Services

Litigation


The spectrum of cases covered by our team is broad, and thanks to the extensive and in-depth expertise available in-house and our approach towards knowledge-sharing, we have the capability to take over projects in most of the areas involved in a court case. We handle issues like:

  • Alternative dispute resolution
  • Bankruptcy and debt collection
  • Coordination of international litigation
  • Employment disputes
  • General civil litigation
  • International legal assistance
  • Real estate and construction disputes

Insolvency & Restructuring


Insolvency procedures are complex and, in order to achieve best results, legal support is absolutly necessary.

Our team provides advice to creditors, licquidators, as well as debtors for insolvent companies or companies that ar going through financial restructuring. Specifically, we support companies in this kind of situations for:

  • creditor representation
  • company reorganization
  • buyer reprezentation or debt sellers
  • preparing risc analysis for execution and ensuring financial security
  • counciling/coaching management for financial reorganization
  • reprezentation in insolvency litigations
  • writing and ensuring insolvency procedure compliance
  • sale and purchase of companies in financial difficulty

Arbitration


Our sports law team is experienced in dispute resolution proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne and other special judiciary bodies of FIFA (The Dispute Resolution Chamber), UEFA and FILA. We are one of the very few law firms in Romania with attorneys appointed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to represent athletes in international arbitration cases.

Our attorneys have more than 10 years of experience in providing legal advice to bodies including national and international federations, sports clubs, as well as football players, athletes, sports club officials, coaches for football teams, basketball, tennis, volleyball, Greco-Roman wrestling, handball and competitive dancing. The legal expertise required in sports covers a wide spectrum of fields in which our attorneys already have a leading position. These include arbitration and litigation, anti-doping issues, corporate law and all types of contracts in connection with sports (including employment and sponsorship contracts).

Another area in which we specialize is the resolution of sports disputes, in particular representing clients before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne (doping and disciplinary cases, commercial disputes) or in other proceedings before FIFA, UEFA, FILA, the Romanian Football Federation and the Romanian Professional Football League.

Our work includes:

  • Sporting rules and regulations
  • Contracts (e.g. sponsorship, venue agreements, marketing, employment and transfers etc.)
  • Clubs restructuring and financing
  • Sports-related disputes, including the mitigation of employment-related disputes between clubs and football players
  • Litigation
  • Arbitration (especially before CAS, FIFA, UEFA, FRF and LPF)
  • Employment and immigration (residence and work permits)
  • Representing and advising football clubs and players before the Romanian sport judicial bodies (the Romanian Football Federation, the Professional Football League) & related to CAS decisions
  • Representing athletes before FILA and the CAS
  • Acting as Counsel officially appointed by the CAS – on the permanent CAS Pro Bono list of attorneys
  • Assistance before the Swiss Federal Court (Tribunal Federal Suisse), in case of appeals against CAS decisions

Commercial, corporate & firms


In this area, we offer support to companies – small and big (corporations) – in their relation with different organizations/societies/entities.

Our team´s services comprise:

  • setting up and structuring companies, supporting their administration, acquiring new buildings in Romania, etc.
  • writing, negotiating, implementing and executing contracts
  • litigations and arbitration related to company law, contracts, taxation
  • domestic or international cases related to supply and distribution, transport and financial services
  • mergers & acquisitions, join ventures or integration of companies
  • ensuring compliance
  • private capital investments
  • preparing public procurement offers
  • stock exchange (rights, publicity, confidential information, transaction management)

Tax


We represent our clients in court proceedings and when dealing with authorities, at national level and in EU matters.

Our services include:

  • mergers & acquisitions, restructurings
  • property (acquisition and development)
  • value added tax
  • financial products and derivatives
  • tax planning for executives, including employee share and stock option plans
  • tax litigation, including exchange of information

Labour


In this domain, we represent both employers and employees. The Romanian labour law and european labor law are both under our umbrella of services. Specifically we advice and offer suport regarding:

  • employment and labor law
  • employment litigation
  • immigration
  • transfer of undertakings
  • pension fund

Litigation&Arbitration

CSMG represents clients before the Romanian courts of law, at all levels, in relation to various legal matters, in complex corporate and commercial, contentious-administrative, tax or civil law disputes, bankruptcy and reorganization proceedings, forced execution matters, as well in various arbitral proceedings.Our lawyers have expertise in complex commercial disputes derived from Romanian and international commercial law relations (litigations regarding the conclusion, execution and termination of various commercial transactions etc.), corporate disputes (disputes between shareholders, withdrawals and exclusions from company, litigations for the cancellation of GMS decisions, etc.), as well as in administrative law litigations (representing clients in tax litigation, before various administrative authorities and before Romanian Courts, challenging government and regulatory decisions in connection with administrative decisions issued by the local and central public authorities, claims for compensations under the Romanian contentious-administrative law, etc.).
We have expertise as well as in civil law disputes (especially in litigations regarding nationalized properties, litigations deriving from the execution of various civil agreements, etc.).
Moreover, we assist and represent various clients before Romanian administrative authorities and competent courts of law in connection with disputes arising from public procurement procedures and we have also been involved in complex arbitration procedures generated by disputes arisen from real estate and construction agreements concluded by and between important real estate developers.

 

Restructuring&Insolvency

The Restructuring & Insolvency practice of CSMG consists in providing legal advice regarding complex restructuring and insolvency proceedings for national and international companies.Our expertise in this practice area includes: protection of creditor’s rights, protection of buyers and sellers of distressed assets, debtor advisory work, litigation on business reorganization, insolvency procedures and court/out of court workouts, assistance in matters regarding allegations of mismanagement and financial fraud of the decisional bodies, resisting to/challenging enforcement procedures.

 

Tax

Our practice is primary focused in  tax litigation and it is aimed to support our Client’s interests in fiscal, custom or VAT disputes with the competent authorities. We represent clients before Romanian and local taxing authorities as well as individuals and businesses under various audit procedures. We also advise corporations and individuals with respect to all areas of tax law, monitor legislative developments and advise clients with respect to the potential impact of pending legislation on their businesses and personal finances.
The Tax practice of CSMG also handles  a broad range of tax matters and has expertise in tax implications arising from business transactions such as acquisitions, disposals, re-financing activities, restructurings or initial public offerings, joint ventures arrangements, real estate tax, transfer pricing, etc. Also, our lawyers have expertise for the implementation of tax efficient structures during the course of the investment, development, operational and exit phases.

Our areas of focus include:

  • Assistance to various tax audits;
  • Tax litigation;
  • Tax planning;
  • Customs, excise duties and VAT;
  • Corporate Taxation;
  • Personal income taxation;
  • Local taxes;
  • Forensic Tax Investigations.

 

RealEstate

Our expertise in this field comprises assisting clients in manifold Real Estate and Construction matters, with a special focus on various types of real estate transactions and projects. In this respect, we can point out our extensive experience in conducting due diligence analysis regarding real estate and planning and zoning matters, in relation to various types of transactions, from acquisitions of real estate projects, such as residential or office buildings, to renewable energy projects, such as photovoltaic parks or hydro power plants, drafting all types of transaction documents, from sale – purchase agreements to lease agreements, or the relevant documents for share and asset deals, assisting clients in the negotiation process and in relation to the closure of various transactions, as the above-mentioned.
Our attorneys have also advised clients in relation to all kinds of construction and permitting matters, including performing due diligence analysis on the same, assisting clients in relation to regulatory issues, as well as regards the securisation of their real estate projects, drafting, negotiation and performance of various construction agreements, including FIDIC contracts, and have also assisted clients before the competent issuing authorities during the issuance process of the relevant permits and endorsements, or before the competent courts, in real estate and constriction litigations, as the case may be etc.
CSMG’s Real Estate and Construction practice comprises, among others:
  • advising clients in relation to all kinds of construction matters: planning and zoning issues, permitting, construction agreements, including FIDIC based contracts;
  • assisting clients in relation to other real estate matters, such as expropriation procedures, land registry issues, etc.assisting clients in relation to the development of real estate projects, such as residential and office buildings, shopping centers, renewable energy projects, as well as in relation to all kinds of transactions related to the above, e.g. sale and purchase, lease, preliminary agreements, etc.;
  • advising clients in the negotiation procedures for all kinds of real estate transactions, including share and asset deals, drafting transaction documents, conducting due diligence analysis and title investigation;
  • advising clients in the negotiation procedures for all kinds of real estate transactions, including share and asset deals, drafting transaction documents, conducting due diligence analysis and title investigation;

 

Banking&Finance

Our lawyers have advised credit institutions, non-banking financial institutions, leasing companies, as well as companies and individuals in relation to various legal matters in this filed.
The expertise of our attorneys covers all kinds of legal aspects, starting with the drafting of various loan or leasing agreements and assuring their securisation, in compliance with the applicable legislation, advising clients in relation to all kinds of regulatory matters, to assisting clients in preparing the relevant documentation and conducting due diligence analysis in view of obtaining financing for various types of projects, from real estate to renewable energy.
Our services in this field comprise the following:
  • drafting all kinds of Banking and Leasing Agreements, as well as the related security agreements and ensuring their compliance with the provisions of the Romanian legislation;
  • advising clients, financial institutions, but also individuals, in relation to consumer protection issues which arise in relation to the conclusion or performance of banking or leasing agreements;
  • assisting clients in relation to project finance matters, e.g. performing due diligence analysis of the borrower or of the borrower’s project documentation in relation to various types of projects, from real estate to renewable energy projects;
  • assisting clients in relation to various types of corporate finance, asset finance, negotiation of the finance agreements, as well as the relevant security agreements, drafting legal opinions on the same, etc.;
  • assisting clients in all types of retail banking matters.
Energy & Natural Resources

CSMG lawyers have experience in energy transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and project development.

Our relevant practice are linked to numerous energy projects having as object the development and operation of wind power project, photovoltaic and micro-hydropower plant. Thus, we advise sellers and acquirers (on M&A transactions), corporate, investors, manufacturers, on energy transactions with respect to both conventional and renewable energy sources.

For these kinds of transactions we use our knowledge in environmental and regulatory law, in order to provide advice on permitting and regulatory matters.

Environmental Law&Permitting

Since environmental and regulatory compliance and liability issues are now part of everyday life for most businesses, our lawyers regularly advice on all aspects of environmental law in order for the clients to comply their activities in the context of the internal and European regulations and principles on environmental protection.
Our environmental practice covers assistance with respect to environmental aspects to be considered in energy sector, infrastructure and real estate projects, mergers and acquisitions operations, due – diligence reports in case of transaction having as object installations or plants that might have negative impacts on the natural environment and local community (such as industrial plants and hydropower plants, wind energy generation).
In the area of environmental law, CSMG lawyers advise clients on complex aspects related to permitting requirements, licensing, national and local regulatory issues regarding soil pollution, chemicals, non-hazardous and hazardous waste, contaminated land, protection of natural spaces and landscape (Natura 2000 standards), renewable technologies.
In this respect, our lawyers have extensive expertise in representing the clients in front of the competent environmental authorities during the environmental impact assessment procedure (EIA) or to fulfill all necessary steps for issuance of the relevant environmental documentation (such as environmental approval, environmental authorization, water location endorsements, water management permits and authorizations, Natura 2000 permit), with focus on transactions for acquiring shares or assets in companies with activities having potential impact on the environment.

 

Intellectual Property

Our law firm is active in providing the full spectrum of intellectual property advice to our clients in order to protect the intellectual property rights.
For a diverse group of client industries, our lawyers handle matters including counseling on national or community trademarks and industrial designs, patent and copyright registration, drafting and negotiation of licensing and technology transfer agreements, other services related to Internet and advertising law areas.
Also, CSMG lawyers expertise focused on legal assistance and representation on behalf of our clients in trademark oppositions and appeals before the competent authorities (Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks, Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market).

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Corporate&Commercial

Our corporate and commercial practice focuses on the business objectives of our clients. Since numerous issues can arise in a single corporate transaction, our lawyers advise and represent clients on complex corporate and commercial matters, combining exceptional transactional skills with specialist expertise including data protection, employment, antitrust, tax, environmental and intellectual property.
CSMG lawyers advised corporations, financial institutions and emerging companies in a broad range of key industry sectors: real estate, energy, infrastructure, banking, agriculture, automotive, healthcare.We advise on a large spectrum of corporate work including general corporate matters, public tender offers, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, complex joint ventures, cross-border transactions.
Thus, our areas of work include:
  • day-to-day corporate assistance of the companies and their leadership (assistance for settling and implementing corporate structures, drafting all the corporate documents, assistance upon the increase or decrease of share capital, drafting and reviewing shareholders’ agreements, spin-off, dissolution, drafting legal opinions and memoranda on aspects related to corporate law);
  • advising on all commercial contracts including contracts covering services distribution, supply, maintenance and support, software licensing, development, manufacturing, product, marketing, collaboration, joint venture agreements and online terms and conditions, sale – purchase of goods/assets, investment and project development transactions, etc.;
  • assisting clients in merger and acquisition transactions, respectively providing legal services for drafting due-diligence reports (with focus on the essential aspects: corporate matters, real-estate, commercial and financial agreements, employment, permits and authorizations, tax aspects) and all the additional documentation (shares and assets sale-purchase agreements) for closure of the transaction.

Data Protection

In an increasingly regulated environment, businesses need to manage their data in order to manage their reputational and financial risks.We carry out cross-border data privacy surveys for clients, both to review their existing processes and procedures and to help set up new ventures.
With significant experience of designing, drafting, reviewing and updating general corporate group and HR policies, we support clients with whistle-blowing, employee telephone, internet and email use, customer data, cross-border data transfers and data protection consents.
We also advise clients on the implications of freedom of information legislation, how to mitigate risk and the potential to use the legislation for competitive advantage.Our team draws on specialists from a variety of complementary disciplines including employment and benefits, financial services, intellectual property, outsourcing, regulatory and regulatory litigation and to deliver a comprehensive approach to our clients’ data protection needs.

 

Employment

CSMG represents and advises clients across the spectrum of labor and employment matters, including drafting and negotiating all types of employment documentation. In this respect, we advise employers on compliance issues under labor and employment laws, helping clients to conform their workplace practices and procedures to current law.
We advise the employees in drafting and negotiating the individual labor agreement and also regarding the individual employment relations such as executing, amending, suspending and terminating the employment contracts. Moreover, we represent the employees for recovery of wages and/or of the allowances of non-competition, challenging of the dismissal decisions.
Our legal expertise allows us to defend our clients’ interest in front of the courts of law in litigation matters concerning various employment issues, including assistance and representation during the negotiations for settling the litigation.