POPOVICI NITU STOICA & ASOCIATII
Tel: 00 40 21 317 79 19
Fax: 00 40 21 317 85 00 / 317 75 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.pnpartners.ro
Most senior representative: Ernest-Virgil Popovici, Senior Partner; Florian Nitu, Managing Partner
No. of local partners: 15
No. of lawyers: 80
Offices in Romania: Bucharest
Representative clients include: Air France, Ameropa, Auchan, Dedeman, Akzo Nobel, Franklin Templeton & Fondul Proprietatea, SAP, Xella, Orange, UPS.
Partners and heads of practice
Ernest-Virgil Popovici, Senior PartnerErnest-Virgil Popovici has unparalleled experience in energy projects, with a special focus on renewable and nuclear energy. He is also experienced in banking & finance projects, holding the unique background of having consistently practiced in leading international law firms located in Paris and London, before 90’s, combined with a double legal education.
FLORIAN NITU, Managing PartnerFlorian Nitu, as Head of the Firm’s M&A, Real Estate and International Arbitration Practices, is largely recognized as one of the most experienced commercial lawyers in the market and has been ranked in the past two decades as a leader in his areas of practice by the most reputed market annual surveys.
Florian Nitu has also extensive experience in international arbitration, with a special focus on concessions, real estate-construction, energy and corporate disputes, having represented clients in front of ICC, VIAC, LCIA, ICCR - The Court of International Commercial Arbitration in Romania.
Irena Anca Tudorie, PartnerIrena Anca Tudorie has substantial experience in project finance, acting as advisor on power, energy, oil & gas and infrastructure assignments. She advises both developers and investors in relation to project structuring and financing.
Bogdan C. Stoica, Deputy Managing PartnerBogdan C. Stoica has wide experience in advising both public and private companies, private equity funds and strategic investors, in relation to privatizations and mergers & acquisitions, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, IT & Telecom and agribusiness. Bogdan is also experienced in banking & finance, acting for corporations, banks and non-banking financial institutions on a broad range of lending, investment and credit instruments activities.
VLAD NEACSU, PartnerVlad Neacsu has broad experience on energy and natural resources matters, being involved in mergers, acquisitions and privatizations in the energy field, development of wind farms, photovoltaic, nuclear and hydro power projects. Vlad is also highly proficient in employment, advising clients in business transfer, collective dismissals and employees restructuring plans.
VALENTIN CREATA, PartnerValentin Creata is advising high-profile real estate investors and developers on the acquisition, construction and/or operation of the largest shopping centers and residential projects. Valentin is highly experienced in advising international healthcare investors on the development of private hospitals.
SILVIU STOICA, PartnerSilviu Stoica has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and corporate and commercial matters. He advises the most active investments funds in Romania, as well as various global corporations. Silviu is also specialised in healthcare and pharmaceuticals and TMT.
CIPRIAN DONTU, PartnerCiprian Dontu represents both in court and arbitration proceedings multinational companies, financial institutions and entrepreneurs. Ciprian has extensive expertise in corporate governance, competition and debt recovery disputes. Ciprian is also representing international investors in relation to all aspects of restructuring and insolvency, including both transactional and litigation matters.
ALEXANDRU AMBROZIE, PartnerAlexandru Ambrozie has extensive experience in Tax, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets and Public Procurement, assisting leading financial institutions, private equity firms and other high-profile companies.
His in-depth understanding of fiscal, public procurement, EU funds and other regulatory practices enables Alexandru to also lead the defense on numerous white-collar criminal investigations, representing clients in regulatory and criminal investigations carried out by various prosecution and administrative authorities.
ILINCA STEFANESCU-GOANGA, PartnerIlinca Stefanescu-Goanga is reputed for her wide-ranging litigation expertise with a special emphasis on civil and commercial disputes, competition, public procurement and shipping litigation. Ilinca has extensive experience in various types of conciliation, mediation and arbitration proceedings, advising/representing clients in front of Romanian and International Courts of Arbitration.
Cristian Popescu, PartnerCristian Popescu specializes in intellectual property and copyright, assisting clients in a broad range of issues related to the registration and protection of trademarks, patents and domain names. Cristian is also experienced in corporate & commercial and agriculture projects, with a special focus on land acquisition, development and financing.
Mihaela Ion, PartnerMihaela Ion is experienced in antitrust, unfair competition and trade regulations, including in consumer law, merger control proceedings and state aid. She also assists clients in structuring and implementing compliance programmes, providing regular training as external legal counsel on all relevant aspects of competition law. Mihaela is also involved in counseling IT and telecom companies.
Raluca Petrescu, PartnerRaluca has extensive experience in arbitration proceedings before international and domestic courts of arbitration under various rules of arbitration, as well as in complex court proceedings concerning commercial, construction, corporate, energy, privatisation and real estate disputes.
Raluca Petrescu regularly assists in a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, mainly associated with foreign direct investments. Raluca Petrescu’s expertise is also focused on real estate acquisition and development, advising some of the largest retailers in relation to the expansion of their network in Romania, as well as on their trading and consumer compliance related issues. Raluca is skilled in negotiation, drafting and advice on commercial contracts, both domestic and international.
Ioana Sampek, PartnerIoana Sampek has extensive experience in real estate, advising on asset acquisitions, concessions, construction and operation, leases and mortgages, real estate joint ventures, forward purchase schemes and leveraging of estates. Ioana is advising the largest real estate investors in Romania on the acquisition and/or development of the majority of the high-profile projects.
List of the most representative projects
Assisted Oresa Ventures on the sale of Somaco to LafargeHolcim.
Advised Net Brinel on its takeover by SNEF.
Advised RTC Proffice Experience on the acquisition of the cleaning and hygiene products distribution from Paper Plus SRL.
Assisted Voestalpine on the acquisition of the majority stake in Travertec Buzau.
Advised Farmexim and Help Net on their sale to Phoenix.
Specialist lawyers:Silviu Stoica, Vlad Ambrozie, Bogdan C. Stoica, Irina Ivanciu, Andreea Hulub.
Banking
Advised RI-GD Investments DAC, an affiliate of Rabobank, on a €30 million financing granted to Origin Enterprises.
Advised Ameropa on the €324 million financing for refinancing existing bilateral facilities and supporting new working capital needs of its Romanian entities.
Assisted Dedeman on four financings amounting to approximately €44.3 million for the development of the Bridge 3 office building and Eli Park.
Advised The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland on certain amendments to the €400 million financing granted to Origin Enterprises.
Assisted CLN Group on three financings amounting to €134 million granted by IFC.
Specialist lawyers:Alexandru Ambrozie, Codrin Luta,
Energy and Natural Resources
Several subsidiaries of Enel on the annulment of the Order no. 168/2018 issued by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority that sets the regulated rate of return applied for the approval of the tariffs for the electricity distribution service provided by the concessionaire distribution operators.
Fondul Proprietatea, as significant shareholder in Hidroelectrica, on the annulment of the Order no. 10/2019 regarding regulated energy prices and quantities for electricity sold by producers on the basis of regulated contracts, issued by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority as a consequence of the enactment of GEO no. 114/2018 which has reintroduced the energy regulated market.
Several subsidiaries of Enel on the annulment of the Order no. 169/2018 issued by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority approving the Methodology of setting of the tariffs for the electricity distribution services.
Fondul Proprietatea, as significant shareholder in Hidroelectrica, on the annulment of the Decision no. 324/2019 determining the regulated prices for energy and the quantity of energy sold based on regulated agreements between 01.03.2019 - 31.12.2019 by Hidroelectrica, issued by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority.
Fondul Proprietatea, as significant shareholder in Engie Romania SA, on the annulment of the agreements concluded between companies of Engie group with regard to the natural gases to be extracted from the Black Sea.
Specialist lawyers:Ciprian Dontu, Justin Anghel, Dan Petrache.
Competition
Assisted Auchan in merger control proceedings before the Competition Council related to My Auchan proximity stores operating in Petrom gas stations.
Advised Orange in relation to the network sharing agreement concluded with another telecom company.
Advised Albalact in three investigations and a preliminary examination conducted by the Competition Council.
Assisted Dedeman in several merger control proceedings before the Competition Council related to the acquisition of several companies active on the office, retail and logistic rental markets.
Assisted several leasing companies in the Competition Council investigation on the financial and operational leasing services market and on the consumer credit market.
Specialist lawyers:Mihaela Ion, Laura Ambrozie.
Real Estate
Assited Dedeman on: the acquisition of The Office, the acquisition of The Bridge and the joint venture with Element Invest for the development of Eli Park 1.
Advised River Development on the development of Sema Parc and The Light.
Legal assistance for Crisware and Hexagon Developments on the development of Advancity Business Center, Vivido Business Center and Cube in Cluj.
Assisted P3 Logistic Parks on the acquisition of Craiova Logistics.
Advised Cross City on the development of Estoria City.
Specialist lawyers:Valentin Creata, Florian Nitu, Ioana Sampek.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Assisted SAP Romania in litigation with Integrator Group over add-on software designed for the localization of the SAP system in the Romanian market.
Assisted GTS Telecom on the annulment of decision no. 40/2019 issued by the National Authority for Management and Regulation of Communications - ANCOM that sets the access tariffs to the underground fiber optic network in Bucharest and the conditions of access to the underground fiber optic infrastructure developed by Netcity Telecom.
Assisted Fondul Proprietatea, as shareholder in Galati Port Administration, APDM Galati, and Constanta Port Administration, APM Constanta, in litigation against the decisions of the Port Administrations to use 50% of the companies’ revenues for investments in assets under concession.
Assisted Swietelsky in litigation with Euroconstruct regarding the pecuniary rights arising from the Joint Venture created in connection with the implementation of a railway infrastructure project.
Advised Iridex in litigation against the town hall and various parliamentary groups and non-profit organizations in connection with the annulment of the integrated environmental authorization for waste dump and the establishment of the tariffs for post-closure monitoring of the waste dump.
Specialist lawyers:Ciprian Dontu, Dan Petrache, Justin Anghel, Dan Petrache, Camelia Patrascu, Bianca Chiurtu.
Tax
Assisting Dedeman on the acquisition of The Office.
Assisting RTC Proffice on the acquisition of Paper Plus.
Assisting WDP on the acquisition of Dunca Logistics Centre and CTPark Cluj I.
Assisting DB Schenker on merger of two of its Romanian subsidiaries.
Assisting Simona Halep on all her tax matters.
Specialist lawyers:Mihaela Pohaci; Raluca Rusu.
PPP Public Procurement
Assisted the Local Council of Mogosoaia on the PPP tender for the development of Carol Davila Universitary Medical City.
Advised SAP on a public procurement tender organised by the Romanian Competition Council for the acquisition of a Big Data Platform.
Assisted an Austrian IT company on the successful settlement of a public procurement dispute in relation to the delivery of an integrated informatic system for the control of road traffic in Romania.
Advised Swietelsky on the successful award of an €700 million public procurement contract concerning railway rehabilitation works.
Assisted Siveco on the successful award of a public procurement contract concerning maintenance, extension and development of the informatic system of the Paying and Intervention Agency for Agriculture - APIA.
Specialist lawyers:Florian Nitu, Alexandru Ambrozie, Ramona Pentilescu, Alexandru Ciacoi.
White Collar Crime
Successfully representing a leading grains trader in a criminal investigation for tax evasion and money laundering in relation to intra-Community transactions with grains.
Successfully representing a French real estate developer in a criminal investigation for tax evasion, money laundering and for establishing an organised criminal group in relation to intra-group transactions and the development of various real estate projects in Romania.
Successfully representing a Romanian bank in a string of criminal investigations in Bucharest and Constanța for abuse of office, forgery and for establishing an organised criminal group in connection with the acceleration of loans, the enforcement of collaterals and bankruptcy of the borrowers and group guarantors.
Successfully representing the CEO of the Romanian subsidiary of a global oil&gas engineering company in a tax evasion criminal investigation, obtaining the dismissal of the charges.
Successfully representing a chemical industry company in a criminal investigation, obtaining the dismissal of all charges for two health & safety felonies and for negligent manslaughter.
Specialist lawyers:Alexandru Ambrozie, Alexandru Nicolae, Ana Stoenescu.
