LEGAL SERVICES

Our banking and finance services include:

• advising in the general crediting, financing and refinancing matters;
• drafting of all types of bank contracts and documents;
• advising in the procedures of approval of syndicated loans and bond issuance;
• legal due diligence of debtors;
• drafting and implementation of payment security contracts;
• legal opinions for lenders relating to the assessment of the likelihood of collection of unsecured and secured receivables;
• creditor advising and representation in debt restructuring and debt collection procedures

Our dispute resolution team has wide experience in the representation of clients in court proceedings, arbitrations, mediations and other dispute resolution procedures. Legal assistance provided to our clients includes a wide variety of services ranging from representation and advising in the resolution of complex commercial disputes from the domains of construction, energy, IT and telecommunications to employment disputes and debt collection. Prior to the initiation of court proceedings, as the last resort for dispute resolution and the realization of our clients’ rights, we regularly attempt to resolve the disputes amicably. Likewise, our approach to dispute resolution is the formation of a special team depending upon procedure type and the area of law, whose expertise allows us to give our clients the best support available for their proceedings.

Our dispute resolutions services especially include:

• representation in commercial disputes and commercial arbitrations;
• debt collection by litigation and enforcement procedures;
• representation in labour law disputes;
• defence in economic offence proceedings;
• defence in criminal proceedings and representation of injured parties;
• representation in environmental protection disputes;
• representation in intellectual property right protection disputes;
• representation in administrative procedures and disputes;
• out-of-court resolution of disputes through negotiations and/or mediations

Our merger and acquisition team counsels Croatian and foreign investors in the acquisition of target companies from different lines of business, as well as in all other types of corporate status changes. Legal assistance from this area also includes complete support during the transaction, starting from the performance of due diligence, advising during the preparation of tender documentation to negotiations and drafting of all contracts required for transaction completion. At all times, we have in mind the need of our clients for speed and in-depth work, met by the formation of special teams, depending on transaction size, complexity and line of business.

Our merger and acquisition services include:

• structuring of complex acquisitions or mergers;
• legal due diligence of the target company;
• drafting of tender documentation and transaction documents;
• drafting of share purchase agreements;
• drafting of shareholder’s agreements;
• closing of the companies;

Attorneys from our employment team have extensive experience with the provision of comprehensive legal assistance in the domain of employment and labour law. Legal assistance offered to our clients includes a wide variety of legal advising, from advising employers on the establishment of employment relations, drafting of the required contracts and general documents, restructuring and counselling in relations with unions, to work contract termination. We also resolve labour law disputes, paying special attention to the sensitivity of labour relations and the related high risks for employers.

Our labour law services especially include:

• drafting of work contracts;
• drafting of contracts on Managing Board member rights and obligations;
• termination of employment and termination procedure;
• general labour law and labour relation matters;
• drafting of rulebooks, rules of procedure and other general documents;
• collective contracts, union relations and strikes;
• restructuring programs;
• labour disputes

Our attorneys from the bankruptcy and restructuring group have a direct and detailed insight into the procedure and course of bankruptcy proceedings over companies from different lines of business and into the latest case law from this area. Our support from this area includes comprehensive legal assistance in all matters relating to bankruptcy proceedings, pre-bankruptcy settlements and restructuring, and especially debtor advising in cases of insolvency, drafting and implementation of pre-bankruptcy settlements. We also have extensive experience in the advising and representation of creditors relating to the debt collection through bankruptcy proceedings and pre-bankruptcy settlement proceedings.

Our bankruptcy and restructuring services include:

• advising in case of insolvency and over-indebtedness;
• drafting of proposal to initiate pre-bankruptcy and bankruptcy proceedings;
• realization of creditor’s rights and the collection of receivables in bankruptcy proceedings;
• advising and representation of creditors at creditor assemblies and committees;
• advising and representation in procedures of disputing the legal actions of enforcement debtors;
• drafting of pre-bankruptcy settlement documentation and execution of pre-bankruptcy settlement;
• preparation and implementation of restructuring plans

Owing to their dedicated work in the representation of clients from the energy and infrastructure sector, the members of our team provide Croatian and foreign clients comprehensive legal assistance focused on the provision of practical advice, especially pertaining to the oil and gas industry and other types of infrastructural projects. Our support includes advising in all matters of legal and regulatory conformity, public-private partnerships and other matters relating to the implementation of different types of infrastructural projects.

Our services from the energy supply and infrastructural sector include:

• legal and regulatory conformity;
• oil and gas industry advising;
• public-private partnerships;
• infrastructural projects

Owing to their years-long wide experience with all types of procedures and legal affairs relating to real estate and construction, the members of our real estate and construction team provide our clients comprehensive legal assistance, starting from real estate due diligence, legal planning of the project prior to purchase, drafting of all sale purchase documentation, resolution of land register status and entry, to real estate construction and use. In so doing, we advise our clients with regard to the obtainment of all necessary construction permits, as well as in the contracting of different types of works and the conclusion of other types of real estate related contracts, especially in the part of their use and management, like contracts of lease of business premises.

Services from the area of real estate related rights and construction especially include:

• drafting of construction contracts;
• drafting of lease contracts;
• drafting of contracts of sale of real estate and entry of ownership rights;
• management of expropriation and correct procedures;
• real estate investment advising;
• real estate related legal due diligence

Members of the competition team of Orehovec, Vinter, Kiš, Šimunović are focused on the provision of practical support to our clients in the form of avoidance of risks stemming from the regulations governing the protection of market competition, primarily in the automotive industry, oil and gas industry and all other branches of economy. We advise our clients in the matters of group and individual exemptions, as well as on the matter of abuse of dominant position.

Our services from the competition area especially include:

• registration of intended concentration;
• horizontal and vertical commercial contracts;
• advising on the application of group exemptions;
• requests for individual exemption;
• advising related to the abuse of dominant position

The members of our intellectual property team offer our clients a comprehensive package of services relating to intellectual property and the protection thereof. We advise and represent our clients in proceedings before State Intellectual Property Office in the matters of stamp, patent and industrial design registration, as well as in the conclusion of contracts from this area. Our support also includes representation in proceedings relating to the violation of rights.

Our intellectual property services include:

• advice relating to the protection of intellectual property rights;
• stamp, patent and industrial design registration procedures;
• contracts from the area of intellectual property;
• copyrights

Our team has extensive knowledge of the public procurement process, supported by hands-on experience in all of its stages, from assistance in tendering procedure to clients’ representation in appellate proceedings. Our expertise includes areas as diverse as telecommunication, construction, concessions, energy and utilities.

We will underline the following particular services relating to:

• development of tender and contractual documentation for public procurement procedures;
• podnošenje ponuda;
• advisement of employers in public procurement procedures;
• representing tenderers in appellate proceedings before the State Commission for Public Procurement Procedure Control;
• representing tenderers in administrative disputes against decisions of the State Commission for Public Procurement Procedure Control;
• representation and legal protection in concession awarding procedures and drafting of concession agreements; and
• representation in the proposing and authorization of public-private partnership projects and drafting of public-private partnership agreements