Ferenc Mátrai

As Senior Counsel in Bird & Bird's Real Estate and Corporate and M&A Groups in Budapest, I offer nearly 30 years' of invaluable experience, covering practice areas as diverse as real estate, construction and corporate law, public procurement, state aid and PPP.

My major clients include property developers and investors, as well as public procurement and private equity firms. I have also advised numerous international companies on high-profile transactions across the Central and Eastern Europe region.

In addition, I have in-depth experience in real estate and corporate transactions and have been lead counsel on a number of PPP projects and several 'built-to-suit' lease developments in Hungary. Over the years, I have also been involved in numerous property development projects such as commercial office building and shopping mall developments, including some of the largest PPP transactions in Hungary.

In recent years, I have played an active role in many significant sports development projects here in Hungary, including the Duna Aréna and other facilities for the 2017 World Water Sports Championships in Budapest. I have also been involved in work for the Dagály Swimming Palace, the Puskás Arena (the new national football stadium), the Diósgyőr and Bozsik football stadiums, as well as the new campus for the National University of Public Service.

I have participated in a number of complex private equity transactions involving major foreign investors and domestic companies within the framework of the EU's 'Jeremie' programme. My experience also extends to numerous corporate and M&A matters including privatisations, covering sectors including Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Energy and Real Estate.

Before joining the team here at Bird & Bird, I spent several years working at other leading international law firms. I am fluent in English in addition to my native Hungarian.

• I have been involved in numerous high-profile real property development projects such as commercial office building and shopping mall developments and PPP projects, including some of the largest of such transactions ever to have taken place in Hungary. My recent experience includes a number of significant construction projects. Over the years, I have developed experience in complex M&A and real estate transactions and gained comprehensive knowledge in the field of public procurement, PPP and state aid.

• Hungarian State - Development of Duna Arena
• Hungarian State - Development of the new national football stadium
• MOL - Development of the new headquarters, which is the first high rise building in Budapest
• Danubius Hotels - Sale of Hotel Gellért
• Wing - Sale of Studium Office Building