EU accession spurs law firm tie-ups

The consolidation of Central and Eastern European law firms is gathering speed in the face of upcoming the EU accession after a group of eight practices have banded together to form a new alliance.

The move comes just days after Estonia’s Lepik & Luhaäär, Latvia’s Klavins & Slaidins and Lithuania’s Lideika Petrauskas Valinius & Partners launched their own tie-up, Lawin.

The three firms will now be joined by five others who have signed a co-operation agreement. These include: Bulgaria’s Borislav Boyanov & Co, the Czech Republic’s Kocián Solc Balastík, Poland’s Wardynski & Partners, Cechova Rakovsky of the Slovak Republic and Hungary’s Réti Szegheo & Partners.

The deal also builds on an alliance between Kocián Solc Balastík, Wardynski & Partners and Cechova Rakovsky which formed a joint venture in 2001 when they opened a Brussels office together.

One of the group’s immediate objectives is to build on the Brussels operation so that all the firms can benefit from the presence close to the European Commission.

“Considering it as one market, our group intends to cover the new or future EU member states as well as, ultimately, other countries of the region,” said Borislav Boyanov of Bulgaria’s Borislav Boyanov & Co.