Bird & Bird celebrates recognition as it was awarded the 2021 Deal of the Year in Slovenia by CEE Legal Matters. The awards were presented at the Honourable Artillery Company in London on 5 April 2022.
CEE Legal Matters is a leading publication for Europe’s emerging legal markets and the Deal of the Year Awards is among the most prestigious awards for the legal industry in Central and Eastern Europe, recognizing the largest and most important deals in the region. The Deal of the Year award in Slovenia was given to OTP’s acquisition of Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor from Apollo Global Management and EBRD, where Bird & Bird and Selih & Partners advised the buyer. The transaction team was led by partner Pál Szabó, Head of Corporate/M&A in Hungary and co-Head of the office, who was assisted by special counsel László Zlatarov, counsel Dániel Arányi, senior associate Dária Szabó, and associate Eszter Gál.
Pál Szabó commented: “We are very proud of this achievement, as this recognition is a testament to the strong teamwork and standout service our Budapest team has delivered over the last year in the region. Our presence in a lead capacity on this transaction is a resounding endorsement of the team’s skills and shows how Bird & Bird is the firm of choice when it comes to the top CEE/SEE region deals, even in jurisdictions where we do not have offices.”
Dária Szabó, senior associate of Bird & Bird’s Budapest Corporate/M&A group, added: “This award is a further proof that Bird & Bird is the leading law firm when it comes to complex cross-border transactions in CEE. We are truly honoured by this recognition, and it is a motivation for our team to continue to deliver services with tenacity and heart.”
CEE Legal Matters' Deal of the Year Awards celebrate transactions that are critical to the growth of the Central and Eastern European region, and outstanding achievements in the legal industry. The awards are exclusively peer-selected, and legal experts in each jurisdiction are involved in the selection of the nominees and winners.
