Czech Republic
About
Lawyers in our Prague office deliver bespoke legal and tax advisory services to Czech and international clients doing business in the Czech Republic, across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and in markets around the world.
Since 1991, our clients have relied on our advice on a wide range of Czech and cross-border legal and tax advisory issues in the Czech Republic. Our practice concentrates on complex corporate and financial transactions, as well as litigation and dispute resolution matters, which typically involve a strong international component. We help clients in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, private equity, leverage, corporate, project and asset finance, restructurings and insolvencies, debt and equity capital markets, energy and infrastructure, real estate, competition, antitrust, IP/IT, tax and commercial law, litigation, arbitration and criminal law. Our ability to bring to bear top-flight experience in all core areas of business law is of substantial commercial benefit to clients.
As one of the largest international law firms in Prague, we offer a significant degree of comfort and assurance to clients looking to realize investment opportunities or navigate complex challenges in the country and abroad. We have exceptional experience in advising foreign companies investing in the Czech Republic, and have advised on some of the largest investments in the country, representing international investors on their most significant projects.
Our Prague team is often the go-to advisor for clients operating within the most important sectors in the CEE region, including the financial, private equity, power/oil and gas, telecommunications, infrastructure, IT and real estate sectors. In this role, the Prague team has advised on numerous “firsts” on the Czech market and across the CEE region, including almost all financing and capital markets “firsts” in the country, as well as regularly advising on the largest transactions, year in and year out.
White & Case is the only law firm on the Czech market with the local capability to offer Czech, English and US law experience on all types of transactions and financings, including senior, mezzanine and high-yield financings. We are perfectly positioned for multijurisdictional cross-border work, with Czech, English and US lawyers working seamlessly across practices and across our entire network.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
The only law firm in the Czech Republic ranked Tier 1 in all practice areas
IFLR1000, 2010 to 2022
CEE Legal Adviser of the Year
Mergermarket European M&A Awards, 2020
2020 CEE Deal of the Year in the Czech Republic - PPP Project for the D4 Highway
CEE Legal Matters
Real Estate Law Firm of the Year
CIJ Awards, 2020
"Law Firm of the Year" in the Czech Republic
International Financial Law Review (IFLR) Annual European Awards 2021
"The best legal team in the Czech Republic. They are very knowledgeable in terms of both the law and regulatory issues and the business. Great client management. Excellent value for money."
The Legal 500
"Their strengths are their coverage of the local market and their network. They are able to work across multiple jurisdictions and have stable connections with other offices globally,"
Chambers Global & Europe
"This partnership started like a short-term one and became a long-term partnership, because I was exceptionally happy with the services that White & Case is providing."
World Tax
Experience
PPF – US$2.1 Billion Agreement to Acquire CME
White & Case represented PPF Group, a global private equity investor, on an agreement with Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME) to acquire CME. CME operates television stations in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
CTP – One of the largest real estate financings in the CEE region
White & Case represented Erste Group Bank AG, Česká spořitelna, a.s., UniCredit S.p.A., UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, a.s., Société Générale S.A. and Komerční banka, a.s. as mandated lead arrangers in connection with €1.9 billion syndicated financing provided to CTP Group, one of the largest industrial developers in the CEE region, for the purposes of refinancing the existing financial indebtedness of certain property companies within CTP Group that operate logistic parks in the Czech Republic.
The largest M&A transaction in the CEE telecoms sector, and the largest loan syndication in the region, since 2011
White & Case advised global investor PPF Group on its acquisition as well as related financing of Telenor's telecommunications assets in Central & Eastern Europe for €2.8 billion on an enterprise value basis. The acquisition represents the largest M&A transaction in the CEE telecoms sector, and the largest loan syndication in the region, since 2011. The deal includes Telenor's wholly owned leading mobile operations in Hungary, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia, and the technology service provider Telenor Common Operation.
US $816.6 million IPO of Avast
White & Case advised Avast, one of the world's major players in the security software market, on its US$816.6 million initial public offering, the biggest ever software IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
Senior term and revolving facilities for ArcelorMittal and Tauron joint venture
White & Case represented TAMEH, an energy group that is a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Tauron, in up to CZK 2.39 billion and PLN 507 million senior term and revolving facilities provided to the TAMEH group by a syndicate of global lenders arranged by Raiffeisen Bank International AG, Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. and Raiffeisenbank a.s. The senior facilities were preceded by a CZK 1.2 billion bridge facility provided to the Czech subsidiary of the TAMEH Group by Raiffeisenbank a.s.
Largest restructuring in the CEE region
White & Case represented VTB Group and various other banks in connection with the Croatian insolvency (under new legislation specifically adopted for the purpose) of Agrokor, the largest Croatian company, and related difficulties of the Agrokor Group outside of Croatia.
The largest-ever real estate deal in the Czech Republic
White & Case represented P3 Logistic Parks (P3) and leading global investment company, TPG Real Estate, the previous owner of the P3 developer alongside Ivanhoé Cambridge, on the sale of P3 to GIC, a sovereign wealth fund established by the Government of Singapore. With a transaction value of €2.4 billion, this represents the largest real estate deal ever in the Czech Republic.
Allianz Capital Partners – Co-investment in GasNet
White & Case represented Allianz Capital Partners, the Allianz Group's asset manager which focuses on investments into private equity, infrastructure and renewable energy, on its co-investment in GasNet, the Czech Republic's largest gas distribution network business, as part of a consortium of investors led by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA).
Export financing of 500 buses for the Ivory Coast
Československa obchodni banka, a.s. on provision of Lloyd´s and EGAP covered buyer credit facility to the Government of the Ivory Coast, acting through Ministry ofEconomics and Finance of the Republic of Ivory Coast, to finance supply of 500 buses produced by IVECO Czech Republic.
PPF Arena 1 – €3 billion EMTN programme
White & Case has advised PPF Arena 1 B.V., a leading provider of telecommunication services in the CEE region, on the establishment of its €3 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme and two subsequent issuances thereunder.
Czech Ministry of Transport – PPP D4 project
Czech Ministry of Transport before and during a tender for the selection of a concessionaire for the PPP D4 project, a Czech pilot infrastructure PPP project.
Unique pre-packed reorganization of a major Czech auto-parts producer
White & Case advises Commerzbank as an agent in the financial restructuring of a major Czech auto-parts producer Motorpal, a.s. Česká spořitelna, a.s. is also a lending party on this mandate. Our restructuring team assessed the potential restructuring options, taking into consideration the difficult business situation caused partially by the situation in the Russian Federation. On the basis of our advice, the client agreed on the restructuring of the loan and ultimately agreed to a unique pre-packed formal court reorganization approved by the creditors. This type of reorganization is being used for the first time on the Czech market.
