces new rules for coordinating international military assistance during martial law. The updated framework expands the concept of international military assistance to include financial contributions from partner states and establishes a more centralised, transparent mechanism for managing donor funding. ➡️ Read our overview of the key changes and what they mean in practice, prepared by our Kyiv team: Managing Partner Daniel Bilak, Senior Associate Maiia Savelieva, and Associate Alina Borovets: https://lnkd.in/dxhpRBQK 📩 Contact Daniel Bilak for your defence sector needs. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #Defence #Ukraine #MilitaryAssistance #Regulation #MartialLaw #UkraineReconstruction

📰 We are pleased to share the latest #Bulgaria chapter of Global Arbitration Review's (#GAR) Know-How - Commercial Arbitration, providing a comprehensive overview of local arbitration laws, procedure, and enforcement. The guide, written by our experts Boryana Boteva (Senior Counsel), Debora Dineva (Senior Associate) and Nikoleta Ivanova (Junior Associate), covers 51 topics on Bulgarian arbitration practice, including: • Key legislation and institutional framework, including the 2025 amendments • Updates on enforcement of foreign and domestic awards • Practical considerations for arbitration proceedings with a place in Bulgaria As arbitration continues to play a vital role in resolving cross-border disputes, understanding local practices is essential for both legal professionals and businesses operating internationally. 💡 We are proud of our team’s contribution and invite you to explore the full chapter here: https://lnkd.in/dajsch4G #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #Arbitration #CommercialArbitration #DisputeResolution

🌟 Proud to share our latest recognition in the IP STARS 2026 rankings – a testament to the strength and consistency of our Intellectual Property teams. 🏆 🇧🇬 Kinstellar Bulgaria has been ranked as a Notable Firm in the Trade Mark 2026 category, reflecting the team’s continued excellence in delivering top-tier trademark advice. 🏆 🇺🇦 Kinstellar Ukraine has been ranked as a Notable Firm in the Intellectual Property 2026 category, recognising the team’s strong expertise and ability to deliver outstanding IP support in a challenging and fast‑evolving environment. IP STARS (Managing IP's rankings publication) research provide independent and impartial accreditation across 150+ jurisdictions, covering 1,600+ firms and 7,000+ practitioners. 👏 A big thank you to our clients for their ongoing trust and meaningful partnerships! Congratulations to our IP teams for their dedication and outstanding results and to Natalia Kirichenko, our firm-wide head of the Intellectual Property services, for her inspiring leadership. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #IPStars2026 #IntellectualProperty #TradeMarkLaw #LegalExcellence #Recognition #Bulgaria #Ukraine