News

KŠB Partner Pavel Dejl and his colleagues won an invalid immediate employment termination case for a major agricultural client before the Czech Supreme Court. 

Martin Šolc, the founding partner of leading Czech law firm Kocián Šolc Balaštík (KSB), has achieved unprecedented success in the field of global advocacy. In Washington, he has been elected President of the International Bar Association (IBA), and with effect from 1 January 2017 will be the first ever representative of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, to stand at the forefront of the world's largest organization of lawyers.

Law firm KSB successfully represented the company  Carthamus, its long term client, an operator of energy sources working on the basis of biofuel burning, in administrative proceedings initiated by the State Energy Inspectorate  (SEI) concerning an alleged breach of the act on supported energy sources, which was alleged to comprise incorrect declarations of the origin and type of burnt biomass fuel.

KŠB provided its client, the major energy company ENERGO-PRO, with comprehensive legal advice concerning the financing of the construction of a hydro power plant in Karakurt, Turkey.

KSB has provided legal advice to airlines Air Canada and China Eastern Airlines in connection with their entry into the Czech aviation market.

KŠB advised Lumitrix, a video mapping software and hardware start-up developer and producer, on a joint-venture with Y Soft Ventures. 

L2bAviation is an international network of lawyers spread over all continents who advise on aviation law. Chambers Global rate the network as the best in aviation law.

KSB has been representing Czech Radio in a long running dispute of many years with the Board of the Financial Directorate on the issue of the right to deduct VAT. An important point of contention was whether license fees are in fact a payment for public service broadcasting. Now KSB has achieved another success in the case. The European Court of Justice (ECJ), on the initiative of the Supreme Administrative Court, expressed the view in its decision that license fees are not deemed to be consideration paid for public broadcasting, and therefore fall outside the scope of the directive on VAT.

In recent days, Fundlift, the first domestic platform focused on equity crowdfunding has launched its operations. It is a joint venture of the financial group Roklen and the investment group Rockaway.

KSB has been representing Agrofert since 2011 in an ongoing dispute against a Luxembourg company European United Bakeries (EUB).  The Municipal Court in Prague has now delivered a first instance decision in favour of Agrofert.

The NYSBA event will take place on 7 – 9 April 2016 and focus on international arbitration/litigation, cross-border contracts, cross-border personal data transfers in the light of the Schrems case, FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), and legal issues surrounding the restitution of property to the victims of communism.

KŠB has been once again nominated for a Chambers Europe Award for Excellence, in the category of best law firm in the Czech Republic. This prestigious award is announced annually by the renowned British ratings agency Chambers and Partners.

Law firm KSB supported this year's 10th annual benefit project for Leontinka Golf, which is designed to help visually impaired children and students. The Foundation's mission is to facilitate the integration of these children into society, to help them get an education and to enable participation in mainstream social, sporting and leisure activities.

The Czech Constitutional Court issued a decision on the inspection of the office space of DELTA Bakery, by the staff of the Office for Protection of Competition (UOHS). It agreed with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which assessed the case in the autumn of 2014 and which concluded that the aforementioned unannounced inspection (ie.-Dawn raid) by the Office without effective judicial control was illegal.

KŠB provided full legal advice to Karlovarské minerální vody (KMV) on its acquisition of Selecta companies operating in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

KŠB Partner Jiří Horník will take part at the IATA’s (International Air Transport Association) 2016 Legal Symposium to be held in Barcelona on 17 through 19 February.

A team of KŠB attorneys advised North Bohemia Medical Holding in selling its 100% shareholding in Louny hospital to Agel, a member of the Agel group. 

KŠB has advised on the squeeze-out of minority shareholders from Česká telekomunikační infrastruktura (CETIN) which the company’s board decided on in December 2015 and which took place in January 2016.

KŠB advised and successfully represented the company in administrative proceedings in which the imposition of the donation tax regarding allocation of emission allowances in 2011 – 2012 was challenged.

KŠB advised and successfully represented Alpiq Generation (CZ) (“AG CZ”), the operator of power plants in Kladno and Zlín, in administrative proceedings in which the imposition of the donation tax regarding allocation of emission allowances in 2011 – 2012 was challenged.

The spin-off of O2 Czech Republic, which took place last June and in which KŠB played a role, was shortlisted for the TMT Finance World Award 2015, which proves that IT, technology and media experts who were in charge of the shortlist appreciated the complexity, extent and special nature of the unique deal.

KŠB advised New York-based Tiger Global Management group on a minority stake transfer deal in which the target company Seznam.cz, a leading Czech online player, acquired shares in itself from Tiger Holding Four and Mirua International.

KŠB advised one of the leading Czech private banks on two issues of subordinated unsecured perpetual bonds, one in Czech crowns and the other in euros. The bonds were accepted for trading on the Prague Stock Exchange. 

In his column in Lidové noviny, KŠB Partner Martin Šolc ponders why some voices interpreting the new private law continue to emphasize that some things are just not possible.

The fourth annual IBA European Corporate and Private M&A Conference, at which Dagmar Dubecká is to speak, will be held on 11 – 12 February 2016 in Paris.

The Employment Law Alliance has issued a summary of European privacy laws which is designed primarily as a handbook for global employers.

KSB advised Dioscorides Global Holdings, LLC (DGH) in negotiating, concluding and implementing an Investment Agreement regarding a joint-venture investment into Konomed s.r.o. The commercial purpose of the investment was to finance and commercially participate in a project involving the founding of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute in Prague.

We would like to invite you to view some pictures taken during the Charity Concert of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation, which was well received and greatly enjoyed at the concert hall in the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude in Prague’s Old Town on Sunday, 29 November 2015.

KŠB and law student association ELSA recently held the 4th Annual Contract Competition for law school students. Delivery agreements were the topic of this year’s contest.

This year’s conference, once again held by publisher Economia, will focus on changes, threats and opportunities, which new cashless payment innovations may have for financial institutions, the transport and business sector, and state and regional government.

The new Commentary includes chapters written by KŠB partner Pavel Dejl and senior associate Radka Felgrová on proceedings involving legal entities and trusts and certain special types of proceedings (involving capital markets and the ban on exercising the rights attached to beneficial securities).

KŠB helped a client win a lawsuit against the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, which had imposed a penalty on the client, an electric device manufacturer, for failure to abide by the Electric Waste Act. The penalty, which the Ministry of Environment confirmed, was rescinded by the Municipal Court in Prague due to being unlawful. 

You can help KŠB support one of the most respected charities in the Czech Republic by joining us to experience the artistic potential of the next generation of Czech opera singers and conductors at the 21st Annual Charity Concert of Good Will, which will take place at the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude in Prague’s Old Town on Sunday, 29 November 2015 at 19:00.

Jiří Horník, KSB partner and aviation law specialist, will participate in a panel discussion themed “Airport 2015 – How to make airports a successful business venture?” at the prestigious economic meeting in the Polish town Krynica Zdrój. 

Jiří Horník, KSB partner and aviation law specialist, will participate in a panel discussion themed “Airport 2015 – How to make airports a successful business venture?” at the prestigious economic meeting in the Polish town Krynica Zdrój. 

KSB attorneys advise client on unique real estate transaction. 

Wolters Kluwer has just published a new comprehensive summary of the most important case-law rulings related to business corporations which apply following the re-enactment of Czech private law. The book was authored by a team of KŠB lawyers led by professor Jan Dědič, a company law specialist.

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KŠB has advised O2 Czech Republic a.s. (“O2”) on a spin-off which involved full-scale cooperation with O2 from the initial analysis of relevant legal aspects, drafting the spin-off plan and associated documentation, preparing and convening the general meeting to subsequent steps including registration in the Companies Register.

E-Book VAT Dispute; Supplier’s Financial Condition to Be Considered; Insufficiently Documented Difference between Standard Prices and Transfer Price for Tax Purposes; Employment-Related Financial Benefits

Kocián Šolc Balaštík (KŠB) was named Law Firm of the Year in the Czech Republic for a third time in the Chambers Europe Awards for Excellence in Amsterdam on Friday.

The Regional Court in Ostrava denied an action filed by a former employee of KŠB’s client concerning performance under a non-competition clause in the amount of several million Czech crowns. The court agreed with KŠB’s argument that the principle of special protection for employees must be relativized and concluded that, when assessing responsibility for the fate of labour negotiations, it is always necessary to take all circumstances into account.

The High Court in Prague has ruled that a representative of Asociace sdružení pro ochranu a rozvoj kulturního dědictví v ČR (Czech Landmark Association – Association) must issue an apology to Karlovarské minerální vody (KMV) CEO Allesandro Pasquale for statements made in relation to the Kyselka spa resort in Western Bohemia.

The Supreme Administrative Court, which decided the case as the court of last resort, agreed with the key points of KŠB’s argumentation.

Karlovarské minerální vody (KMV) successfully signed the contract for the acquisition of the Hungarian bottled water number one Kékkúti Ásványvíz, which up to now belonged to Nestlé Waters. The negotiations on the sale of the Hungarian division of Nestlé Waters bottled water took more than one year.

Kocián Šolc Balaštík (KŠB) has been awarded the European Competition Case of the Year award in The Lawyer European Awards 2015 for its victory before the European Courts for Human Rights.

Despite stricter rules this year, KŠB was once again nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in the world of legal ratings, the Chambers Europe Award, which is given by British ratings agency Chambers and Partners.

KŠB has been nominated for an award by respected British legal magazine “The Lawyer” for successfully representing Delta Pekárny, a.s. before the European Courts for Human Rights in a dawn-raid case.