NEWS & INSIGHTSUp-to-date.
- Home
- News & Insights
SEARCH BY
LATEST
EU publishes new regulation on alternative fuel infrastructure
At the end of September, the long-awaited Regulation (EU) 2023/1804) on the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU (“AFIR”) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Though the entry into force of AFIR is 13 April 2024, it is worth reviewing the key takeaways that the AFIR introduces as part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package. The AFIR sets binding national targets for the development of adequate EU alternative fuel infrastructure. The new regulation also establishes common technical specifications and requirements regarding the information to vehicle users for the provision of data and payment requirements. The AFIR includes detailed regulations regarding
Kinstellar advises a significant global player on the lease of its headquarters in Hungary
Kinstellar’s team in Hungary has successfully advised a Hungarian company with a global presence in connection with the preparation and negotiation of a lease agreement for its new office headquarters. The deal is one of the largest transactions of its kind on the Hungarian real estate market. The Budapest office advised on various legal aspects throughout the transaction, the subject of which is the lease of more than 8,000 sqm in a Class A office building in Budapest. Kinstellar’s team was led by Partner Annamária Csenterics (Co-Head of the Hungarian Corporate/M&A service) and Of Counsel Mónika Frank (Co-Head of the Hungarian Real Estate service) and supported by Junior Associate Judit Sós.
Kinstellar advises Electrolux Group on the successful divestment of its Nyíregyháza factory in Hungary to Qvantum
Kinstellar is proud to announce that it has advised the Swedish appliances manufacturer Electrolux Group on the successful sale of its manufacturing facility in Nyíregyháza, Hungary, to the Swedish high-quality electric heat pumps manufacturer Qvantum for a cash consideration of EUR 38 million. The Kinstellar team was led by Barnabás Sági, Co-Head of the Budapest Real Estate service line, supported by Bertalan Ványa, Associate. The team also included Annamária Csenterics (Partner), Anna Szilágyi (Junior Associate), Judit Sós (Associate), Péter Vörös (Partner), Péter Gullai (Managing Associate), Dániel Péter (Managing Associate), and Szabolcs Szilágyi (Junior Associate).
Kinstellar advises YouGov on the acquisition of GfK's consumer panel business
Kinstellar, in conjunction with DLA Piper, has advised international online research data and analytics technology group YouGov plc on the acquisition of the European Consumer Panel Business of GfK, a German market research firm, for EUR 315 million. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, YouGov has one of the world's largest research networks. Its products and services draw upon a detailed understanding of more than 24+ million registered individuals to deliver accurate, actionable consumer insights. GfK CP compasses over 100,000 households with panels across 16 European countries collecting and providing data on household purchases and insights intо the FMCG sector. The acquisition is subject to customary closing
Kinstellar advises Yanolja Cloud on its acquisition of a leading B2B travel solution provider
Kinstellar, together with a lead counsel Watson Farley & Williams, have successfully advised Yanolja Cloud, a leading global provider of AI-based SaaS solutions for the hospitality and leisure industries, on the multi-jurisdictional acquisition of Go Global Travel (GGT), a B2B travel technology company that distributes its inventory of more than one million hotels and other travel products from 200 countries to over 20,000 client partners. The acquisition of GGT from AMI Opportunities Fund will give Yanolja Cloud unparalleled distribution capabilities, making it a one-of-a-kind company and allowing properties of all types, sizes, and budget ranges – and in every corner of the world – to digitize property operations.
Kinstellar assists OTP Bank with completing its first acquisition in Central Asia
As previously announced, in December 2022 Kinstellar advised OTP Bank, Hungary’s largest commercial bank and one of the largest independent financial service providers in Central and Eastern Europe, on the successful acquisition of Uzbekistan’s fifth-largest bank, Ipoteka Bank. Kinstellar has continued advising OTP Bank to reach another significant milestone in the transaction, as OTP Bank has completed the first closing of the transaction, i.e. the acquisition of a 73.71% stake in Ipoteka Bank from the state. With the transaction, OTP has become the first foreign lender to participate in the privatisation of Uzbekistan's banking sector. In the next step of the transaction, the remaining shares of Ipoteka Bank
“Green Claims” in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia
On 22 March 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for a Directive on Green Claims. The proposed Directive aims to tackle false environmental claims by ensuring that consumers receive reliable, comparable and verifiable environmental information on products and services across the European Union. By laying down clear criteria on how companies should evidence environmental claims, along with mandating an EU labelling scheme and new enforcement procedures to secure compliance, the Directive on Green Claims is designed to enable better environmental decision-making by consumers and to reduce so called “green washing” (spurious environmentally friendly claims). However, it will likely still be some time
Kinstellar assists Budapest Stock Exchange going public, listed in the BSE Standard category
On 21 June 2023, on the 33rd anniversary of its re-establishment, Budapest Stock Exchange Plc. (BSE) has entered the BSE Standard category. The listing significantly supports the ownership objectives of the National Bank of Hungary as the majority shareholder of BSE as well as the international ambitions of BSE, and is of exemplary importance, as the BSE aims to promote the benefits of going public among domestic medium-sized companies. The listing of BSE is in line with the strategy of developing the domestic capital market, providing the central player of the domestic capital market with a long-term sustainable operating environment that supports value creation, and supporting the efforts of the majority owner, the Hungarian
Kinstellar appoints new Employment & Labour Law Service Line Co-Heads
Kinstellar is delighted to announce the appointment of Dániel Péter (Managing Associate, Budapest) and Cătălin Roman (Senior Associate, Bucharest) as Co-Heads of the firm-wide Employment & Labour law service line. Dániel and Cătălin will support Nina Tsifudina, Partner in our Sofia office and firm-wide Head of Employment & Labour law, on the development of this increasingly important service line. Both Dániel and Cătălin bring extensive experience and a proven track record in employment law, making them well suited to lead the practice and navigate the complexities of this ever-evolving field. Dániel Péter heads the Employment & Labour Law service line in the Budapest office. Dániel
Hungarian parliament adopts new Whistleblowing Act
The Hungarian parliament has adopted a new law implementing the EU directive on the mandatory protection of (even anonymous) whistleblowers, which in many respects imposes stricter rules on companies and puts whistleblowers in a more favourable position. The new law, which repeals the previous rules on complaints and whistleblowing, poses significant challenges to most of the companies concerned; however, it is also in the interest of the companies to have an efficient whistleblowing system, as management may obtain information from whistleblowers and correct underlying problems that could result in serious sanctions for the company if detected by authorities, or the correction could serve to increase operational efficiency. Below
Kinstellar announces new promotions to Partner and Counsel
Kinstellar is delighted and proud to announce the promotions to Partner of Tomáš Melišek (Bratislava), Levente Hegedűs (Budapest), Bulut Girgin (Istanbul), Anastasiya Bolkhovitinova, Natalia Kirichenko, Oleg Matiusha, Illya Muchnyk (all in our Kyiv office), and to Counsel of Dominika Bajzáthová (Bratislava). PARTNERS Tomá š Melišek, Bratislava Tomáš is the Head of the local Banking & Finance service line. He has 15 years of experience in banking and finance, focusing on project and acquisition financing as well as on financial regulations. Tomáš has substantial experience advising clients on significant financing transactions in the areas of real estate, energy, infrastructure, automotive, media
Loot boxes – still a mystery in CEE?
The recent resolution of the European Parliament on video games calls on the European Commission to take the necessary steps to bring about a European approach to loot boxes which could lead to more restrictive regulation. Kinstellar’s TMT team looked into the national framework for loot boxes in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine to conclude that, while no specific local laws exist, the developments around gambling regulation should be monitored, as loot boxes have already been discussed in the context of national rules on gambling in some countries. Click on this link or the image below to read an overview prepared by our TMT experts in each jurisdiction.