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Juraj Fuska
Managing partner
T +421 2 5441 5100
LinkedIn

Pro Bono

Our firm frequently provides pro bono advice on matters of local and global importance. Among others, we have assisted with the following pro bono matters:

Cesta von

Long term ongoing assistance to Cesta von, a leading non-governmental organization that assists vulnerable families and individuals in Roma communities. We helped the organization to comply with the personal data protection regulation (GDPR) for its Omama program and registered relevant trademarks. We also provide debt management advice to some of its clients.

Novohradská School

Successful representation of the Slovak Republic in long-term proceedings regarding the determination of the ownership title to land located under and around the Novohradská School (Spojená škola Novohradská) in Bratislava.

LEAF

Long term, ongoing assistance to LEAF, a civic organization focused on the development of high school and university students and young professionals, in various activities related to the facilitation of the return of young professionals from abroad to the Slovak Republic.

Barani – Hokejová škola Michala Handzuša

Assistance to Barani – Hokejová škola Michala Handzuša, a youth hockey academy in Banska Bystrica, with various legal issues related to the establishment and operation of the civic organization.

Človek v ohrození

Assistance to Človek v ohrození, a not-for-profit organization. The assistance related to the transfer and registration of certain trademarks, including the representation of Človek v ohrození before the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic and the preparation of required documentation.

Pontis

Long-term cooperation with the Pontis foundation regarding various legal projects, including systematic advice in addressing issues of indebtedness of the homeless and socially vulnerable.

Centrum Slniečko

Advice related to intellectual property disputes to Centrum Slniečko, a not-for-profit organization which provides aid, comfort and protection for victims of child abuse.

International NGOs

Preparation of legal analyses and/or other advice related to Slovak law issues for multiple projects devoted to social justice, marginalized communities empowerment and others organized by international NGOs such as the International Red Cross/Red Crescent, the Centre for Reproductive Rights, the UN Environmental Programme, GO Human Right 2 Water (NGO) and La Fondation des Femmes.

Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate

Over the last 25 years, the Aldertree team has built a leading Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate practice in the Slovak Republic and has participated in the majority of the most significant M&A transactions in the country.

We advise multinational industrial and service businesses and major commercial and investment banks in structuring and completing domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures and equity investments. Our lawyers have broad experience in advising on intricately structured transactions, often involving multiple jurisdictions and compressed time periods, which are commonplace in today’s mergers and acquisitions environment.

We also provide a broad range of corporate and business services to private businesses and publicly held corporations operating in different economic sectors. In many cases, we serve as general counsel for corporations and represent them in all aspects of their corporate life, beginning with the establishment of the enterprise through every aspect of its development and operation. Our general corporate practice is broad and often intersects with closely related practices, such as employment, tax, competition, bank finance and capital markets.

The advice rendered by the Aldertree in connection with mergers and acquisitions addresses all of the legal issues connected with such projects, including:

  • Optimal structuring of the transaction
  • Thorough and comprehensive due diligence of target companies
  • Advice on share purchase transactions and transactions covering the sale of company assets
  • Participation in the negotiation of agreements between prospective shareholders
  • Preparation of transactional documentation
  • Assistance in the merger process and other forms of transformation
  • International leveraged buyouts, joint ventures and private equity investments
  • Seeking approvals of transactions by authorities
  • Advice within the scope of other legal issues connected with transactions

Our corporate advice covers the following areas:

  • Formation of new business entities
  • Corporate governance and compliance
  • Corporate reorganizations, restructurings and liquidations
  • General commercial law
  • Regulatory and licensing
  • Complex legal issues concerning contractual matters
  • Development of standard terms and conditions for the sale and distribution of products and services
  • Supply and license agreements

Accolades

Ranked as a Band 1 firm in the area of Corporate/M&A
in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2015 – 2022

Ranked as a Band 1 firm in the area of Corporate/M&A
in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2017 – 2022

Juraj Fuska ranked as a Band 3 lawyer in the area of Corporate/M&A
in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2020 – 2022

Juraj Fuska ranked as a Band 4 lawyer in the area of Corporate/M&A
in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2020 – 2022

A client enthuses: “It is the most skilled law firm in Slovakia,” and goes on to say that “its high level of expertise is its strength.”

Chambers and Partners, 2022

Juraj Fuska is noted for his ability to structure complex investment transactions, as well as assist with the disposal and acquisition of companies and major assets. Clients state:
“He is known for his diligent approach and strong work ethic.”

 

Chambers and Partners, 2021

“The firm has very good professionals who clearly understand the topics and have very good experience in the area,” one client reveals.

Another client remarks that the team “is always available 24 hours and have very good international knowledge.”

Chambers and Partners, 2021

Clients recognise the firm for its “reliability, creativity, promptness and ability to adapt.”

“Their approach is very helpful and I really appreciate their help,” one client enthuses about the practitioners, adding that “they have different competencies available for me and they are very responsive and quick.”

Chambers and Partners, 2020

Ranked as a Tier 1 firm in the area of M&A in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2020

Ranked as a Tier 1 firm in the area of Commercial, Corporate and M&A in Slovakia

The Legal 500, 2015 – 2022

PPP & Public Sector

Aldertree’s team has advised on all of the major PPP projects in Slovakia and the Czech Republic and complex public projects as well as numerous infrastructure projects between the private and public sectors, primarily in the following legal areas:

  • Public procurement
  • Public administrative law
  • State aid
  • EU funds
  • Construction law
  • Project finance
  • Privatizations and joint ventures between the public and private sectors

Our experience enables us to provide the full scope of services in the public sector including:

  • Structuring of complex tenders and preparation of project / contractual documentation
  • Assessment of regulatory risks on the national and EU levels
  • Representation of contracting authorities, contractors, sponsors and lenders
  • Negotiations with international financial institutions (EIB, EBRD) and investment funds
  • Claim management and dispute resolution in ongoing projects
  • Negotiations and litigation before the European Commission and national institutions

Regulatory, Compliance & Investigations

Aldertree has market-leading regulatory and compliance expertise thanks to our experts who have extensive experience and a strong track record in the most important regulated sectors in Slovakia including:

  • Financial services
  • Energy
  • Electronic communications
  • Life sciences & pharmaceuticals; environmental protection
  • Consumer protection, retail & e-commerce
  • Anti-bribery and anti-money laundering matters
  • Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters

We provide comprehensive legal services related to regulatory and compliance issues including:

  • Analyses of applicable legislation and requirements under sectoral rules and standards
  • Development and implementation of tailor-made compliance policies, procedures, training programs and whistleblowing/reporting systems
  • Representation of clients in domestic and international administrative, civil and criminal investigations and enforcement proceedings
  • Compliance audits and internal investigations in risk-sensitive matters

Competition & State Aid

Our market leading competition and State aid team covers virtually every area of interest regarding competition law, antitrust matters and State aid both on general and sector-specific levels. Our expertise covers a wide array of sectors and industries including TMT, energy, financial services, life sciences/pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and the public sector. Given our strong position in M&A and our involvement in the most prominent M&A cases in Slovakia, we have advised on some of the most difficult competition and merger control matters in the country.

We also have unique State aid experience, having advised on State aid issues in major M&A transactions (privatizations and share/asset deals of leading Slovak companies), procurement transactions (PPP projects) as well as State aid investigations before the European Commission (telecom cases, chemical industry, transport, real estate), EU courts and national authorities.

We have many years of experience in assisting clients in dealing with investigations by the Slovak Competition Authority, the European Commission and other European competition authorities and representing them before Slovak and European courts.

Our practice covers the following:

  • Competition compliance, including competition compliance audits and mock dawn raids
  • Cartel defence and dawn raid counselling
  • Horizontal cooperation advice
  • Abuse of dominance and market power issues
  • Distribution matters and vertical agreements
  • Slovak and international merger clearance, M&A antitrust advice and JV formation issues
  • Litigation, including damages compensation
  • State aid advice and litigation

TMT, IP & Data Privacy

Aldertree has a dedicated team focusing on technology, media & telecommunications (TMT), intellectual property (IP), privacy and cybersecurity matters. We have participated in some of the most significant transactions in the sector in Slovakia for main industry players, including major telco operators, investors as well as innovative start-up companies. We also provide day-to-day advice for the leading technology companies active in Slovakia.

Our lawyers provide:

  • Comprehensive advice in the TMT sector including M&A advice, regulatory advice and representation before sector-specific regulators, as well as advice on related ex ante and ex post competition matters
  • Advice on all areas of contentious and non-contentious IP matters, including advice on IP protection strategies, patents, trademarks, copyright, computer law, advertising, media, outsourcing, unfair competition, trade secrets as well as other IP-related areas of law and IP litigation;
  • Comprehensive data protection and cybersecurity advice, including general privacy advice, cross-border transfers of personal data, assistance with data protection authority investigations, general cybersecurity advice, risk management and incident response counselling.

Real Estate & Construction

We advise clients in connection with investments in and the financing of a broad spectrum of classes of real estate assets, including industrial and logistics properties, shopping centres and other retail properties, residential developments, mixed-use properties and offices.

Our real estate experts represent developers, owners, private and institutional investors, investment funds, lenders and underwriters in the acquisition, development, construction, ownership, operation, leasing, financing and securitization of all types of real estate assets.

Our banking and finance experience
extends to the following areas:

  • Acquisitions and disposals
  • Joint ventures
  • Portfolio sales and securitization
  • Real estate investment funds
  • Sales and leasebacks
  • Developments
  • Construction projects
  • Permitting
  • Leases and real estate property management
  • Cross-border transactions

Accolades

Ranked as a Band 2 firm in the area of Real Estate in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2019- 2022

One source describes the firm as “very active” in the market.

Chambers and Partners, 2022

One client praises the “really exceptional and incredibly supportive” team for being “very attentive and responsive, helping to resolve issues in advance and acting quickly.”

A second client asserts that the team “handled themselves very well.”

Chambers and Partners, 2020

“The team is cohesive and provides great support,” one client claims, while also stating that “it is a pleasure working with them.”

Interviewees highlight the focused client service provided by lawyers in the department: “They understand the needs of the client and they don’t engage in theoretical discussion just for the sake of it.”

Chambers and Partners, 2019

Ranked as a Tier 1 firm in the area of Real Estate and Construction in Slovakia

The Legal 500, 2015 – 2022

Vladimír Ivančo ranked as a “Next Generation Partner” in the area of Real Estate and Construction in Slovakia

The Legal 500, 2022

Energy

Accolades

Ranked as a Band 1 firm in the area
of Energy in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2018 – 2022

Ranked as a Tier 2 firm in the area
of Projects and Energy in Slovakia

The Legal 500, 2021 – 2022

“A highly experienced team of senior lawyers who have a very hands-on approach to matters on which they advise. In the area of projects and energy, they have been advising us primarily on regulatory-related matters and commercial contracts, where they have demonstrated a breadth of expertise (including in the areas of regulatory, competition and EU law) as well as deep insight into the way the market operates. The Bratislava team is able to provide their assistance with the involvement of the White & Case network, which is an added value in particular in relation to cross-border situations.”

The Legal 500, 2022

We have played a major role in some of the most significant Slovak and international energy-related projects. The excellent reputation of our lawyers and services has provided us with a solid foundation for long-term cooperation with domestic as well as international energy companies. We provide pragmatic regulatory and legal advice guided by our clients’ needs and interests.

Regulatory matters, project financings, company and asset acquisitions, workout assessments, restructurings and bankruptcies, arbitrations and litigations and taking advantage of opportunities created through industry restructuring all require superior counsel from lawyers who are experts in their fields and who intimately understand the demands of the industry. Aldertree’s lawyers take a multidisciplinary approach to transactions and bring a unique perspective to the risks related to investments in the Slovak Republic and the CEE region.

Whether you represent a public or private company active in the oil and gas, power or renewable sector, an equipment supplier, a commercial bank, an export credit agency, a multilateral institution or an underwriter, we will provide you with value-added advice and efficient service based on our in-depth understanding of the key commercial drivers and business risks inherent in energy projects in the Slovak Republic.

We work with a wide range of clients
on power projects and transactions,
including:

  • Large consumers of power
  • Energy suppliers and service providers
  • Power marketers
  • Private equity firms
  • Conventional and renewable power generators
  • Project developers and investors
  • Financial institutions
  • Export credit agencies, bilateral and multilateral agencies
  • Integrated public utilities
  • Transmission companies
  • Governments and state-owned entities
  • Contractors and service companies

Employment & Benefits

Employment and labour law advice is a fundamental part of our practice, reflecting our understanding of the importance of employment issues to our clients.

We offer our clients full support regarding all employment issues arising in the course of their business and/or investment activities. We are experts not only in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious labour law work but in related tax, social security and business immigration advice. We also have particular experience in advising on local aspects of multinational deals, foreign employers making investments in CEE and CEE-based employers investing abroad.

Our employment advice covers the
following areas:

  • Employment/management agreements
  • Employee handbooks, policies and procedures
  • Employee incentives (shares, stock options, and other long-term incentives)
  • Lay–offs, collective redundancies, reorganizations and divestitures
  • Outsourcing, secondments and international assignments
  • Employment and benefit-related litigation
  • Corporate governance, director’s duties
  • Collective bargaining, employees’ representation
  • Immigration
  • Data protection
  • Employee tax, social security and health insurance issues

Accolades

Ranked as a Band 3 firm in the area of Employment in Slovakia

Chambers and Partners, 2022

One client describes the service provided by the team as “professional, precise and excellent.”

Chambers and Partners, 2022

A client states:
“I really enjoyed the cooperation and was very satisfied with the professional and timely service I received.”

Chambers and Partners, 2021

Juraj Fuska assists international and domestic corporates with a range of employment mandates, including terminations, GDPR compliance and immigration matters. He is deemed a “very experienced lawyer.”

Chambers and Partners, 2022

Ranked as a Tier 2 firm in the area of Employment in the Slovak Republic

The Legal 500, 2022

Aldertree legal is well placed to advise on transactional and cross-border employment issues, such as non-discrimination matters and international transfers, benefiting from the firm’s top-rated corporate department. The team also assists with terminations, redundancies as well as the setting up of employment frameworks and policies.

Chambers and Partners, 2022

Juraj Fuska
ranked as a
“NEXT GENERATION PARTNER”

The Legal 500, 2022

Dispute Resolution & White Collar

We advise clients in connection with investments in and the financing of a broad spectrum of classes of real estate assets, including industrial and logistics properties, shopping centres and other retail properties, residential developments, mixed-use properties and offices.

We provide comprehensive, integrated and innovative approaches to all phases of white collar matters. We have significant expertise and experience in identifying and managing compliance risk; helping to create, improve and assess the effectiveness of compliance policies, procedures and training; conducting internal investigations on behalf of companies and their governing boards in response to a wide range of allegations, including corruption, fraud, self-dealing, import and export issues, cyber-security, accounting manipulation and securities fraud, and inappropriate workplace conduct; representing clients before civil and criminal enforcement authorities and in related litigation before national courts; and helping clients implement sound remedial measures to help strengthen the corporation’s compliance structure if and when issues arise.

Our experience with disputes and
white collar matters involves the
following practice areas:

  • Litigation
  • Domestic and International Arbitration
  • Negotiation and amicable settlement
  • Mediation
  • Regulatory Disputes
  • Governmental and Criminal Investigations
  • Internal Investigations
  • Compliance and Whistleblowing
  • White Collar Litigation

Accolades

Ranked as a Band 3 firm in the area of Dispute Resolution in the Slovak Republic

Chambers and Partners, 2018 – 2022

Ranked as a Band 3 firm in the area of Dispute Resolution in the Slovak Republic

Chambers and Partners, 2018 – 2022

One client states: “They have a great client-oriented approach and focus on the comprehensive care of client needs, and they have excellent technical backgrounds.”

Another client lists the main strengths of the team as “reliability, promptness, ability to adapt and creativity.”

Chambers and Partners, 2020

One client says: “The firm focuses on comprehensive care, understanding individual needs and taking an active approach to find alternative solutions. Lawyers have excellent technical backgrounds and the whole team is very good at communicating and keeping us up-to-date.”

Sources also praise the firm as “long established and highly respected with experienced lawyers.”

Chambers and Partners, 2021

Ranked as a Tier 3 firm in the area of Dispute Resolution in the Slovak Republic

The Legal 500, 2021 – 2022