Top Legal Executives in Hungary 2021 full book by Business Publishing Services Kft.

Top Legal

EXECUTIVES In Hungary 2021

The most influential legal executives in the Hungarian economy

Some see a new motor. We see a new era.

The fully electric Audi e-tron Sportback. Future is an attitude Power consumption, combined: 21,6–26,3 kWh. Co2 emissions, combined: 0 g/km. The values specified are based on the default factory setup recorded at the type approval and are valid at the time the ad is posted. The designated values were measured according to WLTP. They do not apply to individual vehicles and are not part of the information notice, but serve the purpose of comparing different types of vehicles, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 715/2007. These values are influenced by additional equipment, accessories, driving habits and other non-technical (e.g. environmental) factors. The motor vehicle shown in the picture is an illustration and may contain additional equipment.

Foreword It is with great pleasure that we present our inaugural Top Legal Executives in Hungary publication, a companion to Top Expat CEOs in Hungary (which will be produced for the third time this year). As such, it represents an expansion of our “Top” brand, and is an exciting departure for us. Before I go any further, and in the interests of full disclosure, perhaps I ought to “confess” that I am married to a lawyer who works for one of Budapest’s regional law firms. As a journalist, I have always thought it is good policy to have legal advice close to hand, though as a result I do perhaps know more about the local scene than is healthy for someone who is decidedly not an attorney at law. Recent events have brought legal matters, specifically rule of law issues, firmly into the spotlight, and in their way make the timing of this publication apposite. Whether it is the shocking storming of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., or the historic second impeachment of U.S. President Donald J. Trump, or the military coup in Myanmar and the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi (again) after her party won a landslide election, it is impossible to untangle politics and law right now. Our own region has its own areas of concern in this arena, with the European Union trying to link cash dispersals from its budget and coronavirus recovery fund with adherence to the rule of law. This was seen as an attempt to target in particular the Fidesz-led government of Hungary and the Law and Justice (a suitably appropriate name for this publication) cabinet of Poland, the only

two countries in the history of the bloc to have been investigated by the European Commission under Article 7. That argument, which saw Hungary and Poland accusing Brussels of blackmail and threatening to veto the whole EU budget for the next seven years (it requires unanimity to pass), was resolved, at least for now, at an EU summit in December. But it is not the subject of this publication (although a couple of lawyers featured inside do reference it). It is both highly technical, and highly political, and the essence of the “Top” brand is very much more about the people behind the industry, rather than the practicalities of policy. Hence you will find in the second half of Top Legal Executives a series of biographies of some of the leading personalities from the sector. They share with us why they got into law in the first place and how they chose their specialty (or how their specialty chose them, in some cases). That said, we have tried to fame all of this within an overview of how Hungarian law operates, the role of the Constitutional Court and the Curia, or Supreme Court, the interconnection between the Hungarian and Budapest Bar Associations, and the career paths open to the country’s law graduates. We hope you will find this publication both informative and useful. Robin Marshall MBE, Editor-in-chief Budapest Business Journal

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

Top Legal

Contents Legal Profession Shows no Signs of Losing Appeal in Hungary

Standing its Ground: The Evolution of Hungarian Law

Lawyering a ‘Sensitive Gauge of the Economy’

EXECUTIVES

Budapest Bar: Building on Centuries of Advocacy

In Hungary 2021

A Tales of Two Courts

Market Talk: The Year That was, and the Year That Will Be

Wolf Theiss as a Leading law Firm in the CEE/SEE Region

Péter Lakatos

Zoltán Nádasdy

Miklós Orbán

Erika Papp

Pro Bono: The Very Essence of the Legal Profession

Tamás Polauf

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHIES

András Posztl

Péter Berethalmi

István Réczicza

David Dederick

Ulrike Rein

Zoltán Faludi

Sándor Sárközy

Kristóf Ferenczi

Iván Sefer

Péter Göndöcz

Tamás Szabó

Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi

Katalin Szamosi

Kinga Hetényi

András Szecskay

Andrea Jádi Németh

Ágnes Szent-Ivány

Pál Jalsovszky

Law Firms With International Affiliations

Published in 2021 • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Robin Marshall • CONTRIBUTORS: Annamária Bálint, Christian Keszthelyi, Csilla Lengyel, Bálint Szőnyi, Zsófia Végh • LISTS: BBJ Research (research@bbj.hu) • NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES: Should be submitted in English to news@bbj.hu • LAYOUT: Zsolt Pataki • PUBLISHER: Tamás Botka, Business Publishing Services Kft. • Address: Madách Trade Center, 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 13-14., Building A, 8th floor • Telephone +36 (1) 398-0344, Fax +36 (1) 398-0345, • ADVERTISING: AMS Services Kft. • CEO: Balázs Román • SALES: sales@bbj.hu • CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: circulation@bbj.hu • www.budapestbusinessjournal.com • ISSN 2732-3307

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Legal Profession Shows no Signs of Losing its Appeal in Hungary Although sometimes it might feel that there is a practicing lawyer on every corner, market trends hint that the demand for qualified legal professionals is justified. Legal studies open up the way for a number of career options, but also provide

Photo by Nicola Forenza / Shutterstock.com

a solid basis if you want to start down a totally different road.

“The real question, we believe, is not the quantity but the quality of the lawyers. It is more important than ever for legal experts to be mindful of continuously building professional and entrepreneurial skills, thus amplifying the quality of the legal advice they provide.”

By Bálint Szőnyi Interest in legal studies doesn’t seem to be dropping among youngsters; according to education portal Eduline, every 12th applicant wished to start the 2020/2021 academic year at a law school in Hungary. One key driver behind this zeal is the high social status attached to the legal profession and the much hoped-for fortune and fame associated with it. An unemployment rate of 3% among fresh graduates underlies the argument, indeed, that earning a law degree could well be your ticket to avoid economic hardship. But where do all those law students ultimately end up, including the 4,000 that started down the road of legal education last September? According to data from the Central Statistical Office, some 56,000 people out there graduated from a law school, and six out of 10 of them hold a position in the public sector such as in the judiciary or in public administration. Public prosecution employs some 2,200 specialists, but public notaries are far fewer on the ground: Just 313 such positions exist in the country, by government decree. Not surprisingly, the largest group of legal professionals is made up of attorneys at law, who total 12,791, as stated by the Hungarian Bar Association. Add a further 6,792 registered legal counsels, in-house, EU and trainee lawyers, and you get close to hitting the 20,000 mark. This is a large number, especially when compared to Austria with around 8,800 bar-registered attorneys and trainee lawyers for its population of 8.8 million, says Gábor Papp, head of professional development at DLA Hungary. “So long as talented and high-performing fresh graduate lawyers can find a decent job, which is still the case, the market seems to approve the numbers. The real question, we believe, is not the quantity but

Erika Papp

the quality of the lawyers. It is more important than ever for legal experts to be mindful of continuously building professional and entrepreneurial skills, thus amplifying the quality of the legal advice they provide,” says Papp.

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As Zoltán Faludi, partner at Wolf Theiss Faludi Erős points out, the situation is complex. “A degree in law has always been, and hopefully will always remain, a degree with great intrinsic value,” he says. “Given the increasing demand for hybrid positions in the legal tech and other law-related industries, the creative minded surplus of Generation Z graduates also have a good chance of being employed in these sectors. All in all, there will always be a lack of talented junior colleagues who possess all, or most, of the qualities and skills that a good attorney needs to be successful in an international environment.” Erika Papp, the managing partner at CMS, Hungary’s largest international law firm by number of licensed attorneys, sees a bright side to the oversupply issue. “Sooner or later everyone will find their right place with a law degree, not necessarily as an attorney but maybe outside of law; for example in business, or politics,” she says. INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES One factor that might push would-be lawyers towards different paths is the fear of not having enough crossborder opportunities, a key aspect in today’s global economy. For law is primarily tied to a given country’s

Zoltán Faludi

Where Will the Legal Path Lead? Not everybody starting and finishing law school fancies the idea of actually dealing with law for the rest of their life. For starters, every third law student drops out. In addition, some 12% of graduates never practice law, while 11% of them work in positions that don’t even require a university degree. It seems that, when applying, all that some want to benefit from is the unique network power a law school can provide, which comes handy subsequently. Those who don’t find their way in the maze of legal provisions can end up in very different walks of life. Journalism is a popular option, since legal studies require lots of written assignments and oral presentations. For the same reason, many others

excel as commercial copy writers. But the real estate or education fields also attract legally educated talent as well. As to whether a career change in the legal field is typical, opinions differ. Erika Papp’s impression is that it doesn’t happen often. “The main career move that we routinely see lawyers make is between private practice and in-house work. Sometimes our lawyers develop such strong working relationships with our clients and their businesses that it becomes a natural progression for them to move inhouse full-time,” she points out. “Alternatively, sometimes lawyers come to CMS from in-house roles looking for new opportunities and variety and it is incredibly valuable for us to add this

legal system, which is set to limit worker mobility. However, as Erika Papp stresses, law is becoming more and more cross-border, at least within the European Union, due to the increasing level of legal harmonization within the bloc. “Of course, there are smaller and bigger nuances in how a member state implements EU law, but EU law creates an overarching common knowledge and understanding for lawyers,” she says. Specific areas, such as financial contract law, are also of a universal nature, and some parts of mergers and acquisitions, media, technology and general commercial agreements look very much alike around the world too. “Therefore, whilst it is true that the legal profession is unfortunately not universal and cannot be practiced based on a single law degree in multiple countries, if a lawyer specializes in one of these fields of law, that knowledge may be portable,” she concludes. The European Union and other international organizations provide a natural destination for those seeking professional challenges in a multicultural environment. Pursuing a master’s degree in law, known by the initials LL.M, could further serve as a springboard.

industry experience and commercial perspective into our team mix,” she says. Other have different experiences, however. Wolf Theiss has found that changing careers within the legal profession is not unusual amongst attorneys working in larger international law firms. “Many times we see excellent senior lawyers elected or requested to participate (or lead) as leaders of private or government bodies. Some of the senior members of leading international law firms are also active arbitrators,” Faludi says. Younger colleagues frequently switch for more “future-proof” or less demanding jobs. A newly emerged field, “legal tech” that combines legal and technical knowledge, further offers an exciting alternative. According to DLA Piper, the myth of no trespassing between business and civil service

WHO GOES WHERE?

Law students

Law graduates

56,000

4,000

Public prosecution

Public notaries

2,200

313

Attorneys-at-law

12,791

Judges

Legal counsel, inhouse, and trainee lawyers

6,792

BBJ Infographic

2,830 Sources: Association of Public Prosecutors, Hungarian Bar Association, KSH, National Courts Authority

is fading. Law graduates now have the option to choose from a wide range of legal professions and picking one to start with does not mean a commitment for life. Employers, too, are getting used to this. “At DLA Piper, we explicitly encourage our Talent Pool members (undergrad law student paralegals) to leave us behind after 3-6 months and try to test as many legal professions and career options during their university years as possible. This is the only way to be enabled to make the right choice for the start of their career,” explains Gábor Papp. “For those coming back to us later, we can be sure that a true commitment exists, and they know what they are signing up for. Our career path is no longer set in stone and it is up to us whether we keep an eye on new, different opportunities. We’d better not be shy about it.”

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“Alternatively, the legal industry creates a growing number of ‘out-of-the-box’ roles which are more mobile, such as change makers and knowledge management professionals, who often are qualified lawyers but choose to suspend their practice to take on future-proofing their organization.”

As Faludi says, among other things, it gives one the chance to “experience law from the side of business cases rather than textbook examples, as well as to apply for positions requiring

general legal expertise in the country where the LL.M. course takes place.”

Gábor Papp

GLOBAL VIEW International law firms generally offer overseas placement programs for their attorneys, Faludi adds. “Wolf Theiss also operates such a program and regularly seconds colleagues to the practice groups of other offices in the CEE Region.” Gábor Papp supports the argument that working for an international law firm offers a global perspective. “It is no longer the realm of sci-fi that you can work as closely with a colleague from Luxembourg or Hong Kong as you interact with the guy sitting next to you in the office in Budapest. Alternatively, the legal industry creates a growing number of ‘out-of-the-box’ roles which are more mobile, such as change makers and knowledge management professionals, who are often qualified lawyers but choose to suspend their practice to take on future-proofing their organization,” he explains. Lawyers who do stick to their chosen profession can keep pace if they keep their eyes open. Areas with the most potential and need for expertise include intellectual property, data protection, pharma, energy as well as restructuring and financial law, according to experts we have spoken to. As Richard Susskind, lawyer futurist and advisor to DLA Piper International puts it, we are advancing into a post-professional society. The true success factor in the legal industry is based on the ability of the expert to become a trusted advisor. Those legal professionals who are willing to continuously learn and upskill, whilst listening closely to what their clients need, will generate the success stories of the coming years.

Taming Generation Z

Noémi Radnai

Law firms are known to have rather conservative structures, and with Generation Z leaving university in droves, their impact is soon to be felt. As Noémi Radnai, knowledge development lawyer at DLA Piper Hungary explains, the real changes are expected to happen when clients with Gen Z representatives seek advice from Generation X and Y partner-led law firms. “That could be a similar moment for Gen Z attorneys to step up, as it was for Western university-trained Generation X partners in the 1990s,” she says. Positioning learning and development high on the strategic agenda not only benefits both employees and employers but can contribute significantly to producing higher client satisfaction rates, a clear win-win.

At DLA, the belief is that all generations bring something valuable to the table. “Our latest generation of lawyers are dynamic and engaged, and we really value their ideas and commitment to our corporate social responsibility initiatives,” Radnai says. “There is an increased focus on the importance of flexible or agile working and firm efforts surrounding sustainability, as well as an increased desire for diversity and inclusion. We aim to create a workplace where all our people can maximize their potential and thrive,” she adds. Wolf Theiss has its own impressions of Generation Z. As Faludi sees it, the latest generation see the world as a vast and borderless digital playground where becoming famous or making money through creating video content or coding an app allows one to almost instantly acquire wealth in a self-employed setup, with no strict hierarchy and unprecedented freedom. “This generation has a completely different view of the requirements of our industry and naturally demand more freedom and a more pronounced ‘work/life balance’ and respect for their free time,” he says. They are also accustomed to change and are more casual when it comes to switching jobs or moving abroad for a prospective opportunity, Faludi adds. These attributes and differences in attitudes are very apparent when it comes to what senior and junior staff understand to be the precise meaning behind the words “commitment” and “dedication.” These candidates tend to give up more easily but are also more articulate about their needs within the workplace. Therefore, finding a common language and creating a contemporary working environment is a constant challenge for the leaders of these international law firms. However, when it comes to competence and skill, there appears to be no change in the overall quality of junior colleagues. The choices to specialize have grown vastly and those students that wish to collect experience and become the best in their class have great chances of doing so, even during their university years. “We also take pride in tutoring ambitious students and have constant ongoing paid internship programs organized at our Budapest office to allow them to experience the atmosphere of our everyday challenges and victories,” Faludi concludes.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

Standing its Ground: The Evolution of Hungarian Law Hungarian law is constantly evolving, not least thanks to the driving impact of European legislation and case-law, after the dark era of communism that pursued a witch hunt against private property. Although based on Roman law, it has more

Image by xtock / Shutterstock.com

in common with English or common law than you might think.

“When Hungary again embraced the market economy, it had a Civil Code ready and waiting with a little adjustment to guide its citizens in their commercial dealings. In 2013, the Civil Code was given a substantial refurbishment, repairing faults that had developed over the years, taking more account of market realities and its societal context.”

By Bálint Szőnyi If you went to law school in Hungary, as this writer did, you most definitely have vivid memories of one particular subject: Roman law. It is the most feared yearend exam in the first grade with reason. And even if you pass, and the experience is gradually morphing into some fun anecdote, deep down the terror stays with you for good. Indeed, many regard it as the ultimate challenge in legal studies that is meant to decide whether you are fit to earn a law degree or not. The rigor is meant to underline the significant impact Roman law has had on the Hungarian legal system. The fact hardly comes as a surprise, since Hungarian law belongs to the continental law system, and more specifically to its Germanic branch, together with Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Although Roman law’s influence materialized only in about the 15th century, from then on it played a crucial role in the evolution of Hungarian legal processes. Yet, it is worth noting that countries with a Romano-Germanic inspired codex did not simply cut and paste Roman law, but rather carried on its heritage by fine-tuning it to perfection. Aligning to the rules of countries of strategic importance in the region was a natural process in Hungary’s effort to keep pace with economic and social development in the West. Therefore, when it came to drawing up plans for a Civil Code to serve the needs of citizens of Hungary’s then modern capitalist society in the 1920s, inspiration came from abroad, not least from Switzerland. Unfortunately, by the time Hungary’s first Civil Code was finally enacted in 1959, Hungary had become a communist state, and with severe restrictions on private property and enterprise, much of the new Civil Code’s functionality had become redundant.

John Fenemore

For decades it remained underutilized, but the design was a solid structure, points out John Fenemore, banking and finance partner at Lakatos, Köves & Partners. “When Hungary again embraced the market economy, it had a Civil Code ready and waiting, with a little adjustment, to guide its citizens in their commercial dealings. In 2013, the Civil Code was given a substantial refurbishment, repairing faults that had developed over the years, taking more account of market realities and its societal context and providing a stable base and more contractual freedom for Hungary’s continued participation in the European Union,” Fenemore adds.

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“There can be a temptation for Hungarian lawyers to answer a practical query from a client with a treatise on the legal issues it raises: the client’s mundane problem is elevated into an opportunity to engage with and better understand the beautiful thing that is the law.”

whereas the key pillars of Romano-Germanic law are written legal sources. More importantly, common law is judge-made, which implies that its rules are less abstract as they always concern a decision over a concrete case. Continental law, and consequently Hungarian law, rather describes behavior patterns, regardless of the specific circumstances of a case. Accordingly, the role judges play in the two systems represent the biggest difference. Whereas in Hungary their job is solely to apply the law, in the United Kingdom, case law is recognized as a legal source, and judges may apply laws in the light of changing circumstances.

THE PRELIMINARY RULING

Vera Nagy

Roman law derives its importance in part from the fact that it forms a fault line between continental law and common law. For the essence of the latter has always been that it followed its own trajectory of evolution and resisted embracing Roman law. As a result, we are talking about two legal systems that are different to their core. For starters, common law is not codified, meaning the majority of its rules are not enacted,

A widely used method to seek a ruling before the Court of Justice is via a procedure called preliminary ruling. Member state courts and tribunals can refer questions to the court about the interpretation of EU law or the validity of an EU act. Deciding on the dispute itself remains the duty of the national judiciary bodies; yet, the court’s decision is similarly binding on other national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised. Hungary has been very eager to use this forum for EU-level interpretation. In fact, in the period from 2014-2018, it was the most active among the “big bang” group of 10 member states that joined the EU in 2004. Hungarian judges sought the ECJ’s interpretation in a total of 177 cases in 15 years in nearly every trial phase. Many of the Hungarian initiatives gave a push to the development of EU law as well, primarily in consumer rights, the freedom of establishment, value-added tax and competition law.

Back in the ’90s, there was a sarcastic saying in Hungary that we were somehow always “just a few years away from joining the EU.” Accession finally did come in 2004, since when the former saying has been remodeled such that the country is always “just a few years away from joining the eurozone.” One of the fundamental changes brought about by this historic development was the harmonization of the Hungarian legal system with EU law. Throughout its history, the continent has always been characterized by the duality of fragmentation and a quest for unity. After World War II, the latter was given an extra boost, and the establishment of the European Community was its perfect manifestation. With accession, the general principles and values enshrined in the Treaties of the European Union as primary legislation became part of Hungary’s legal culture overnight, and have been impacting legislation and case-law ever since. From a more practical point of view, European law is applied in Hungary primarily through regulations and directives, sources of so-called secondary legislation. Regulations have direct effect, meaning they are directly applicable, so they can be invoked without a national legislative body having to incorporate them into their own legal system. Directives, on the other hand, need to be transposed by the law maker whilst making sure that they comply with the objectives set out and that Hungarian legal provisions don’t contradict EU law. But how does this affect an average European citizen or company on an everyday basis? Situations where EU regulations must be applied arise more often than you might think, explains Vera Nagy, a European law expert and former head of department of the Registry at the General Court of the European Court of Justice. “If, for instance, a company enters into an agreement with a counterparty from another Member State, and it comes to a legal dispute between the parties during the fulfilment of the agreement, the so-called Brussels I recast regulation guides us as to in which Member State a lawsuit can be filed,” Nagy says by way of an explination for how jurisdiction is determined in such situations. It can also happen, though, that no governing law was specified in a contract. In that case the Rome I regulation comes to the rescue. And after settling the dispute, Brussels I recast regulation takes center stage yet again by paving the way for smooth enforcement. Another good example of how EU law is all around us (and has direct effect), is the notorious GDPR. “This shows that, in many cases, European legislation must be applied even in the lack of a legal dispute,” adds Nagy.

Image by xtock / Shutterstock.com

How European law Shapes Hungary’s Legal System

On the other hand, the very fact that directives have been transposed into a national legal system doesn’t necessarily mean that the transposition was flawless. According to the precedence principle, EU law is superior to the national laws of member states, therefore it must be interpreted in accordance with the true intent of the law maker. In other words, national authorities and courts alike must interpret the national law in accordance with EU law and refrain from applying national legislation that conflicts with it. This correlation has tremendous impact on the legal culture as such, especially because member state case-law should also respect EU case-law, adds Nagy. On occasions the interpretation of certain EU provisions is not clear for member state authorities and courts, or a Hungarian provision conflicts with European regulations, which results in its inapplicability. In addition, natural and legal persons may also invoke EU law in a number of cases. “That’s when the Court of Justice and the General Court, jointly known as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) come into the picture,” explains Nagy. “And it cannot be emphasized enough how big a role it plays in shaping law, including national laws.” The ECJ is not only empowered with interpreting and applying EU law, but also contributing to its development, especially through the formulation of general principles. Some authors speak in this context of ‘de facto’ precedent at the ECJ. That is how EU jurisprudence actually becomes part of Hungarian law. Integration of EU law is, clearly, truly vital. Nonetheless, preserving Hungary’s unique legal culture is also an important mission as it is rich enough to contribute to the development of the European legal system. This phenomenon of mutual impact drives forward the development of law across the continent.

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“It cannot be emphasized enough how big a role it [the European Court of Justice] plays in shaping law, including national laws.”

Balázs Fazekas

This pushes lawyers trained under different legal systems to embrace different approaches when it comes to legal counseling. As Fenemore says, “There can be a temptation for Hungarian lawyers to answer a practical

ENGLISH VS. HUNGARIAN LAW: A BRIEF PRACTICAL GUIDE When it comes to comparing English and Hungarian law, legal philosophy-related differences are one thing, hard-core everyday business is another. Balázs Fazakas, head of litigation and dispute resolution practice at Lakatos, Köves & Partners gives a few hints as to what to watch out for. • Evidential requirements are far more stringent in Hungary than in England. For example, while it would often be quite acceptable to provide email correspondence or a pdf copy of an agreement to a court in England if there ever was a dispute, this is unlikely to be sufficient in proceedings in Hungary. Wet ink (or electronic signatures meeting the appropriate formal requirements) are almost always likely to be needed. Countersignature by a lawyer or notary is also often required. Foreign documents often need to be notarized, Apostilled and translated by official authorities before they can be used.

query from a client with a treatise on the legal issues it raises: the client’s mundane problem is elevated into an opportunity to engage with and better understand the beautiful thing that is the law. As a team of Hungarian and English lawyers, we tend to have more practical concerns; for instance, what we can do to provide the client with the best protection,” he explains. Still, as philosopher of law Antal Visegrády argues, if one doesn’t focus on the legal source-induced differences, then the actual difference between common law and continental law shrinks to the minimum. That becomes apparent, in particular, in comparison to the American legal culture, which puts the emphasis of legal arguments not on legal sources but on the consequences of the decision. Therefore, the English and the continental legal cultures may be jointly referred to as European legal culture, and as such, part of a common European heritage.

• Hungarian law has a less sophisticated range of tools to deal with the bankruptcy or insolvency of a Hungarian company. Without such tools, the likelihood of a distressed counterparty being wound up is higher than it would be in England. Creditors are also likely to have less control over what happens to a creditor’s assets in Hungarian insolvency proceedings than they would have in similar proceedings in England. • Notwithstanding recent reforms, court proceedings are lengthy and expensive affairs. With a less clearly defined system of judicial precedent, the outcome of litigation is also less clear cut and highly dependent on the judge that hears it. Accordingly, it is much less common for proceedings to be settled out of court and much more common for proceedings to be appealed than in England, thus, cases are rarely decided at first instance and will more often be decided by higher courts on the basis of written submissions rather than oral arguments. • A license or permit may be necessary to engage in activities in Hungary that are unregulated in England. This can come as an unpleasant surprise.

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Lawyering a ‘Sensitive Gauge of the Economy’ János Bánáti, president of the Hungarian Bar Association (MÜK) reflects on how the pandemic has affected the profession, the organization’s priorities for this year, whether legal education is up to scratch, and addresses the question of its independence. By Zsófia Végh BBJ: How hard has the legal profession been hit by the coronavirus? János Bánáti: At the beginning of the outbreak when all economic activities stalled, including real estate deals, and trials were suspended, we feared that it might bring the entire profession to its knees. A year into the pandemic, I am glad to say that it did not turn out that badly. Lawyering is a very sensitive gauge of the economy: it immediately reflects its changes. The Hungarian economy did not collapse, limitations such as the court "holiday" were eventually lifted, real estate deals returned, new companies are still founded. There is recession, but nowhere near as severe as we envisioned a year ago. On a positive note, the number of lawyers did not decrease. Some may have left the profession or decided to retire, but the growing trend we have seen for several years did not stop. The pandemic has increased the role and share of IT and digitization and, where possible, it accelerated the transition to digital tools. However, there are fields where an in-person appearance is essential; in criminal proceedings, for example. Although the court made some allowances to reduce the risk from the epidemic, some personal contact was necessary regardless. In fact, a criminal case or trial is an area where I am quite skeptical about the use of digital tools in the future as well, as a lot can be deduced from non-verbal cues, facial expressions, tone, etc. that is lost online. BBJ: What are the priorities for the Hungarian Bar Association for this year? JB: One priority is the economic situation of lawyers. Here MÜK has a delicate role in legislation: while it

is supposed to put lawyers’ interest to the forefront, it needs to do so in a way that it does not limit or harm the interests of society. One example would be mandatory representation, which could be expanded, but at the same time it cannot be made universal, as it would put too much of a burden on people. We seem to have found the balance where, in civil cases, the ratio of mandatory representation has increased without increasing the burdens on individuals. We also represent our members – just like any other chamber – when there are changes in taxation, such as KATA, or fees, etc. The coronavirus has also heavily impacted mandatory advanced training. A new concept introduced in 2018, this training was created to ensure that lawyers keep up with the fast pace of legislative changes. It was scheduled to start last January, and a significant part of it would have been in person. With the pandemic, it had to be moved online. Also, most community-building events, including Lawyer’s Day and Ball, had to be cancelled. Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate it again this year. BBJ: Is graduate education also up to date with the law of the 21st century? JB: Twelve years ago, in a college journal of ELTE University, I criticized higher education overall. I found it too theoretical and that it put a disproportionate emphasis on lexical knowledge while disregarding the practical aspects of the profession. Teaching focused on finding one solution to a problem, which is the judge’s job, not a lawyer’s. They, instead, should be trained to be able to identify a problem, to argue from more than one angle. As a lawyer involved in different aspects of training in

“The Hungarian economy did not collapse and the limitations, such as the court holiday, were eventually lifted, real estate deals returned, new companies are still founded. There is recession, but nowhere near as severe as we envisioned a year ago.”

different roles, I am happy to say that now the education has become much more practice oriented and solution focused. Currently, the number of young graduates in the bar who are on vocational training is around 3,000 and their approach reflects this improvement significantly. BBJ: A few years ago, you said that this profession is just as diverse as Hungarian society and, as such, it is also independent. Is it still so, considering that the independence of certain elements of Hungarian legislation has been questioned in the past couple of years? JB: I firmly believe that this has not changed. And when I say this, I am speaking not only on behalf of the majority of the bar, but also how society sees it. The sovereignty of both the bar’s self-governance and the legal profession has remained intact. The part of the law on legal aid that says the client’s interest is given overall priority and lawyers have to represent that, the most important part of our independence, is unquestionable. So, whenever a lawyer engages in a proceeding where they represent a private entity against the state, be it a tax trial (where they often stand against the state’s interest) or at a criminal proceeding versus the state, the interests of the client comes first. No one pressures lawyers to keep the state’s interest in mind. Should it happen, as it did a year ago during the so-called Prison Business cases, the bar immediately acts and defends the sovereignty of its member. Another element to this independence is the selection of the bar’s officials and leaders; here there has never been any interference from the state or any other party. The disciplinary committee within the bar is a two-level body made up exclusively of lawyers, also guaranteeing independence. Overall, our activities are defined by the law, but the content (how and with whom we “fill” it) is entirely down to us. The assembly of envoys devises regulations that all 12,000 lawyers must keep. This, in part, has to do with the traditions of this profession

János Bánáti

and also with the fact that law is a delicate area where any deviation can have immediate consequences. Some also say that it helps that there several lawyers in Parliament. I cannot assess how much lobbying influence they may have, but it is also true that in the past 30 years, the majority of justice ministers had previously been lawyers who probably have this independence in mind as well.

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Budapest Bar: Building on Centuries of Advocacy The Budapest Bar Association describes itself as the oldest and most significant public body in Hungarian legal history, both considering its social significance and its membership numbers. While the primary task of the organization is to register and administer lawyers active in Budapest, its significance goes well beyond that. The Budapest Business Journal discussed the association’s history and duties with vice president, Dr. Péter S. Szabó.

By Christian Keszthelyi As the constitutional role of advocacy is crucial in any democratic society, lawyers fill an important role: Providing professional advice to private individuals or legal entities in litigation or contractual matters. Such advice includes public law matters, such as criminal cases or administrative issues, where clients may oppose the state. “Therefore it is highly important that the lawyer and also their organization should be independent,” Szabó tells the BBJ in an exclusive interview. He notes that, in today’s complex world, it is almost impossible to complete a business transaction, or even

The Budapest Bar Association has approximately 12,200 members. Off those, about 8,000 are lawyers, 2,000 are legal advisors, there are 1,700 trainee lawyers, 380 junior advisors, 70 legal assistants/paralegals and almost 90 foreign (EU and non-EU) lawyers. The number of active members is around 10,500. The membership fee for a lawyer (including EU lawyers) is HUF 33,000 quarterly, or HUF 132,000 for a whole year. Everybody else pays less than that.

a simple matter between individuals, without seeking the professional advice of a lawyer. “It is important to deliver the message to the wider public that it is always best to consult a lawyer before you initiate any kind of action with legal implications. Lawyers all over the world fulfil this task and their local organizations are supporting them in doing so,” the vice president says. The development and historical path of Hungarian law is inextricably linked to Hungarian society. Up until the 16th century, hardly any written sources of Hungarian law were available. Despite the lack of such records, it is certain that a separate organization providing justice to stakeholders had already emerged in the preceding centuries, sparked by the natural need for the subjects of legal proceedings to be assisted by advocates, specialists in the law. According to written evidence from the 17th and 18th centuries, lawyers mainly represented the fortunes of aristocratic families. In 1723, Károly (Charles III) issued the first law on lawyers, which was replaced by his daughter and heir, Maria Theresa in 1769, regulating the activities of some 800 lawyers operating in the country at that time. FIRST ORGANIZATION A century later, the Budapest Bar Association was the first formal organization of lawyers in Hungary in 1875, a muchneeded body as various rules for legal professionals who support the wider public in legal matters had existed in the

“Needless to say, the requirement of independence was not always fulfilled. But the bodies and members of the bars went as far as they could to fulfil their initial mission, even under the difficult circumstances.”

country since the Middle Ages. Shortly after the Budapest Bar Association’s foundation, similar organizations were established in other counties in Hungary. Throughout the difficult history of the 20th century, the bars in Hungary were able to work continuously without an interruption, more or less as independent organizations. “Needless to say, the requirement of independence was not always fulfilled. But the bodies and members of the bars went as far as they could to fulfil their initial mission, even under the difficult circumstances,” Szabó says. As public bodies, the two most important functions of Hungarian bars are their own administration, based on selfgovernance, and the protection of lawyers’ interests, as a conduit to the protection of clients’ interests. “To complete these tasks, the bars are responsible for setting rules for their members, within the framework of the state regulations, to provide the license for practice (as only a bar member can be a lawyer), to exercise deontological rules over the members, to handle the administration of the membership and to participate in the legislative process as legal experts,” the vice president explains. “The bars also provide certain services to members and obligatory training. Needless to say, there are other details beyond the most important matters,” he adds. ADVOCACY INPUT Hungary has 20 bars in total: one in each county and one in the capital. All local bars are also the members of the Hungarian Bar Association, which possesses exclusive competence to issue rules for the profession to maintain a homogeneous practice. It also represents advocacy before the government and at an international level. The Hungarian Bar Association consists of representatives from the local bars, elected for this position and also the presidents of the local bars. A certain proprtion of the membership fees collected by the local bars from their individual members goes to the national association. (For more on the Hungarian Bar, see page 18.)

Dr. Péter S. Szabó

Every four years, elections are held in the bars. In addition to the VP, the present leadership of the Budapest Bar Association, includes its president Dr. Gábor M. Tóth and secretary-general Dr. Balázs Gyalog. The current leadership was elected in November 2018, with the president and VP serving their first term. “In our view, advocacy plays a very important rule in every society, including Hungary. The profession itself is one of the most traditional civil professions. Lawyers are usually complex people: they are familiar with politics, state administration, but also with almost all areas of life, as they represent individuals and companies from all fields of society,” Szabó notes. Given the way lawyers help the general public untangle text-heavy terms and conditions or try to break down legalese into simple everyday language, it is easy to consider legal professionals as being near omniscient. Nevertheless, it is “important to know that we also have our own problems. There are various social problems or challenges set by the always-changing legislation. Therefore, it is important to support those members who are also living through difficulties, sometimes,” the vice president adds.

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A Tale of two Courts

By Zsófia Végh

Hungary, in common with most states, has a judicial system where cases rise up through a pyramid, mostly starting in a district court and, if it gets that far, ending in an appeal to the Kúria (the Curia or Supreme Court) at the very top. The country also has a Constitutional Court, which ensures the country’s legislation is in keeping with the Fundamental Law, the formal name for the constitution. This article looks at how these two courts operate and, briefly, at areas of overlap.

The Curia Since 2011, numerous changes have transformed the structure of the Hungarian court system. Currently, there are 158 courts in a four-tier hierarchy: district courts, administrative and labor courts, regional courts, regional courts of appeal and the Curia, or Supreme Court, at the top of the pyramid. There are a total of 113 district courts. Appeals against decisions reached at these courts are heard by 20 appeal courts, which in certain cases act as the court of first

THE HISTORY OF THE CURIA As with so much else at Hungary’s rebirth as a free and democratic state, the Curia underwent major reforms from 1989 onwards, but its history long predates that point. The Curia at the time of the regime change was built upon an institution that was in place (albeit working under a very different constitution and legal system) from 1948, when the communists set up their single party state. But a line can be traced back beyond that, to Article 2 of Act LIX of 1881, which merged two departments (known as “royal tables”) into one body as from January 1, 1882: “With regard to the jurisdiction of both royal tables, the highest judicial authority is hereby vested in the Royal Hungarian Curia in Budapest.” Even that name was not new, though. Act LIV of 1868 declared that “the highest legal authority as regards the whole jurisdiction of the two royal courts of appeal

instance. The Curia is the highest judicial authority of Hungary. It guarantees the uniform application of law, as its decisions are binding for other courts. The responsibilities of the Supreme Court are varied, ranging from the examination of appeals submitted against the decisions of county courts and regional courts of appeal, to the review of final decisions if these are challenged through an extraordinary remedy. The Curia adopts so-called “uniformity decisions,” which are binding on all other courts. It hears and determines uniformity complaints, and analyses final

would rest with the highest court under the name ‘Royal Hungarian Curia’ located in Pest.” As the Curia’s fascinating (if somewhat clunky) English language history section (lb.hu/en/history-and-judicial-reform) makes clear, the antecedents go back even further yet. “Based on the development of law of earlier centuries, Act XXV regulated the position of the Royal Court of Appeal led by the Chief Judicial Representative, which had its first session on May 2, 1724. The Curia, made up of two forums, the Table of Seven and the Royal Table (or the Royal Court of Appeal), was turned into a permanent court working in Pest independently of the royal court, though it did not meet regularly until the reign of Joseph II,” it says. Continue back beyond that and the history becomes hazier as it grows older, but the website makes a brave effort at establishing a link with the country’s King-Saint founder, István (Stephen). “With his codes the king – as the prominent person of supreme jurisdiction – laid down the foundations of a thousand-year-old development of the legal system.”

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decisions to examine and explore judicial practice. It passes decisions in cases where local government decrees violate legal rules and in cases where the local government fails to legislate as laid down in the act on local governments. It also carries out other duties assigned to it by law.

The principle of legal certainty is an important element of the rule of law in Hungary. Its requirement in court proceedings means that the courts shall, in the course of their judgments, reach decisions that are the same, or at least similar in content, in matters of the same facts regardless of which type of court the case is heard in, or whether the judgment was given at the first or second instance. Another responsibility of the Curia is to analyze the law itself. To ensure the harmonization of the administration of justice within the Hungarian judiciary, the Supreme Court operates jurisprudence-analyzing working groups. These look at practices in the administration of justice and prepare non-binding summary opinions, which are discussed by the competent college of the Curia. If the college agrees with the working group’s findings,

WORKING GROUPS Under the authority of its president (for more on the current incumbent, see below), the Curia has three departments: criminal, civil and administrative-labor law. Each department has various chambers that hear appellate cases, pass uniformity decisions, and issue decisions on principles. They also have working groups examining judicial practice.

As of January, the Curia has a new president, András Zs. Varga. A judge and head of panel of the Curia since 2020, he was formerly a Justice of the Constitutional Court from 2014. The conditions of his appointment, the result of various amendments of law pushed through using the overwhelming majority enjoyed by the Fideszled government, caused serious political and legal turmoil. The European Commission even went as far as expressing its concerns about the changes. The new president has addressed some of these issues at several forums since his inauguration. “We have to function as a Curia whose justices, as judges of the superior court of Hungary enjoying great authority, are able to harmonize the detailed dogmatic considerations necessary for the determination of the individual cases with the general requirement of enforcing the Fundamental Law,” he told the Curia itself. “The Curia is not an abstract institution, not a building or a judicial administrative office,” he added. “The Curia is us: it is you, my honorable fellow justices and, as one of the justices, it is the President of the Curia.” Varga said he wishes to strengthen cooperation among the various fields of law. He stated that he would defend the authority, autonomy and independence of Hungary’s judiciary, stressing that the judge must be independent of everyone, all other institutions and organizations, because the idea of impartiality requires it so. He said that he is committed to the separation of the tasks related to the president’s administrative

Photo by posztos / Shutterstock.com

THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT

András Zs. Varga

duties and the Curia’s external representation, including the separation of the organizational units supporting the various areas. Recent presidents of the Curia include Pál Solt, who served from the time of the change of the regime, Zoltán Lomnici, who had to prepare the Curia for the adoption of the law of the European Union when Hungary joined the bloc, and Varga's immediate predecessor, Péter Darák, who served from when the new Fundamental Law was adopted.

Another somewhat controversial element of this is that the Constitutional Court in general is supposed to defend the “weaker” against the “stronger” party. But the introduction of this allowance gives another tool to the “stronger” party. Elaborate regulation may help to clarify this, but at this point it is not sufficiently detailed, experts say.

a summary opinion will be published. One of the most important results of the work of these groups is their ability to draw attention to problems that may even lead to the initiation of a legal uniformity procedure or the initiation of legislation. The topics to be investigated are determined annually by the president of the Curia.

Constitutional Court The Constitutional Court of Hungary (or Magyarország Alkotmánybírósága as it is in Hungarian) is not actually part of the judicial system, but reviews the constitutionality of laws and court decisions. It has various competences including the ex-ante review of conformity with the Fundamental Law (preliminary norm control), ex post review of conformity with the Fundamental Law (posterior norm control), judicial initiative for norm control in concrete cases, and reviewing constitutional complaints. It may also look at or review the interpretation of the Fundamental Law and give its opinion. The current version of the Fundamental Law took effect in January 1, 2012. Since then, no major changes have been introduced that would affect the overall operation of the Constitutional Court, bar a few exceptions. One, introduced in December 2019, allows for public authorities to submit a constitutional complaint. Prior to that, only natural persons (or a legal person if from the private sector) could make such a submission. Now, however, public bodies such as local authorities, the National Bank of Hungary or the Procurement Office can also initiate a complaint if they feel their right to due process was hurt. In itself this practice is not entirely new, in the sense that it can be found in other countries as well. What may pose some questions is how carefully it is regulated; for example, exactly what entities can turn to the court and with what complaints? Another somewhat controversial element of this is that the Constitutional Court in general is supposed to defend the “weaker” against the “stronger” party. But the introduction

of this allowance gives another tool to the “stronger” party. Elaborate regulation may help to clarify this, but at this point it is not sufficiently detailed, experts say. REVIEW One competence of the Constitutional Court it that it can review bills before they are passed. The National Assembly (parliament) and the Head of State can initiate the review of a bill before it comes into effect, but due to the majority of members of parliament belonging to the governing coalition of Fidesz and the Christian Democrats, there is rarely a case when parliament does so; the second option is more frequent. Until 2012, the Constitutional Court was mainly responsible for the ex post review of laws from a constitutional viewpoint (or their conformity with the Fundamental Law). If a citizen found that the law violated some basic right they could initiate its review. Now, however, this procedure can be initiated by a smaller circle that includes the president of the Curia, Hungary’s supreme court (see earlier section on the Curia), the Fundamental Rights Commissioner, the General Attorney, the government, and a quarter of MPs. With this change, the emphasis shifted towards concrete, unique cases. Today, if someone finds that a judicial decision or interpretation violates the Fundamental Law (rather than the law itself), they can submit a constitutional complaint. A judge can also decide that the law he or she is supposed to use does not conform with the Fundamental Law and turn to the Constitutional Court, which will review the law in question. Another area where a challenge can be submitted is when a new law takes effect and, based on that, the Constitution is violated. The court also has an abstract legal review (interpretation) function and this, too, can be initiated by a narrow circle. For example, the Fundamental Law declares that Hungary is a democratic state and the government or the Head of State may ask the court to review how that is implemented or manifested regarding a concrete constitutional issue.

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BETTER OR WORSE? Whether the changes implemented from 2012 have made the system better or worse is a matter open to debate. Overall, it represents a shift in approach. Prior to 2012, the basis was that system-level issues with the constitution could be filtered out more effectively and they got to the court more rapidly, which was supported by the fact that a wider circle could initiate a proceeding. (This, however, also meant that a lot of motions were less “serious”, for example a claim to the right to have free beer.) With the shift to unique cases, questions of real legal significance have a harder time getting in front of the Constitutional Court as they usually come up during the lawmaking process. There are fewer instances for the review of a law, although this is where the court could have the opportunity to look at constitutionality from a wider scope. The 15 members of the Constitutional Court are elected by parliament. The procedure for the election of judges is set out in the Act on the Constitutional Court. A nominating committee proposes the candidates. That committee consists of at least nine and at most 15 MPs, nominated by the parliamentary factions of the parties represented in Parliament; at least one representative from each faction must be included. Candidates to be a member of the Constitutional Court must be Hungarian citizens with no criminal record, have a legal

THE HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

degree, be at least 45 years of age but not more than 70. They should have formidable knowledge of the theory of law (as, for example, university professors or doctors of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), or have at least 20 years of professional work experience in a field of law that requires a degree in law. Those who have been a member of the government or a leading official in any political party or have held a leading state official post in the four years prior to election are disqualified from becoming a member of the Constitutional Court. Their mandate means they are unable to hold any other position in state or local government administration, in society, or with any political or economic organization, except for positions directly related to scientific activity or higher education, providing that this does not interfere with their work. Once they take the oath and the office, they may not engage in any gainful occupation other than scientific, teaching, artistic, proofreading, editorial and intellectual activities falling under intellectual property rights protection. With grateful thanks to the experts of the Institute for Legal Studies of the Center for Social Sciences at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Center of Excellence (TKJTI) for their assistance in preparing this summary.

one of the guarantees of the rule of law by practicing constitutional review of laws.”

Most legal establishments have long antecedents, but Hungary’s Constitutional court is a relative newcomer. According to the court’s English language website (hunconcourt.hu), the decision to form the body was taken by parliament in January 1989, around the time of the change in regime from the communist single party state to a free democracy. The actual structure and competences were decided upon later, however, during the trilateral political negotiations that oversaw the transfer of power. Accordingly, parliament amended the constitution in October 1989 by inserting Article 32/A adding the requirement for the Constitutional Court. Act XXXII of 1989 on the Constitutional Court was adopted on October 19, 1989 and entered into force on October 30. On November 23, 1989, parliament elected the first five judges of the court, which started operations on January 1, 1990. Five additional members were elected by the freely elected Parliament in the mid-1990s. According to the website, “The Constitutional Court had an important role in the new democracy: it was

Overlaps Between the Courts The Curia reviews courts’ decision from a legal and factual perspective, and has the right to overrule them should the given court be deemed not to have used the appropriate law when making its ruling. It can also change the decision of the court, whereas the Constitutional Court may only give its opinion and state that something was not constitutional. The Constitutional Court reviews laws and decisions from a constitutional viewpoint. Although the Curia may have some impact on law making, for example, through the opinion of its president or indirectly via judicial practice, its “main” role as part of the overall system is the administration of justice (igazságszolgáltatás). The Constitutional Court has greater bearing on the law-making process, as it has a controlling function and its competences to review laws also has an impact on this process.

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Market Talk: The Year That was, and the Year That Will Be We asked a selection of Budapest’s top international lawyers to reflect a little on the year that has passed, and cast their minds forward

Photo by everything possible / Shutterstock.com

to what they expect to be the major legal developments in 2021.

By Robin Marshall BBJ: What was the most important legal matter your law firm worked on in 2020? Erika Papp: Not an easy choice to make and, needless to say in this profession, some of the most important projects are confidential. However, one of the most exciting projects our office has been involved in over the last year is the Managed Legal Services (MLS) project, which is ground-breaking because it goes beyond traditional legal services. As part of this project, a Budapest-based CMS team (including Chinese, German, U.K., and U.S. qualified lawyers) provides support to a global multinational by writing and managing their procurement and IT agreements internationally. The project involves a complex cloud software solution that allows in-house teams world-wide to utilize their time and deal with strategic advisory work as well as allowing the company to address cost and risk issues and optimize their legal operating model. Ágnes Szent-Ivány: In 2020, we successfully closed a very complex real estate transaction that started in 2017. We advised our client, a multinational IT giant, on the sale of a former Nokia factory to a real estate investor. The factor which made the entire procedure complicated was that, just before the realization of the sale, the municipality had registered in the land registry an enforcement right (sales ban) on the property up to an incredibly high amount (many billions of forints) due to alleged unpaid local taxes. During this transaction, we had to find a solution for how to eliminate and/or decrease the unrealistically high amount secured by the enforcement right and to create a situation under which the municipality could conclude a settlement agreement with our client that made it possible to realize the sales transaction. During this long-lasting process, a complex lease agreement was concluded for the use of the property with the future buyer and a preliminary sale and purchase agreement. Another very interesting and complex project from 2020 was a cross border merger of a Czech company (having a branch in Hungary) into a Hungarian company and at the same time establishing a branch of the Hungarian company in the Czech Republic. We worked in close cooperation with the Czech Eversheds Sutherland firm for about six months. Péter Lakatos: This year has brought an end to the second chapter in the story of Facebook’s involvement with the Hungarian Competition Authority. The first chapter lasted from 2016 until December 2019, when the authority

Ágnes Szent-Ivány

closed the case and ruled against Facebook (and imposed a very large, albeit 50% lower fine than the authority had envisaged before). The authority finally considered that the statement on the opening page of Facebook (“It’s free and always will be”) was a misleading price information, as consumers pay not with money but with their data. The second chapter, during 2020, was about contesting that decision before the Hungarian court, and we are very proud to have written a happy ending for Facebook: the court fully annulled the authority’s decision, establishing that the statement was not misleading price information. Zoltán Faludi: We completed an exceptionally successful 2020, which was not something we much hoped for back in last February when the pandemic broke out in Europe. We handled very prominent and highly complex transactions for our clients in their cross border acquisitions in a great variety of sectors, including renewables, manufacturing, digital services, automotive and retail. The most noticeable of these, attracting a lot of attention not only from the markets but also from the competent regulators, was the acquisition of Aegon’s remaining CEE business by the Vienna Insurance Group, among the largest M&A transaction in 2020 in CEE.

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Second would be the sale of Aegon, where we were representing one of the non-winning bidders in the bidding phase. ZF: It’s difficult to single out any single matter, but the continuing sectoral reshuffling one could observe in 2020 in Hungary in the fields of banking and energy will certainly keep the relevant markets exited for a couple more years. The creation of a new banking holding as well as the consolidation on the energy distribution and trading markets are not only very significant by their sizes, but I would not exclude that will even effect policymaking in Hungary.

Erika Papp

BBJ: What was the most important matter for Hungary overall that you were not involved with? EP: The most important project for Hungary was the statutory payment moratorium, which prevented companies from going bankrupt and going into liquidation in the pandemic. At the same time, the new subsidized loan program of the National Bank of Hungary and its new bond program were also significant as they kept companies afloat while they were dealing with the effects of the pandemic.

BBJ: What are the most significant new laws you expect to be either developed conceptually or introduced in 2021? EP: I think the new Hungarian law implementing the Preventive Restructuring Directive will be the most significant legislation for 2021, both from the economic and legislative point of view. The directive needs to be implemented by early summer, so we expect the new Hungarian law around or before then. We do have quite an old insolvency law and the new law will bring modernity to our insolvency system. Also, the timing of the new law could not be better because it will provide an additional tool for companies to stay solvent in the pandemic.

ASz-I: It is difficult to get information on the major deals if you are not involved in them, but the sale of the Mid Europa Partners’ stake in logistics company Waberer’s to Travelin Holding, the sale of the former ABB plant in Ózd [156 km northeast of Budapest] to Hungarian bath and spa maker Wellis, and the financing of Green Source’s photovoltaic parks seem to be important deals on the Hungarian market. PL: Probably the largest transaction on the Hungarian market in 2020 involved the shareholders of Budapest Bank Zrt., MKB Bank Nyrt. and Takarék Group jointly establishing a financial holding company called Magyar Bankholding Zrt., into which they contributed their respective shareholdings in the three banks. The holding started operating on December 15, 2020, and the merger of the banks will be prepared in 2021. The combined value of the three banks is estimated to exceed EUR 2 billion.

Zoltán Faludi

ÁSz-I: In my opinion the most significant laws, introduced effective as of 2021, are the amendment of the new Civil Procedure Code, reducing the widely debated formalism of the new procedure rules and making significantly easier the evidencing phase and the change of petitum (claim), even after the submission of the letter of claim and once the counterclaim of the defendant has been delivered; the newly amended Act CXLVII of 2012 on the Fixed-rate Small Taxpayer Enterprises and Company Tax (known in Hungarian by its initials KATA), resulting in significant changes in the taxation of small taxpayers; a new bill aiming to shore up family farms, support generational handover and encourage cooperation between producers; as part of the COVID-19 government measures, the extension of the credit moratorium until June 30, 2021 for private persons, companies and entrepreneurs who are entitled to such moratorium for loans taken out before March 18, 2020; the reintroduction of 5% VAT on newly constructed flats; and housing renovation support, where the state contributes up to HUF 3 million, up to a maximum of 50% of the costs, for the renovation of the homes of families raising at least one child. PL: The effect of many exceptional rules applicable due to the state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (such as the Hungarian Foreign Investment restrictions, corporate governance rules, the moratorium, the prohibition of terminating the rents by the state in tourism and catering industry, tax redundancies, special taxes, government supports, employment and privacy rules, etc.) is maintained in 2021 (with minor changes). As of January 1, amendments to the Civil Procedural Laws came into effect. There are no conceptual changes, the amendments react to the developments of the judicial practice regarding the new Civil Procedure Act introduced in 2018, resulting in the moderation of the formerly quite strict rules applicable to the parties with legal representatives. The entire recodification of the Hungarian Insolvency Act has been on the table for years now, but with no results as yet. However, Directive (EU) 2019/1023 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 20, 2019 on preventive restructuring frameworks should be implemented in the Hungarian law by July 17, 2021. It is planned that the Land Registry will undergo complete reregulation, along with the rules for the Registry of Birth Certificates. The ongoing digitalization of the different registries will accelerate change in the applicable little rules in many areas. Further, “Brexit” might have implications on Hungarian law-making processes in 2021, which are unknown at the moment.

Péter Lakatos

ZF: The legislative turbulence of 2020 is expected to become somewhat calmer now and, with a bit of luck, lawmaking will be less intuitive in 2021. Nevertheless, political innovation is never restful and the next significant sectoral transformation is already on the horizon: waste management. This, combined with the political signal conveyed recently to further tighten the belt for foreign retailers, will unquestionably keep the affected stakeholders entertained for the coming years.

OUR MARKET TALK PANEL • Erika Papp, managing partner Budapest and head of finance for CEE/CIS, CMS Hungary (CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP Magyarország Fióktelepe) • Ágnes Szent-Ivány, managing partner and founder, Eversheds Sutherland Hungary (Sándor Szegedi Szent-Ivány Komáromi Eversheds Sutherland Ügyvédi Iroda) • Péter Lakatos, managing partner and co-founder, Lakatos, Köves and Partners (Lakatos, Köves és Társai Ügyvédi Iroda) • Zoltán Faludi, managing partner, Wolf Theiss Hungary (Wolf Theiss Faludi Erős Ügyvédi Iroda)

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PRESENTED CONTENT

Wolf Theiss as a Leading law Firm in the CEE/SEE Region Founded in 1957, Wolf Theiss is one of the leading legal services providers in CEE, and was one of the first to pay attention to the business interests of the CEE and SEE regions. Thus the firm represents a region that has confirmed its ability to continue to generate growth. While M&A in Western Europe has seen a slow-down, in CEE/SEE it has been on the increase. Clients tell us that firms doing business in the region have legal needs in several jurisdictions. This distinguishes us; we are not just a top firm in one jurisdiction, but as a truly regional

firm, clients have access to a single knowhow pool and receive a consistent approach and quality. As a result, the firm now has 13 fully integrated offices in Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine, and more than 350 lawyers working for local and international

manufacturing, trade and service companies in a wide range of industries, banks, financial service providers and insurance companies. Apart from our local offices, we use a well-established network of contacts with wellrespected local lawyers and other service providers to advise and assist our clients in other countries in the region, such as Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey. We also have a China Desk and a Russian Desk offering support to clients from these countries looking to invest in CEE, as well as a Brexit Desk. We offer a single firm-wide team that provides seamless service on large and complex deals, drawing on skills held within our different departments and offices. Our solid local presence in the CEE/SEE region is a major advantage and allows us to provide crossborder advise at the highest possible level. Our lawyers on the ground have local expertise and experience in their respective countries in handling any complex issues that may arise. Over the years, we have developed a very solid regional and local network of contacts with market players such as investors, financial institutions, regulatory authorities, government institutions, auditing firms and other professional services providers and know how to facilitate new commercial opportunities for our clients and business partners. Wolf Theiss is a fully integrated firm, delivering true “one stop shop” excellence, with a fully integrated partnership. With a combination of law and business, Wolf Theiss provides comprehensive and constructive solutions, all based on legal, financial and business expertise. WOLF THEISS IN HUNGARY Wolf Theiss has been present on the Hungarian market since November 2007, and after its launch started to develop very dynamically. The team in our Budapest office has used its local and international

experience to handle complex domestic and multijurisdictional matters and regularly advises foreign investors in setting up new businesses, or on equity or asset acquisitions from existing businesses, as well as in arranging joint ventures with local partners in Hungary and the CEE/SEE region. Our Budapest lawyers provide client-focused and industry-driven advice in all aspects of investment and business law, including mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, restructuring, as well as projects and infrastructure, each in combination with first class tax advice if so desired. The team has a particular strength and niche expertise in handling matters arising in regulated industries such as energy, banking, real estate and environmental law, capital markets transactions, telecommunications and life sciences. The main strength of the Budapest office is the field of energy law. As energy industry experts, we have been advising our clients in project development, construction, commodity trading, M&A and financing matters. We can both quickly and effectively manage large transactions and give our full attention to smaller matters. The quality of our service is our highest priority. When specialist advice is needed, the members of all our practice groups work together to find solutions across multiple practice areas and multiple jurisdictions. We work closely with colleagues from all our offices, combining local knowledge with international experience. We provide our client with a single point of contact and coordinate work across multiple countries in an aligned manner. It is for this reason that we are engaged in some of the largest multijurisdictional mandates across the CEE/SEE region.

Photo by Andrei_R / Shutterstock.com

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Pro Bono: The Very Essence of the Legal Profession For more than a decade, the Financial Times has awarded annual prizes to the most innovative lawyers on three continents. The FT Innovative Leaders program covers legal innovation in more than 400 law firms. In 2019, the partner of a Hungarian law firm received the prestigious prize in the “Rule of Law and Access to Justice” category, for a pro bono project. We take a look at this field. By Kálmán Béres A quick search for pro bono activities in Hungary reveals that many lawyers and law firms actively participate in such projects. The Hungarian Bar Association (Magyar Ügyvédi Kamara, or MÜK, see page 18 for more on this organization) estimates that at least 10,000 individuals encounter problems accessing legal assistance, in most cases due to lack of financial resources. Such mass demand needs organized initiatives. On October 24, 2019, the Budapest Bar Association (Budapesti Ügyvédi Kamara or BÜK, see page 20) organized 117 lawyers for its first Pro Bono Day, offering free of charge legal assistance to clients who registered for the event. It was so successful that BÜK was awarded PILnet’s Pro Bono Lawyer Prize of 2019 for Hungary.

It is generally accepted that complicated legal issues incur heavy costs. Commercial companies might find ways to budget for these costs, for non-governmental organizations, heavily dependent on donations, they can be unbearable burdens. The PILnet Foundation in Hungary aims to ease this by bringing together NGOs with good causes and law firms with good intents. “The beginnings of PILnet in Hungary date back to 2005,” Tamás Barabás, senior legal officer in PILnet’s Budapest office told the Budapest Business Journal. At that time, many American and British law firms had established offices in Hungary. Pro Bono work has a very long tradition in the Anglo-Saxon legal world, but back in the mid-2000s there were only sporadic initiatives in Hungary.

“It is true that in a market economy, doing free work is against all rules of competition. However, there are two professions where people have been doing free work for centuries: doctors and lawyers.”

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for example the rights of specific women or children, Barabás says. PILnet also acts proactively, promoting “Pro Bono Friday.” Law firms and companies also offer other means of legal support for nonprofits as part of the PILnet-lead “Compliance Bridge” project. But law firms are profit-oriented companies, so what exactly are the motivations behind accepting free-ofcharge cases? “It is true that in a market economy, doing free work is against all rules of competition. However, there are two professions where people have been doing free work for centuries: doctors and lawyers,” insists Atanas Politov, Europe director for positive impact at Réczicza Dentons Europe LLP. Globalization and market consolidation have led to new situations on the market. It is not unusual nowadays to have 60-70 lawyers in one firm, or even more. Among them there will always be many with a drive to help, not just to do their job from nine to five.

Atanas Politov, Europe director for positive impact at Réczicza Dentons Europe LLP.

PRO BONO CLEARINGHOUSE The market needed a “clearinghouse”, able to connect the needs of the nonprofit sector with the available professional resources of the law firms. This is the role PILnet was formed to fill, Barabás notes. Today, a law firm receives plenty of emails daily requesting pro bono assistance. Verifying all these is very time consuming and PILnet helps by selecting suitable matters, compiling these on a list and sending it out to the law firms, which choose those cases they wish to handle. PILnet only promotes nonprofits NGOs and social enterprises, as private cases are a different area. But the workload may involve representing an individual (or individuals) whose cases are supported by an NGO,

PROGRESS OF SOCIETY “They want to contribute to the progress of society, as this is the very essence of the legal profession,” Politov says. “It is very important to note that we treat each case equally, irrespective if we charge for it or not. Everybody takes this very seriously because the responsibility of taking the case or supporting someone is very big, both legally and for the image of the company.” But pro bono work can also be an invaluable opportunity for training young lawyers. All such cases must be conducted by the exact same rules and procedures as any other. At the beginning of their careers, young lawyers rarely meet clients directly, while a pro bono matter means they can get hands-on experience with a case, from start to end, Politov explains. Pro bono is a high valued area not only in Hungary, but also in other Eastern European countries. In neighboring Romania, many business law firms stepped up their pro bono activity as part of a huge nationwide response to the coronavirus pandemic and rallied to help those impacted by the health crisis. The free legal hotline “Lawyers on Duty” is one such initiative. The service, launched by Romanian law firm Zamfirescu Racoţi Vasile & Partners (ZRVP) on March 20, 2020 was available throughout the state of emergency in Romania. It served as a phone-based counselling hotline and resource and was created to offer immediate, personalized legal guidance to the many people affected by the pandemic

“They want to contribute to the progress of society, as this is the very essence of the legal profession. It is very important to note that we treat each case equally, irrespective if we charge for it or not. Everybody takes this very seriously because the responsibility of taking the case or supporting someone is very big, both legally and for the image of the company.”

lives of citizens, with an uptick in employment-related cases, limitation of citizens’ rights issues, attachments and enforcement procedures, bankruptcy filings, bank loans, and family law matters such as domestic violence, divorce and children’s visitation rights.

Photo by Salivanchuk Semen / Shutterstock.com

situation. It aimed to provide easy access to the information and resources needed to make an informed decision about the legal issues callers were facing. The team of lawyers received hundreds of calls related to a variety of legal problems affecting the personal and professional

ÚJ JAGUAR F-PACE

AMITŐL GYORSABBAN VER A SZÍVED Az F-Pace, mely a Jaguar első SUV modelljeként tökéletesen ötvözi a sportos vezetési élményt a sokoldalúsággal és a praktikummal, most kívül és belül is teljesen megújult. Csúcstechnológiát képviselő Mild Hybrid benzin- és dízelmotorokkal, illetve akár 53 km-es elektromos hatótávot nyújtó, 404 lóerős, tölthető Plug-in Hybrid hajtáslánccal is elérhető.

MOST 5 ÉV / 140.000 KM KITERJESZTETT GARANCIÁVAL, 5 ÉV ASSISTANCE SZOLGÁLTATÁSSAL ÉS KÉT INGYENES KARBANTARTÁSSAL.* Az új Jaguar F-Pace. Minden, csak nem hétköznapi.

WALLIS BRITISH MOTORS JAGUAR MÁRKAKERESKEDÉS ÉS SZERVIZ 1095 Budapest, Máriássy utca 5. Tel.: +36 1 380 1350 E-mail: info@britishmotors.hu Az itt közölt adatok tájékoztató jellegűek, és nem minősülnek szerződéses ajánlattételnek. Az aktuális árakról és feltételekről érdeklődjön hivatalos Jaguar Land Rover márkakereskedőjénél. A fogyasztási és a kibocsátási értékek az érvényes európai előírásoknak megfelelően kerültek meghatározásra. A személygépjárművekre vonatkozó új vizsgálati eljárás (WLTP menetciklus) bevezetésével a jelenleg közölt műszaki adatok a jármű regisztrációját megelőzően frissítésre kerülhetnek. Az opcionális berendezések és tartozékok, egyéb nem technikai tényezők esetén befolyásolhatják a fogyasztást és a kibocsátást. A WAE Kft. fenntartja a jogot az itt közölt információk előzetes értesítés nélküli megváltoztatására. A WAE Kft. az esetleges nyomdai, illetve rendelhetőségi hibákért felelősséget nem vállal, az ár-, és felszereltségváltoztatás jogát fenntartja. A képen látható gépkocsi illusztráció. CO2 kibocsátás: 49 - 227 g/km-ig (WLTP kombinált adatok TEL – TEH). Üzemanyag fogyasztás: 2,2 – 10,4 l/100 km (WLTP kombinált adatok TEL – TEH) *

Top Legal Executive Biographies

2021

Photo by Gilmanshin / Shutterstock.com

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

PÉTER BERETHALMI MANAGING PARTNER, NAGY & TRÓCSÁNYI ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

He is married to an economist. They have two children, both of whom are secondary school students. He likes reading, traveling, he is a theater-goer, loves both classical and contemporary concerts and festivals. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I am probably most proud of the fact that I have held a managing partner position for 15 years out of the 25 years of my legal practice with my firm. During this time, I have successfully maintained good relationships and created a network with multiple foreign international law firms. I have managed our membership in law firm networks, especially in Lex Mundi, organized various events and participated in many others. I acquired managerial skills that I had not

“I have found it interesting to gain understanding of different industries and how they do business. Business lawyers, I think, need to understand their clients’ business and commercial interest.”

BACKGROUND Péter Berethalmi began his legal career in Szeged at Török Béla Law Offices, where he worked as an associate. In 1996, he moved to Shell Hungary in Budapest and became the legal counsel of the firm. Berethalmi joined Nagy és Trócsányi in 1996. He became a partner of the firm in 2001 and he was promoted to managing partner in 2005. His practice includes corporate M&A, real estate, commercial and regulatory. Berethalmi received his JD from József Attila University in Szeged in 1994. He has also held a Postgraduate Diploma in Laws since 2010 from The University of London International Programs.

thought I had when I started the position and I became a problem solver, or rather a problem manager. I am proud that I became a lawyer in many ways that I dreamt about after graduation. I am now a lawyer with proper experience in handling even the most difficult transactions and matters, domestic or international. Lastly, I am also proud that I have been able to guide and mentor various junior lawyers on their way to improving their legal and technical skills; it is always a great pleasure to see them grow. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Both my parents were lawyers: my mother spent her professional life in a lawyer cooperative (ügyvédi munkaközösség) and I saw her practicing as a private lawyer during socialism in that cooperative. Lawyers worked practically as private lawyers but were forced to work in a cooperative. Most of their work involved private individuals’ regular civil law and family law matters. Company law did not exist and commercial agreements were handled mainly by inhouse counsels of state-owned corporations or special

Name of law firm

Nagy & Trócsányi Ügyvédi Iroda

Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network

Lex Mundi / Yingke International

Address Managing partner

1126 Budapest, Ugocsa utca 4/B Péter Berethalmi

In charge of position since

1996

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1991

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

counsels (jogtanácsos) who were also forced to work in cooperatives. Being a child, I thought this life was the whole of what a lawyer could achieve. Of course, when I graduated from university, life became more complex in Hungary with the economic and political changes and I decided that I wanted to work in an international environment. That is how I ended up working in a law firm heavily involved in the international business environment.

of my matters have involved business deals and real estate transactions, whether construction, development, acquisition or lease or other types. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I do not want to underestimate the work of the legislator and I know that there is tremendous work behind our country’s legislation. Still, in our everyday life we face, on too many occasions, uncertainty and ambiguity when it comes to the interpretation of law. There is rapid increase in the complexity of legislation, not to mention the way legal rules are formed – sometimes new rules are made in so-called “omnibus acts” when one law amends thousands of legal rules – making it increasingly difficult to keep tabs on changes in legislation. I would definitely stop this exercise and would make life easier for lawyers and citizens. In 2020, during the COVID-19 state of emergencies, fast-changing rules became an even larger problem and I only hope next year will be easier in this sense.

Photos by Viola Kaulics

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I think it surprised me at the beginning that I most enjoy and feel comfortable in commercial and business matters and transactions. I have found it interesting to gain understanding of different industries and how they do business. Business lawyers, I think, need to understand their clients’ business and commercial interest. I also realized that I very much enjoy dealing with real estate matters, no matter whether those involve greenfield investment or commercial properties dealings. Most

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DAVID DEDERICK MANAGING PARTNER, SIEGLER BIRD & BIRD ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

BACKGROUND David Dederick is the managing partner of the Budapest Office of Bird & Bird. He is a U.S.-qualified attorney and has been practicing law in Central and Eastern Europe since 1991. Prior to joining Bird & Bird in 2018, he was managing partner of Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ Budapest office for nearly 20 years. His practice is primarily focused on international, cross-border corporate/M&A, private equity and real estate transactions. He has been consistently recognized and ranked as a leading lawyer in his main practice areas by top law firm ratings guides. In its 2020 edition, he was named to the Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” for his M&A practice. Chambers Global and Chambers Europe have recognized him an “Eminent Practitioner” in M&A for the past five years. His practice is also regional in scope and includes other markets in Central and Eastern Europe, in particular South East Europe, as well as emerging markets elsewhere in the world.

He is a native of Stony Brook, New York and attended Cornell University and George Washington University Law School. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? In my more than 30 years of practice, I have had many achievements and successes. Early in my career, I was particularly proud of the work we were doing for the U.S. Government Enterprise Fund program, which began in 1990. The idea behind this foreign assistance program was that the way to kick-start a private market economy in a post-communist state is to invest in the private sector. In all, I handled more than 70 investment transactions, not only for the fund in Hungary but elsewhere in the region, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Enterprise Fund Program was instrumental in helping launch the private equity industry in the region. Also, the benefits of the program to host countries in terms of the growth and establishment of private businesses and creation of new jobs, gave the sense of both “doing good, and doing well.”

More recently, I would say that I am proud of having organized the move of the entire team from Weil to Bird & Bird in 2018 after Weil decided to withdraw from the region. We were able to transfer all of our more than 30 personnel as well as clients and ongoing business seamlessly to Bird & Bird and smoothly merge with the firm’s existing operations in Hungary. Bird & Bird has proven to be an excellent platform, in particular with its strategy of focusing on technology, both in the practice of law and as a client sector. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Becoming a lawyer was an ambition from childhood. It was my professional goal for as long as I can remember. Maybe it was inspiration from watching re-runs of the classic U.S. TV series, “Perry Mason”, which featured a heroic trial lawyer battling for justice.

“Becoming a lawyer was an ambition from childhood. It was my professional goal for as long as I can remember. Maybe it was inspiration from watching re-runs of the classic U.S. TV series ‘Perry Mason’.”

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? After completing law school in Washington, D.C. and passing the bar, I initially focused on developing a litigation practice. I clerked for a U.S. federal district level judge for one year. However, that experience led me to re-consider litigation, which often has a zero-sum, win/lose dynamic. I was drawn to corporate deal work, which can have a different win/win aspect, and decided to join Weil, which had thriving corporate and commercial practices.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

But working as a junior associate in a major “Big Law” U.S. firm left me feeling bored and unfulfilled. It was only after I had the opportunity to work in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and changes throughout the region that I truly felt excited about my work. I have been in the region ever since. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? After three decades, the international legal services business in Hungary has considerably matured, and with that has come a perceptible improvement in collegiality within the profession. I would like to see that continue. Also, after the transformation of the region began in the early 1990s, organized pro bono practice was in its infancy at international firms, but has grown considerably since. I would like to see international firms do more in terms of pro bono, public service and social responsibility. It would improve the image of the profession and obviously lead to benefits for the community.

Siegler Bird & Bird Ügyvédi Iroda Bird & Bird LLP 1027 Budapest, Kapás utca 6–12. David Dederick

In charge of position since

2018

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2008

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

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ZOLTÁN FALUDI MANAGING PARTNER, WOLF THEISS FALUDI ERŐS ÜGYVÉDI IRODA time other, mostly U.S. and U.K.-based global law firms were gradually leaving Hungary. The very competitive local market challenged us in an energizing way. Despite the secondary effects of the global financial crisis in the following years, we turned our prominent energy law boutique into a full-service law firm within a short period of time with a small, talented and committed team. I am pleased to see the growth story of our firm and to be able to contribute to the development of it. But

“I wish our legislative process was less exposed to short-term economic, political or even personal-driven interventions in certain sectors. Access to justice and the ability to operate businesses under a clear, transparent and stable legal framework would create trust in the law and trust in the legal system.” life always provides us with new challenges: the most recent one is the coronavirus crisis. Our biggest recent achievement is the fact that our teams, the firm, and our Budapest office were able to cope effectively with the challenges of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND Zoltán Faludi graduated from the University of Janus Pannonius, Pécs, in 1991, and the University of J.W.Goethe, Frankfurt am Main, where he obtained his LL.M in 1994. The managing partner at Wolf Theiss, Budapest since 2007, he has more than 25 years of experience as an attorney with a focus on energy and natural resources, project finance and M&A. In the past years, he has been involved in several domestic and international commercial arbitration proceedings as coarbitrator or chairman. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Transforming Wolf Theiss from a “late entry” in Hungary to one of the leading international law firms within the first five years of our operation. We opened our office in 2007. At that

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Very early on in my school studies, I was impressed by the power of the law and the impact of a strong legal system. I was enthusiastic about the operation of ancient states, well-organized societies like some monarchies or the Greek and Roman Empires. While at university, my initial idea was to become a judge, with a criminal law focus, to live up to the profession and to have a peaceful life in my hometown. This dream was changed with a sudden opportunity to join a small private law firm in Budapest straight after my graduation. This first experience in dealing with business law changed my focus completely. Beyond the initial motivation, after 30 years, the real question is: why am I still in love with the law? Our daily work is a never-ending learning curve. Legal advisory work today is not just practicing law, it requires many other skills and knowledge outside of the legal profession. I am very interested to see what the next 15 years brings to our profession. I cannot predict the future, but

Name of law firm

Wolf Theiss Faludi Erős Ügyvédi Iroda

Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network

Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Address

1085 Budapest, Kálvin tér 12–13.

Managing partner

Zoltán Faludi

In charge of position since

2007

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2007

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

I am sure lawyers in the year 2035 will hardly recognize any of the features of our traditional lawyering of the early 1990s. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? Energy law basically did not exist in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s with the adoption of modern gas and electricity legislation, further on with the preparation for and adoption of EU legislation, the law ruling on the operation of the energy sector become more complex and coherent. I witnessed this transition; I still enjoy it and am obsessed with dealing with contracts and disputes in volatile areas such as energy commodity trading and the application of international trading standards. Dispute resolution, energy related litigation, domestic and international arbitration are other very interesting fields.

35 4

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? The key words to describe a well-functioning legal environment are reliability and sustainability. These are the features to fulfil the legitimate expectation of not only investors and entrepreneurs but all individuals living in a certain country. A few things might vary, but this should be the same also in Hungary. I wish our legislative process was less exposed to short-term economic, political or even personal-driven interventions in certain sectors. Access to justice and the ability to operate businesses under a clear, transparent and stable legal framework would create trust in the law and trust in the legal system.

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KRISTÓF FERENCZI ANDRÉKÓ FERENCZI KINSTELLAR ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

whilst maintaining the flawless provision of legal services (whether working remotely or in the office) to our clients and ensuring team cohesion, has been the most critical challenge for me this year, right after having become the managing partner of Kinstellar Budapest. I am satisfied that we have successfully handled this unusual and difficult period both in terms of keeping our team members safe and continuing the successful path in our business. This was also the case on a firm-wide level across Kinstellar’s 11 offices, to which I could contribute as part of our firmwide management committee. This was certainly the result of a concentrated and true team effort, by lawyers and business services colleagues alike, and I am truly proud of the members of the Kinstellar Budapest team, who are outstanding not only in their professional capabilities but are also excellent people who have held together during a profound and unprecedented global crisis. Kudos to our team!

BACKGROUND Kristóf Ferenczi is the managing partner of Kinstellar Budapest and head of Kinstellar’s firm-wide energy and natural resources practice. He is a highly regarded legal professional in Hungary and Central and Eastern Europe with extensive experience handling major transactions, complex projects and regulatory matters in the energy and natural resources sector. He holds a degree in law from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, after which he pursued post-graduate studies in Business Law at the Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg, France. Ferenczi is a member of the Budapest Bar and speaks Hungarian, English, French and Italian. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Having successfully navigated through the COVID pandemic period since the early spring with the Budapest office, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our team,

“Having completed my grammar school studies in Italy at an international school, which I had attended on a scholarship […], I had come to realize that I wanted to do something more connected to people and the economy. Law seemed to be a good option.”

Moreover, having the opportunity to support our clients in some of the most challenging, complex and novel transactions and projects in the Hungarian and CEE energy sector with the Kinstellar energy team keeps giving me the drill for being enthusiastic about the legal practice. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Initially, I had been flirting with the idea of pursuing an academic career in liberal arts. But after having completed my grammar school studies in Italy at an international school, which I had attended on a scholarship, and having returned home, I had come to realize that I wanted to do something more connected to people and the economy.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Andrékó Ferenczi Kinstellar Ügyvédi Iroda Kinstellar 1054 Budapest, Széchenyi rakpart 3. Kristóf Ferenczi

In charge of position since

2020

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2000

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

Law seemed to be a good option. Following my graduation and a year of postgraduate legal studies in Strasbourg, I applied for traineeships at international law firms in Budapest and became a trainee lawyer at the renowned global law firm Linklaters – out of which Kinstellar was born in Central and Eastern Europe a decade ago. And I have never thought of quitting law ever since! HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? In the early years of my career I had exposure to matters pertaining to certain regulated network-based industries, such as telecoms and the rail sector. Subsequently, when I was brought into energy sector related matters, I came to realize the similarities in the regulatory environment of these network industries and developed an ever-increasing interest in this area. The more involved I became, the more I started to appreciate the depth and complexities of the energy and natural resources projects and transactions. Spanning the full spectrum of energy, from conventional power generation to renewables, upstream and downstream oil and gas projects, major energy infrastructure developments, decarbonization, commodities trading and local and EU regulatory issues, you can never get bored with it! Also, due to the significance of energy to the economy, whether it comes to electricity, gas or oil or petrochemicals, and the crucial (and in certain areas, realistically not replaceable) nature of the underlying infrastructure, the matters I have worked on in the last 20 years included many of the most complex and critically important transactions and investments in this space. From this perspective, my team and I have benefited from opportunities to visit our clients’ actual sites; it has always been my view that you must see the “metal” which your advice relates to if you want to give pragmatic and solution-driven legal advice.

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WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I find that the legal environment in Hungary is quite mature. One of the challenges for the broader legal environment here is to ensure transparency and easy access to the wealth of judicial and public authority cases and prevailing practice. Significant steps have already been made to this effect but there still remains room for improvement. As for the legal profession, the COVID pandemic has certainly forced major change on various layers of the profession, who had to change, almost from one moment to the next, to working in an almost fully digital environment. For us at Kinstellar, this was less of a novelty, but of course we had to deal with the impact of moving the team between remote working and using the office, which posed its own challenges. Digitalization of the legal environment is an unstoppable development and the use of legal technology will ever more become the norm rather than the exception.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

PÉTER GÖNDÖCZ ATTORNEY AT LAW, PARTNER OF DELOITTE LEGAL GÖNDÖCZ AND PARTNERS LAW FIRM

BACKGROUND Péter Göndöcz earned his law degree at the University of Pécs and also holds master’s degrees in economics and politics. His wife is also an attorney, who he met, as is often the case in the world of international law firms, at work. The pair have three children, one girl and two boys. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I am very proud of our purposeful, highly engaged and truly one stop shop client service that my colleagues so passionately provide to our clients. I take pride in our outstanding growth, which led us from being a five-person practice to today’s 30 lawyer strong law firm. We have successfully advised clients in some of the most complex and groundbreaking matters in Hungary, such as the highest value NPL transaction ever, or one of the very first bond issues within the framework of NKP (Növekedési Kötvény Program), and we are also famous for providing very practical and effective legal support for more operational matters, as we did for Rolls Royce, when it was setting up

its Hungarian operation, for example. Our reputation for excellence not only relies on this high value service, but also on our integrity and on the highest personal, ethical and professional standards we observe in everything that we do.

“I am very proud of our purposeful, highly engaged and truly one stop shop client ser vice that my colleagues so passionately provide to our clients.”

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? In my wider family there are quite a few lawyers, most of whom are judges. Even though I had a number of examples ahead of me, I only submitted my application to the faculty of law because my brother went there. As

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Top local executive

Deloitte Legal Göndöcz and Partners Law Firm Deloitte Legal 1068 Budapest, Dózsa György út 84/C Péter Göndöcz

In charge of position since

2018

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2009

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

studying was not my number one priority in high school, it was absolutely not certain that I would actually study law. But, thank God, I prepared very well for the entrance exam and was admitted. From day one at university, I fell in love with law. As an undergraduate, when I was thinking of my potential future job as a lawyer, all I wanted to avoid was to become an attorney. I eventually applied to an international law firm just to see how it looked. Well, it looked really impressive and I found myself starting my career as a junior associate at the Budapest office of Clifford Chance.

27 4

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I was lucky enough to start my career in the corporate M&A practice and this is still my main area of focus. The world of M&A is not just diverse, but it is also the area where commercial and financial considerations have a particularly strong role, so it gives me the opportunity to deal with my other, beyond legal areas of interest as well. As Deloitte is the leading deeply integrated financial, tax and legal M&A advisory service provider in Hungary, every day assures me that it was indeed a great choice to practice M&A.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ZOLTÁN HEGYMEGI-BARAKONYI MANAGING PARTNER, HEGYMEGI-BARAKONYI AND PARTNER BAKER & MCKENZIE ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW is the president of the Hungarian Competition Law Association and serves as a non-governmental adviser to the International Competition Network. He also lectures on competition law at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Baker McKenzie opened its Budapest office in 1987. I am very proud that over the past three decades we have attracted some of the best talents in law to the firm and have managed to build a team that can offer the highest quality of legal services to our clients in the most complex transactions, disputes and other legal matters. The strength of the team is confirmed

“I chose this profession because I was always interested in supporting a cause and speaking on behalf of others. As my history teacher used to say, I was the “advocate” of the class, which, I must admit, often caused problems for me in school.”

BACKGROUND Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi has been the managing partner of Baker McKenzie’s Budapest office since July 1, 2013. He studied law at Janus Pannonius University in Pécs and went on to receive a Master’s degree in politics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), USA and a Master of Laws degree from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, USA before joining Baker McKenzie in 1994. He became a partner in 1999 and led the disputes, intellectual property and competition law practices of the Budapest office. His main focus is competition law. Hegymegi-Barakonyi

by our rankings in the legal directories and by the fact that so many of our alumni lead other law firms in town and head legal departments at blue chip Hungarian and multinational companies. I am also very proud of the useful pro bono work performed by my colleagues for such clients as the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Hintalovon Foundation, the Opera House and the Budapest Strings, to name just a few of the social, health and cultural organizations that we have supported with free legal services over the years. This achievement was also recognized by the Hungarian Bar Association and PILNet when they awarded our team the prestigious Pro Bono Firm of the Year title in 2016. Last but not the least, I am pleased and proud of how fluently our lawyers and non-lawyer colleagues have collaborated and worked together as a team in the current pandemic when the lockdown and remote work presented new challenges to everyone,

including lawyers and their clients. There is no question that the flexible working solutions introduced by Baker McKenzie’s BeAgile program helped a lot; this innovative program made it possible for our lawyers to work remotely in the last five years by using the latest technology and communication tools offered by the IT services of our international law firm. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? My grandfather was an attorney. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to know him personally and did not get personal encouragement from him because he practiced law more than a century ago and died in 1927. Besides this family tradition, I chose this profession because I was always interested in supporting a cause and speaking on behalf of others. As my history teacher used to say, I was the “advocate” of the class, which, I must admit, often caused problems for me in school. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? First, I studied competition law at IUP, where a professor of economics lectured us about the antitrust cases of the U.S. Supreme Court. I was the only law student in that class. It was truly fascinating to hear about the economic context of those landmark cases, and I also learned for life that you can never solve a complex competition case without the assistance of an economist. Later, I worked for the Hungarian Competition Authority and had the privilege of doing internships at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Well, it is a very difficult question. We live in a very complex and fast changing world. On the one hand, businesses and entire industries change at the speed

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

of light due to new technologies and innovation. Digitalization is one of the strongest driving forces in this development. The legal environment has always had to follow social, economic and technological developments as quickly as possible in order to facilitate and not to hinder further development. On the other hand, life has become very complex, which is true for transactions as well as other business and legal matters that we work on. In this complex world, the legal system and lawyers should give people and businesses guidance and offer them solutions. In the 21st century, it is a huge challenge for all legal professions: the legislators and regulators, as well as the law enforcement agencies and legal counsels. One thing I am certain about is if we want to meet these challenges, as a starting point and a minimum, we have to have an open mind to innovation and we have to make the best use of the available digital and other technologies in our work, in all legal professions.

Hegymegi-Barakonyi and Partner Baker & McKenzie Attorneys-at-Law Baker & McKenzie International 1051 Budapest, Dorottya utca 6. Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi

In charge of position since

2013

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1987

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

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TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

KINGA HETÉNYI MANAGING PARTNER, SCHÖNHERR HETÉNYI ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I am proud that I am well known in the international legal business, and that clients with whom I have not had contact for many years suddenly pop up and remember that I solved a problem for them several years before and contact me again if they encounter new issues. I am also proud of the team that I work with, and that colleagues like to work with us and our team. It has always been very important to me to have a coherent group of devoted people who think alike and pull together in the

“There were no lawyers in my family at all, and I wanted to learn something and become professional in a field in which nobody of my family could assist. This is how, at that time, I intended to strengthen our family: by contributing something that nobody else could contribute.”

BACKGROUND Kinga Hetényi has been the managing partner of Schoenherr Budapest since 2010. She has more than 25 years of experience in advising international clients on corporate, M&A, commercial and labor law issues. Her real specialty is advising on complex corporate restructurings, including cross border mergers, and solving “insolvable” corporate problems. She interrupted her carrier as an attorney in 2004 and worked for one and a half years in-house as general counsel of the Hungarian subsidiary of an FMCG company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This has given her insight into how large commercial organizations work and what general counsels and businessmen really need in terms of legal advice. She speaks German as her second mother tongue, and is fluent in English and French.

same boat. We all spend way too much time at work; it would be a big mistake and a waste of resources if the work atmosphere was not joyful and constructive. I always strive to create such an atmosphere because only that can be inspiring and attractive for talented and ambitious lawyers. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? I had many compelling reasons, but the loudest reason was probably that there were no lawyers in my family at all, and I wanted to learn something and become professional in a field in which nobody of my family could assist. This is how, at that time, I intended to strengthen our family: by contributing something that nobody else could contribute. My father was a businessman and my mother was working in the healthcare industry. Thus, business school and med school were excluded. As a woman, I did not think of engineering either but I wanted to choose something that was useful also in my private life.

Name of law firm

Schönherr Hetényi Ügyvédi Iroda

Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network

Schönherr Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Address Managing partner

1133 Budapest, Váci út 76. Kinga Hetényi

In charge of position since

2010

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2008

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I was always fascinated by business law, an area that consists of helping businessmen to navigate their matters. From among the legal areas, I consider business law and corporate law the most complex and the most exact science. This is the area in which I can best use my knowledge of foreign languages and foreign cultures. I have also had the chance to study the law of other countries and to practice law in another jurisdiction. Hence, I gained knowledge about how businessmen and lawyers in other jurisdictions think and work, which is one of the most fascinating experiences for me.

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WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Firstly, I would change the legal education and make it much more practice-oriented. Students should not be required to learn the text of the law by heart, they should rather be allowed to use them during their exams. The focus should be on teaching law students how to think as a lawyer, what questions to answer and equipping them with tools and the ability to analyze and solve cases in a systematic manner. I truly believe that, after a few years, this change in itself would cause an avalanche of changes in all genres of the legal profession, from which the entire society would benefit highly.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ANDREA JÁDI NÉMETH

YOUR LEGAL KEY TO HUNGARY

MANAGING PARTNER, BPV JÁDI NÉMETH ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

managing partner in Hungary, Jádi Németh has been overseeing the law firm’s entire operations for 14 years. Last year she earned a Master’s in strategy and innovation from the Säid Business School of Oxford University, in the United Kingdom. For two years, she have been a senior lecturer at Corvinus University, where she teaches innovation management and change management. Besides Hungary, Jádi Németh is also licensed to practice law in New York. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? If we consider professional awards and recognitions, I am undoubtedly most proud of my shortlisting by “The Lawyer” Magazine for the category “Managing Partner of the Year” in Europe five years ago. Although I did not win the award, among the four European finalists I was the “runner up”, having been laureated as “Highly Commended” by the international jury. Also, I

BACKGROUND Andrea Jádi Németh earned her law degree at ELTE, then worked as in-house counsel for MALÉV Hungarian Airlines for three years. As the only lawyer in the legal department speaking German and Russian, she was brought into intricate international transactions almost from day one. After a year at MALÉV, Jádi Németh was appointed to oversee the implementation of its Supervisory Board decisions, which gave her an invaluable insight into the internal processes of a large corporation. In 1999, she was admitted to the LL.M. program of Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. Back from Harvard, Jádi Németh joined a rapidly expanding international firm specialized in highest level multidisciplinary transactional counseling. After four years of practice and two years of partnership, she co-founded bpv LEGAL, an alliance of independent law firms providing premium legal services from key locations in CEE. As the

“I have always seen lawyers as professionals who connect the dots in their communities. We create bridges through our knowledge and skills, and resolve tensions and disputes through our function as interstitial figures.”

have received the “Women in Business Law Award” for best in country for Hungary for the last four years in a row. Nonetheless, none of these awards compares to the trust and continuous reliance I have been receiving from my clients. Besides my professional work, since 2013 I have been acting as the President of Harvard Club Hungary and in 2015 after our club received the Annual Award of the global Harvard Alumni Association (the first European Club to do so in decades), I was elected European director of the Harvard Alumni Association. In 2016, I was invited to join the executive committee of the global Harvard Law School Association and, since July 2020, I am a member of its senior advisory council. In addition,

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

bpv Jádi Németh Ügyvédi Iroda bpv Legal, bpv Hügel, bpv Braun Partners, bpv Grigorescu & Stefanica 1051 Budapest, Szent István tér 11. Andrea Jádi Németh

In charge of position since

2000

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2000

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

a major part in my life is devoted AmCham Hungary. Since 2009 I have spent two terms as a member of its Board of Governors and two terms as its Second Vice President. Since 2019, I act as the chairperson of AmCham’s Supervisory Board. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? I have always seen lawyers as professionals who connect the dots in their communities. We create bridges through our knowledge and skills, and resolve tensions and disputes through our function as interstitial figures. At Harvard, I learned that a lawyer is the one to understand the structure of society and how its groups interact and interlock. I have constantly felt blessed for having chosen the legal profession as it gave me so many ways to give back to society. I serve on the board of trustees of the Csodalámpa Foundation. Our law firm also assists a foundation that supports children with extraordinary musical talent. For six months I have been the chairperson of the world-famous Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra. And there are still so many white spots out there, where I feel I could contribute.

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HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? It may sound old-fashioned nowadays, but I consider myself a transactionally-focused generalist with a holistic approach and strong problem-solving capabilities. In my view, lawyering is still a people business, where high level professional knowledge is just the foundation and the added value of soft skills is essential. Transactional advisory and dispute resolution have always been the two ultimate poles of my professional career. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Well, the question implies that the legal environment should be “improved.” Instead, I believe the biggest challenge for both businesses and lawmakers is how to cope with uncertainty. We are now facing unexpected turmoil, pandemics, the exponential change that digitalization has evoked, global environmental threats that require rapid solutions but long-term thinking, etc. As far as Hungary is concerned, I would wish for a tax system that strengthens entrepreneurship culture, promotes innovation and creativity instead of enabling loopholes for short-term tax benefits.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

PÁL JALSOVSZKY MANAGING PARTNER, JALSOVSZKY

and dynamic, full of ideas and enthusiasm but, at the same time, I already had wide professional experience. It also helped that, in addition to being a lawyer, I had a businessmindset which clients highly appreciated. I had, further, a unique product, taxation, which, combined with corporate legal skills could produce a lot of benefits. This was a good recipe for a successful start but would not, probably, have been enough to build up a really sizable firm. I was able to hire smart and talented colleagues who shared my vision of a good law firm.

“My first experience with law came as early as the age of six, when my mother studied law. On certain days I attended primary school in the morning and accompanied my mother to a lecture on law in the afternoon.”

Without the right leverage in the system, a good law firm cannot work. I still remember those days when I believed that I had the deepest knowledge in all of the professional areas that we advised in. Now I am far from it. But this actually makes me really relaxed. My role has changed a lot during the years. While in the first phase it was me who gave the advice and ran our transactional teams, now I am more involved in the strategic direction of the office. For 20 years I acted as a lawyer. Now I am acting as a manager. I could change job while staying within the same organization.

BACKGROUND Pál Jalsovszky is 51, and has been practicing law since 1997. Prior to his legal studies, he obtained a university degree in economics and he also holds an LL.M in international taxation. He set up Jalsovszky Law Firm in 2005 and has been running it ever since. Beside his professional life, Jalsovszky is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? My biggest achievement is, without doubt, the creation and the development of our firm. When I started in 2005 as a sole practitioner, I could not imagine, in my wildest dreams, a firm of more than five lawyers. Now we are more than 20 and we are still growing. What made us so successful? There are several answers to that. Obviously, the primary is the personal factor. I was at the perfect age (35) when I started the firm: I was young

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS PROFESSION? My first experience with law came as early as the age of six, when my mother studied law. On certain days I attended primary school in the morning and accompanied my mother to a lecture on law in the afternoon. Also, my first books included my mother’s legal textbooks. Surely, I did not have a clue of anything that was written there, but it injected in me some interest towards the law. Regardless of all this, after secondary school, legal studies did not even emerge as an option; I joined the university of economics. But the third year,

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Jalsovszky International Lawyers Network 1124 Budapest, Csörsz utca 41. Pál Jalsovszky

In charge of position since

2006

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2005

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

when we studied law at Közgáz, was a turning point. Under the influence of the hilarious lectures of professor Sárközy, I started law in parallel to my economic studies. But it was still a close call between becoming a businessman with legal knowledge or a lawyer with a financial background. Finally I opted for the second. I believe I made a good choice. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? Tax came as quite an obvious option very early my career: I was obtaining my economics degree with a specialization in accounting; I was studying law; I was good at mathematics; the result of the equation was tax. I wrote my thesis about the corporate tax system in 1994. And I realized at every corner where I worked that this knowledge is special and can generate a lot of financial benefits. The only problem was that the tax education in Hungary war rather poor. Further, at the places where I worked, there was no one to learn from in terms of tax. I became therefore a half educated, self-made tax guy: I understood certain tricks in taxation

15 4

but I did not see the entire building. This is why, in 2002, I spent one year in the Netherlands studying international tax. I was absorbing tax knowledge there like a sponge. I finished the studies with an extreme level of knowledge and solid confidence. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? The Hungarian legal and tax system is still full of unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork. Just think about the amount of data that an invoice must contain. Also, while it takes just a few days to establish a company, it is still a nightmare to terminate it. I know that it is controversial, but the lawmaker should trust better the participants of business transactions. The other area is digitalization. Many aspects of our daily legal routine is already digitalized but the systems are complex, difficult to use in practice. Each authority uses its own electronic system. The digital signature is still a reality more on paper than in practice. It would be desirable to have a global picture on all such developments.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

PÉTER LAKATOS MANAGING PARTNER, LAKATOS, KÖVES & PARTNERS LAW FIRM

many other colleagues (currently around 65), we have with hard work and commitment been building Lakatos, Köves and Partners as an independent, internationally focused law firm to serve our clients. Today LKT is a well-known brand, recognized and trusted by many big international law firms and multinational companies. I am very proud when I see our name on matters and rankings alongside other big brand name advisors, whether law firms, investment banks, or auditors.

BACKGROUND Péter Lakatos, managing partner of leading law firm Lakatos, Köves and Partners (LKT), is a tough lawyer and trouble-shooter in court cases and negotiations and a leading expert of the Hungarian telecommunications, media and technology sectors. He has played a leading role in the development of the Hungarian TMT sector and also helped to create the telecoms legal framework in several southeastern European countries. Recently, Lakatos advised Vodafone on its UPC cable business acquisition and Rosatom on its involvement in the Paks NPP, and advised PE fund MidEuropa and logistics company Waberer’s on its IPO. He is ranked as a leading lawyer in Hungary by Chambers, IFLR and Legal 500. He is also a proud father of three children and can also be heard and seen at lawyers’ galas and balls as a pianist in the Sentiments Piano Duo, where he plays together with his musician wife, Éva Molitor. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS YOU ARE MOST PROUD? Obviously, my three healthy and smart children are the biggest achievements in my life. However, I can’t complain regarding my professional life either, because I had – and have –achievements there as well. For example being a partner of Clifford Chance for more than 10 years is something I am proud of. Being part of what was, at the time, the largest law firm in the world meant being part of the legal elite of the world and being treated as an equal to partners in London, New York or Hong Kong. Since our spin-off from Clifford Chance in 2009, with my partners and

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? My grandfather was an attorney-at-law with a traditional practice in a small town in Hungary. He graduated just after World War I and actually finished his legal practice in the late 1980s. He had seen a lot of life and history. Once he stated that he had met with more than 30,000 people during his almost six decades of practice. He told me his big stories at courts and with other famous negotiators. My father, who was not a lawyer but a language teacher, always taught me to think,

“Clearly, the Hungarian legal system went through major changes in the last three decades. I remember the funny situations, for example in a case when I had to explain to a countryside judge what subcontracting means.”

and to do it critically; a basic principle which I try to teach my children. So their influence was clearly a decisive factor which drew me to law as a profession. I also need to mention the civil law Professor Vékás from the law school, whose intellectual approach and very high level of professionalism clearly enhanced my motivation and desire to become a practicing lawyer who deals with complex problems. I am generally considered to be a problem solver but also a litigator if the case requires it. So, when an interesting issue comes up, whether it is one which requires working out alternative legal strategies and where a deal can be negotiated and finally agreed, guaranteed and implemented with legal means, or my client’s legal position has to be represented, protected and enforced at court, that is the intellectual challenge which I like most in my profession.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Lakatos, Köves & Partners Law Firm Clifford Chance LLP, Multilaw, Interlaw, Association of European Lawyers, Global Leaders Forum 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 14. Péter Lakatos

In charge of position since

2006

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1991

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? It was clear from the very beginning that I was interested in the civil law area in the broader sense. In the ’80s, when I was at law school in Budapest, the borders were closed. We were allowed to travel to Western Europe just once in every third year. We all wanted to find a way to travel, and were very interested in anything which had some international element and that led my attention towards cross-border legal matters. I started to work with Péter Köves, in the law firm he had just established soon after the political changes in Hungary and after my graduation as an LL.M student in Washington DC. As the borders opened up and the huge transition started from a socialist economy and legal system to a market economy and legal system, I was part of the legal advisory team advising one of the international consortia bidding for the new GSM license. That was my first telecom project, which led to many others over the years. I like modern technology in general, therefore I found and felt at home in my specialty area in this way. Most of the international telecom and technology companies which have ever came to this country became our client at some point in the last three decades, such as France Telecom, British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Cable and Wireless, Mannesmann, Vivendi, Alcatel, UPC, TDF, Antenna Hungária, HTCC, Teledenmark International, Invitel, Digi, Nokia, LG, Vodafone etc. There is no legal area on which we haven’t advised such clients over the decades. We have handled a wide range of complicated issues with regulatory, M&A, labor, tax and litigation aspects. In addition to telecom matters, I also advice clients on other complicated matters, whether it is multibillion euro EPC [engineering procurement construction] contract-related issues, or high profile accident-related legal matters. Always providing the intellectual challenge, which I am looking for.

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WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Clearly, the Hungarian legal system went through major changes in the last three decades. I remember the funny situations, for example in a case when I had to explain to a countryside judge what subcontracting means. Luckily, we are now very far from those days. The recent changes in most of the civil and procedural laws and regulations created new challenges in this decade, and the whole legal profession needs to work hard to develop an amicable and fair practice in their implementation. The concept of “digital lawyer and legal practice” has also developed rapidly in recent years, which itself requires a huge transition of the profession and the legal environment. However, we should never forget the basic values attached to a democratic society, our profession, our professional conduct and integrity during our life and day-to-day operation and, therefore, the right focus, the proper education for the younger generations, training practicing lawyers and inculcating such values in their practice could greatly improve the quality of the legal environment in the middle and long run.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ZOLTÁN NÁDASDY PARTNER OF REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS PRACTICE AND HEAD OF BUDAPEST OFFICE, NOERR where there are professional individuals with different characters able to work for the same goal as a team. This was in particular visible at the starting of COVID this year, where we needed to ask the team to stay and work remotely, from home: the spirit remained unchanged and our clients have hardy seen any change in the service, despite the unusual set up. In my private life, I find my peace in nature, in mountain climbing. A few years ago I started to climb the European peaks exceeding 4,000 meters. In my limited time for hobbies, I can only manage one or two

“It is very inspiring to work in an atmosphere where there are professional individuals with different characters able to work for the same goal as a team.”

BACKGROUND Zoltán Nádasdy was born in Debrecen and says that at a young age he felt the need for justice, so after finishing school decided to study at the Faculty of Law at the University of Szeged. It was clear to him that he would like to work in an international environment in Budapest and the university helped Nádasdy to prepare for the profession. In his private life, he finds peace in mountain climbing, where Nádasdy says he also learns more about his physical and mental boundaries and can observe daily problems from a distended view. “Nothing is more beautiful than catching the sunrise on the horizon,” he says. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? In the profession, I am proud of our team in the Budapest office of Noerr. It is very inspiring to work in an atmosphere

such high peaks in a year; I have now climbed around 15. The most difficult thus far was the Matterhorn in Switzerland, which I tackled from the Italian side. On the summit climbing day it took around 12 hours to reach the top and then get back. It is really exhausting waking up and getting to the route in the night after two or three hours sleeping and being out in freezing conditions on the rope in rocks and ice for such a long time. However, you are compensated, since nothing is more beautiful than catching the sunrise on the horizon lightening the lines and peaks. You also learn about your physical and mental boundaries and also you can observe the daily routine and problems from a totally different, distended view and approach. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Even though we are not a typical lawyer dynasty, both of grandfathers were lawyers. I felt and realized quite early that I have a sense of, and need for, justice and solving problems. In the grammar school one can hardly have a specific thought and imagination of this profession, only something which you can gather from movies, which are of course very far away from real life. I remember

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Noerr Noerr Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mbB 1011 Budapest, Fő utca 14–18. Zoltán Nádasdy

In charge of position since

2009

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1990

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

that even at the university, when our civil law seminar professor raised the question, which part of the legal profession is our preference after finishing the university, half of the class answered “international law”. It shows how little we were informed of the variety and beautiful details of this profession. It does make a huge difference whether you work as a judge, a notary public, a public prosecutor, an attorney; also among attorneys in which special field of law you work on, whether you do it alone, or part of a larger team, etc. For me, it was clear at the university that I would like to work at an international law firm in Budapest; I worked on my language skills accordingly. Also the university (of Szeged) helped us to be prepared for the profession by introducing special trainings for European law and also German economic

21 5

law, the latter held by visiting professors from Potsdam, in German. These day, it does not sound any longer unique, but 20 years ago, we had different times. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I have started my career at Clifford Chance in Budapest, in their German desk department, which was integrated in the real estate practice group. My senior colleagues were (and are still) great lawyers; they showed the indepth layers of real estate law, which is also today one of my special fields of law. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I am happy not being involved in law making. This is a very special and complex area in our rapidly changing world.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

MIKLÓS ORBÁN CO-FOUNDER, OPL

a large regulatory project where we covered 90 countries for one of the major multinational telco operators. We also did many similar projects in the past. That’s Major League Baseball: we compete with the “big boys” in London and New York for these projects and we have to beat them on our own.

BACKGROUND Miklós Orbán is a bi-qualified lawyer (in New York and in Hungary) who has been in the legal industry for more than 20 years. Before he co-founded his firm, he started his career at international law firms in London and Budapest, then served as British Telecom’s regulatory director in 25 countries for seven years. He graduated from ELTE, then earned his Master’s degree at Georgetown University as a Fulbright Scholar. Orbán mentors law students at the Queen Mary University of London and Surrey University. In addition to spending time with his sons, he enjoys reading, coding, running and playing video games. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I am most proud of achievements that differentiate us from other law firms in Budapest. To start with: OPL was the first law firm in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) which established its own public policy and regulatory boutique as a separate company. EXPLICO has turned out to be a big success and we are now entering into a partnership with two other policy firms in Brussels and Vienna. I am also very proud of our new joint venture with CEE’s premier legal HR firm, Legalis. We launched CEE’s first online platform for premium freelance lawyers with them under the brand, Lexitup.law. I look forward to transforming this platform into an online marketplace of legal services regionally. But I am probably most excited about our global project work where we not only take care of the Hungarian or CEE parts of a major project, but are responsible for the whole piece. We recently finished

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Get yourselves prepared for the least exciting story. I grew up in a small town in Hungary. Life looked pretty hopeless in the last decade of the communist era: my parents were biochemists, and they advised my brother and I to choose a profession that could keep us independent from the government and political regimes. My brother chose economics, and I took what was left: law. Lame, I know. However, it is more interesting how I became the kind of legal entrepreneur I am now. Early in my career, I started to see legal works not in horizontals, but in verticals: I became interested not only in legal matters, but also how legal problems arise, and how legal advice is produced. That got me into building a different kind of

“I started to see legal works not in horizontals, but in verticals: I became interested not only in legal matters, but also how legal problems arise, and how legal advice is produced. That got me into building a different kind of legal consultancy.”

legal consultancy. I also had a different approach to law: I could not see law as “given”, something that is carved in stone, but to the contrary, I always felt that law is in motion all the time. That got me into public policy. In addition, it always annoyed me that our legal advice was based on mere expert guessing and were rarely supported by data. That got me into legal analytics and legal tech. And finally, it still strikes me how much lawyers tend to be risk averse, but I am willing to take on healthy business risks. That got me into launching new ventures. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? It is tech and telecoms, and it has always been that way. It was love at first sight, technology “had me at Hello.” I am being serious here. There is something inherently

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

OPL (Orbán és Perlaki Ügyvédi Társulás) Lexing 1036 Budapest, Perc utca 6. Miklós Orbán

In charge of position since

2011

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2011

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

magnificent about technology that excites me and energizes me constantly. People have the misconception that robots and technologies are inhuman or unnatural, but there is nothing more humanly natural than our will to build robots or excel human intelligence with artificial intelligence. We live in a historical age; the effects of the present technological revolution are way bigger than that of the steam engine: it would be an epic mistake not to take part. What I find most exciting is the collusion of technology with another discipline. If I were reborn, I’d study the collusion of neuroscience and tech. The first piece of legal work I produced was a 100-page-long memo on Internet law which summarized the impact of the Internet on law. That would not be anything exciting now, but it was still in the 20th century when I drafted it and it was a very novel thing back then. More than 20 years later, what I still find exciting in law are the meeting points with technologies, be it analyzing legal documents and laws with algorithms, improving legislation by self-executing laws and better designed regulations, building prediction models for better sentencing, supporting legal advice with data, or the governance of technology.

18 3

natural language processing algorithms. The outcome is clear: There are more laws than before, they are usually longer, more technical in nature and change more frequently. In addition, it seems that the language is unnecessarily complex, which makes it extremely hard to understand for anyone without a law degree. This issue is topped by the deteriorating quality of laws in Hungary. If I could, I’d definitely improve how laws are made. And lastly, we need talented people becoming lawyers. Not only boys and girls whose parents can afford law school and the financial support until legal qualification. We may need to change something to ensure that the best talents can become qualified lawyers disregarding the financial status of their families. The United Kingdom is about to introduce a new law which will allow people to qualify as lawyers without legal education. If someone spends several years in a law firm as an apprentice, and takes certain exams, then he or she can become a lawyer. Such a brave and smart initiative! This is one of my missions; OPL will be the voice of this movement in Hungary.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Three things. First and foremost, if you see Hungary from a distance, then Hungary looks like a decent democracy with strong institutions supporting the rule of law. However, if you take a closer look, especially at how laws are being made and enforced, then you see a different picture. So, if I could, I would strengthen the rule of law: securing the independence of the courts is absolutely crucial. And not for the sake of investors, it is just simply better to live under rule of law supported by strong and politically independent institutions. Second, we are currently analyzing the complexity of legal language in several jurisdictions with

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ERIKA PAPP MANAGING PARTNER OF CMS BUDAPEST, HEAD OF FINANCE IN CEE/CIS

OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Well, I am most proud of my son and family. In my professional life, I have been honored (and fortunate) to work together with some of the finest professionals in Hungary and CEE at my workplace. I am also proud that, somehow, I managed to create a balance between my professional and private life, a balance between being a mother of a wonderful son and also being a practicing lawyer, and manager of the largest law firm in Hungary. I’m also proud of the balance we’ve struck between a profit-making business and charitable projects. This balancing act is not easy and sometimes is still a daily juggle, but most of the time I get it right, more or less. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Actually, I come from a family of lawyers, so it was a quasipre-determined, straightforward path for me to follow. My mother was a judge, my father was a lawyer, my sister is a university professor of law, and even my grandfather was a lawyer, working in-house. We have all chosen our own areas

BACKGROUND Erika Papp is the managing partner of CMS in Hungary and the head of finance in CEE/CIS. She advises financial institutions and other companies on financial transactions and regulatory projects across the CEE region. She has many years’ experience in advising clients on real estate and project finance as well as corporate lending. She is also well known for her expertise in financial institution regulation, and advises banks and businesses on capital markets, derivatives and investments in Hungary and in CEE. Her clients include many of the largest financial institutions in the region, as well as large corporates with commercial activities in energy, real estate, telecommunications and manufacturing. Papp regularly speaks at international conferences and LMA seminars. She has published numerous articles and has co-authored several finance law publications. She is the founder of a charitable foundation at the Law School of Debrecen.

“I come from a family of lawyers, so it was a quasi-pre-determined, straightforward path for me to follow. My mother was a judge, my father was a lawyer, my sister is a university professor of law, and even my grandfather was a lawyer, working in-house.”

of law, which fitted our personality and interests best, and that inspired us within the many layers of law. Law provides so many different career options and lifestyles, each for their own personality. You do not even have to be a lawyer: with a law degree you can be a good business person, a manager or a politician. So what drew me to law as a profession is that it gives you a flexible career path, where you can, with relative ease, move into something else if you want to. Also, law is a huge, fascinating, developing, everchanging profession, which inspires you to keep learning all throughout your career. For example, my specialization, banking and finance law, is such a massive area of law, and I

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP Magyarországi Fióktelepe CMS 1053 Budapest, Károlyi utca 12. Erika Papp

In charge of position since

2018

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1989

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020

No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

cannot claim to know all of it. Everyday new laws are passed and they are always connected to recent developments in the world. Global warming leads to green legislation. An economic crisis brings restructuring legislation. It is always current, interesting, and one never stops learning. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I started my career at Nagy & Trócsányi, where I spent five years practicing corporate law and M&A transactions. Later on, with the support of Péter Nagy, I studied international finance and business law at Fordham University in New York, USA. International finance was the core of my studies. One of the professors was a lecturer in banking regulatory law. He was actually one of those very strict but charismatic professors who made the subject of banking regulatory law fascinating. This is how I realized that I wanted to work as a banking lawyer. After completing my Master’s degree, I searched for an opportunity to work in the banking sector and continue developing my knowledge of banking law. This

is how I joined CMS (McKenna & Co) at that time. Back then, the firm had six lawyers in total in Budapest and every one of us worked on banking matters. Years have gone by and now CMS has its own standalone finance practice. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I do not believe the Hungarian legal environment needs any major changes. Our law society has both outstanding academics as well as excellent domestic and international practicing lawyers who serve clients at a very high standard. Many Hungarian legal professionals and academics are at the forefront of legal developments in digitalization, environment and other areas. These people are highly specialized. Our academics are invited to teach at foreign law schools and our lawyers can make it to the top in-house positions or international law firms. I am proud of so many of my colleagues both at CMS and at other firms who are passionate about law.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

TAMÁS POLAUF CO-MANAGING PARTNER, CERHA HEMPEL DEZSŐ ÉS TÁRSAI ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I have had many achievements that I can be proud of, but I also have many plans for the future. As somebody who was involved in sports at a fairly high level, I learned early that you had to be focused and work hard at all times if you wanted to be successful. In high school, I reached the final of a national competition in literature, and I was the member of the Hungarian national team and a national champion as a middle-distance runner. At university, as a member of the application orientation committee of the Faculty of Law at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), I helped hundreds of students prepare for their legal careers. The challenges continued after

When I applied to university and also when I completed my studies, I was a hair’s breadth away from becoming a teacher or a lecturer. But when my life came to a turning point, I always chose the path that led to the legal profession and I do not have any regrets at all.

BACKGROUND Tamás Polauf is 45 years old and was admitted to the bar 15 years ago. He has been working for CERHA HEMPEL (formerly CHSH), a Vienna-based law firm, since 2008. In 2013, the partners of the Hungarian entity of CERHA HEMPEL's network of law firms elected him to serve as co-managing partner with Attila Dezső, the firm's founding partner. Outside his professional life, Polauf has been engaged in various sports activities since he was six, and continues to spend almost all of his free time outdoors (doing cross-country running and mountain biking). While Polauf says management duties have grown due to COVID, he is still trying to realise an old dream of completing every section of a 1,000 km hiking trail that winds its way through the mountains of Hungary.

graduation, both in my academic and legal career. In addition to studying in ELTE’s PhD program in law, I also gained admission to the philosophy program, while as graduate teaching assistant, I taught various legal and paralegal courses at ELTE and the law schools of the universities in Győr, Pécs and Miskolc. I spent most of my time as a trainee lawyer in the office of Gábor Tóth, the current chairman of the Budapest Bar Association, where I learned a lot about the legal profession. My next great professional challenge came in 2008, when CERHA HEMPEL’s Vienna office requested me to establish and grow their local practice in Hungary. Dezső and Partners, a law firm founded and led by Attila Dezső, joined CERHA HEMPEL’s network of law firms in 2010. As recognition of my work, I was admitted as a partner of the new entity within two years. The next challenge, and one of the greatest of my life, came in 2013, when Attila Dezső and his partners entrusted

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partners In charge of position since Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

Cerha Hempel Dezső és Társai Ügyvédi Iroda Cerha Hempel Rechtsanwälte GmbH 1011 Budapest, Fő utca 14–18. Attila Dezső, Tamás Polauf 1998 / 2013 1998

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020

No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

me to serve as their managing partner. I have been co-managing the firm with Attila for seven years now, working hard to preserve what the firm has built up over a period of 30 years while making sure that it successfully adapts to a quickly and constantly changing business and legal environment. Unfortunately, due to my growing legal and management workload, I gradually had to give up teaching and most of my academic activities. So I was all the more delighted when a few years ago, after several years of concerted efforts, our private antitrust litigation handbook that I initiated and edited was published by Wolters Kluwer. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? In contrast with some families where the tradition of being a lawyer goes back several generations, nobody in my family had a law degree. So I cannot say that my family guided me to the profession. When I applied to university and also when I completed my studies, I was a hair’s breadth away from becoming a teacher or a lecturer. But when my life came to a turning point, I always chose the path that led to the legal profession and I do not have any regrets at all.

I learned as a schoolboy worked, because thanks to several years of hard work by the members of the team (particularly Márton Kocsis) and the strong backing of Attila Dezső, we are now regarded as one of the best competition law practices in Hungary. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? This could be the subject of a lengthy research paper. There was a time when, in a discussion with our partners within the network or in other international settings, I was proud to be a Hungarian lawyer because a new and modern legal concept or cutting-edge technology solution (such as the electronic management of corporate procedures) that was ahead of Western European standards had just been introduced. Unfortunately, the international reputation of Hungarian legal system seems to have suffered a setback recently. I hope that a new wave of positive developments will come soon.

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? In my career of almost 20 years, I have dealt with many areas of law. Often the circumstances dictated which area I had to focus on. But lately, I have been lucky enough to have the luxury of being able to pick what I really want to do. So, in the last six or seven years, besides the management of large projects that cover several of my preferred areas, I have started to concentrate on competition and intellectual property law. It was my dream to create a team within our office that would focus on these areas, which have a long tradition in the broader CERHA HEMPEL network. It turned out that the model

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ANDRÁS POSZTL COUNTRY MANAGING PARTNER OF DLA PIPER HUNGARY

BACKGROUND András Posztl has been the country managing partner of DLA Piper in Hungary since 2009. Before taking on that role, he was head of the firm’s M&A practice for five years. Posztl leads the Mergermarket league tables in Hungary based on volume of transactions in the country between 2005 and 2020. Under his leadership, DLA Piper Hungary has recently changed its client service model to a truly multidisciplinary one offering not only legal and tax, but also business advisory services. Posztl focuses on M&A in the energy and media sectors, and is ranked as a market leading corporate lawyer according to some top independent legal directories. Outside his professional career, he is passionate about his family, travelling and the arts. If he was not a lawyer, Posztl says he would like to create and manage a boutique hotel in the countryside. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? In the last 12 years, DLA Piper Hungary has grown from a mid-market firm to one of the leading law firms in the Hungarian legal market in terms of quality and complexity of services offered. Recognizing the ever-

increasing client demand for one-stop-shop service solutions, we also created a multi-disciplinary service offer with our tax and financial consultants. The hard work of the DLA Piper team is reflected in many awards; the very prestigious legal directory Chambers and Partners has named us Law Firm of the Year in Hungary three times out of the last five award events, in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Our firm is ranked Tier one in 12 different categories in this and other leading independent legal directories. Learning and development have become the essence of our day-to-day operations. Acquiring and maintaining top-notch know-how, and sharing this knowledge with all our colleagues effectively, enabling them to go above and beyond what is expected from a lawyer, is the key to future success. We ran 96 internal training sessions with 1,276 participants, a lot of whom have been registered with the Bar. As a result, our attorneys have gained 521 CDP [continuing professional development] points thus far. In terms of talent management, a highlight is the professional competition for undergraduates. This year, we had more than 140 participants. In the final we had

the honor to be joined by the deans or deputy deans of six out of the eight top law schools in Hungary. However, right now I am most proud of all my colleagues for working extremely hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping the same high level of performance while facing constant and new challenges, including getting used to working from home and taking part in virtual negotiations. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? A passion for the truth! That can be best experienced when practicing law. The other important factor is the intellectual challenge that comes with a career in law, this is a continuous source of inspiration. Being constantly inspired is a must when you want to be successful. It is also my mission to give back to society; during the last financial year our office has done 628 hours of pro-bono work.

“What I enjoy most is finding the right balance between the different interests of the various parties involved in order to achieve the best commercial outcome for the client.”

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY? Like most lawyers my age, I started out as a ‘generalist’ lawyer. My first significant international work as partner was the refinancing of the Mammut I shopping center and the financing of Mammut II, representing Eurohypo as a client. Only a few years later, when the international appetite for such M&A transactions had grown, I got more involved in M&A transactions. I have been fascinated by the complexity and delicacy of such deals since. What I enjoy

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

most is finding the right balance between the different interests of the various parties involved in order to achieve the best commercial outcome for the client. I believe that the real success of a particular transaction is reflected by how the parties involved are not only happy when signing the contract, but are still satisfied months and years later. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? First of all, I would encourage further digitalization of law to make more legal services available online, introducing more digital platforms that serve lawyers and the legal profession. Access to information in the digital space could be improved, although it is important to note that we are generally on the right track. The second is further easing the administrative burden of doing business in Hungary for entrepreneurs and investors. Last, but not least, I would make it easier to access justice for those who cannot afford expensive lawyers.

DLA Piper Hungary DLA Piper UK LLP 1124 Budapest, Csörsz utca 49–51. András Posztl

In charge of position since

2009

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1988

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

50 7 Partners + 3 Local Partners

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ISTVÁN RÉCZICZA MANAGING PARTNER, DENTONS

in the telecom sector where Gergő Budai, Balázs Fazekas and Dániel Szeszlér have all proven to be very successful. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? As a member of the young generation of the 1980s, and having made my career choice in the waning years of the communist regime, it was above all else the concept of independence that attracted me to the practice of law. During the course of my legal studies, it became clear to me that if a world different from the existing regime were to be born, then such a birth would bring about the development of a legal system where lawyers could and should rely on their professional expertise and independence in order to excel at their jobs. It was clear to me that the time of legal mechanisms serving solely political interests

“I have never been interested only in law in the abstract. I have always been interested in how law is applied in the real world.”

OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I am proud of having been among the largest and leading law firms in Hungary for more than two decades. The lawyers trained in our office and ranked among the best are either still with our firm or have taken their talents to other enterprises where they have applied the special approach to the practice of law that they acquired while working here. I am especially proud of our achievements

was coming to an end and that, within the legal realm, private practice promised maximum independence. I was strongly interested in being involved in the shaping of society and business life and in having a say in the functioning of society. The changing economic, legal and social environment of that time offered me the opportunity to do so. Moreover, I was also able to do immensely practical work. A world that was fundamentally changing when I began my career created the conditions for managing a legal practice based on strategic considerations, a practice that has enabled clients to achieve not only legal solutions, but also business objectives. This confluence of being a person seeking to help shape society for the common good, of being a professional interested in achieving success in business and of being a private person striving to establish independence is what drove me forward.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner In charge of position since Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? Managing matters relating to regulated industries is a highly complex task. It requires a knowledge of EU regulations, Hungarian regulations and practices, the mindset of decision-makers and the expectations of individuals operating businesses. Practical legal solutions can best be achieved through a coordination of all of these considerations. I have never been interested only in law in the abstract. I have always been interested in how law is applied in the real world. This is the reason why we have undertaken numerous ground-breaking cases which were precedent-setting in Hungary. Such matters have ranged

Dentons Dentons Europe LLP 1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 11. István Réczicza 2015 2015; Dentons (formerly Salans) has been in Budapest since 2006 34 9

from our involvement in the application of the first company transformation law in the late ’80s to the representation of Hungary in the first ICSID [International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes] matter, just to mention two immensely interesting areas. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Frequent changes to legislation should be avoided through the development and enactment of only those changes which are carefully thought through. Such an approach would make the legal environment more predictable.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ULRIKE REIN MANAGING PARTNER, OPPENHEIM ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

Hungary as an EU lawyer. Rein’s hobby is making and collecting paintings, drawings, sculptures. The latest exhibition of her paintings (called “Talking Pictures”) can be seen at ullarein.com. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? What I am most proud of is not really “my achievement.” It is something that is based on my good luck and which is the achievement of a group of people. I was lucky to find inspiring people working with me. This enabled me to be open to listen and to see what is going on around me and to adapt to the requirements of the people I have been working with, and have been working for, over a long time. Oppenheim is a “story” that is the product

“As my leading Professor said: ‘Legal language must not be beautiful, but crystal clear.’ This is the corner stone for good, professional legal advice.”

BACKGROUND From 1984-1987, Ulrike Rein served as a law clerk at courts in Vienna, and assistant professor at the faculty of law of the University of Vienna (Institute for Constitutional and Administrative Law). From 1987 to 2007, she was a member and partner of Heller Löber Bahn & Partner, Vienna; the German-Austrian law firm Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber; and the global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Since 1989, she has been working at the Budapest office of Oppenheim law firm, becoming the managing partner of Oppenheim in Budapest in 2007, and the legal representative of Oppenheim’s branch-office in Vienna. She is an attorney-at-law admitted in Austria (Rechtsanwältin) and admitted in

of such development. From its beginnings in 1989 until today, it has been and is a group of people who belong together under a common believe and understanding: To be a highly qualified working group that provides specialized services to clients in the legal field. Our story must be told and re-shaped and re-invented as we proceed in time in order to include as many people as possible. To date, I am proud that together we have mastered this task and I am also proud that we have a number of people, much younger than myself, who take the lead and are further building our culture on the foundation that had been put down decades ago. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS PROFESSION? There were two things I liked most during my time in high school: To argue, mainly with teachers, and to paint. I did not give up either of these. However, when I turned 18, I had to decide what to do, where to go. I finally decided to go to law school in Vienna. From there on, I was on track. I finished my studies within the shortest time possible and I then worked as an

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Oppenheim Ügyvédi Iroda Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 1053 Budapest, Károlyi utca 12. Ulrike Rein

In charge of position since

2007

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1989

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020

No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

assistant professor at the Institute for Constitutional and Administrative Law. I was never attracted by the thought of leading a calm life. Therefore, I decided to go for a job in a law firm. The senior partner of the firm I was working with was a well-known judge of the Austrian Constitutional Court. I guess he appreciated my education when he hired me. However, the law firm’s specialization was in the legal fields of dispute resolution, international arbitration and transactions. This is where I specialized and this is also what brought me to Hungary. In a nutshell, when you ask me what drew me to law as a profession, the answer is not that I wanted to search for justice with a lamp in the dark. Rather I was trying to understand a client’s standpoint and interest and to translate this into a language that would be understood by judges hearing a case, or by business partners in a transaction.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I am not a politician, I do not make laws, and the last time I was dealing with the theoretical question of how to improve clarity of legal language used in laws and decrees was in the mid-1980s, when I worked at the university. As an attorney, I deal with applying laws. From that point of view, I think it is important that the language of all rules and regulations is as clear as possible. As my leading Professor said: “Legal language must not be beautiful, but crystal clear.” This is the corner stone for good, professional legal advice.

Photo by László Bacskó

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I did not pick the legal specialty area; it picked me. What I mean is that when you go to law school you learn that it belongs to the essential skills of a lawyer to be able to read, write and speak. When you leave law school

you have built up a certain knowledge and certain skills. Information you gain on a matter or a case is processed through the algorithms you have been taught during law school. With these assets and tools at hand you can do a lot of things. The things that were coming my way allowed me to develop certain specializations. Since I have had the chance to see and work on matters under dispute, and commercial transactions I know the ropes through that kind of work.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

SÁNDOR SÁRKÖZY CO-LEADER OF SÁRKÖZY RÖDL & PARTNER ÜGYVÉDI IRODA, RÖDL & PARTNER ÜGYVÉDI TÁRSULÁS fact that, with our colleagues, we managed to assemble a stable team of great lawyers and personalities working hard and showing great team spirit. I am especially proud of the fact that our Sárközy Rödl & Partner has been continuously profitable with an increasing turnover since 2006. From a professional point of view, I am proud to see the “result” of our work, such as the greenfield investments and the establishment of numerous factories that have been realized with our legal support from day one. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? I saw the movie “My Cousin Vinny” with Joe Pesci as lead actor in 1992 and I received an immediate motivation for being an attorney at law […] Seriously, at the beginning, I was fascinated with the fact that law is a rational regulation

“At the beginning, I was fascinated with the fact that law is a rational regulation system and the certain logical regulations create a big logical unit.”

BACKGROUND Sándor Sárközy graduated in Budapest, at ELTE with a degree in law. In 2006, he joined Rödl & Partner, having previously worked at the Supreme Court in Hungary and later leading the German Legal Desk at a Big 4 company. For almost 15 years, he has been the co-leader of Rödl & Partner Hungary, together with Stefan Sieferer. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Rödl & Partner had its 25th anniversary in Hungary. My partner and I have been part of the company for the past decade and a half. We have managed to create a law firm which serves determining economic entities. The German background affects the composition of our clients, colleagues and our issues and it naturally distinguishes us on the Hungarian market. I am especially proud of the

system and the certain logical regulations create a big logical unit. In the first year of my university studies, it turned out that I have made the right choice, because Roman law – on which our whole legal system is based – brought law closer to me and also the way of thinking which it embodies. I lived in Switzerland when I was young, the vision and German language knowledge gained there have given me a basis for my future carrier steps. Quite early, I was drawn to the international atmosphere. I have been the leader of the German desk at one of the law firms of the Big 4. After that the path led straight to Rödl & Partner. Due to the German background, basically there are foreign, mainly German elements in almost all of our issues which affect also my professional point of view and routine regarding the issues. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? Basically, we provide full legal advisory service for our clients regarding their investment in Hungary, from the establishment of their Hungarian subsidy, often greenfield investments, until their possible dissolution.

I personally participate in several property transactions, mainly in the form of the mentioned greenfield investments. I also advise on labor law issues where I support the clients not only in individual, but also in collective labor law questions (e.g. negotiations with trade unions, mass redundancies). I am dealing also with corporate law. In this regard I have provided advice to clients regarding company purchases, M&A and capital measures. Since Rödl & Partner is present in more than 50 countries of the world, I have the possibility to participate in international transactions, cross-border mergers affecting several countries. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I think I say nothing new when I state that the biggest problem is the frequent change of the domestic

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partners In charge of position since Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

regulation environment and the adjustment to that becoming necessary again and again. Predictability and the ability to plan in advance would be very important. Also, our foreign clients miss it very much. Sudden, ill-thought out regulations are passed and, therefore, an essential legal practice based on each other cannot spread. Besides this, the groups affected by the law should be taken into consideration in the procedure of creating the law to a greater extent. A great example for that is the new Hungarian Code of Civil Procedure, where law practitioners had already raised concerns at the date of its entry into force, but we managed to achieve changes only now, after several years. Rödl & Partner is member of the GermanHungarian Chamber of Commerce (DUIHK). This gives us a serious possibility regarding the representation of suggestions, comments and opinions.

Sárközy Rödl & Partner Ügyvédi Iroda, Rödl & Partner Ügyvédi Társulás Rödl & Partner GbR Wirtschaftsprüfer, Steuerberater, Rechtsanwälte 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 121. Sándor Sárközy, Stefan Sieferer 2006 / 2006 1992 13 2

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

IVÁN SEFER MANAGING PARTNER, VÁMOSI-NAGY ERNST & YOUNG ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

I spent my formative years at one of the largest and most successful international law firms in Hungary and had the opportunity to learn from some of the best and brightest lawyers on the market. This was learning-on-the-job at its best, as the skills and working methods learned helped me throughout my entire career so far. What was unique in my case is that the I had the opportunity to step away from the tried and tested model and to challenge myself working at a non-traditional legal service provider: a Big 4 firm. The decision to leave what I considered to be the big leagues for uncharted waters was a very difficult one and was not without considerable risks. However, in hindsight, this was one of the better decisions that I made. Working closely, on a daily basis, with some of the most respected tax, financial and audit professionals, I learned to look at the legal services business from a completely different perspective. I could step away from the over specialization of large law firms and take a bird’s

“I think that lawyers and the bar should definitely strive towards simplification and digitalization. Sticking to archaic structures will not change the direction the world is moving in; it will simply result in a profession that is out-of-touch with reality.”

BACKGROUND Iván Sefer is the head of EY LAW Hungary, which is a full-service law firm with more than 30 employees. He is listed as a Band / Tier 1 banking and finance lawyer by Chambers and Partners and by Legal 500. His primary focus is complex transactional and regulatory matters in the fields of banking and finance, M&A, capital markets and restructurings. Sefer holds a law degree from Pázmány Péter Catholic University, as well as a degree in comparative law from Université Robert Schuman. He is a member of the Budapest Bar and is also admitted to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Law is clearly a people business and success can be defined by the strength of relationships, both in terms of clients and colleagues. I generally try to assess these two aspects, and this is the main metric of my professional pride.

eye view of the law legal market and the corresponding client demands. I also had the chance to establish my own management theory, often by analyzing and working on initial instincts that I had. This, in turn, allowed me to build a team which I believe is optimized for the current market reality. I am very grateful for those clients who believed in me and followed me throughout my journey. I believe that the shared history and the understanding of their business gives us an edge and enables us to service them in the way they really want to be serviced. I am very proud of the team I was able to recruit and retain. I frequently hear that we have a strong reputation in terms of being hardworking, technically sound, energetic, approachable and business-minded. I think this is exactly the image we want to project and receiving this input makes me very proud.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Head of Law Office

Vámosi-Nagy Ernst & Young Ügyvédi Iroda Ernst & Young Law GmbH 1132 Budapest, Váci út 20. Iván Sefer

In charge of position since

2016

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

2010

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? As stated, I think of the law as being one of the most typical people businesses. I always felt that I am one of those people to whom relationships mean a great deal. Due to this the choice was relatively simple: I wanted to go into a profession where I would have the chance to connect with a wide range of people, preferably on an international level. Foreign languages and cultures always interested me, and I was absolutely looking forward to traveling on business, as well as spending time on secondments and international assignments. I also always enjoyed the creative thinking aspect of law, as things are generally not black or white, and there is significant room for constructing arguments and defending them. This is a never-ending intellectual challenge, which allows for continuous motivation and prevents from monotony setting in. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? The interesting thing is that I think my specialty area picked me as opposed to the other way around. I always felt that I would want to do something transactional, where there would be complex, multi-party discussions, preferably on an international level. I also gravitated towards a “deal-making” type of dynamism, as opposed to the perceived binarity of litigation (where you either win or lose). Due to this, my clear preference was joining a respected M&A or banking and finance team. The opportunity to interview for a job at Hungary’s most respected banking and finance team arose due to a blind stroke of luck; it came to be over a chat at a bar with a French lawyer who was really happy to meet a young aspiring trainee able to hold a (very) basic conversation in French. At the interview things seemed to click, I like to think both ways. There was no question that I “came home” and this was what I wanted to become good at. I absolutely enjoyed that I was doing something which was a niche business, working on concepts not regulated and tested under Hungarian law,

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and that I could point to buildings all over the country and take a sense of pride in the fact that I was involved in the financing of it. This really connected the theory to the reality and was very exciting for someone starting his career in law. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I think that despite a lot of lip service, the industry is definitely lagging way behind in terms of new technology. We do not use AI or automation to a fraction of its potential. I think most lawyers would confirm that client demands have changed, more to-the-point and commercial advice is required nowadays. Despite this, little has changed in terms of how law firms are structured and operate. This is a significant discrepancy and I think that lawyers need to move quicker in this respect. Also, I think that the Hungarian legal environment remains way too formalistic. There are loads of examples: the entire notarization process, the formal requirements of the land registries, the sheer amount of documentation required for corporate maintenance etc. I think that lawyers and the bar should definitely strive towards simplification and digitalization. Sticking to archaic structures will not change the direction the world is moving in; it will simply result in a profession that is out-of-touch with reality.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

TAMÁS SZABÓ CO-MANAGING PARTNER, SZABÓ, KELEMEN ÉS TÁRSAI ANDERSEN ÜGY VÉDI IRODA

School and started his traineeship in Law Firm No. 50, which was a general practice in 1986 in Budapest’s District XX. He was admitted to the Budapest Bar in 1989, joined one of the Big 4 in 1991 and became a partner in 1994. He started the law firm that is now Szabó Kelemen & Partners Andersen in 1996 and was managing partner for about 20 years, and is now comanaging partner with László Kelemen, Domonkos Kiss and Péter Vincze. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I am proud of our international clientele. Some clients have been with us for 20-25 years or even more. I am proud of our team, because it consists of gifted people. Although they are strong individuals, and sometimes they

“Besides the legislative bodies, the courts and the jurisprudence, lawyers shape the law with almost everything they do, and they helped a lot in forming the market economy in Hungary.”

have to be able to stand up for their clients on their own, they have learnt to cooperate as a team, too. The core group has been with us for decades and are in their best lawyering age now. Also, we have been able to attract young people and I am proud that we could win their devotion to the common cause of client service, generation after generation. Recently, I am very proud that Andersen have accepted us into their global tax and legal team. It has been an excellent experience to work with this fast expanding network of professionals. BACKGROUND Tamás Szabó has more than 30 years of experience in domestic and international corporate and commercial law. He focuses on large-scale commercial and real property acquisitions and developments, as well as corporate acquisitions, take-overs, and restructurings. Szabó is regularly featured in legal directories as a leading individual and notable practitioner in corporate / M&A in Hungary. Szabó graduated from ELTE Law

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? In secondary school I studied mathematics. I figured solving problems for people in need of legal assistance would be a good field for me. However, I had to find out the hard way that there are a lot of smart people among the competition, therefore, I would need my training in sports, too, to stay above the water. I like the battle, I like the teamwork and I like when our clients are happy.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Szabó, Kelemen és Társai Andersen Ügyvédi Iroda Andersen Global 1024 Budapest, Lövőház utca 39. Tamás Szabó

In charge of position since

1996

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1996

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020

No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? I started as a trainee working for solo practitioners on the outskirts of Budapest, then I became a solo practitioner myself. I did everything from criminal law to civil litigation and representing smaller companies. I spent a lot of time in courts, at the police and in prisons meeting with clients. I spoke English, which was rare among lawyers in the early ’90s, and I was invited to the legal practice of one of what is now the Big 4. Given my colorful past, I was given transactions, which I do since. Lately, most of the transactions are related to real estate.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Lawyers do their part improving the legal environment every day. Besides the legislative bodies, the courts and the jurisprudence, lawyers shape the law with almost everything they do, and they helped a lot in forming the market economy in Hungary. Apparently, there are overall issues with respect of the rule of law, but those issues are larger than us and belong to the political sphere.

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

KATALIN SZAMOSI

Photo by vegeldaniel.com

PRESIDENT, SBGK ÜGYVÉDI IRODA

BACKGROUND Katalin Szamosi is the president of SBGK Attorneys at Law and Patent Attorneys, with 40 years of experience. Her practice areas include patent, trade mark, industrial design and copyright-related matters, representation before national and international courts, arbitration, mediation and advice on consumer protection and antitrust matters. Szamosi is a board member of the most relevant IP organizations, she frequently contributes articles to the press and she is a well-known market commentator. She is also a member of the Permanent Arbitration Court attached to the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2019, Szamosi was elected president of the committee responsible for the “Hungarikum” trademark. She also provides IP lessons for postgraduate students at universities and at the Academy of Budapest Bar Association. She also contributes to the work of Forum, an American organization that provides arbitration and mediation services to businesses and WIPO in domain disputes.

OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Last year, SBGK was one of the first private legal service providers in Hungary that could celebrate its 50th anniversary. Since the foundation of SBGK in 1969, the world has completely changed, but our commitment to the Hungarian market and our clients has remained the same. Consequently, our office is still owned exclusively by Hungarian partners and we are extremely proud that many of our clients have trusted us for decades. During the last couple of years, SBGK and its colleagues received numerous awards and achieved countless successes, but what makes me personally the mostproud is the undoubted trust we feel from many and to see our satisfied clients after a successfully closed transaction or solving a highly complex problem. I am especially delighted that SBGK is not just a workplace, an office from which to work, but a real community. There are some families in which the third generation now works in the firm; their loyalty and affection are unbroken. It is a real pleasure that I have been able to contribute to this successful story with my two decades of leadership.

WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? Traditionally, there have been lawyers in our family; my father also worked as an attorney-at-law for many decades and ran the SBGK office and its legal predecessor. Next to the family tradition and motivation, the knowledge that I acquired at home provided me the first initial inspiration to choose the legal career. However, it is of paramount importance to find one’s own path, interest and commitment. In the process of self-realization, getting

“It is a great pleasure that my sons, who are also partners of the firm, have also chosen this career and I always encourage them to find their own direction that suits them best.”

involved in legal education, professional public life, and active participation in the operation of IP organizations was an enormous support for me. It is a great pleasure that my sons, who are also partners of the firm, have also chosen this career and I always encourage them to find their own direction that suits them best, among the beauties of law. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? Since its foundation, our office has been a key player in IP consulting. Interestingly, even our biggest competitors in the field of legal and patent advisory have emerged from SBGK’s “umbrella.” So, it was quite obvious for me that I would start to develop my professional knowledge in this field as well, and even today I am looking back with good heart to the professional guidelines and help of my great predecessors Ádám Szentpéteri, Béla Kende and Róbert Bérczes.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

Changes in the economic, political and legal environment, customer needs and expectations, and the changed market environment have also diversified SBGK’s professional range, and today we represent our clients in a wide variety of complex mandates. Of these specializations, competition law, domain and design matters are closest to me. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? In the past, during the legislative processes, the legislator paid close attention to the professional opinions of the legal community, especially in the field of intellectual property. These previous consultations have always been useful, although lately we see that these are either lagging behind or there is such a short time to express an opinion that the representatives of the profession cannot reconcile the opinion among themselves. It would be desirable for legislators to repeatedly involve prominent members of the profession in these processes, which would ensure that individual pieces of legislation are properly created or transposed.

SBGK Ügyvédi Iroda AIPEX 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 113. Katalin Szamosi

In charge of position since

2001

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1969

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020

No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ANDRÁS SZECSKAY MANAGING PARTNER, SZECSKAY ATTORNEYS AT LAW

BACKGROUND András Szecskay is the founder and managing partner of Szecskay Attorneys at Law, a business law firm with an international clientele and full scope of business law activities. He specializes in litigation and arbitration, corporate / M&A and IP law. He is a listed arbitrator in Hungary and in Austria. He received his JD at the József Attila University in Szeged and later participated in a lawyers’ internship program in Canada. He was a partner at the SBG&K Patent and Law Office until 1992, then founded his own law firm that acted initially as the Hungarian office of the French law firm Moquet Borde until becoming fully independent in 2004. Over the course of his career, Szecskay has taken leading roles in various legal associations. Between 2002 and 2019 he served as vice president of the Budapest Bar Association; since 2010 he has been vice president of the Hungarian Bar Association and President of the Hungarian Association for the Protection of Industrial Property and Copyright (MIE), positions that he still holds today.

OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? I’m immensely proud of the law firm that grew under my management over the past almost 30 years: a leading independent law firm that is known for mapping out feasible business solutions and rendering focused and user-friendly advice. A firm that is based on its dedicated and loyal lawyers who deliver the highest quality. I have always been in favor of organic growth. Most of them started as trainee lawyers at the firm, then became lawyers and later partners. Their expertise and the cohesion among them make up the heart of our firm. In the international law firm rankings, in some of our key practice areas like dispute resolution and IP we have been ranked Tier 1 for 15 years and longer. Areas like employment law, competition and data protection have experienced significant growth over recent years. I’m also proud of the appreciation my skills and vision in the legal profession have received from the legal community and associations. I am honored to have received some of the highest awards in the legal profession, which is an unbelievable acknowledgement of everything I have fought for and believed

in. Among others I was awarded the Knight’s Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary by the President in 2008. In 2019 I was awarded the highest award of the Hungarian Bar Association, the “In the Service of Justice” Award. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? My father was a highly respected lawyer, my great-grandfather was a judge. The conversations and debates that surrounded me have influenced me from a very young age. Growing up, I could never imagine studying anything else but law. I understood the key skills of a lawyer very early: an eye for details, the art of questioning, building up an argument. This understanding has been the backbone of my career.

“I would improve the relationship between judiciary and lawyers. It works well at the highest level but on an everyday level the cooperation is not satisfactory.” HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? With the change of the economic and political set-up in the beginning of the ’90s, I felt that I should step out from my previous role and start something new. Some people would have said quitting my job was a crazy idea. I earned well, I worked at a prestigious firm. However, when I completed my training in Canada in 1990, I saw that there were so many opportunities. Corporate law and M&A transactions were completely new areas at that time, as Hungary saw a lot of foreign investments. Being part of the privatization in the early years of running my own firm, I found that litigation and arbitration, corporate / M&A practice and IP are what I do best, the practice areas that became the foundation of my career and my success.

Name of law firm Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Address Managing partner

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? I would make legislation more transparent. I would allow for more time and opportunities for debate before passing new laws. In most cases legislation is rushed. Also, I would improve the relationship between judiciary and lawyers. It works well at the highest level but on an everyday level the cooperation is not satisfactory. In the ’70s and ’80s you could still talk to a judge directly; it was not prohibited for judges to enter a discussion with lawyers in the corridor of the court building. At that time nobody confused fair and collegial relationships with a court room discussion. What we see in Hungary right now is the scissors opening wider and wider between the two professions. U.K. courts are a good example for us: Not long ago I had the opportunity to visit a judge in Birmingham; he invited me for lunch in the canteen. I saw judges and lawyers sitting at the same table, having friendly professional chats. You could see their respect for one another. We should consider each other not as enemies but as assistants to law and procedure. In Hungary, substantial improvement would do good for both sides and, most of all, benefit the client.

Szecskay Attorneys at Law WSG – World Services Group, TerraLex, Legalink, EuroJuris, SCG –State Capital Group, DORDA Best Friends Network, Biolegis, Lexicom, LEGUS, INBLF

1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 16–17. András Szecskay

In charge of position since

1992

Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment

1992

No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020

No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

ÁGNES SZENT-IVÁNY MANAGING PARTNER, SÁNDOR SZEGEDI SZENT-IVÁNY KOMÁROMI EVERSHEDS SUTHERL AND

BACKGROUND Ágnes Szent-Ivány grew up in Budapest with a younger sister. She studied law at Eötvös Loránd University and graduated summa cum laude. She started working at KONSUMEX Foreign Trading Co, and obtained a postgraduate degree in international commercial law from the Postgraduate Law Institute, ELTE Budapest. She is a wife and mother of two grown up sons, one of whom also became a lawyer. She is an avid reader, and owns several thousands books, mostly novels, but she is also interested in art, and so collects such books as well. Her favorite styles are secession (art nouveau) and art deco. Szent-Ivány is interested in architecture, especially that of Budapest, and she collects and reads books on that subject. She often attends concerts in MÜPA and the Music Academy. Szent-Ivány says she adores travelling, mostly in Europe and in the United States. She loves to go to the sea in Croatia and says her favorite country is Italy, and her number one foreign city is Rome which she tries to visit almost every year (COVID permitting). Szent-Ivány likes scuba diving and skiing, is a spinning fan and a creative cook, and has a five-year-old chocolate brown Labrador retriever dog. She has been collecting wild duck figures for many years, and now has more than 100 ducks, made of wood, copper and porcelain. OF WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD? In 1987, two years before the democratic transformation, with some partners we successfully established and built

up one of the first Hungarian law firms serving international clients. I am proud of taking part in some of the most important transactions, for example the privatization of Sopron Brewery and later the legal work of listing it on the Budapest Stock Exchange, the acquisition of Csepel Power Plant, and then the construction of Csepel II Power Plant, and representing EBRD [European Bank for Reconstruction and Development] in its first financing project in Hungary, which was actually its first transaction after establishment. We demerged from the former firm in 1999 and established our current law office. It was a great moment when our Hungarian law office joined Eversheds, one of the leading international U.K. law firms in 2004. By now, Eversheds Sutherland has become a global top 10 law practice and provides legal advice and solutions to an international client base that includes some of the world’s largest multinationals. We became part of a big international team, work together

“Certain film experiences in my youth also had an effect on my interest, especially the usual ones, “12 Angry Men” by Sidney Lumet, starring Henry Fonda, and “Witness for the Prosecution” by Billy Wilder, starring Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton.”

day-by-day with colleagues from different jurisdictions, advice clients from around the world, and often work on projects that involve plenty of jurisdictions in the case of multinational M&A transactions or restructuring. My work was acknowledged by being promoted to managing partner of the Hungarian operation in 2013. I am also proud of having a chance to work with many young talented attorneys during the past decades, helping them in starting their successful careers. It was an honor when I became an arbitrator at the Permanent Arbitration Court attached to the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2004. This fulfilled my old desire for my professional career. Since at the university I studied arbitration, I have always been interested

in this special alternative dispute resolution method. During my work as a foreign trade in-house legal advisor, and later as an attorney at law, I have been a legal representative in many Hungarian and international arbitration proceedings, so I was already familiar with arbitration from the other side. Being an arbitrator, several times president of the panel, is very intellectual and challenging task, but also causes a lot of joy, as our task is so much different from the day-to-day work and from the approach of attorneys. WHAT DREW YOU TO LAW AS A PROFESSION? There was no family example. I have always had a strong sense of justice as well as some romantic visions about how things should go. I often “defended” my classmates in the grammar school. My head teacher made a remark once that I should be a lawyer when I grow up. Certain film experiences in my youth also had an effect on my interest, especially the usual ones, “12 Angry Men” by Sidney Lumet, starring Henry Fonda and “Witness for the Prosecution” by Billy Wilder, starring Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton. This is all the funnier because, in my studies, I came to realize that I was no longer interested in criminal law, but much more in civil law and private international law. I have also been interested in learning new languages (in addition to English, I speak German and Russian as well as my mother-tongue, Hungarian) and wanted to get acquainted with and take part in the international economy. The legal profession was a clear choice to practice both activities. Though, as a student, I hesitated whether to become a judge or a commercial lawyer, but in the end, I decided to do practical work in the field of business law and started working at a foreign trading company. HOW DID YOU PICK YOUR LEGAL SPECIALTY AREA? Mergers and acquisition and commercial transactions are typical matters at large and international law firms.

With my professional background, these areas have always been my core legal activities. Beside this, I have focused on international commercial arbitration and competition law as well and have a general overview of other practice areas. My clients appreciate that I can be their key contact lawyer whatever matter they have, even if other lawyers of the firm are involved in the case but I always understand and convey what their interest and goal are. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE TO IMPROVE THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT IN HUNGARY? Court proceedings are rather slow and expensive, resulting that potential disputes do not have a strong dissuasive effect. Improving and maintaining predictability in the legal environment has been one of the strongest desires of lawyers and clients for many years. For a stable economy we have to keep a stable legal system.

Sándor Szegedi Szent-Ivány Komáromi Eversheds Sutherland Eversheds Sutherland 1026 Budapest, Pasaréti út 59. Ágnes Szent-Ivány 2013 1987/1999 15 8

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

Law Firms With International Affiliations A LISTING OF THE LEADING LAW FIRMS IN HUNGARY WHO ARE EITHER PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL GROUP OR A NETWORK OF FIRMS. THE DATA IS TAKEN FROM THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE ANNUAL BBJ BOOK OF LISTS. FIRMS ARE RANKED ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF ATTORNEYS THEY HAD WITH A LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN HUNGARY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020.

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State aid, data protection, project financing, restructuring and insolvency, consumer protection & advertising law

CERHA HEMPEL Rechtsanwälte GmbH Bécs 1921

7 1998

Attila Dezső, Tamás Polauf 1011 Budapest, Fő utca 14–18. (1) 457-8040 office@ cerhahempel.hu

Infrastructure and project finance, joint ventures and private equity, capital markets, financial restructuring and insolvency, data protection

Dentons Europe LLP London 2013

180+ 2015(1)

István Réczicza 1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 11. (1) 488-5200 budapest@ dentons.com

cms.law

2 DLA Piper Hungary www.dlapiper.com

Oppenheim 3 Ügyvédi Iroda

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OTHER

Péter Lakatos 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 14. (1) 429-1300 mail@ lakatoskoves.hu

LIFE SCIENCES

A 1991

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

Clifford Chance LLP, Multilaw, Interlaw, Association of European Lawyers, Global Leaders Forum – –

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

              

Restructuring & insolvency, data protection & GDPR, aviation, investment protection, regulatory, compliance and investigations, consumer protection

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

29 1989

Ulrike Rein 1053 Budapest, Károlyi utca 12. (1) 486-2200 office@ oppenheimlegal.com

CORPORATE / M&A

–

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer London 1743

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

András Posztl 1124 Budapest, Csörsz utca 49–51. (1) 510-1100 hungary@ dlapiper.com

TMC

90+ 1988

EMPLOYMENT

DLA Piper UK LLP London 2006

              

Capital markets, data protection and privacy, film and media law, fintech, project finance, restructuring and insolvency

COMPETITION

Erika Papp 1053 Budapest, Károlyi utca 12. (1) 483-4800 budapest@ cms-cmno.com

ENERGY

77 1989

BANKING AND FINANCE

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP London 1779

TAX

              

Data protection & cybersecurity, compliance & investigations, restructuring and insolvency, tech industries, state aid

REAL ESTATE

NO. OF OFFICES WORLDWIDE YEAR HUNGARIAN OFFICE ESTABLISHED

CMS Cameron McKenna 1 Nabarro Olswang LLP Magyarországi Fióktelepe

NAME OF ASSOCIATE NON-HUNGARIAN LAW FIRM OR COOPERATION NETWORK WORLD HQ YEAR ESTABLISHED

COMMERCIAL

COMPANY WEBSITE

NO. OF ATTORNEYS WITH LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN HUNGARY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

RANK

LEGAL SPECIALITY AREAS

www.oppenheimlegal.com

Lakatos, Köves és Társai 4 Ügyvédi Iroda

www.lakatoskoves.hu

CERHA HEMPEL Dezső 5 és Társai Ügyvédi Iroda

www.cerhahempel.com/hu/offices/ magyarorszag

Dentons

www.dentons.com

 

–

           

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE ADRESS PHONE EMAIL

Győri és Sárhegyi 7 Ügyvédi Társulás

–

Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwälte GmbH Bécs 1959

13 2007

Zoltán Faludi 1085 Budapest, Kálvin tér 12–13. (1) 484-8800 budapest@ wolftheiss.com

Corporate restructuring and insolvency, gaming and betting, IT, telecommunications and e-commerce

Andersen Global San Francisco 2013

167 1996

Tamás Szabó 1024 Budapest, Lövőház utca 39. (1) 288-8200 tamas.szabo@ hu.AndersenLegal. com

    

Data protection

AIPEX München 2010

A 1969

Katalin Szamosi 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 113. (1) 461-1000 mailbox@sbgk.hu

              

Data protection, cyber law, consumer protection, corporate compliance, capital markets, financial regulatory, project finance, restructuring, insolvency

Baker & McKenzie LLP Chicago 1949

77 1987

Zoltán HegymegiBarakonyi 1051 Budapest, Dorottya utca 6. (1) 302-3330 budapest. reception@ bakermckenzie.com

              

Data protection, sports

Bird & Bird LLP London 1846

30 2008

David Dederick 1027 Budapest, Kapás utca 6–12. (1) 301-8900 david.dederick@ twobirds.com

              

Litigation, arbitration & ADR, data protection/ GDPR, healthcare, insurance & reinsurance, state aid, restructuring & insolvency

Noerr LLP München 1950

16 1990

Zoltán Nádasdy, Jörg K. Menzer 1011 Budapest, Fő utca 14–18. (1) 224-0900 recepcio@ noerr.com

              

–

             

www.gyoriessarhegyi.hu

Réti, Várszegi és Társai 7 Ügyvédi Iroda PwC Legal

              

www.retivarszegipartners.hu

Andrékó Ferenczi Kinstellar 8 Ügyvédi Iroda

 

–

www.kinstellar.com

Wolf Theiss Faludi Erős 8 Ügyvédi Iroda

OTHER

Kristóf Ferenczi 1054 Budapest, Széchenyi rakpart 3. (1) 428-4400 budapest@ kinstellar.com

LIFE SCIENCES

11 2000

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

Kinstellar – 2008

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

90 2000

Zoltán Várszegi 1055 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 78. (1) 461-9888 rvp.central@ hu.pwclegal.com

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal LLP London 2006

CORPORATE / M&A

Data protection and technology, state aid and public utilities, trust, economic criminal law

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

Zoltán Sárhegyi, Beatrix Bártfai 1022 Budapest, Árvácska utca 6. (1) 209-0180 titkarsag@ sarhegyi.hu

TMC

37 1993

EMPLOYMENT

Bredin Prat Párizs 1966

Capital markets, project finance, employment, international space and air law, healthcare

COMPETITION

András Szecskay 1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 16–17. (1) 472-3000 info@szecskay.com

ENERGY

A 1992

BANKING AND FINANCE

WSG – World Services Group, TerraLex, Legalink, EuroJuris, SCG – State Capital Group, DORDA Best Friends Network, Biolegis, Lexicom, LEGUS, INBLF – –

TAX

Advertising law and consumer protection, capital markets, data protection, restructuring and insolvency

REAL ESTATE

NO. OF OFFICES WORLDWIDE YEAR HUNGARIAN OFFICE ESTABLISHED

6 Szecskay Attorneys at Law www.szecskay.com

NAME OF ASSOCIATE NON-HUNGARIAN LAW FIRM OR COOPERATION NETWORK WORLD HQ YEAR ESTABLISHED

COMMERCIAL

COMPANY WEBSITE

NO. OF ATTORNEYS WITH LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN HUNGARY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

RANK

LEGAL SPECIALITY AREAS

Compliance, risk & sensitive investigations, infrastructure & projects, NPLs             & distressed assets, restructuring & insolvency, white-collar crime, aviation

              

www.wolftheiss.com

Szabó, Kelemen és Társai 9 Andersen Ügyvédi Iroda

             

 

–

hu.AndersenLegal.com

10 SBGK Ügyvédi Iroda www.sbgk.hu

Hegymegi-Barakonyi és Társa Baker & McKenzie 11 Ügyvédi Iroda

–



–

   

–

www.bakermckenzie.com/en/locations/emea/hungary

Siegler Bird & Bird 11 Ügyvédi Iroda

www.twobirds.com

12 Noerr www.noerr.com

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE ADRESS PHONE EMAIL

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

–

Lex Mundi / Yingke International Houston, USA / Kína 1989/2001

600 / 66 1991

Péter Berethalmi 1126 Budapest, Ugocsa utca 4/B (1) 487-8700 budapest_office@ nt.hu

Deloitte Legal A A

153 2009

Attila Kövesdy 1068 Budapest, Dózsa György út 84/C (1) 428-6800 cehudeloitteinhungary@ deloittece.com

OTHER

LIFE SCIENCES

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CORPORATE / M&A

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

TMC

EMPLOYMENT

COMPETITION

ENERGY

BANKING AND FINANCE

TAX

REAL ESTATE

              

NAME OF ASSOCIATE NON-HUNGARIAN LAW FIRM OR COOPERATION NETWORK WORLD HQ YEAR ESTABLISHED

NO. OF OFFICES WORLDWIDE YEAR HUNGARIAN OFFICE ESTABLISHED

Nagy & Trócsányi 13 Ügyvédi Iroda

COMMERCIAL

COMPANY WEBSITE

NO. OF ATTORNEYS WITH LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN HUNGARY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

RANK

LEGAL SPECIALITY AREAS

www.nt.hu

Deloitte Legal 14 Göndöcz és Társai Ügyvédi Iroda

        

Orbán & Perlaki

 

Schönherr Hetényi 15 Ügyvédi Iroda

 

–



–

  

–

  

–



–

  

–



Public policy, privacy

Lexing Párizs 1978

30 2011

Miklós Orbán 1036 Budapest, Perc utca 6. (1) 769-1163 office@opl.hu

Compliance, white collar crime, regulatory, data protection, insolvency and restructuring

Schönherr Rechtsanwälte GmbH Bécs 1950

15 2008

Kinga Hetényi 1133 Budapest, Váci út 76. (1) 870-0700 office.hungary@ schoenherr.eu

Több mint 80 2010

Iván Sefer 1132 Budapest, Váci út 20. (1) 451-8100 law@hu.ey.com

8 2000

Andrea Jádi Németh 1051 Budapest, Szent István tér 11. (1) 429-4000 budapest@ bpv-jadi.com

–

International Lawyers Network Westwood, USA 1988

91 2005

Pál Jalsovszky 1124 Budapest, Csörsz utca 41. (1) 889-2800 office@ jalsovszky.com

Immigration, data protection, regulatory compliance, administrative law

Eversheds Sutherland London, Nagy-Britannia /Atlanta, USA 1988 (UK), 1924 (USA)

69 1987/ 1999

Ágnes Szent-Ivány 1026 Budapest, Pasaréti út 59. (1) 394-3121 office@ evershedssutherland.hu

Data processing & privacy, compliance, pharma, insolvency and restructuring

bnt – –

12 2003

Éva Ratatics, Tom Rainer 1143 Budapest, Stefánia út 101–103. (1) 413-3400 info.hu@bnt.eu

Bankruptcy, telecommunication, sports

Norton Rose Fulbright LLP London 1794

Több mint 50 1989

Gergely Stanka 1013 Budapest, Pauler utca 11. (1) 354-4300 office@bpss.hu

Capital markets, data protection, compliance

Hogan Lovells International LLP London, Washington Legacy Lovells: 1899 / Legacy Hogan & Hartson: 1904

51 2006

ifj. László Partos 1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7–8. (1) 505-4480 office@ hoganlovellls.co.hu

Compliance, data protection, IT, greenfield investments, corporate acquisition

Rödl & Partner GbR Wirtschaftsprüfer, Steuerberater, Rechtsanwälte Nürnberg 1977

109 1992

Sándor Sárközy, Stefan Sieferer 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 121. (1) 814-9880 budapest@ roedl.com

           

www.schoenherr.eu/hungary/office/

Vámosi-Nagy Ernst & Young 16 Ügyvédi Iroda

   

–



–

 

–



–



–

Data protection

www.eylaw.hu

bpv JÁDI NÉMETH 17 Ügyvédi Iroda

            

–



–

www.bpv-jadi.com

17 Jalsovszky www.jalsovszky.com

Sándor Szegedi 17 Szent-Ivány Komáromi Eversheds Sutherland

   

–



–

  

–

              

www.eversheds-sutherland.hu

18 bnt ügyvédi iroda www.bnt.eu

18 BPSS Ügyvédi Iroda www.bpss.hu

Partos & Noblet 18 in co-operation with Hogan Lovells International LLP

 

–

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–

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–

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–

           

www.hoganlovells.com

Sárközy Rödl & Partner Ügyvédi Iroda, 18 Rödl & Partner Ügyvédi Társulás

ADRESS PHONE EMAIL

Tax litigation, data privacy, legal and financial protection of private wealth

www.deloittelegal.hu

15 Ügyvédi Társulás www.opl.hu

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

            

www.roedl.de

–

Ernst & Young Law GmbH Stuttgart, Németország 2002 bpv LEGAL, bpv HÜGEL, bpv BRAUN PARTNERS, bpv GRIGORESCU & STEFANICA Bécs, Brüsszel, Prága, Pozsony, Bukarest 2007

Bán, S. Szabó & Partners

19 Ügyvédi Iroda www.bansszabo.hu

19 Lohn Ügyvédi Iroda www.lohn.hu

Gárdos Mosonyi Tomori 20 Ügyvédi Iroda

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–

  

–

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–

   

–

    

–

  

–

KCG Partners

21 Ügyvédi Társulás www.kcgpartners.com

PONTES Budapest

21 Ügyvédi Iroda www.ponteslegal.eu

Dessewffy & Dávid valamint 22 Társaik CEE Attorneys Ügyvédi Iroda

        

    

 

–

  

    

–



–

  

 

–

84 1997

Hotels&leisure, solar projects, industrial property, zoning, data protection, sports and arbitration

World Link for Law Zürich 1989

80 2008

Balázs Lohn 1053 Budapest, Károlyi utca 12. (1) 999-1233 info@lohn.hu

–

Insurance law

ADVOC London 1990

94 1992

Erika Tomori 1056 Budapest, Váci utca 81. (1) 327-7560 postmaster@ gmtlegal.hu

–

Capital markets, data protection, IT, compliance

European Law Firm Eindhoven, Hollandia 1989

27 1998

József Kapolyi 1051 Budapest, József nádor tér 5–6. (1) 267-3975 info@kapolyi.com

Ally Law London 1990

70 2014

Eszter Kamocsay-Berta 1054 Budapest, Széchenyi rakpart 8. (1) 301-3130 reception@ kcgpartners.com

8 2005

Csaba Polgár 1011 Budapest, Szilágyi Dezső tér 1. (1) 799-8330 admin@hunlaw.hu

  

–



–

PONTES: The CEE lawyers – –

–

Real estate investment, VAT advisory, tax representation services, inheritance law, automated and intelligent mobility

CEE Attorneys Prága 2015

13 1992

Alice Dessewffy 1125 Budapest, Lóránt út 1/B (1) 413-3340 budapest@ ceeattorneys.com

Aviation law, data protection, compliance, consumer protection

LUTHER Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH Köln 1992

20 2014

Attila Fest 1054 Budapest, Báthory utca 8. 1/6 (1) 791-7060 office@ festandpartner.hu

–

Conybeare Solicitors, Gowling WLG, Berwin Leighton Paisner London 1997/2016/2001

1/18/14 2008

László Hajdu 1013 Budapest, Pauler utca 11. (1) 799-8230 office@hplegal.eu

   

 

–

           

www.festandpartner.hu

HP Legal | Hajdu

22 & Partners | Law Firm www.hplegal.eu

KNP LAW 22 Nagy-Koppany & Lencs Law Office



–

 

–

 

–



–

              

     

www.knplaw.com

RSM Legal | Szűcs

22 & Partners Attorneys-at-law www.rsmlegal.hu

–

NO. OF OFFICES WORLDWIDE YEAR HUNGARIAN OFFICE ESTABLISHED

–

www.ceeattorneys.com

Fest és Társa 22 Ügyvédi Iroda

ADRESS PHONE EMAIL

Projects, construction, wealth management, data protection

  

–

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

Chrysta Bán, Péter S. Szabó 1051 Budapest, József nádor tér 5–6. (1) 266-3522 office@ bansszabo.hu

www.gmtlegal.hu

21 Kapolyi Law Firm www.kapolyi.com

NAME OF ASSOCIATE NON-HUNGARIAN LAW FIRM OR COOPERATION NETWORK WORLD HQ YEAR ESTABLISHED

IBLC (International Business Law Consortium) Salzburg 1998

              

 

OTHER

LIFE SCIENCES

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CORPORATE / M&A

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

TMC

EMPLOYMENT

COMPETITION

ENERGY

BANKING AND FINANCE

TAX

REAL ESTATE

COMMERCIAL

COMPANY WEBSITE

NO. OF ATTORNEYS WITH LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN HUNGARY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

RANK

LEGAL SPECIALITY AREAS

     

–

Pharmaceutical law, data protection and privacy, cyber security

Conference Bleue London 1996

25 2007

Kornélia Nagy-Koppány 1011 Budapest, Hunyadi János út 20. (1) 302-9050 knplaw@ knplaw.com

–

RSM Legal Group London 2018

16 2006

Bálint Szűcs 1139 Budapest, Lomb utca 32. (1) 886-3700 info@rsmlegal.hu

TOP LEGAL EXECUTIVES

act legal | Bán & Karika 23 Ügyvédi Társulás

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–

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–

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–

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–

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–

Lengyel Allen & Overy 24 Ügyvédi Iroda

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–

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–

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–

The Harmonie Group Minneapolis, USA 1993

77 2000

Zoltán Forgó, Gábor Damjanovic 1123 Budapest, Alkotás utca 17–19. (1) 214-0080 office@fdlaw.hu

Data protection, insolvency and restructuring

TaylorWessing LLP London 2002

28 1995

Torsten Braner 1051 Budapest, Dorottya utca 1. (1) 327-0407 budapest@ taylorwessing.com

    

Data protection

Ius Laboris Global HR Lawyers Brüsszel 2001

61 2003

Marianna Csabai 1126 Budapest, Tartsay Vilmos utca 3. (1) 488-7008 info@ clvpartners.com

    

International capital markets, regulatory

Allen & Overy LLP London 1930

42 1993

Zoltán Lengyel 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 13–14. (1) 483-2200 marketing_budapest@ allenovery.com

–

EPLAW A A

A 1998

Judit Lantos, Eszter Szakács 1051 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 16. (1) 411-8875 office@ danubialegal.hu

GDPR

TELFA (Trans European Law Firms Alliance) Brüsszel 1898

26 2002

Ágnes Balassa, Tibor Bihary 1026 Budapest, Pasaréti út 83. (1) 391-4491 office@ biharybalassa.hu

Data protection

IBA (International Bar Association) A A

A 2014

Levente Antal Szabó 1011 Budapest, Corvin tér 10. (1) 796-3600 info@klartlegal.eu

Data protection

Peterka & Partners advokátní kancelář s.r.o. Prága 2000

9 2013

András Csehó 1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 4. (1) 235-1090 reception@ peterkapartners.hu

–

Studio Legale de Capoa e Associati Bologna, Olaszország 1986

8 2000

Krisztina Salló 1055 Budapest, Honvéd utca 38. 4/7. (1) 331-0311 sallo.decapoa@ gmail.com

54 / 10 1997

Thomas A. Squarra 1016 Budapest, Avar utca 8. (1) 474-2080 info@squarra.hu

–

    

www.allenovery.com

25 Danubia Legal www.danubia.hu

Bihary, Balassa 26 Ügyvédi Iroda

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–

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–

www.biharybalassa.hu

KLART Legal 27 Ügyvédi Társulás

   

–

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–

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–

  

–

www.klartlegal.hu

Peterka & Partners Iroda

27 www.peterkapartners.com/en/ local/budapest/

Salló Ügyvédi Iroda–Partner 27 Studio Legale de Capoa

  

–

   

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–

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www.decapoa.com/it/contact.php

Squarra & Partners 27 Ügyvédi Iroda

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NO. OF OFFICES WORLDWIDE YEAR HUNGARIAN OFFICE ESTABLISHED 16 2010

–

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–

ADRESS PHONE EMAIL

Data protection and GDPR, compliance

  

www.taylorwessing.com

24 CLV Partners Law Firm www.clvpartners.com

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

Gergely Bán, Márton Karika 1117 Budapest, Alíz utca 1. A épület, 5. emelet (1) 501-5360 budapest@ actlegal-bk.com

www.fdlaw.hu

Braner és Társai 24 Ügyvédi Iroda

NAME OF ASSOCIATE NON-HUNGARIAN LAW FIRM OR COOPERATION NETWORK WORLD HQ YEAR ESTABLISHED

act legal Németország 2017

www.actlegal-bk.com

Forgó, Damjanovic és Társai 23 Ügyvédi Iroda

OTHER

LIFE SCIENCES

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CORPORATE / M&A

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

TMC

EMPLOYMENT

COMPETITION

ENERGY

BANKING AND FINANCE

TAX

REAL ESTATE

COMMERCIAL

COMPANY WEBSITE

NO. OF ATTORNEYS WITH LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN HUNGARY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

RANK

LEGAL SPECIALITY AREAS

  

www.squarra.hu

–

IT law and Warwick Legal e-commerce, International Network, bankruptcy Asean Legal Alliance and insolvency law, Canterbury, debt management, construction law, Nagy-Britannia / Szingapúr 2001 / A gambling law

Business News That Works Your Partner in Business Since 1992 www.budapestbusinessjournal.com

BUDAPEST

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T O P L E G A L E X E C U T I V E S I N H U N G A R Y 2 0 21 I S A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N OF THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL

Top Legal Executives in Hungary 2021 full book

Articles inside

Ágnes Szent-Ivány

András Szecskay

Katalin Szamosi

Tamás Szabó

Ulrike Rein

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