As the largest Czech-Slovak law firm, HAVEL & PARTNERS was honoured at the 13th annual Law Firm of the Year competition in Slovakia, where it claimed the top spot in the International Law Firm category for the fourth consecutive year. It also won first place in the Competition category for the fourth time and triumphed in the Mergers & Acquisitions category. In other 14 categories, the firm was ranked among highly recommended and recommended law firms, further underscoring the high quality and exceptional comprehensiveness of its services. These achievements are complemented by the firm’s success in the Czech Law Firm of the Year competition, where it won the Best Domestic Law Firm and the Best Client Service categories for the fifth consecutive year in 2024. With a total of more than five dozen awards in Czech and Slovak competitions in previous years, HAVEL & PARTNERS stands as the most successful and comprehensive law firm in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
“Winning the main award in the International Law Firm category for the fourth consecutive year confirms our ability to provide comprehensive international support for Czech and Slovak law firms. Our unique know-how of the legal and tax environment, combined with our international reach, makes us a reliable partner anywhere in the world. Last year, we became the first law firm from the CEE region to establish a direct presence in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Moreover, ONE FAMILY OFFICE, a new multi-family office established in cooperation with HAVEL & PARTNERS, adds a new and even more global dimension to our international support,” commented Jaroslav Havel, Managing Partner of HAVEL & PARTNERS.
The Competition team at HAVEL & PARTNERS, comprising nearly thirty top lawyers and economists, is one of the most experienced, largest, and fastest-growing practices not only in Slovakia and the Czech Republic but also in the entire CEE region. This year, the team secured its fourth consecutive victory in the prestigious Law Firm of the Year competition in the Competition category.
“Over the past three years, we have significantly strengthened our local presence in Slovakia. With a team of five experienced colleagues, we can handle even the largest projects and the most demanding clients. This victory is the result of the efforts of all our colleagues who contributed to providing competition law advice in Slovakia, and the clients who trusted us last year,” said Partner Lenka Štiková Gachová.
Partner Robert Neruda added: “As the only law firm in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, we offer clients a combination of legal and economic advice in competition law matters. We possess unique know-how utilised by more than 190 local and international clients, to whom we are deeply grateful for their trust.”
In addition to the main award for International Law Firm and the victory in the Competition category, HAVEL & PARTNERS also won the Mergers & Acquisitions category at this year’s Law Firm of the Year competition. “We thank our clients for their trust in us to handle strategic issues in mergers, acquisitions, sales, and company reorganizations, which have a significant impact on their future business and expansion abroad,” said Ondřej Majer, Partner responsible for M&A in Slovakia. “Thanks to our unique international network of contacts and our recent direct representation in Frankfurt, we can now execute and manage cross-border transactions practically anywhere in the world,” added Ondřej Majer.
The transaction team, providing comprehensive advice on mergers and acquisitions, comprises more than 80 lawyers, making it the largest and most experienced in Central Europe. The team consistently ranks among the top in the number of transactions completed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Central Europe.
Law Firm of the Year is a prestigious industry competition evaluating the legal services of law firms operating in the Czech and Slovak Republics, organized by the publishing house EPRAVO Group, s.r.o. It was first announced in the Czech Republic in 2008, and since 2013 it has also been held in Slovakia in cooperation with the weekly TREND. Find out more information here.
The awards ceremony took place on 9 April during a grand gala evening organised by EPRAVO Group, s.r.o. in cooperation with the weekly TREND at the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel in Bratislava.
Our law firm advised the prominent Czech investment and development group Accolade on the acquisition of a 100% stake in FK Teplice, a first league Czech football club.
The extensive and long-term legal advisory during the transaction involved negotiating and preparing the acquisition agreement as well as conducting related legal due diligence.
The advisory team was led partners Jan Koval and Lukáš Syrový, working alongside managing associate Ivo Skolil, senior associate Nikola Pospíšilová Leová, associate Jiří Moravec, and junior associates Dominika Hřebačková and Johana Němečková.
Accolade’s purchase of FK Teplice marks a strategic, long-term investment aimed at supporting the development of the entire region. The club’s former owner, AGC Group—active primarily in the glass manufacturing industry—will continue to collaborate with Accolade on the club’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, particularly in youth sports development.
The Czech-Slovak law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS has welcomed a new partner this April. Jan Procházka, an expert in banking and finance, has joined the firm. He will lead the further development of this specialised practice, which includes a team of 30 experienced lawyers, including six partners.
With a decade of experience in banking and finance, Jan Procházka focuses on providing legal advice to banks, insurance companies, individual and collective investment entities, and other financial market clients. His expertise covers regulatory requirements and regulatory aspects of transformations, restructurings, and acquisitions, AML, payment services including licensing, financial product distribution, and compliance in the financial sector.
“Banking and finance is one of key specialisations of our firm, showing long-term growth. Jan brings not only his detailed expertise and extensive experience but also the ability to connect regulatory advice with current market requirements. His arrival will allow us to further develop top-notch expertise and respond more effectively to the needs of banks, insurance companies, investment funds, and fintech companies,” said Jaroslav Havel, managing partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
Jan also specialises in labour law, including standard labour matters, flexibility, innovative benefits, and international postings. He has experience negotiating terms in employment and management contracts as well as contracts with statutory body members. Jan has represented clients in both judicial and extrajudicial phases of employment termination and has led projects assessing employee or statutory body liability for damage and setting up corporate governance.
He co-authored the Commentary on the Labour Code published by C. H. Beck in 2018. Prior to joining our law firm in 2025, Jan was a partner and head of the Banking and Finance and Labor Law departments at Deloitte Legal.
Banking, finance, and capital markets are among the main practice areas of HAVEL & PARTNERS. The firm’s clients include leading Czech, Slovak, and international banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, corporations, and major institutional and private investors. Most lawyers in the specialised team have experience from renowned international law firms or leading positions in regulatory authorities such as the Czech National Bank.
The Czech-Slovak law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS has joined the Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI), aimed at streamlining the construction of rental apartments in the Czech Republic to significantly improve housing accessibility. Supported by HAVEL & PARTNERS and other partners such as Central Group, Česká spořitelna, KPMG Czech Republic, Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), and LOXIA architects, the initiative is launching a new simplified design & build model for affordable housing construction for municipalities and cities.
The new model, leveraging standardized projects and typically fixed construction costs, significantly accelerates and simplifies the building process—from design to implementation. This approach effectively reduces the risk of additional work and delays associated with extensive paperwork.
HAVEL & PARTNERS has joined the initiative by preparing model contractual and tender documentation, enabling municipalities to implement the construction of apartment buildings. The preparation was led by a team headed by partner František Korbel, along with managing associate Mária Kopecká and senior associate Tomáš Kalenský.
“We believe this approach could be a basic impulse for the creation of thousands of rental apartments across the country, helping municipalities respond to the growing demand for quality and affordable housing,” commented partner František Korbel on the firm’s involvement.
The Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI) is a specialised think-tank of leading companies and institutions aimed at improving housing accessibility in the Czech Republic. The simplified design & build system and standardized construction solutions can be utilized by both public and private investors nationwide. The initiative closely cooperates with the Ministry of Regional Development (MRD), the State Investment Support Fund (SFPI), the National Development Bank (NDB), and the Union of Towns and Municipalities (SMO).
HAVEL & PARTNERS, a law firm, provided legal advice to Amundi Czech Republic, investiční společnost, again in another significant real estate transaction. It concerned the sale of The Square, a major administrative centre located directly above the Budějovická station of the Prague metro.
The comprehensive legal advisory included the drafting of and negotiating over the transaction documents and was provided by partner Lukáš Syrový and managing associate Albert Tatra. The real estate was purchased by Mint Investments, a real estate group. The value of the transaction exceeded CZK 1 billion.
Photo: Amundi Czech Republic, investiční společnost, a.s.
Authors: Kateřina Slavíková, Martina Rievajová, Diana Gregová
In recent years, the issue of dual quality of food has been a frequently discussed topic, capturing the attention of not only consumers and the media but also European institutions. As of 1 July 2024, Slovakia has enforced a strict prohibition of the marketing of dual quality of goods, including food products. In recent months, supervisory authorities have started conducting initial inspections under the new legislation. In contrast, the State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority (SZPI) (the “Czech food authority”) has been conducting similar inspections for years. Recently, the Czech food authority published updated information on this issue based on previous inspections. What legislative change initiated the control of dual quality of food products in Slovakia? What approaches do the respective countries take towards inspections? And what are the implications for manufacturers and consumers?
PROHIBITION OF DUAL QUALITY DIRECTLY HAS ITS LEGAL DEFINITION
In Slovakia, it has long been problematic to penalise dual quality of goods. In particular, supervisory authorities lacked explicit legal support to effectively monitor and penalise dual quality of goods.
However, as of 1 July 2024, new consumer regulation came into effect (of which we informed HERE), introducing, among other things, a new unfair commercial practice. Under this regulation, the trader engages in a deceptive practice if:
• they present goods as identical to those marketed in another EU member state, while
• these goods have different properties or composition.
The new regulation also specifies that the aforementioned rule is not universally applicable and includes certain exemptions, namely:
• The difference must be substantial. It is not enough for the assessed goods to have a different composition; the difference must be significant. Therefore, the substitution of a marginal ingredient of food should not immediately be considered a prohibited practice;
• Even a substantial difference can be justified. If the goods differ in a significant component or property, the trader can justify this difference with objective and legitimate factors. Such factors include differences arising from local legal requirements (e.g., a specific amount of fruit juice required for a product to be called fruit nectar).
However, the new regulation does not introduce special rules for dual quality of food products. Therefore, their potential dual quality is assessed solely under general consumer regulation.
An interesting aspect of the new Slovak regulation is that it explicitly considers only the marketing of goods with prohibited dual quality characteristics as an unfair practice. This contrasts with the Czech regulation, which prohibits the placement of food products that violate this rule as such. Given the recent implementation of the Slovak regulation, it is uncertain how supervisory authorities will deal with this seemingly unintended narrowing of the prohibited practice.
If the prohibition is violated, the trader will face penalties from the supervisory authority as well as potential claims from consumers.
In such cases, the supervisory authority may impose the trader a fine of up to EUR 200,000.
Additionally, consumers may demand contract withdrawal, the right to remedy, and compensation for damage.
In contrast to the activities of the SZPI, in Slovakia the regional bodies of the Slovak Food Authority[1] are only now starting to carry out their first inspections, and the eventual results of the inspections were not publicly known at the time of preparing this article.
However, it is certain that the Slovak food authority intends to conduct them. This is evidenced by an announcement published on the Slovak food authority’s website, urging consumers to participate in identifying dual quality and to report any suspected differences in quality via a form.
Given that the Slovak Food Authority[2] has issued only one methodological guideline for inspections (while the Czech food authority already has the 5th version of its methodology guideline available HERE), which primarily refers to general EU recommendations, it is uncertain how the inspections will be conducted.
The guideline suggests that when assessing this unfair commercial practice, the key factors will be:
• whether the differences between identically labelled goods are clearly recognizable to consumers;
• whether consumers have genuine access to essential information about the differences;
• how the trader justifies the differences.
Therefore, it is crucial to be prepared for inspections and to consider the prevention of misleading food labelling when designing packaging, labelling, or marketing food products.
HOW ARE SUSPECT PRODUCTS IDENTIFIED?
Since the prohibition of dual quality of food came into effect in the Czech Republic in 2021 (of which we informed HERE) the Czech food authority conducted extensive monitoring across the country and other EU member states until 2023. The aim of these inspections was to identify products that might violate the dual quality prohibition. The selection included approximately 150 food samples from various categories, ranging from dairy products and confectionery to durable products from both well-known and private brands.
During the monitoring, inspectors evaluated several aspects, such as packaging appearance, differences in composition, sensory properties, and how consumers were informed about any differences.
The results of these analyses served as the basis for subsequent official inspections.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF OFFICIAL INSPECTIONS?
Based on the monitoring results and consumer reports, eight inspections have been initiated since 2022, focusing on significant differences in the composition or properties of food products marketed in the Czech Republic compared to reference products from other EU member states.
As of April 2024, a violation of the dual quality prohibition was confirmed in one case only. This involved differences in the vegetable oils used (the product from Germany and Austria contained sunflower oil, while the Czech sample contained palm oil).
Over the last three years, the issue of dual quality of food has moved forward significantly. The key trends are:
Based on the overview of the situation in both countries, it is clear that the topic of dual quality of food is highly relevant. It is essential to be prepared for potential inspections and, if possible, to adopt preventive measures.
At HAVEL & PARTNERS, we are ready to assist you with assessing appropriate food labelling, proper communication about food quality, and provide swift, targeted assistance in the case of inspections Feel free to contact us!
[1] State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic.
[2] State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic.
Central Europe’s largest independent law firm, HAVEL & PARTNERS, once again reported outstanding economic results for the last year. The total turnover of the law firm in 2024 grew by 8% year-on-year, reaching CZK 1.5 billion. The group’s overall turnover, which includes the debt collection agency Cash Collectors and other specialised services, reached a preliminary figure of CZK 1.7 billion.
“Last year’s results once again confirm our exceptional long-term economic stability, which is the result of a well-thought-out strategy, investments in innovation, and systematic strong team building. In the last year, we not only maintained but also strengthened our position as the largest independent law firm in Central Europe. We expanded our international presence, which is crucial in the era of globalization, by opening a direct representation office in Frankfurt, Germany. Our success is primarily based on the solid foundations of top-notch expertise, the trust of our clients, and our ability to provide them with comprehensive solutions for their business development,” summarized Jaroslav Havel for 2024.
HAVEL & PARTNERS saw significant economic progress in its tax practice in 2024, with turnover growing by 17%. Economic growth was also supported by favourable results from teams specialising in litigation, private client services, and public procurement. Additionally, there was growth in practice groups specialising in mergers and acquisitions, competition law, and real estate law.
Last year saw exceptional interest in legal and tax services for private clients, particularly in the areas of professional asset management and protection. This is linked to the significant expansion of services offered by the affiliated family office, ONE FAMILY OFFICE, which provides comprehensive services for high-net-worth clients. These services include succession planning for family businesses, Czech endowment funds and trusts and foreign trusts, global mobility of family and assets, international investment opportunities, healthcare and family security, education and development of the next generation, and family philanthropy strategies.
“The development of ONE FAMILY OFFICE in its first year since its official launch has significantly exceeded our expectations, not only in terms of expanding our service portfolio but also in establishing new business partnerships and increasing the number of affiliated families and individuals. Overall, we have made new investments totalling CZK 4 billion, with 75% allocated abroad, particularly in the USA,” said Jaroslav Havel, founding partner of ONE FAMILY OFFICE.
In 2024, HAVEL & PARTNERS Group was ranked among the TOP 100 most valuable companies controlled by Czech owners, according to the Česká elita ranking. The ranking was compiled by Seznam Zprávy in collaboration with Deloitte. The latest analysis by Patria Corporate Finance valued the law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS, including its Slovak office and educational Academy, at CZK 2.8 billion. The value of the entire group, which also includes the debt collection agency Cash Collectors and other specialised entities, was estimated at over CZK 3.3 billion.
HAVEL & PARTNERS’ success and the high level of services provided are further supported by numerous professional awards, including the title of Law Firm of the Year 2024 for a domestic firm in the Czech Republic and Law Firm of the Year 2024 for the best client services. The firm also won the main award for the best international law firm in the Slovak competition Law Firm of the Year last year.
Petra Rudová has joined HAVEL & PARTNERS as the new HR Director, taking charge of human resources management and development across the entire HAVEL & PARTNERS group. Her focus will include HR innovations, strategic talent management, and further employee development.
“HR is crucial for our firm because top-notch advisory services stand and fall on an excellent team and the ability to retain the best people and support the new talents in their development in the long term. Investing in modernizing HR processes and supporting our employees’ growth is a priority for us. We believe Petra’s expertise from her previous roles will support our strategic vision and effective HR management,” commented partner Jan Koval on the appointment of new HR Director.
Petra Rudová brings extensive experience in human resources management with an international reach. Before joining HAVEL & PARTNERS, she served as Group Senior HR Manager for PPF Group (Home Credit International). Throughout her career, she has held various HR positions at Plzeňský Prazdroj, Human Garden, T-Mobile CZ, and Czech Airlines.
Petra has managed HR projects in Europe and Asia, specialising in remuneration management, HR digitalization, and the development and education of managers. Her goal is to enhance team efficiency and motivation, support collaboration, and build a long-term successful organization. In her previous roles, she actively participated in discussions on workplace diversity and working in multicultural teams.
For the eleventh consecutive year, HAVEL & PARTNERS has topped the rankings of law firms in the TOP Employers survey, based on votes from students at Czech universities. The firm also excelled in the related Lawyer category, where only the top-performing students cast their votes.
“Receiving repeated recognition in the TOP Employers survey is particularly significant for us because it comes directly from students. I believe this confirms that our long-term efforts to create a supportive environment for the professional development of young legal talents are meaningful. We offer students a combination of challenging practice under the guidance of experienced mentors and a supportive atmosphere. This enables our colleagues to achieve exceptionally rapid professional and career growth,” says Petra Rudová, who joined HAVEL & PARTNERS as HR Director in February.
With seven offices and a team of 350 lawyers, tax advisors, and patent attorneys, HAVEL & PARTNERS is the first choice for clients dealing with sophisticated cases with an international element or cases involving various legal and business fields. Currently, around seventy students are part of the firm, directly involved in expert teams and gaining valuable experience working on major transactions, often with international aspects.
In the 14th year of the unique TOP Employers survey, 11 872 university students and 7 014 high school students provided their responses. Companies are evaluated in categories such as work environment, offered professional education, social responsibility, and prospects for future high earnings.
The HAVEL & PARTNERS team advised the Czech industrial group AIT Group – Advanced Industrial Technology Group on establishing a joint venture with the Spanish shareholders of Egile Corporation.
HAVEL & PARTNERS, led by partner Jan Koval and assisted by managing associate Ivo Skolil and associate Jiří Moravec, provided legal advice on the transaction. This included cooperating with the Spanish law firm Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados to prepare and negotiate the transaction documentation and to close the transaction.
The AIT Group – Advanced Industrial Technology Group, a Czech industrial group, specialises in investing in cutting-edge industrial technologies. Meanwhile, Egile Corporation, headquartered in Spain’s Basque region, develops and produces predominantly aerospace components.
The transaction was executed and closed in December 2024.
Author: Štěpán Štarha, Petra Kováčechová
In 2025, as last year, SMEs will be able to receive financial assistance from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The grant provides the opportunity to protect your brand, designs or innovations with financial support from the EUIPO of up to EUR 6,420.
Small and medium-sized enterprises have the possibility to apply for a grant to fund the costs associated with the registration of:
The EUIPO also offers the possibility of financial support for IP Scan services aimed at diagnosing an enterprise’s intellectual property.
Please note that grant funds are limited and operate on a “first come, first serve” basis until they are exhausted. We therefore recommend that you apply for a grant as soon as possible.
All SMEs established in the European Union with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than EUR 50 million are eligible to apply for grant support.
The grant amount varies according to the type of protection as follows[1]:
The maximum amount of costs that can be reimbursed under the EUIPO grant is:
Grant applications can be submitted from 3 February 2025. If the applicant meets the grant conditions and there are still funds available, the EUIPO will issue a voucher and the applicant can apply for the relevant services, e.g. file a trade mark application.
Please note that individual services can only be applied for once the grant application has been approved and then within 2 months of approval, with the possibility of extending by additional 2 months. Thus, the grant cannot be used for costs incurred for a trade mark or design application filed before the grant application is approved.
After filing a trade mark, design or patent application and paying the relevant administrative fee, the voucher holder may apply for reimbursement of the costs.
The EUIPO grant scheme is an interesting opportunity for SMEs to strengthen the protection of their intellectual property rights. SMEs can benefit from the EUIPO’s support, for example, when extending their portfolio, expanding abroad or planning a rebranding.
Intellectual property law is one of the core areas of practice of our firm. According to THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR, we were the largest intellectual property law firm in Slovakia for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. At the same time, we are very pleased that our female colleagues have played a major role in these successes. We are one of the few law firms to have a predominantly female IP/IT team, something we are extremely proud of.
If you decide to use the EUIPO grant, please feel free to contact us. We will be more than happy to assist you with its application.
[1] Amounts are subject to change.
Experts in venture capital, corporate law, and taxes from the law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS assisted the founders of the Slovak startup Luigi’s Box in setting up incentive plans (ESOP) for key collaborators of the startup.
Founded in Slovakia in 2016, Luigi’s Box specialises in developing technologies for personalized search and product recommendations in e-shops and online platforms. Their AI-based solutions are used in thousands of e-shops worldwide.
The legal advisory team was led by partner Jaroslav Baier and included managing associate Josef Bouchal, associate Andrea Mochorovská and junior associate Róbert Košala.
An ESOP is a management program that allows employees (or other collaborators) to participate in the company as shareholders, sharing in its success and value growth. It is a key motivational tool used by founders of promising startups.
The proper implementation of an ESOP often involves complex tax considerations. In this regard, close cooperation between legal and tax experts is crucial, a service that HAVEL & PARTNERS is well-equipped to provide.
