As a single, fully-integrated, global partnership, we pride ourselves on our approachable way of working

We work across geographies, practices, product areas, and sectors to deliver the best advice and support to our clients, and to create a dynamic and rewarding environment for our people. Our office is committed to improving and further developing the service we offer to our clients.

In order to react to the ever-changing business environment, our lawyers are actively involved in reviewing, interpreting and improving legislation by participating in professional forums and writing articles and commentary for both domestic international and international periodicals.
Our focus is on the core areas of commercial activity.

Prague office with dedicated Slovak desk

Real Estate

The dedicated real estate practice group, led by partner Emil Holub, advises on all aspects of real estate transactions, including planning and development, leasing, investment acquisitions, disposals, asset-management, and financing. We have the capability to undertake complex work, wherever our clients require, and whatever the legal nature of the transaction.

We represent all players in the real estate market – from developers and investors to financial institutions, as well as landlords and tenants in relation to retail, office and industrial leases.

Banking and Finance

Our finance practice, led by Miloš Felgr, has built an excellent reputation, with its dedicated team focusing on the full range of banking, finance and capital markets transactions.

The experience of our professionals extends to: all forms of syndicated and single bank, cross-border and domestic banking transactions in the Czech Republic (secured and unsecured, single currency and multi-currency); asset and project financing (including real estate financing) and other, more structured, forms of financing; bond issues; commercial paper and note programmes; derivatives (including interest rates, currency, equity and bond); repos and securities lending; and other innovative structures and transactions in the Czech market, such as credit derivatives and securitisation. We also advise on the tax aspects of the above structures and transactions.

Our capital markets practice provides legal advice on complex debt and equity transactions, and securitisations. We combine our expertise in a wide range of financial products with a broad understanding of debt and equity securities issues, enabling us to maintain an overview of the whole capital structure.

Corporate and M&A

The Prague office is a Tier One, market-leading corporate practice. Led by two partners, Alex Cook and David Koláček, and supported by a team of experienced and highly-specialised senior lawyers, the practice has achieved a successful balance between domestic work and international deals. The team acts on a variety of transactions, ranging from minority share disposals by individual local investors all the way through to cross-border acquisitions for the firm's global strategic clients.

The Prague-based team has a sound understanding of the business and legal environment across a number of industry sectors, with a particular focus on: technology, media and telecommunications; energy and infrastructure; private equity; and healthcare. We have demonstrable strength in these core areas and a track record that is second to none.

Our specialists regularly work in integrated, cross-practice teams that combine technical expertise in Czech, Slovak and multi-jurisdictional deals with a business-focused, innovative approach.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Our litigation and dispute resolution lawyers can help you manage risk and advise you on civil (litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution), criminal and administrative issues both nationally and internationally as well as in matters spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Our approach emphasises the practical understanding of our clients' business problems and is supported by our experience across every segment of the corporate and financial world. We specialise in managing complex cases that involve multiple claims and parties. We also work closely with other Clifford Chance practice areas to develop compliance initiatives and other techniques that help our clients reduce litigation risk.

Slovak Desk

Having a dedicated Slovak law unit, we have the capability to provide seamless legal services to our clients, wherever they may be based. As well as supporting the business interests of our Czech client base, we are called upon to advise on matters that involve clients from throughout Clifford Chance’s global network. The Slovak desk consists of lawyers qualified to provide legal services in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The team focuses on the Slovak market, and monitors developments in the legal system in order to provide the latest information on legislative changes affecting our clients' business activities. The Slovak section is headed by Alex Cook, an English-law qualified corporate partner, who has been based in the CEE for almost 20 years. During this time, he has provided advice on numerous transactions in Slovakia as well as on deals throughout the CEE/SEE region with Slovak aspects.

Innovation

Innovation is action. Proven by what we do, not what we say. Putting evolution into evidence, in every facet of our work, every day.

Whether it's the way we work today and how we pave the way for future methods, or the new answers we bring to our clients.

Our capabilities, digital solutions, insights and research speak for themselves. And so do the results.

We use a range of specialised capabilities in the delivery of our legal services including expert project management and continuous improvement, specialist resourcing through our delivery centers, cutting edge legal technology and data science, and a dedicated research and development team who design and build digital solutions with and for our clients.

An insight into our work

Here Thierry Schoen, an M&A partner in Paris, talks about his role in the financial rescue of Peugeot by Dongfeng Motor Group. The deal was multi-faceted and required expertise from Clifford Chance offices around the world involving lawyers from China, the U.S and Australia.

Awards

CEE M&A Legal Adviser of the Year 2019

Clifford Chance has been recognized as the Central & Eastern Europe M&A Legal Adviser of the Year 2019 at Mergermarket's annual European M&A Awards ceremony held on 4th December at Banqueting House in London.

"Over the last year, the Clifford Chance CEE M&A team has advised on a number of the most significant transactions in the region. Our CEE team is based on the ground in Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic from where we cover also Slovakia. Based on client feedback, our biggest competitive advantage is our joint regional approach to clients and transactions, in the context of deal doing but also relationship building. It is this approach we believe that has contributed to winning this fantastic award." - Alex Cook, Prague Managing Partner

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Právnická firma roku 2020

Clifford Chance Prague won EPRAVO's Law Firm of the Year award for 2020 in the category of Real Estate, after receiving the same award in 2019.

We are proud to have received this recognition locally from EPRAVO, which underscores our top tier rankings in the international directories. The award is testament to our fantastic client base and to the incomparable strength of our team, without whom we would have won this award.

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Directory listings

Chambers Europe: the Czech Republic 2020

Band One in Banking & Finance
Band One in Corporate/M&A
Band One in Real Estate
Band One in Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000: the Czech Republic 2020

Tier One in Banking & Finance
Tier One in M&A
Tier One in Restructuring & Insolvency
Tier One in Debt Capital Markets

Legal 500: the Czech Republic 2020

Tier One in Banking, Finance and Capital Markets
Tier One in Commercial, Corporate and M&A
Tier One in Real Estate and Construction