Event information
Join top legal professionals and distinguished in-house counsel for a day of engaging panel discussions, thought-provoking presentations, and valuable networking opportunities. The Legal 500’s GC Summit Czech Republic is designed to offer practical insights into the evolving responsibilities of in-house legal teams and the key challenges they will face in 2025 and beyond.
In collaboration with our event partners, the summit will feature a dynamic lineup of sessions addressing timely and critical topics, including:
- Creating an ESG Roadmap: Reporting and disclosure obligations – Is your company prepared?
- Managing Cross-Border Disputes
- Opportunities Amid Complexity and Volatility: Closing deals in challenging environments
- Beyond the GC Role: Charting a purposeful career path
- The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Legal Sector
- Building an Effective Governance Program
- Digitisation and Data: Moving from compliance to capitalisation
- Managing Internal Investigations
- Navigating a Shifting Employment Landscape
With insights from an exceptional roster of speakers, this event is tailored to provide actionable, hands-on advice for in-house counsel at all levels.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your professional development and prepare for the future of legal practice. This is the must-attend event for in-house lawyers in Czechia.
Agenda
12.00pm-12.35pm Registration and refreshments
12.35pm-12.40pm Opening remarks
12.40pm-1.30pm The Recently Introduced Class Actions Act in the Czech Republic
This key panel session will be moderated by Robert Pelikan, former Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic and current Partner at Wolf Theiss, on the recently introduced Class Actions Act, which came into effect in the Czech Republic on 1 July 2024. This landmark legislation enables consumer groups and small businesses to combine claims into a single action, reducing court costs and streamlining the legal process. For in-house lawyers and corporate legal teams, this first comprehensive regulation of class actions in the Czech Republic presents various challenges. The panel will address how businesses can manage the risks of class actions, the potential impact on corporate strategy, and best practices for engaging with this evolving area of law. Gain practical insights on how to navigate this shift and protect your organization from collective legal claims.
- Robert Pelikan, partner, Wolf Theiss
- Anežka Janoušková, head of the civil procedural law and insolvency legislation department, Czech Ministry of Justice
- Jan Pithart, chair of the supervisory board, OnlineADR
- Daniel Šimáně, general counsel, Skanska Residential
1.30pm-2.00pm D&O Insurance: Protecting Leadership, Mitigating Risks
Directors and Officers (D&O) Insurance is an essential safeguard for companies and their leadership, offering protection against a wide variety of risks. In today’s globalized world—with rising transaction complexity, increasing deal values, and ever-greater regulatory scrutiny—D&O insurance provides the necessary confidence to take calculated business risks.
The discussion will explore why D&O insurance matters, what it covers, and who benefits from it. It will also address typical claims (including investment-related risks) and highlight the main exclusions and other coverage limits. Furthermore, it will provide insights into D&O’s global reach, key considerations when negotiating the policy, and how claims handling works. In short, D&O Insurance is a key tool every manager, whether of a small start-up or a large international corporation, should be aware of.
- Tomáš Doležil, partner, JŠK
- Marta Fišnerová, partner, JŠK
- Michal Jursa, chief executive officer, commercial risk solutions, Aon
- Erik Macalík, country manager, Chubb European Group
2.00pm-2.50pm Complliance panel discussion in association with Sokol Novák tdpA
AI is rapidly transforming the way companies operate, innovate, and manage risk. This panel, featuring experts from Sokol Novak tdpA and general counsel, explores practical strategies for ensuring compliance when integrating AI into corporate processes and empowering employees to leverage AI responsibly. We will discuss real-world challenges, best practices, and proactive measures to effectively manage compliance risks associated with AI adoption in business activities and employee workflows. Join us to understand how to harness AI’s potential while safeguarding your organization’s integrity and regulatory standing.
- Michal Sečány, partner, Sokol Novák tdpA
- Jiří Novák, equity partner, Sokol Novák tdpA
2.50pm-3.05pm Coffee Break
3.05pm-3.35pm The “European GC”: navigating international legal landscape – key strategies and considerations for the General Counsel Community
Driven by the IT revolution and the EU common market, a single jurisdiction business model has practically vanished from the European economic landscape. In house practitioners are engaged in multi-jurisdictional matters on a daily basis. This of course brings both tremendous opportunities and a set of unique challenges.
Join us for a special discussion exploring how to overcome the challenges posed by international business and possibly use them as your strategic advantage. The panellists will explore the changing role of the General Counsel on the European market, key competences needed for effective management of complexity and variety as well as tools they are using for collaborating internally and with third parties.
The panel will be hosted by Kopec & Zaborowski, a prominent Polish law firm being one of the favourites among the in-house community. The firm’s new partners, Joanna Chmielinska and Maciej Trabski are combining in depth legal knowledge with process approach, legal project management and structural consulting towards corporate clients.
- Maciej Trabski, partner, Kopec & Zaborowski
- Joanna Chmielinska, partner, Kopec & Zaborowski
- Lukas Krejci, senior legal counsel, Škoda Auto
3.35pm-4.05pm Navigating the New Legal Landscape for Corporate AI Deployment
This mini panel discussion explores the evolving regulatory framework surrounding AI, with a focus on the EU AI Act. Experts will analyse key provisions, highlighting their implications for corporate AI strategies. The discussion will address risk assessment and compliance, particularly in identifying prohibited and high-risk AI applications. Panelists will also examine how companies can balance innovation with regulatory demands, ensuring lawful AI deployment. Lastly, the General Counsel’s role in overseeing corporate AI compliance, mitigating legal risks, and fostering responsible AI use will be emphasised as a cornerstone of corporate governance.
- Jan Kohout, partner, PRK Partners
- Daniel Vejsada, senior associate, PRK Partners
- Michal Krejčík, director for litigation and compliance agenda, O2 Czech Republic
4.05pm-4.55pm Foreign Direct Investments / Foreign Subsidies Regulation – Experience to Date
This panel will focus on the experience to date with the EU’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) screening and Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). The European Commission continues to drive the coordination and harmonization of FDI controls across Member States, while the FSR, with notification obligation for certain concentrations and public procurement applicable since October 2023, grants it the power to tackle market distortions caused by foreign subsidies. We will discuss key developments, including insights from the first-ever in-depth FSR investigation and the first conditional clearance of a concentration under this new framework, as well as the practical challenges and implications for future enforcement.
- Ivo Janda, partner, White & Case
- Magda Olyšarová, local partner, White & Case
- Veronika Křivánková, EP Industries
4.55pm-5.00pm Closing Remarks
5.00pm Drinks and canapes
6.30pm Event concludes
Speakers
Tomáš Doležil, partner, JŠK, advokátní kancelář
Tomáš specializes in M&A, private equity/venture capital, general corporate law, and TMT. He leads the Corporate/M&A practice group at JŠK and has participated in over 250 M&A projects at the international, regional, and domestic levels.
Tomáš serves as a member of the Board and Chairman of the Tax and Legal Committee of the Czech Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (CVCA), which supports companies in the private equity and venture capital sector. He is also a member of the Appeals Committee of the Czech National Bank.
In 2022, CEE Legal Matters recognized him as one of the five most active M&A dealmakers in the Czech Republic, and he is consistently ranked in prestigious industry rankings.
Before joining JŠK, Tomáš gained extensive experience working with Linklaters and Clifford Chance in Prague, Frankfurt am Main and London.
Marta Fišnerová, partner, JŠK, advokátní kancelář
Marta has dedicated her career to JŠK, specializing in liability disputes, contracts for work, defective performance, and compensation of damages across industries such as construction, automotive, IT, energy, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. Her focus extends beyond litigation to include dispute prevention, negotiation of amicable solutions, and developing strategies that deliver strong client outcomes.
Leading JŠK’s litigation team, Marta has represented clients in high-profile cases, including disputes arising from the Studénka railway accident, the Palladium shopping centre fire, and construction issues at the Sazka (O2) Arena. She also has extensive experience in insurance, focusing on liability claims, statutory and senior employee liability, and interpreting insurance coverage.
With a practical and solution-driven approach, Marta helps clients resolve even the most complex disputes efficiently and effectively.
Robert Pelikan, partner, Wolf Theiss
Robert Pelikán has extensive experience in litigation and arbitration, corporate law and all aspects of national (Czech and Slovak) as well as EU competition law. He also advises on white collar crime matters, including asset recovery. In the course of his career, Robert regularly advised well-known clients, both from the Czech Republic and abroad, in high-profile complex litigation cases and has gained an excellent reputation as an expert in these areas. Robert worked at several prestigious law firms including as partner of a Czech law firm. From 2015 to 2018, Robert served as the Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic. Robert has always been active in academia and co-authored, e.g., the prestigious Commentary to the Czech Civil Code published in its second edition in 2020. Since August 2021, Robert has been serving on the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. He is also an arbitrator at the Arbitration Court of the Czech Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Arbitration Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic. He teaches civil, corporate and competition law at Charles University, Faculty of Law and is a member of the Legislation Council of the Government of the Czech Republic.
Michal Sečány, partner, Sokol Novák tdpA
Michal´s legal practise is focused on the preparation and implementation of compliance programs to address potential criminal liability for our clients, whether individuals or legal entities. Michal conduct thorough internal investigations of reported incidents, assessing their impact on the client’s business. With a strong emphasis on economic crime, Michal brings years of practical experience in representing clients in criminal proceedings, enabling clients to gain insights into how criminal justice authorities view various conditions for discharge from liability. Additionally, Michal provides defense and representation for those suspected or accused of crimes and represents injured parties seeking to defend their rights and claim damages in criminal cases.
Jiří Novák, equity partner, Sokol Novák tdpA
Throughout his practice, Jiri has specialized in dispute resolution, criminal law, and, particularly, the legal aspects of digital technologies. With extensive expertise in implementing digitalization and artificial intelligence solutions in law firms and e-justice systems, Jiri advises on managing compliance and ethical challenges posed by AI. Jiri serves on the Ethics Committee of the Czech Bar Association and is actively involved in several of its specialized sections. For the past six years, Jiri chaired the IT Law Committee of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), actively contributing to shaping European Union policy on Artificial Intelligence and other digitalization initiatives. Jiri is also a co-author of the Council of Europe’s HELP program course on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights.
Jan Kohout, partner, PRK Partners
Jan Kohout is an attorney at law and a Partner at PRK Partners, which he joined immediately after graduating from the Faculty of Law at Charles University in 1997. He was named a partner in 2004 and received his doctorate from Charles University in 2000.
Jan has a wide range of experience with project financing, compliance, corporate law, foreign investments and cross-border transactions. In line with current trends and client needs Jan’s experience also includes various areas of ICT.
Daniel Vejsada, senior associate, PRK Partners
Daniel is an attorney at law at PRK Partners, specializing in the legal aspects of digitalization, AI and labour law. He is involved in HR digitalization initiatives, focusing on aspects such as implementation of electronic signing. Daniel regularly lectures on digitalization, labour law and artificial intelligence and published many articles on these topics. Daniel also leads implementation of digital and AI tools at PRK Partners and he is also actively engaged in creation of legal specific tools for AI.
He is a member of the European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA) and a member of the Collegium of Experts at the Association for the Development of Collective Bargaining (AKV).
Maciej Trabski, partner, Kopec & Zaborowski
Maciej Trabski specialises in handling commercial litigation, strategic advisory, regulatory consultancy, and managing complex, multifaceted legal projects. An expert in consumer law, competition law, and operations in regulated markets (financial products, insurance and crypto-assets to name a few), Trabski develops legal processes and anti-litigation systems tailored to business needs.
He boasts 15 years of experience managing commercial litigation portfolios for domestic and international businesses and corporations. Trabski has handled significant disputes in areas such as financial products, insurance, national IT system implementations, and infrastructure projects. Represented banks, insurers, public companies, and entrepreneurs before courts of all instances as well as international arbitration tribunals.
Joanna Chmielinska, partner, Kopec & Zaborowski
Joanna Chmielinska has ten years of experience in providing legal services for economic entities. She advises managers and the upper rank of supervisors of the largest commercial companies in Poland, specialising in planning and efficient conducting of transactions for companies.
Using her experience in strategic advice, Chmielinska advises clients on every level of the transaction, starting with the planning, through the legal research, preparing and negotiating transaction documents , to the very last level of the post-transaction accounting.
Michal Krejčík, director for litigation and compliance agenda, O2 Czech Republic
Michal Krejčík has a broad and long lasting experience from telecommunication industry. During his career he covered almost all aspects of corporate life agenda and participated in several major projects including implementation new regulations into the real life of the company. Michal builds also on his experience from his practice at the Municipal Court in Prague. Michal is frequent speaker on webinars or panel discussions held by Czech Association of Electronic Communications on a diverse range of topics including telecommunication, media, IP rights and cybersecurity. He concentrates on simplifying and explaining complex matters according to the motto: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough,”
Michal is also registered as an arbitrator with the Arbitration Court at the Czech Chamber of Commerce.
Michal Jursa, chief executive officer, commercial risk solutions, Aon
Michal Jursa has spent his entire professional career of more than twenty years in financial services, particularly in corporate banking, leasing, and insurance, holding commercial and managerial positions. He joined Aon CEE in 2022 and currently leads the Czech branch of the multinational insurance broker, which operates in 60 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide.
In the Czech Republic, Aon focuses on insurance solutions for corporate clients across all sectors of the economy. In addition to standard property and liability insurance, Aon Czech Republic specializes in other types of insurance, such as M&A transaction insurance, insurance programs for financial institutions, international insurance programs for companies operating abroad, financial lines insurance, including D&O, professional liability, capital relief products, etc.
Michal studied economics and management at Anglo American University in Prague and earned an MBA from City University of Seattle.
Erik Macalík, country manager, Chubb European Group
Erik is a distinguished alumnus of the Law Faculty at Anglo-American University in Prague, where he completed his studies in the Comparative Legal Studies program of the University of Wales. With a solid foundation in law and a focus on legal framework within the EU, Erik has developed a robust career in the insurance sector, beginning in 1997.
His professional journey commenced with the Czech branch of Marsh & MacLennan, a leading global brokerage firm. In 2005, Erik transitioned from brokerage to underwriting, and for nearly a decade, he successfully led the Consumer Segment at AIG in the Czech Republic. Under his leadership, the segment flourished, adapting to market changes and evolving client needs.
For the past ten years, Erik has served as the Managing Director of the Czech branch of Chubb European Group SE. In this role, he has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategies, focusing on providing tailored insurance solutions for corporate clients in the Czech Republic and select countries across Eastern Europe. His leadership is characterized by a dedication to client-centric solutions and a deep understanding of the regional market dynamics.
Anežka Janoušková, head of the civil procedural law and insolvency legislation department, Czech Ministry of Justice
Jan Pithart, chair of the supervisory board, OnlineADR
Daniel Šimáně, general counsel, Skanska Residential
Ivo Janda, partner, White & Case
Ivo Janda is a distinguished competition-law and regulatory law partner in the Prague White & Case office with extensive experience in merger clearance proceedings, antitrust and state aid mandates and other types of regulatory proceedings and investigations before administrative and judicial authorities, including first-ever in-depth FSR merger case. He is also a seasoned disputes lawyer representing clients in civil law, commercial or insolvency related disputes before domestic courts and in arbitration.
Magda Olyšarová, local partner, White & Case
Magda Olyšarová is a local partner in the Prague White & Case office, specializing in competition law, regulatory matters, and dispute resolution. She advises on mergers before EU and national authorities and represents clients in cartel investigations, State aid, and dominance cases. Her experience includes the first-ever in-depth FSR merger case, along with antitrust matters and commercial litigation across various industries.
Lukas Krejci, senior legal counsel, Škoda Auto
Lukáš Krejčí, senior legal counsel and manager with 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Specializing in technology, IT and international trade law in the Volkswagen Group, Lukáš changed several positions also outside legal profession and studied entrepreneurship and innovation in Vienna. In 2021 he was awarded as a Czech corporate lawyer in the field of innovation. He actively deals with legislation such as legal regulation on autonomous driving and passionately promotes the use of AI in legal practice.
Veronika Křivánková, EP Industries
In association with...
JŠK is a mid-sized law firm offering comprehensive services across all areas of commercial law, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), banking and finance, insurance, construction, real estate, and energy. Operating in the Czech market for over 20 years, the firm serves a diverse clientele, including prominent banks, insurance companies, private equity funds, multinational corporations, mid-sized companies, and individual investors.
The team consists of more than 30 lawyers, seven of whom are partners, and includes some of the Czech Republic’s leading experts in M&A, intellectual property (IP), competition law, restructuring and insolvency, aerospace, litigation, insurance, and public procurement.
For over 33 years, the law firm Sokol, Novák, Trojan, Doleček and partners has been among the leading and most recommended Czech law firms. We provide legal services across all major areas of law, emphasizing expertise, thoroughness, and client focus—principles we consider pillars of our practice. We believe that detailed knowledge and practical experience in applying the law enable us to guide clients in establishing effective internal processes and thus avoid the consequences that may arise from legal violations.
Founded in 1957, Wolf Theiss is one of the leading law firms in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CEE/SEE). We have built our reputation on unrivalled local knowledge which is supported by strong international capabilities. With 390 lawyers in 13 countries and a central European hub in Brussels, over 80% of the firm’s work involves cross-border representation of international clients.
The Wolf Theiss Prague office opened in 1998 and is now viewed as one of the key international law offices in the Czech Republic. The team advises a mix of international, regional and local clients on a broad range of areas. In addition to providing client-focused and industry-driven advice in all core areas of commercial law, our expertise ranges from competition to compliance and white-collar crime matters, to IP & IT and pharmaceutical law. Wolf Theiss Prague serves as the firm’s hub for Investigations, Crisis Response & Compliance and Life Sciences practices and has unique expertise in dispute resolution.
PRK Partners, a leading Central European law firm, has been helping clients achieve their business objectives for more than 30 years. Our team of lawyers, based in our Prague, Ostrava, and Bratislava offices, has a unique knowledge of Czech and Slovak law and of the business environment. Our lawyers have a significant experience working for multinational corporations, including leading international law firms. We also advise a number of domestic clients aiding them with local as well as cross-border legal matters