📢 We are delighted to invite you to our event with AmCham Slovakia, where our lawyers from #Bratislava will speak on the topic of Crisis Management & Fraud Investigation. This year, the session is specifically tailored for the Business Service Centre sector: we will address the types of fraud risks, internal investigation challenges, and crisis management scenarios that shared service centres, captive centres, and business service operations face in practice. 📅 25 March 2026, 9:30 AM 📍 Jurkovičova Tepláreň, Bottova 1, Bratislava 📩 Secure your place! Register via email at . We’re proud to be represented by Luke Wochensky (Partner, Head of Risk & Investigations) and Michal Hrušovský (Managing Associate), who will contribute their insights alongside leading experts from Deloitte, Tomas Kafka and Patrik Schwarcz. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #LegalConference #RiskManagement #InternalInvestigations #RegulatoryEnforcement #Slovakia #BratislavaEvent #BSCF

💡 We had the pleasure of hosting the event “Tax Pitfalls in M&A Deals: From Risk to Insurance – and on to a Successful Closing” together with Marsh at our Kinstellar Vienna office.   Together with renowned experts, we explored how tax risks can be identified, assessed and mitigated through tailored insurance solutions, such as tax insurance, enabling deal teams to move from uncertainty to a secure and successful closing.   We took a closer look at: • Typical tax pitfalls uncovered during tax due diligence; • The differences between W&I Insurance and Specific Tax Insurance, and which risks are insurable; • Negotiation strategies when tax issues arise during a transaction; • Practical examples showing how identified risks can still lead to successful exits.   🙏 A big thank‑you to Maja Mayrhuber (Partner, Tax law) from our Vienna team, our co‑organisers from Marsh Verena Krikler and Alexander Skuratovski, and to everyone who joined us for the discussion and the networking afterwards. We look forward to welcoming you again at future Kinstellar events.   #ExceptionalTogether #MergersAndAcquisitions #TaxInsurance #TaxLaw #CorporateLaw #ViennaEvents #DueDiligence #WandIInsurance

🇪🇺 The Cyber Resilience Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 – CRA) entered into force on 10 December 2024 and introduces a comprehensive cybersecurity framework for products with digital elements placed on the EU market. ⚖️ Scope: The CRA applies to software and hardware products that can be connected to a device or network, including connected consumer devices (e.g. smartphones, laptops, smart-home products) as well as software products (e.g. mobile apps, accounting software, computer games). 📅 Key timeline: • 11 June 2026 – Market surveillance and enforcement provisions become applicable. • 11 September 2026 – Manufacturers must notify actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe cybersecurity incidents. • 11 December 2027 – The CRA becomes fully applicable. These notifications require an early report within 24 hours, followed by a full notification within 72 hours, through the CRA Single Reporting Platform. 💼 Practical considerations for organisations: • Assess whether their products fall within the CRA scope. • Review cybersecurity risk-management and vulnerability-handling processes. • Monitor NIS2 implementation and compliance. • Implement incident and vulnerability reporting procedures. ✍️ Read our full article, written by Christiana Bouleanu-Glăvan, Associate (Bucharest): https://lnkd.in/dTZZy6ND. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #LegalAlert #LegalUpdate #CyberResilienceAct #Cybersecurity #CRA #NIS2 #EU

🔋 Meet us in #Bratislava at AmCham Slovakia’s next conference, Energy for Sustainable Business, on 26 March! In the midst of an accelerating regional energy transition, this event provides an opportunity for industry experts to discuss practical solutions for building resilient and sustainable business strategies. 🤝 We’re proud to be premium #partners of the event, and delighted to share that our colleagues Kamil Blazek (Partner, Prague) and Erik Neupaver (Senior Associate, Bratislava) will be contributing to the program as speakers. 🎤 Kamil will participate in the panel “Energy and Digital Infrastructure: Securing Financing for a Resilient Future”, at 11:40 AM. He will offer insights into investment frameworks, regulatory shifts, and financing opportunities essential for strengthening the energy and digital infrastructure across the region. 🎤 Erik will speak at the panel “Blackout Readiness: Preparing Business for Energy Disruptions”, at 12:20 PM. He will cover the legal aspects of the impacts of energy system vulnerability, and explore how companies can prepare for crisis and become more resilient to energy disruptions. ➡️ Join us on 26 March at the Grand Hotel River Park (Bratislava) and meet our lawyers in person. We look forward to connecting with you there! #ExceptionalTogether #MeetUs #InTheKnow #Slovakia #AmCham #SustainableEnergy #EnergyLaw #EnergyInfrastructure #DigitalInfrastructure 

🇪🇺 The European Court of Justice (#ECJ) decides on impact of EU sanctions on shareholder rights (C-465/24)   ⚖️ The case:   The claimant, a company sanctioned under Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 (as amended) whose funds are frozen, attempted to attend a shareholder meeting of a Dutch company and exercise its voting rights as a shareholder. However, the claimant was denied access to the shareholder meeting and prevented from exercising its rights. The Supreme Court of the Netherlands referred the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) to interpret the concept of “freezing of funds”.   🏛️ The decision:   In its judgement, the ECJ ruled that:  (i) depositary receipts (i.e., equivalents to shares) constitute funds;  (ii) the freezing of funds prevents, absolutely and unconditionally, a holder of depositary receipts from attending a general meeting of shareholders and from voting in that meeting.   The ECJ also emphasised that neither the content of the proposals on the agenda of the shareholder meeting nor the voting intention of the depositary receipt holders are relevant.    📜 Impact on other pending proceedings relating to sanctions: The interpretation of asset freezes provides a clear indication as to how the ECJ will decide a very similar case that was referred to it by the Austrian Supreme Court (C-183/25, MKAO Rasperia Trading).    💼 Implications for companies with sanctioned shareholders:   • Companies must exclude sanctioned shareholders from attending general meetings and exercising their voting rights.  • No case‑by‑case proportionality analysis is required for the exclusion.  • The exclusion of sanctioned shareholders may lead to deadlock situations if certain presence quorums are required.    ✍️ Written by our Associates from Vienna, Alexander Knobl (Corporate & Dispute Resolution) and Florian Sesztak (Regulatory & Sanctions). #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #LegalAlert #LegalUpdate #EUSanctions #FreezingOfFunds

📑 Option agreements are widely used in shareholder arrangements, but their technical implementation often raises complex legal questions. In a recent decision, the Austrian Supreme Court (OGH) provided important clarification on how such option mechanisms should be structured under Austrian law. In their latest article, Johannes Varga (Senior Associate) and Nicolas Haaser (Associate) examine the ruling and outline its practical implications. While the OGH maintained the core principles of its existing case law, it refined several crucial aspects relating to the technical design and enforceability of call- and put-options in shareholders’ agreements: an area of significant relevance for legal advisors, investors, and target companies alike. 👉 Want to dive deeper into the details? The full article (in German) is available here: https://lnkd.in/dw-9A4vn #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #CorporateLaw #Austria #ShareholdersAgreements #CorporateGovernance #LegalInsights #OGH #DACH #AustrianLaw

🇺🇦 Today, 13 March 2026, Ukraine’s Diia portal has implemented a tool enabling temporary reservation of defence‑sector employees who have military registration violations. This follows amendments effective 4 December 2025 under Law No. 4630‑IX. In their most recent insight, Maksym Tesliar, Counsel and Head of Employment and Labour Law service in Kyiv, and Valentyna Danyliuk, Associate, cover: 🔸 To whom the mechanism applies, 🔸 For how long the reservation can be granted, 🔸 What actions should be taken. Read the full article in English here: https://lnkd.in/dAsqTTfE or download in Ukrainian here: https://lnkd.in/dHWQ_tmb. Our Employment and Labour Law team advises on all military-related employment law matters in #Ukraine. Please contact Maksym Tesliar for all your employment and labour law needs. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #EmploymentLaw #Defence #DefenceLaw #MilitaryRegistration #LabourLaw #Diia #UkraineReconstruction

🇪🇺 The Court of Justice of the European Union (#ECJ) has issued an important judgement on the scope of EU sanctions under Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006. The case concerned EM SYSTEM, a Lithuanian company whose assets were frozen after a Belarusian national listed under EU sanctions was found to hold 50% of its shares. The ECJ ruled that asset freezes also apply to companies not listed in Annex I if their funds or economic resources are owned, held, or controlled by a listed person. To ensure effectiveness and prevent circumvention, the Court interpreted “control” broadly, covering both direct and indirect influence over a company’s assets. A 50% shareholding creates a presumption of control, extending to the company and its resources. This presumption is rebuttable, and Member States must provide mechanisms that allow both the non-listed company and the listed person to challenge the freeze and, where justified, have it lifted. The judgement has significant implications for sanctions compliance, corporate structures, and financial institutions across the EU. ⚖️ Legal determination: • Asset freezes under Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 apply to non-listed companies if their funds or economic resources are owned, held, or controlled by a listed person. • “Held” and “controlled” must be interpreted broadly, including indirect influence over the use of funds. • A 50% shareholding triggers a presumption of control over both the company and its assets. • This presumption is rebuttable, and Member States must offer procedures that allow affected parties to challenge the freeze. 🌍 Broader context: The judgement is consistent with the EU’s broader sanctions policy, which aims to prevent circumvention, ensure swift enforcement, and prioritise the real influence of listed persons over formal ownership structures. It confirms the EU’s tendency to apply a substance over form approach when assessing control and sanctions exposure. 🚨 Implications for stakeholders: • Companies with listed shareholders may face asset freezes even if they are not designated. • Financial institutions must treat companies with a listed 50% shareholder as controlled and therefore subject to freezes. • Investors and corporate groups should review and document governance structures to rebut presumptions of control where appropriate. 💡 The ruling highlights the EU’s strict and control‑focused approach to sanctions enforcement and the need for comprehensive compliance assessments across all corporate structures. ✍️ Written by our Regulatory & Sanctions experts from Vienna, Partner Harald Strahberger and Associate Florian Sesztak. #ExceptionalTogether #InTheKnow #EU #EUsanctions #CouncilRegulation #AssetFreeze #AnnexI

🌟 We are pleased to announce the following promotions in our Tashkent office: Counsel Kamilla Khamraeva has been appointed as Head of the local Banking and Finance service line, Jakhongir Azatov has been promoted to Managing Associate, and Sardor Akhmedov has been promoted to Associate. Kamilla, the new Head of the Banking and Finance service line in Tashkent, has more than 12 years of legal experience in Banking & Finance across a range of sectors, with a strong focus on Energy and Infrastructure. Her practice focuses on project financing, sovereign and sub-sovereign financing, and complex cross-border mandates. She is a dual-qualified lawyer in Uzbekistan and Russia, and is recognised as a Notable Practitioner in the most recent edition of IFLR 1000. Jakhongir, now promoted to Managing Associate, has extensive experience in Corporate / M&A and Banking & Finance. He advises on complex M&A transactions and various Islamic Finance instruments. His experience also spans advising on project development across various sectors. Sardor, Associate, focuses on Banking & Finance and Capital Markets. He was recently part of our team advising on the first-ever public Eurobond issuance by a private bank in Uzbekistan and on other major financing mandates. 💬 Joel B. Benjamin, Office Managing Partner comments: "I am delighted to see Kamilla, Jakhongir, and Sardor take these next steps in their careers. Their well-earned promotions reflect their outstanding expertise, dedication to clients, and the key roles they play in the dynamic growth and continued expansion of our practice in Uzbekistan." #ExceptionalTogether #Promotion #Tashkent #Uzbekistan #BankingLaw #FinanceLaw #BankingAndFinance #CapitalMarkets #MandA #EnergyLaw