Event Report

On 15 April, the Legal 500 GC Summit Romania brought together leading in-house lawyers and legal professionals at the InterContinental Athénée Palace in Bucharest for a day of panel discussions and networking. The event focused on the changing role of general counsel in Romania and beyond, offering practical insights on regulatory updates, corporate governance, dispute resolution, and the growing impact of technology on legal work.

The day began with welcome remarks from Allan Cohen, Research Editor at The Legal 500, and Daria Niculcea, Executive Director at JURIDICE.ro, who highlighted the value of collaboration across the in-house legal community.

The first panel featured Florian Nițu of Popovici Nițu Stoica & Asociaţii, Alina Dumitrașcu of PPC Group, Cristina Vilcu of BRD, and Claudiu Tampău of Strabag. They discussed how legal teams manage Romanian claims on a larger scale, covering hybrid legal systems, working with regulators, and adapting strategies for commercial and regulatory disputes. The session offered useful takeaways for aligning legal work with business goals.

Next, a panel on white-collar crime and anti-corruption efforts in Romania brought together Mihai Mareș, Traian Bădescu, and Liana Iacob of Mareș & Mareș, as well as Mihai Rotaru of Banca Transilvania, Sabin Tăcliță of Orange, Marinela Beșleagă of Tekzen, and Saniya Sadykova – Ibatullina of NIS PETROL. They looked at recent legal developments, compliance responsibilities, and the importance of prevention strategies in both the public and private sectors.

The third session, which included Laura Estrade of act legal, Mihai Popa of E.ON Romania, and Andrei Hancu of SeedBlink, focused on how general counsel and law firms can work together more effectively. The discussion touched on the need for business understanding, clearer communication, and cost transparency – and how law firms can offer more than legal advice by acting as strategic partners.

Lucian Bondoc of Bondoc și Asociații was then joined by Denisa Gogoriță of RetuRo SGR, Cristian Buzan of Engie, and Mihaela Stancu of Procter & Gamble to talk about managing risk and multidisciplinary work in legal departments. They discussed how firms can support clients in areas like compliance, ESG, data protection, and digital change, all whilst helping them take a broader, more proactive approach.

In another insightful session, Ileana Glodeanu of Wolf Theiss, with Horia Gustă of Muntenia Invest, Bogdan Pleșuvescu of Banca Transilvania, and Gabriela Popescu of Microsoft. Through real-life stories, the speakers shared lessons from complex restructurings and regulatory cases, offering a personal look at leadership, adaptability, and the evolving expectations of general counsel.

The summit wrapped up with a fireside chat between Bogdan Chirițoiu, President of the Romanian Competition Council, and a leading competition lawyer. They discussed recent enforcement cases in Romania, foreign investment controls, and the wider policy trends shaping competition law in the region.

The Legal 500 thanks all our speakers, partners, and guests for making this year’s GC Summit a great success. We look forward to returning to Bucharest soon.

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