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Chambers Europe, 2008

Corporate & Commercial

The Firm: A local firm with an international flavour, this outfit “makes a difference” in the Serbian legal arena. Firmly rooted in the local market, but with two international lawyers on board, it is considered by peers to be “a unique organisation.” Throughout the years, the team has acted on numerous ground-breaking transactions, with one recent milestone being advising banking giant Citi on establishing itself in Serbia. Hoping to tighten its relationship with financial institutions in the City, the firm has recently opened a representative office in London. Meanwhile, closer to home its lawyers acted for the Serbian Delta Group on a proposed cross-border joint venture with Croatian food producer Agrokor. They also acted for Heineken International on the acquisition of MB Brewery in Novi Sad, and for Romstal on its acquisition of Doming, a Serbian company. The firm’s work is not limited to Serbia: its lawyers can be found on M&A transactions, privatisations and banking and finance deals throughout the Balkans. For example, in Montenegro the team advised OTP on the acquisition of local bank Crnogorska Komercijalna Banka.

The Lawyers: According to interviewees, Mark Harrison “offers all one can ask for - he is a great businessman.” Clients further describe him as “very practical, open and, above all, flexible.” Goran Martinovic has acted as lead counsel on some of the biggest transactions in Serbia, and recently advised Norwegian power company Statkraft on setting up its Serbian operation. “Young and bright” Aleksandar Preradovic is said to be “co-operative and eager to close a deal.” Clients rate his banking and finance work, saying “he is a brilliant finance lawyer - we have a lot to thank him for.”

Clients/Work Highlights: The firm also acts for real estate developer Trigranit and Hungarian MOL.

Energy

The Firm: This English firm specialises in providing business law solutions to high-profile international clients in Serbia and throughout SEE, and earns praise from clients for its “expertise, diligence and responsiveness.” The energy and natural resources team has extensive experience in project finance, privatisations and cross-border transactions within the water, gas, oil and energy sectors.

The Lawyers: Seven associates assist founder and principal Mark Harrison with energy matters.

Clients/Work Highlights: The team is currently advising Norwegian energy company Statkraft on the setting up of operations in Serbia. It is acting as sole legal advisor to the Serbian government in RTB Bor’s restructuring and privatisation, which is the country’s largest ongoing privatisation, as well as advising Merrill Lynch on obtaining a licence for trading in electricity. The firm advised Hungarian oil company MOL on acquisitions of oil and lubricant facilities.

Real Estate

The Firm: The team at Harrisons continues to perform well in real estate work, with clients describing the firm as “to the point, clear in its opinions, disciplined and easy to work with.” It focuses on planning and development, construction, commercial real estate and marina development. The firm is regulated by the Law Society of England and Wales, and the recent opening of a London office further strengthened its London credentials. The firm combines Mark Harrison’s international background with highly regarded local lawyers, "offering commitment and reflecting the needs of real estate clients.”

The Lawyers: The “exceptional” Goran Martinovic leads the firm’s real estate team. He “combines people skills with being a very bright, thorough lawyer,” and is commercially sensitive to the needs of foreign investors.

Clients/Work Highlights: The team advised Trigranit Development on its acquisitions in Serbia and the development, alongside the Serbian government, of the new railway station in Belgrade. It advised Eastbridge Group on the proposed acquisition by auction of the Robne kuce Beograd chain of department stores, and London & Regional Properties on its proposed acquisition by international tender of a government site in Belgrade.

Competition / Antitrust

The Firm: This English firm has a strong presence in Serbia and throughout the Balkans region. Its team of experienced practitioners aims to provide clients with a range of high-quality legal services and it is particularly respected for its commercial law practice, which peers describe as “especially strong.”

The Lawyers: The group, led by Mark Harrison, includes Goran Martinovic, Ivana Ajdanic and Aleksandar Preradovic.

Clients/Work Highlights: The firm is advising Heineken International and Lesaffre International on competition issues and is seeking the necessary clearance for major acquisitions in Serbia by these companies. It also advised Mondi Packaging (Austria) on competition rules relating to its Serbian operations.

Chambers Europe, 2007

General Business Law

The Firm: “The performance of this firm nears perfection,” according to interviewees, many of whom say it is “the best outfit around.” This team operates throughout the region, including in Republika Srpska, FYROM and Montenegro, advising on foreign investments and banking and finance transactions. “The service is up to the Western standards that international clients expect,” said one interviewee. Others praised the team’s “sound advice.” The firm boasts an impressive clientele of leading companies, including many in the energy and natural resources sectors. The team is acting for the Serbian government in the restructuring and privatisation of copper producer RTB Bor and acted for Italian plastic manufacturer R. Polimeri in the privatisation of chemicals producer Hipol.

The Lawyers: The “young and bright” Aleksandar Preradovic caught the eye of peers with his frequent representation of financial institutions. “His busy schedule reflects his excellence in banking and finance law,” according to observers. Clients say Goran Martinovic “is definitely a great lawyer, and one of the best in the firm.” He received recognition for his impressive track record acting in privatisations. Recently he has been active in mining and natural resources work. He represented Phelps Dodge in the allocation of a mining licence and provided mining-related advice to the Serbian state in relation to the restructuring of the copper industry. Up-and-comer Ines Matijevic was described by clients as “very open, straightforward and always eager to close the deal in a timely manner.” “Deal maker” Mark Harrison focuses primarily on managing the practice but is “still one of the best lawyers in Belgrade.” According to peers, “his experience gives him the ability to provide top-quality legal analysis.”

Clients/Work Highlights: The team represented TriGránit in its successful bid for the development of the Belgrade train station. Another highlight was assisting OTP with its purchase of one of the leading Montenegrin banks, Crnogorska Komercijalna Banka. The team assisted Citigroup with opening up its representative office in Serbia and also acted for the EBRD in its acquisition of Cacanska Banka, and in the EBRD''s refinancing of the major pharmaceutical company Hemofarm. Other high-profile work included providing advice on the derivatives market to Morgan Stanley. Other clients include Rolls-Royce; British Aerospace; IFC; European Investment Bank; ING; Deutsche Bank; BP and Marangoni.

Real Estate

The Firm: The highly experienced team is involved in numerous high-profile real estate projects in Montenegro, Macedonia and Republika Srpska, as well as across Serbia, and is “well placed to capitalise on the real estate boom in the country.” In addition to being an English law firm regulated by the Law Society of England and Wales, and with professional indemnity insurance underwritten by Lloyds of London, this firm can offer in-depth expertise in real estate and other practice areas to clients from all over the world. An “incredibly well-connected and respected” firm, it also counts governments from across the region as clients.

The Lawyers: The lynchpin of the real estate team, partner Goran Martinovic is renowned for being “an absolutely fantastic real estate specialist who knows the law inside out,” and for “his ability to understand the commercial needs of foreign investors.” Highly commended and with over 20 years’ experience in the Balkans, Mark Harrison previously worked at Linklaters and was head of CEE at Eversheds. He is appreciated not least for being “commercially savvy and second to none with regard to his experience.”

Clients/Work Highlights: The team is assisting Aman Resorts, the leading hotel developer, on work involving major hotels in Montenegro, and Film Studio Net on a real estate transaction with New Corp (USA). Other work in Montenegro included advising the Kuwaiti Al-Rashed Group on real estate development work, and advising the leading Russian hotel development group, Belon, on the acquisition of hotels. Another highlight was advising London & Regional Properties on the proposed acquisition of the Hyatt Hotel in Belgrade. The team also assisted the leading Serbian bank, Pro-Credit Bank, on co-investment contracts in real estate. Other clients include P. M. Securities (Barbados) and Trigranit.