4 minute read
Sándor Sárközy
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 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
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.
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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 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.
Name of law firm Sárközy Rödl & Partner Ügyvédi Iroda, Rödl & Partner Ügyvédi Társulás
Name of associate non-Hungarian law firm or cooperation network Rödl & Partner GbR Wirtschaftsprüfer, Steuerberater, Rechtsanwälte
Address 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 121.
Managing partners Sándor Sárközy, Stefan Sieferer
In charge of position since 2006 / 2006
Year of Hungarian law firm's establishment 1992
No. of attorneys with license to practise in Hungary on Sept. 15, 2020 13
No. of partners of Hungarian law firm on Sept. 15, 2020 2
