Živković Samardžić Advises Prva TV, B92 and Play Radio on Obtaining National Broadcast Licenses by Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media
Friday, 29 July 2022
Živković Samardžić has advised Serbia’s national commercial broadcasters Prva, B92 and Play Radio on obtaining national broadcast licenses by Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media. National broadcast licenses are issued for the period of eight years.
At its meeting held on July 29, 2022, the Council of Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media made a Decision on issuing national broadcasting licenses for the provision of media services for television broadcasting via digital terrestrial transmission for the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Prva TV and B92 are among the four TV stations that have been awarded the license.
At the same meeting, the Council issued licenses for the provision of radio media services via analogue terrestrial transmission for the territory of the Republic of Serbia as well, awarding Play Radio among four other radio stations.
Prva TV is a Serbian commercial television network with national coverage. Launched on December 31, 2006 as Fox television, the network has since December 2009 to December 2018 been owned by the Greek media company Antenna Group, when it was acquired by Kopernikus Corporation, owned by Mr Srđan Milovanović. In March 2012, Prva TV expanded into the Montenegrin television market with the establishment of its sister channel – Prva TV Montenegro.
B92 was established in 1989 as radio broadcasting to Belgrade audiences and has since grown into a company which includes a national radio and television network and websites. B92 and its journalists have won numerous prestigious international awards for journalistic courage and advocacy of human rights.
Play Radio is one of the most popular Belgrade radio stations with a national frequency, that was established in 2015 by succeeding radio B92. By its carefully selected program scheme and a refined musical taste it quickly won the attention of wide audience.
Živković Samardžić team that acted as legal adviser to Prva, B92 and Play Radio on all aspects of this process consisted of Partners Slobodan Kremenjak and Igor Živkovski.
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IFLR1000 recognizes Branislav Živković and Miloš Milošević as Highly Regarded Lawyers and Igor Živkovski as Rising Star
Wednesday, 27 July 2022
IFLR 1000, a guide to the world’s leading financial and corporate law firms and lawyers, has once again ranked Živković Samardžić, one of Serbia’s leading law firms, for its financial and corporate practice as well as recognized Branislav Živković as Highly Regarded lawyer in M&A, Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Acquisitions, Miloš Milošević as Highly Regarded lawyer in Restructuring and Insolvency and Igor Živkovski as Rising Star in Corporate and M&A practice areas in Serbia.
IFLR1000 has been producing legal market intelligence since 1990 and remains the only international legal directory dedicated to ranking law firms and lawyers on the basis of financial and corporate transactional work. The guide’s law firm rankings are based on three criteria: transactional evidence, peer feedback, and client feedback. The editorial for Serbia is available here.
Branislav Živković has been practicing law since 1988 and is a founding partner of Živković Samardžić. His wide-ranging experience covers mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, privatizations, acquisition and corporate finance, transactional tax aspects, complex commercial contracts and real estate and project finance.
Miloš Milošević joined Živković Samardžić in 2010. He graduated at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law in 1995 and spent 15 years in the judiciary, as a judicial clerk at the Commercial Court in Belgrade and the Supreme Court of Serbia, Judge at the Fourth Municipal Court in Belgrade and a Civil Law Appellate Chamber Judge at the District Court in Belgrade.
Igor Živkovski graduated at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law in 2010 and has been with Živković Samardžić since 2013, after six-month internship at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague and two years with another reputable law firm in Belgrade.
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Živković Samardžić Advises OTA Sync on Joint Investments from TS Ventures Fund, DSI Group of Business Angels, and Startup Wise Guys
Friday, 24 June 2022
Živković Samardžić has advised OTA Sync, a Belgrade-based startup developing the first cloud software for hotels and private accommodation, on the latest round of investments by TSVentures Fund, DSI Group of Business Angels and Startup Wise Guys.
Investing in OTA Sync is very important for the growth and placement of software in countries around the world. OTA Sync started developing software in 2018 and until 2020 this companyworked on collecting information from customers and adapting the software to be tailored to the market. In 2021, OTA Sync attracted investment from one of the best European accelerators Startup Wise Guys, and the California Expert Fund DOJO.
After the business success in Serbia and Montenegro, a new round of investments was opened, which the OTA Sync team plans to invest in growth in regional markets, through education and promotion of sustainable and modern technologies, to position itself as the most modern and complete solution for hotel and apartment management.
In the coming period, the plan is to launch a support program for all hotels that are eco-certified or turn to sustainable energy sources. As cloud technology is eco-friendly, the entire program aims to provide benefits for the use of our and partner services that operate sustainably.
Since 2020, OTA Sync has had over 1,500 satisfied customers, operates in 14 countries around the world, and some of its clients outside the Balkans are located in the Maldives, Spain, Portugal and Mexico.
Živković Samardžić acted as legal adviser to OTA Sync on all aspects of the deal, including structuring the transaction, drafting and negotiating of transactional documentation, as well as assisting with the preparation and execution of the closing process. The Živković Samardžić team that has advised OTA Sync on this deal was led by Partner Igor Živkovski.
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Živković Samardžić has Provided Support on Serbian Aspects of the Sale of Cimos d.d. and its Subsidiaries
Thursday, 23 June 2022
Živković Samardžić has acted as legal advisor to Cimos d.d. on Serbian aspects of its acquisition by Mutares SE & Co. KGaA from TCH S.r.l.
Mutares SE & Co. KGaA has signed an agreement to acquire Cimos d.d. and its subsidiaries from TCH S.r.L. The company will act as a key Eastern European platform for Mutares’ Automotive & Mobility segment with seven production plants across Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina as well as one logistics plant in Slovenia.
Cimos d.d. is a leading producer of critical automotive components, with headquarters in Slovenia, approximately 2,000 employees and seven production and one logistics plant across the Balkans. In 2022, Cimos d.d. is expecting revenues of around EUR 160-180 million, influenced by certain special effects.
Mutares SE & Co. KGaA is an international private equity investor focused in the segments of Automotive & Mobility, Technology & Engineering, and Goods & Services Sectors, aiming to leverage the development potential of target companies and lead them onto a stable and profitable growth path.
The closing of the transaction is expected in the third quarter of 2022.
The Živković Samardžić team consisted of Partners Igor Živkovski and Sava Pavlović.
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Živković Samardžić Advises Catalyst Romania and 3TS Capital Partners on Serbian Aspects of Investment in Hunch
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Živković Samardžić has advised Catalyst Romania, one of the leading technology-focused venture capital firms in Romania and 3TS Capital Partners, one of the leading European technology focused private equity and venture capital firms, on Serbian aspects of its investment in Hunch, an automated creative production and media buying platform that empowers brands and agencies to grow on paid social. Hunch has raised the new EUR 4 million and the round is led by Catalyst Romania backed by 3TS Capital Partners, alongside co-investors Euroventures, North Base Media, SeedBlink and South Central Ventures. This round is the largest round led by Catalyst Fund II thus far, and the first investment by the fund in the SEE region outside Romania. Hunch will use this investment to triple its sales team and increase marketing investments, to support its expansion plans in Europe and into the US.
Hunch, a Meta Business Partner, teams up with leading global brand and performance marketing teams to consistently drive operational efficiencies, revenue uplifts, and faster go-to-market initiatives. Brands and agencies rely on Hunch’s market-leading automation platform that combines unique data-driven creative performance workflows with automated media buying processes to help today’s marketers focus on what matters most – growth.
Catalyst Romania focuses on tech companies that have already launched products into their target markets and have experienced management teams. It launched its first EUR 15 million fund in 2012, as the first fund of its type designed for Romania. The firm launched a second growth capital tech fund for Romania, with a first initial closing with institutional and private investors in November 2020, followed by a second closing in April 2021 and a final closing in February 2022. The original target of EUR 40 million was substantially exceeded and the Fund reached its hard cap of EUR 50 million. The Fund will continue to make early growth capital investments in SMEs based in Romania and other countries in the region.
3TS Capital Partners is one of the leading European technology focused growth capital firms. 3TS provides expansion capital and buyout funding for small and medium-sized businesses in growth sectors including Technology & Internet, Media & Communications and Technology-Enabled Services. Investors in the current and past 3TS funds totalling over EUR 400 million include EIF, Erste Group, Tesi, Cisco, OTP, EBRD, AWS, Sitra, KfW, and 3i among others.
The Živković Samardžić team that has advised Catalyst Romania and 3TS Capital Partners on this deal was led by Partner Igor Živkovski and included Associate Danka Draško, who advised on employment matters.
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The Schrems II Case and its impact on the personal data transfer between EU and Non-EU countries
Friday, 06 May 2022
Many times we have witnessed the clashes between David and the Goliath on the sports fields. Many times Goliath has won. But sometimes, David wins and those wins – those victories are always remembered.
Something similar has happened in law, in an area that has become especially important in recent years, an area related to personal data that is slowly becoming the most valuable currency in modern business.
The year is 2020, and the place of battle is ECHR, Maximillian Schrems as David and Facebook Ireland as Goliath. The result is II – 0 in favour of our David while the repercussion of the victory is the Schrems II Guidance issued by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) on the 28th of June 2021.
Before the Shrems II, for the transfer of personal data from the EU to the US, it was enough to comply with the requirements stated by the EU-US Privacy Shield, ie to apply the standard contractual clauses (SCCs) approved by the EDPB. Now, it is not enough.
But what is? That is the question that will give us a headache in the future while the answer will have to be fined on a case-by-case basis. Not only for the export of personal data to the States but also to all Non-EU countries that do not have a confirmed adequacy status for their level of personal data protection.
For the export to the Non-EU, the comprehensive due diligence of the legislation in question will be required which should give us an answer to the one question – whether this country has an equivalent level of personal data protection. The answer to this question will determine whether such exports are lawful or not or whether is it necessary to implement an additional security mechanism for such exports to be lawful.
The rise of remote work as a result of a pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus and cloud computing complicates an already complicated situation even more.
In March 2022, The European Commission and the United States announce that they have agreed in principle on a new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, which will foster trans-Atlantic data flows and address the concerns raised by the Schrems II decision.
In connection to this, if you have concerns about this subject, please contact our attorney Ivan Ljubisavljevic at ivan.ljubisavljevic@zslaw.rs or your regular contact at Zivkovic Samardzic Law Office.
Schrems II Case i njegov uticaj na razmenu podata o ličnosti između EU i Non EU zemalja
Mnogo puta smo na sportskim terenima gledali okršaje Davida i Golijata. Mnogo puta Golijat je pobeđivao. Samo ponekad, desi se da David pobedi – te pobede uvek se posebno pamte.
Nešto slično desilo se i u pravu, u oblasti koja poslednjih godina posebno dobija na značaju, oblasti koja se odnosi na podatke o ličnosti koji polako postaju najvrednija valuta savremenog poslovanja.
Godina je 2020, mesto okršaja ECHR, Maximillian Schrems u ulozi David a Facebook Ireland u ulozi Golijata. Rezultat je II – 0 za Davida a posledica pobede je Schrems II Guidance izdata od strane Evropskog odbora za zaštitu podataka (EDPB) dana 28.06.2021. godine.
U najkraćem, pre Shrems II, za prenos podataka o ličnosti iz EU u US bilo je dovoljno ispoštovati zahteve propisane EU–US Privacy Shield-om, odnosno primeniti standardne ugovorne klauzule koje je odobrio EDPB. Sada to nije. Šta jeste, pitanje je koje će ubuduće mučiti mnoge a odgovora će se davati od slučaja do slučaja. I to ne samo za izvoz podataka o ličnost u US već i u sve Non EU zemlje koje nisu na listi zemalja koje garantuju primereni nivo zaštite podataka o ličnost.
Za ove Non EU zemlje biće potrebno sprovesti sveobuhvatan due diligence koji bi trebao da dá odgovor na jedno pitanje – da li zemlja u koju će se uvoziti podaci o ličnosti garantuje primereni nivo zaštite podataka o ličnost. Od odgovora na ovo pitanje zavisiće da li je takav izvoz uopšte dozvoljen, odnosno da li je neophodno implementirati dodatne bezbednosne mere kako bi takav izvoz bio dozvoljen.
Rad od kuće kao posledica pandemije izazvane virusom COVID-19 i cloud computing dodatno otežavaju već dovoljno komplikovanu situaciju.
U martu 2022. godine započeti su pregovori između Evropskog odbora za zaštitu podataka i US u cilju pripreme Privacy Shield II a za očekivati je da će do kraja godine izaći sa novim Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework-om.
Ako imate pitanja u vezi sa ovom temom, pratite naše objave i/ili kontaktirajte adv Ivana Ljubisavljevića ivan.ljubisavljevic@zslaw.rs ili Vašu osobu za redovan kontakt u advokatskoj kancelariji Živković Samardžić.
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Živković Samardžić Lawyers and Practice Groups Recognized by Legal 500 EMEA 2022
Tuesday, 12 April 2022
Živković Samardžić is humbled and proud of our rankings in the Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2022 directory. The firm has been ranked across diverse set of practice areas and our partners recognized as professional and well organised lawyers with extensive knowledge and analytical skills.
Miloš Milošević, Partner has been recognized as a Leading Individual, and Ivan Ljubisavljević, Partner as a Next Generation Partner, for their Dispute Resolution work. Živković & Samardzić Law Office’s lawyers “regularly represents domestic and foreign clients from the banking, media, telecoms and pharma sectors. In addition to its track record in heavyweight commercial disputes before the Serbian and Montenegrin courts, the group appears in investment treaty arbitration.” Some of the client testimonials include following: “An excellent team that is made up of highly skilled individuals.”, with “Each lawyer is a highly professional individual with exceptional knowledge of the law and extensive experience.”, stating that “They are skilled in analysing legal issues in a short time, and provide the client with adequate professional advice and assistance.”
Ana Popović, Partner has been recognized as a Next Generation Partner for her Employment work and her team praised for being particularly active in advising on redundancies, management reorganisations, union negotiations, employment dispute resolution and executive terminations. The team also has expertise in the documenting of work condition amendments, disciplinary procedures, and assisting foreign management with immigration law matters. The Legal 500 directory quotes some of the client testimonials, according to which “I enjoy working with this firm – this is a complex jurisdiction and they are pragmatic and commercial with their advice.”, “The employment practice of this firm is outstanding. It is very well staffed, with experts who go the extra mile to provide sound and reliable advice.”, with“Great collaboration, client relations and response speeds.”
Other ranked practice areas include Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Competition and Real Estate and Construction.
Commercial, Corporate and M&A team is described as the one that consistently handles complex business transactions, as well as providing strategic corporate advice to both national and international commercial, financial and industrial enterprises in Serbia. Jointly heading up the group are Partners Branislav Živković, who is cross-border transactions expert, TMT deal expert Nebojša Samardžić, and Igor Živkovski, “a great lawyer with brilliant ideas”. According to some of the quoted client testimonials, the team “is very practical, and understands how to get things done quickly and easily without compromising on risk”, with “dedicated, knowledgeable and experienced professionals, who give very direct and useful advice, which is very much appreciated.” Their clients also “appreciate their deep knowledge of the local market and breadth of experience.”
Živković Samardžić Competition practice is described as “full of innovative and creative staff, who are very professional and available”, with team members “who are able to respond promptly to every client requirement”. The competition team has substantial experience of handling local Serbian and regional filing procedures for complex, multi-jurisdictional mergers in the electronic communications, broadcasting, energy and financial services sectors. Directory quotes client testimonials as follows: “When working on a project, the team always includes both partners and associates, which allows the associates to grow through handling large mandates and gain knowledge and experience for the future.”, as well as “Their understanding of the market is a great advantage.” Practice head, Slobodan Kremenjak, Partner is lauded for having “the track record which includes a number of landmark competition cases.”
The Legal 500 Series, now in its 33rd year, is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. The Legal 500 is an independent guide, where firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit, considering various factors such as capabilities of the team and the law firm in general, the complexity and the variety of the performed work, with a great emphasis on client feedback.
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Chambers Europe 2022 Rankings for Živković Samaradžić Law office
Friday, 18 March 2022
Živković Samardžić, one of Serbia’s leading full-service independent law firms has been highly ranked in Dispute Resolution legal practice by leading legal directory Chambers and Partners in its 2022 Europe edition. Besides Dispute Resolution in the newest edition of the Chambers guide, the Employment legal practice is also highly ranked.
The directory recognizes Živković Samardžić for its “strong commercial litigation practice” that is “well placed to receive contentious mandates deriving from financial, insolvency and labor issues, in addition to regulatory matters” and “particularly adept at offering experienced advice on international investment treaty arbitration cases and IP litigation.” The team also acts on insurance law disputes.
Miloš Milošević, Partner and Head of Živković Samardžić Dispute Resolution practices is ranked individually for their Dispute Resolution work. Chambers Europe 2022 guide quotes clients who have praised Miloš Milošević for being “among the handful of best commercial litigators in the country” and “extremely knowledgeable.”
The directory notes Živković Samardžić Law Office’s ability to handle complex employment matters and provides advice to domestic and international employers on day-to-day employment issues, including the drafting of employee contracts. It regularly handles redundancies and contract terminations. Lawyers often act for clients from the media and consumer goods sectors.
Ana Popović, Partner and Head of Živković Samardžić Employment practices, is also ranked individually for her counsel on sensitive employment cases, her expert command of employment litigation, COVID-19 regulations, union negotiations work and counsel provided on redundancies arising from changes in staff structure within companies. Clients quote: “Ana Popović deals with every request confidently and is highly experienced in working with both national and international companies. She is a very dedicated lawyer who pays attention to every detail and gives us clear instructions on the application of regulations.”
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Igor Živkovski Selected as a Juror for the 2021 CEE Deals of the Year Awards
Tuesday, 11 January 2022
Živković Samardžić Corporate and M&A Partner Igor Živkovski has been invited for a third consecutive year to join the elite panel of judges for the 2021 CEE Deals of the Year Awards — the most prestigious peer-selected awards for the legal industry in Central and Eastern Europe.
The CEE Deal of the Year Awards have been granted since 2017 by CEE Legal Matters — the leading source of news and information about the lawyers and legal industry in Central and Eastern Europe — to celebrate the transactions, financings, IPOs, and other deals that underpin growth throughout the region, as well as the lawyers and law firms who make them happen. Igor Živkovski was invited by CEE Legal Matters to join the five-person expert juries in Serbia based on his reputation, expertise, and knowledge, as well as his established commitment to the development of the country’s legal and commercial markets.
“The high regard with which the jurors are held in their markets, the respect they receive from their peers, and their reputations for perspective, intelligence, and understanding they have worked so effectively to create over the years are undeniable — not to mention their first-hand experience helping usher complex and sophisticated deals across the finish line,” said David Stuckey, the Director of the CEE Deal of the Year Awards for CEE Legal Matters. “We are extremely fortunate to have Igor agree to serve in this important capacity.”
Igor Živkovski led Živković Samardžić team which won the 2018 CEE Deal of the Year Award for Serbia.
The finalists for the CEE Deal of the Year will be identified in the March 2022 issue of the CEE Legal Matters magazine, and winners will be announced at the annual CEE Deal of the Year Banquet scheduled for London on April 5, 2022. More information about the awards and the banquet can be found at doty.ceelegalmatters.com.
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Živković Samardžić Advises Serbian Bookers on Legal Aspects of its Evolving into a Global Brand OTA Sync
Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Živković Samardžić has advised Serbian Bookers, a Belgrade-based startup developing the first cloud software for hotels and private accommodation in Serbia, on legal aspects of its evolving into a global brand OTA Sync. The aim of this restructuring is to expand the opportunity for global expansion and access to investment opportunities.
Serbian Bookers is software company offering complete web & mobile solutions for hotels and private accommodation. With this evolving into a global brand OTA Sync (Online Travel Agencies Synchronization) it will continue to expand and develop globally, while its team will remain local. Currently, the system is used by users from 14 countries, and the team continues to work on new functions, modernization of the system and the success of its clients. The introduction of new functions will further facilitate the business of users and will help them to analyze their strategy in more detail and improve communication with guests.
OTA Sync is a full cloud-based hotel & property management system with integrated channel manager and booking engine system, ideal for any type of rentals. Its goal is to offer only the best quality software solution on the market. OTA Sync has already recorded great success in the tourism market, and in the coming period it is expected that the customer base of this service will be increased.
Živković Samardžić acted as legal adviser to Serbian Bookers on all aspects of the deal, including structuring the transaction, drafting of transactional documentation, as well as assisting with the implementation of the transaction. The Živković Samardžić team that has advised Serbian Bookers on this deal was led by Partner Igor Živkovski.
- Published in Deals and Cases
