Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii > Bucharest, Romania > Firm Profile

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii
4-8 SOSEAUA NICOLAE TITULESCU
AMERICA HOUSE, WEST WING, 8F, SECTOR 1
011141 BUCHAREST
Romania

Romania > Banking and finance Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii fields a banking and finance team with an excellent reputation for representing local banks, the Romanian subsidiaries of international financial groups, and regional financial institutions in a range of matters. The group handles domestic and international transactions, and assists investment funds with NPL portfolio acquisitions. The practice is jointly led by the triumvirate of Stefan Damian, financing expert Mihai Dudoiu and Gabriela Anton, who brings two decades of experience in banking and finance law and is a key name for fintech matters. Managing associates Catalin Georgescu and Sergiu Negreanu are key contacts.

Practice head(s):

Stefan Damian; Mihai Dudoiu; Gabriela Anton

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is most helpful to work under very short deadlines, managing to delivery even on short notice. Once they confirm a cooperation you can rest assured they will deliver. They are pro-business focused and solutions oriented. I value greatly their legal expertise.’

‘Deliver fast and good/reliable solutions. I recommend Gabriela Anton, Mihai Dudoiu and Sergiu Negreanu.’

‘We recommend Gabriela Anton, Mihai Dudoiu and Catalin Georgescu.’

‘Responsive and helpful, strong on fintech.’

‘Gabriela Anton in easy to work with and provides clear advice.’

Key clients

AnaCap

APS Zeta S.A.

Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) and Erste Goup

Banca Transilvania

BRD Groupe Société Générale S.A. and Société Générale

Deutsche Bank

Expur

ING Bank

Loan Agency Services SRL

OTP Bank Romania

Partners for Growth VI, L.P.

Raiffeisen Bank

Ribbank Letonia

Serraghis Asset Management S.A.

Speedwell Group

Work highlights

  • Assisting Banca Comerciala Romana as mandated lead arranger with the €228m financing extended to MedLife Group.
  • Advising APS Holding, Deutsche Bank, Ana Cap, on the takeover by the APS of two portfolios of non-performing loans amounting to €100m.
  • Acting for Cineworld Group on a financial restructuring process.

Romania > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is 'at the top of the game' in the corporate and commercial arena. The group provides 'clear, to the point, and practical' advice to clients in a broad range of industries. M&A work forms a key pillar of strength for the team, and the department works closely with the firm’s energy, real estate and tax groups to support clients on deals and corporate governance issues. The practice is led by the quintet of managing partners Florentin Tuca and Gabriel Zbarcea; the 'sharp and talented' Cătălin BăiculescuStefan Damian, who handles complex corporate reorganisations, public and private M&A, and post-privatisation issues; and Horia Ispas, who is well known for handling M&A and corporate restructuring matters in the banking sector. Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa and Sorin Vladescu have respective expertise in real estate and energy transactions. Silvana Ivan, Oana Ureche and Dragos Apostol are other recommended lawyers.

Practice head(s):

Stefan Damian; Florentin Tuca; Gabriel Zbarcea; Catalin Baiculescu; Horia Ispas

Other key lawyers:

Sorin Vladescu; Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa; Dan Borbely; Silvana Ivan; Oana Ureche; Dragos Apostol; Veronica Aman; Roxana Pana; Sergiu Cretu

Testimonials

‘I have worked with the firm on a number of different aspects and under various instructions. They helped us tremendously with contract drafting and signing, contract negotiations, due diligence investigations and so on. In the context of an M&A project, they proved to be extremely astute, having duly captured and understood all relevant legal and factual issues involved, demonstrating skill and expertise. The services are simply exceptional, this law firm is at the top of the game in the legal industry.’

‘Catalin Baiculescu has exceptional qualities: sharp and talented, competent and with a perfect understanding of the industry market in which we operate and a very good knowledge of the general economic context that could influence our business. I have relied on his expertise on many occasions and have not been disappointed. He is a brilliant legal mind! Also, calm, measured and reassuring. Have no hesitation in recommending Catalin.’

‘A team with common sense, initiative, client centred, well organized and very prompt. Professional and can-do attitude all along. Excellent contract writing techniques and negotiation skills. They followed up on all tasks that were given and provided continued guidance up to the finalization of our project.’

‘We recommend Stefan Damian, Razvan Testa, Dragos Apostol, Veronica Aman, Silvana Ivan and many more. The whole team is top class! Stefan Damian masters general business laws like no other, and is an effective M&A lawyer with lots of expertise and impressive knowledge of the market! Razvan Testa is accurate and efficient, he provides commercial and corporate law counselling but he is also an excellent M&A lawyer, very adept at negotiating various types of contracts. Dragos Apostol has impressive commercial and technical skills, very friendly and he always finds the time to explain and answer my questions. Veronica Aman is a very hardworking and focused young lawyer, with outstanding abilities in the corporate and commercial field, also regulatory and, of course M&A. She writes very detailed contracts and provides helpful insight into the pros and the cons. Silvana Ivan is a skilled and experienced M&A lawyer with a strong background in corporate law. She is dependable, very practical and she catches issues quickly.’

‘The whole team has a lot of transactional related expertise which was an important part in our decision making as regards working with Tuca Zbarcea & Associates. Another element was their extensive experience in corporate matters and more significantly in legal issues affecting the IT&C sector. Their advice has always been straight to the point and simply impeccable. ’

‘The main partner Catalin Baiculescu is fantastic! He explained everything very clearly, putting my mind at ease. It gives me a lot of comfort knowing that he has our best interest in mind, both financially and legally. Thanks to his negotiation skills, our transactions always went smoothly to the satisfaction of all parties involved. And if unexpected issues arise, Catalin would handle every situation with professionalism and knowledge.’

‘Tuca has been a great partner in managing our corporate and employment needs. Their advise is clear, to the point, and practical, which makes our day-to-day operation easier.’

‘Their entire team is knowledgeable and very easy to work with. We enjoy our partnership and they are willing to get creative and work with our legal team when we face complex issues.’

Key clients

Vodafone Romania

Carrefour Romania

GlobalLogic Inc

Smithfield Foods Group Ltd.

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC)

Booking Holdings Inc.

Untold Universe

The Rohatyn Group/ Optimapharm d.o.o.

Egis

Clever Media Network Group

TESLA group

Oracle

Lenovo

Vesta

Work highlights

  • Advising GlobalLogic on signing a definitive agreement to acquire the group of companies Fortech SRL and Fortech Software Solutions SRL.
  • Advising Carrefour Romania SA, Carrefour France and Carrefour Netherlands on the acquisition of Romania Hypermarche SA.
  • Assisted Smithfield Foods Group Limited with its acquisition of Goodies Meat Production.

Romania > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is home to ‘a robust team of dispute resolution attorneys‘ which is regularly instructed in a number of the most high-profile, complex cases in Romania. The group predominantly acts for private sector clients, however the department is equally strong in assisting public authorities and government officials with disputes. Senior partner Robert Rosu has an established reputation in the dispute resolution arena. Cornel Popa brings more than 26 years of experience in handling commercial and investment arbitration and mediation, and Ionut Serban specialises in sports law arbitration. Ioana Hrisafi and Christina Vladescu are also key senior contacts. Managing associate Mihaela Maxim is a name to note.

Practice head(s):

Robert Rosu; Ioana Hrisafi; Cornel Popa; Levana Zigmund; Ionut Serban; Christina Vladescu; Dan Cristea; Oana Gavril; Catalina Mihailescu; Alina Ungureanu; Anca Puscasu

Other key lawyers:

Mihaela Maxim; Dana Busini; Irina Raileanu

Testimonials

‘Our company has been working with Tuca Zbarcea and Asociatii for at least 13 years, primarily in litigation and arbitration cases. The firm has a robust team of dispute resolution attorneys, probably the largest team in Romania. They acted for us on several cases arising from multiple areas of law: fiscal, insolvency, labour etc as well as on different arbitration cases. I would describe them as being professional, committed, excellent strategists with both written and oral skills, focused on obtaining the desired outcome and willingness to constantly improve and develop.’

‘For arbitration, I highly recommend Cornel Popa. Cornel is very experienced, he really sees the bigger picture and acts accordingly. His advice is thorough, efficient and well documented. He exhibits excellent arbitration management skills and great practical judgement.’

‘I recommend Ionut Serban and Catalina Mihailescu for litigation. Ionut Serban is a knowledgeable litigator, outstanding at defending our interests. He is an accomplished attorney with a refined approach to client representation. He is a confident presence in court, professional and courteous. Catalina Mihailescu is an efficient, accessible and highly involved lawyer, she is one of the firm’s main partners dealing with insolvency cases. Her analyses are very precise and constructive, she has deep knowledge of the insolvency law and also a high level of commercial insight.’

‘This is a highly regarded team, they are well known in the market for their expertise and the superior results they obtain for their clients. We worked with this team in connection with multiple cases, from forced execution cases, to commercial litigation and even arbitration files. They also assisted us in several public procurement cases. Lawyers are very level-headed. solution-oriented and very responsive.’

‘Robert Rosu is a gifted dispute resolution lawyer who performs outstandingly in court.’

‘Ioana Hrisafi stands out as a 100% committed litigation lawyer whose prior expertise as a judge really makes a difference when it comes to presenting the best possible arguments in the courtroom. She is persuasive and to the point.’

‘From our direct experience, the dispute resolution practice stands out in the wide variety of legal services that Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has provided to our company over the years. An excellent, but still affordable value-added service would sum it up.’

‘Oana Gavril is an exceptional professional, committed to providing a high-quality service, intuitive and pleasant to work with.’

Key clients

Amethyst Radiotherapy Limited

Amromco Energy

Bekaert Slatina SRL

BMC Truck & Bus

BRD Groupe Société Générale

Carrefour Romania

CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd

DAF Trucks NV

Eco Anvelope S.A.

Electroputere VFU Pașcani SA

Energy Financing Team Switzerland AG (“EFT”)

Euroins

Faist Mekatronic

Faist Metalworking

Gabriel Resources LTD (Canada) and Gabriel Resources (Jersey) Ltd

Generali Romania Asigurare-Reasigurare SA

Michelin Romania

Pharmafarm SA

Retim Ecologic Service

Romanian Commodities Exchange (Bursa Romana de Marfuri)

Romanian Tennis Federation (RTF)

Romairport SRL (Italy)

The Art Museum of Constanta

Tiriac Group

Vodafone Romania

Webuild S.p.A.WTE Wassertechnik GmbH

Zoppas Industries Romania

Work highlights

  • Acting for Webuild in various disputes.
  • Representing the Romanian Commodities Exchange before the European Court of Justice in challenging a State monopoly on the national licensing of for-trade energy platforms.
  • Acting for BMC Truck & Bus in public procurement litigation.

Romania > Employment Tier 1

The employment team at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is praised for its ability to ‘seamlessly blend’ an understanding of Romanian law ‘with a profound grasp of international employment practices‘. Combining employment and labour specialists with the firm’s dispute resolution team, the team covers a broad range of employment issues including matters arising out of mergers and acquisitions, advisory work for high-profile multinationals, and labour disputes. Co-heads of the team Serban Pâslaru and Mihai Anghel are valued for their ‘remarkable ability to navigate even the most complex legal landscapes‘.

Practice head(s):

Serban Paslaru; Mihai Anghel

Other key lawyers:

Maria Olteanu

Testimonials

‘Tuca Zbarcea and Associates law firm is truly exceptional in its field. What sets this practice apart is its unique ability to seamlessly blend a comprehensive understanding of Romanian labour laws with a profound grasp of international employment practices.’

‘Tuca Zbarcea and Associates is undoubtedly a top choice for clients seeking legal counsel in employment matters.’

‘Serban Paslaru and Mihai Anghel, the esteemed senior partners at Tuca Zbarcea and Associates law firm, are truly exceptional legal minds. Their extensive seniority and exposure to a myriad of legal scenarios have endowed them with an unparalleled depth of knowledge and a remarkable ability to navigate even the most complex legal landscapes.’

‘HR Managers fortunate enough to work with Serban Paslaru and Mihai Anghel would undoubtedly find themselves equipped with the finest guidance for addressing sensitive conflicts and employment matters.’

‘A well-balanced team with high expertise in legislation.’

‘Mihai Anghel is an experienced person with a strategic skillset. We collaborated on a lot of projects and all the time we succeeded.’

‘Maria Olteanu is a very proactive person with quick reaction when is needed.’

Key clients

3M

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

Booking Holdings, Inc. (brands include Booking.com, priceline.com, agoda.com, Kayak, Rentalcars.com & OpenTable)

BRD Finance IFN

Carrefour Romania

CEZ

Coficab Ploiesti

Cognyte Technologies

Ericsson Telecommunications Romania

Ericsson Antenna Romania Technology

Merck

Michelin

Playtika

Pragmatic Play

Sanofi Aventis

Sparkware

Varian

Veeam

Work highlights

  • Assisting Booking Holdings with complex employment legal issues.
  • Assisting Carrefour Romania with various labour issues arising from COVID 19, including the working-from-home regime, health and safety programs for vulnerable employees, remuneration and incentive schemes for exposed employees, governmental facilities etc.
  • Assisting Generali Romania, part of Generali group with various labour and employment matters pertaining to its activities in Romania.

Romania > Energy and natural resources Tier 1

Praised for its ‘spectacular‘ energy and natural resources offering, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is ‘extremely knowledgeable about the applicable local and EU regulations in this field‘, advising on the full range of operational, transactional, and developmental matters in the market across electricity, renewables, nuclear, oil & gas and natural resources. Its international reach involves handling cross-border matters in the US and across the CEE region. Sorin Vladescu ‘stands out as an effective energy lawyer‘, pairing energy expertise with corporate experience. Vladescu co-leads the team with oil and gas disputes specialist Cornel Popa, and Ciprian Dragomir. The ‘exceptionalNisa Jecu focuses on the electricity, combined heat and power, and gas sectors.

Practice head(s):

Sorin Vladescu; Cornel Popa; Ciprian Dragomir

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has one of the best energy teams on the market. The lawyers are highly professional, open and attentive to the clients’ needs.’

‘The team is highly specialised in different areas and they work in a very good collaboration so that the end result is of a high quality.’

‘This team has all the ingredients to offer top-class legal services in energy. They are value-building partners for our business, demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise to address even the most complex work assignments.’

‘Sorin Vladescu stands out as an effective energy lawyer. He is one of the most strategic thinkers and planners that I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Thanks to his extensive legal expertise, he has a quick understanding of the central legal issues at hand and can adopt a solution-focused approach to problem-solving.’

‘Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii’s expertise in energy law and other regulations in the field of natural resources (mining, oil and gas etc) is spectacular!  I am grateful to have found such a team at Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii law firm.’

‘No doubt, Sorin Vladescu is terrific from both a legal and technical perspective. He is highly qualified and well-equipped to handle all sorts of legal issues.’

‘Nisa Jecu is confident and trustworthy; her engagement and communication levels are exceptional.’

Key clients

CEZ Romania

E-infra Group

Electrica SA

OMV Group / Petrom

Tesla Group/ Tesla Energy Storage

Renault

MOL Romania Petroleum Products S.R.L.

Monsson Operation SRL

Marubeni Corporation

Amromco

Socar Petroleum SA

Work highlights

  • Provided legal assistance to Electrica SA and its group companies on a wide range of energy related matters deriving from client’s operations on the local market.
  • Provided legal assistance to an important oil and gas company regarding envisaged investments in the renewable energy market, including advice on energy and regulatory matters and construction/infrastructure.
  • Advising a company producing heating and electric power by mean of high efficiency cogeneration – on various energy regulatory, public procurement law issues.

Romania > EU and competition Tier 1

The EU and competition law practice at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii works in tandem with the firm’s dispute resolution team to assist clients with a broad spectrum of contentious matters. Key areas of instruction include investigations into a range of sectors and litigation brought against the Competition Council relating to decisions and imposed fines. On the non-contentious side, the team provides day-to-day advice on competition and antitrust law. Merger clearance matters are another key area of expertise. The 'outstandingAndreea Oprișan co-heads the practice with Raluca Vasilache, who has extensive experience in the EU and competition space.

Practice head(s):

Raluca Vasilache; Andreea Oprisan

Testimonials

‘I was very impressed by the direct involvement of the responsible partner in our project from beginning to end. Always giving precise answers, and doing anything to make things move forward.’

‘Andreea Oprişan is an outstanding partner with business acumen.’

‘Knowledgeable partners.’

‘Andreea Oprisan is one of our oldest and dearest collaborators, well versed in competition matters, pleasant and fully dedicated to providing best-in-class legal advice.’

‘Very high level advice.’

‘Hands-on and no-nonsense approach towards complexity. Strong knowledge of authorities’ practices. Negotiation skills.’

Key clients

AMAZONEN-WERKE H. DREYER SE & Co. KG

Girod Semnalizare Rutiera

Generali Romania

Vodafone Romania

Carrefour Romania

IPSO SRL

Merck Romania

BRD Sogelease IFN SA

Eco Anvelope

GlobalLogic Inc

Bayer Romania

OKI Europe Limited

Ivatherm SRL

Work highlights

  • Advising Carrefour Romania on day-to-day competition matters.
  • Advising OKI Europe on an investigation brought by the Competition Council.
  • Acting for Generali Romania in a court challenge to a sanctioning decision issued by the Romanian Competition Council.

Romania > Intellectual property Tier 1

Dedicated teams for advisory and litigation matters within IP dovetail to give clients of Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii the full range of advice in the area. A strong offering in brand integrity and anti-counterfeiting is a hallmark of the practice that counts among its clients some of the leading names in a diverse range of sectors, indicative of the firm’s strong reputation in IP law that extends beyond specific sector specialities. Ciprian Dragomir has significant experience advising on regulatory issues, licensing and exploitation of IP rights, trade mark registration, and IP arrangements. He leads the IP team with Ioana Hrisafi, who focuses on the contentious side of the practice. They are supported by Dana Barbu, who assists with trade mark portfolios; Mihaela Maxim, a further key name for IP litigation; and Sergiu Crețu, who focuses on the transactional side of things.

Practice head(s):

Ciprian Dragomir; Ioana Hrisafi

Other key lawyers:

Dana Barbu; Mihaela Maxim; Segiu Cretu

Testimonials

‘Beautiful team with exceptionally good IP lawyers. I work with them regarding several trademark cases.’

‘Dana Barbu’s work is excellent, she is fast and reliable, easy to connect with. Together with Ciprian Dragomir and Sergiu Cretu who are extremely seasoned IP professionals, they form the dream-team of any client.’

‘Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii’s IP team possesses a fantastic set of skills: legal prowess, client care, market knowledge, creative approach. They have broad expertise as regards copyright, trademark and patent and as regards IP litigation. In my opinion, the firm is the perfect choice whether you are a small business or an international corporation, as they can easily handle IP contentious, licensing and transactional matters. My experience with this team was smooth and pleasant. I received proper guidance and attention: overall, they made me feel like I was their most important client. ’

‘Dana Barbu is the first one I should mention. She is experienced, hardworking, attentive to details, responsive and thoughtful. She has a deep understanding of IP laws and monitors closely all legal developments in this area. She did a great job advising us on a matter regarding IP infringement.’

‘Ciprian Dragomir leads the IP team and has a good deal of experience in this field. He is also a certified intellectual property counsellor.’

‘Ioana Hrisafi is a highly skilled lawyer and a formidable litigator.’

‘Mihaela Maxim is tenacious, persuasive and talented, with very good results in court.’

Key clients

3M Company

Amethyst Radiotherapy

Artexim

Carrefour Romania

GlobalLogic

Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne

Coracle GmbH

Comarket SRL

EAD.RO Interactive

Expur

FRONERI

Ivatherm

Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO) – France

Philip Morris Trading SRL

Romanian Football Federation

Sevio Solutions

Uber

Untold SRL

Work highlights

  • Advising Carrefour Romania on intellectual property matters arising from its activities in the local retail market.
  • Assisting Artexim with IP issues regarding “George Enescu International Festival” and the “George Enescu International Musical Contest”.
  • Acting for 3M Company on various matters related to its trade mark portfolio.

Romania > PPP and procurement Tier 1

‘A popular choice when it comes to PPP and procurement in Romania’, the team at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is experienced in large-scale social infrastructure, telecoms networks, transport, and utilities projects. Military procurement projects are an area of growing strength for the team, which has significant expertise in regulatory matters: recently, advising the International Finance Corporation on PPP frameworks in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Șerban Pâslaru, co-head of the team, advises both investors and public authorities on a range of high-value projects. Vlad Cercel co-heads the team alongside Pâslaru and has had notable involvement in Romanian legislative change in the area. Iuliana Leon is described as 'practical and very meticulous’.

Practice head(s):

Șerban Pâslaru; Vlad Cercel

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team’s procurement expertise is well above the market average and they are well known for their ability to work on sophisticated projects in the sector. This firm is a popular choice when it comes to PPP and procurement in Romania or in the region.’

‘Șerban Pâslaru and Vlad Cercel usually are the main contacts. Serban is a commercially astute lawyer, with outstanding experience in concessions, procurement procedures for large projects in various sectors. Vlad is incredibly experienced, with robust expertise on the regulatory front. His knowledge of the European regulations in this area and of other specific laws which are relevant to the PPP and procurement framework is remarkable.’

‘Iuliana Leon provides backup on several important matters and keeps a high profile by engaging in various public speaking events. She is practical and very meticulous.’

 

Key clients

E-Infra Group

International Finance Corporation – IFC

European Investment Bank (EIB)

Groupe Renault

MOL Romania Petroleum Products S.R.L.

Nuctech Warsaw Company Limited SP

Bepco

Tesla Group/ Tesla Energy Storage

Telekom Romania Mobile Communications

Webuild S.p.A. (the former Astaldi S.p.A.)

Compania de Salubritate Brantner Veres S.A.

Work highlights

  • Provided legal assistance to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group regarding the PPP legal framework in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
  • Provided legal assistance to the European Investment Bank regarding a technical assistance project in the sector of health infrastructure.
  • Provided legal assistance to Webuild S.p.A. (the former Astaldi S.p.A.) in relation to various public procurement procedures worth EUR 1.1 billion.

Romania > Real estate and construction Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii‘s real estate practice is described as 'superb‘. The substantial team has particular strength managing development and investment in commercial real estate work. Advice on new credit facilities is an area of notable expertise along with real estate project restructurings and large-scale litigations. Practice co-head Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa, described as ‘an accomplished real estate lawyer‘, combines tax and corporate skills; fellow co-head Dan Borbely often works with investments in the local real estate market. Corporate acquisitions and sale transactions are a key focus of Oana Ureche‘s practice, while Dragos Apostol is sought after for large-scale forestry acquisition projects. Alexandra Pereș is described as 'the new star in the team‘.

Practice head(s):

Răzvan Gheorghiu-Testa; Dan Borbely; Oana Ureche; Dragoş Apostol; Alexandra Pereş

Other key lawyers:

Amalia Dumitru; Raluca Misu

Testimonials

‘We have worked with many practices of the law firm and are very happy with the business acumen, high professional standards and client interaction.’

‘Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii’s top-quality real estate practice is superb. They have a diverse team with diverse backgrounds and they provide the best legal advice one could ask for. I respect and admire their commitment, availability and overall legal prowess.’

‘Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa is an accomplished real estate lawyer, very experienced, always hands-on, and consistently thorough in his advice. He has both the legal knowledge and business acumen to provide seamless service. We enjoy very much working with Razvan.’

‘Alexandra Peres is the new star in the team. She is extremely proactive, she gets right to the bottom of things to provide solutions to our legal problems.’

‘Amalia Dumitru is very helpful and responsive, with a professional attitude and also very good from a technical perspective.’

‘Raluca Misu keeps impressing me with her commitment and knowledge of the laws and overall practical experience in real estate and construction. She makes a great lawyer!’

Key clients

Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing

Carrefour Romania

CEZ Romania

McDonald’s Romania

Vodafone Group Services plc

Speedwell (Belgian real estate investment fund)

Cinema City Romania

Superbet Group, part of Blackstone

Indotek Group (Hungary)

Elements Logistic & Industrial (ELII)

Booking Holdings

Tesla Group/ Tesla Energy Storage

S+B GRUPPE AG

Revetas Capital Advisors

Maurer Imobiliare

R.T.C. RADIOLOGY THERAPEUTIC CENTER (Amethyst Group)

Realis Development

Work highlights

  • Advising Carrefour Romania SA, Carrefour France and Carrefour Netherlands in connection with the acquisition of Romania Hypermarche SA.
  • Advising Premier Restaurants Romania/ McDonald’s on all legal issues related to the group’s national expansion.
  • Advising Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI) in connection with all asset and property management issues in connection with America House.

Romania > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii remains heavily involved in a high number of insolvencies; the firm is recognised for housing a specialised group of practitioners with a specific focus on insolvency matters. Debt restructurings form another key driver of work for the group. The practice is jointly led by the quintet of insolvency expert Ciprian Dragomir; the 'deeply experienced' senior partner Robert Rosu; Cătălina Mihăilescu, who specialises in insolvency and liquidation procedures; and litigators Ionut Serban and Alina Ungureanu. Managing associate Valentin Moga-Shaban is singled out for his contributions.

Practice head(s):

Robert Rosu; Catalina Mihailescu; Ionut Serban; Alina Ungureanu; Ciprian Dragomir

Other key lawyers:

Dorin Petcu; Valentin Moga-Shaban

Testimonials

‘The firm’s lawyers have vast experience and they are very competent as regards restructuring and insolvency advice. Lawyers are pragmatic, efficient, commercial-minded and they know the market very well.’

‘I highly recommend Catalina Mihailescu. She is super experienced, very attentive to detail and has an excellent reputation as an insolvency practitioner.’

‘Valentin Moga-Shaban is very good, with very good technical skills, very client-focused and efficient.’

‘Robert Rosu is deeply experienced, bright, tenacious, well known in courts! He has very good judgement, common sense and business sense.’

Key clients

Amromco Energy

Azienda ULSS 3 Serenissima

Azienda ULSS 4 Veneto Orientale

Azienda ULSS 5 Polesana

Azienda ULSS 6 Euganea

Azienda ULSS 7 Pedemontana

Azienda ULSS 8 Berica

Azienda Ospedale Universita Padova

BRD Groupe Société Générale

Eco Anvelope S.A.

Edificia Star Construct S.R.L.

Euroins

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Romania

Omilos Oradea

Sojograb

Technofalak

Webuild S.p.A.

Whirpool

Work highlights

  • Acting for Webuild in high-value insolvency proceedings.
  • Representing Amromco in court proceedings concerning the insolvency of the company.

Romania > Tax Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii‘s tax team has ‘a very good knowledge of’ the tax sector ‘and its fiscal challenges‘, and is experienced in taxation areas including corporate income tax, transfer pricing, individual taxation, and VAT, as well as tax related projects. It balances both consultancy and dispute resolution services. Clients praise its ‘integrated and unified approach to both legal and fiscal issues‘. Multidisciplinary practitioner Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa handles transactional tax issues, co-heading the team with go-to non-contentious tax expert Alexandru Cristea, valued for his ‘unique approach to the client‘. Key names for contentious matters are Ioana Hrisafi and Christina VladescuRamona Chițu and Cristian Velcu are certified tax consultants.

Practice head(s):

Alexandru Cristea; Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa

Testimonials

‘The team is very professional, very responsive. We can rely on prompt responses, the deadlines agreed are firmly met. ’

‘The individuals have a very good knowledge of our sector and its fiscal challenges. They are very well-connected with the news regarding the changes of tax legislation and the trends in the tax audits. They are also very experienced in the procedures related to challenge of administrative decision of tax authorities.’

‘The Tuca Tax team was the only professional and highly qualified team to offer our company an integrated and unified approach to both legal and fiscal issues and the guarantee of the successful results.’

‘They have the knowledge and the practical experience to assist the client in various tax matters. No matter how difficult the situation was, Tuca Tax gave us the comfort and assured us about the great result to come. A team of professionals and highly qualified and experienced tax advisers.’

‘Alexandru Cristea has assisted us on tax planning as well as VAT and tax audits. I value him due to his unique approach to the client, and to client needs.’

‘Ramona Chitu has provided us assistance during these years, advising us on our projects in various fields: tax optimisation, mergers and other business restructurings, tax audits, due diligence, tax litigation in the field of corporate income tax, and each time ended successfully.’

Key clients

Alstom Transport Romania

CEZ Group

Total Romania/ TotalEnergies

CMP Automotive Romania

Zoppas Industries Romania

Amethyst Group

Orkla Foods Romania

Work highlights

  • Assisted CEZ group of companies in Romania on a variety of windfall tax matters with which is confronted in its ongoing operations on the Romanian energy market.
  • Provided advisory services to Zoppas Industries Romania in relation to a variety of tax issues, including transfer pricing advice on the prices of intra-group transactions.
  • Provided legal and tax advice for Amethyst Group in relation to a complex restructuring process, facilitating the appropriate restructuring option and assisting with the implementation.

Romania > TMT Tier 1

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii ‘has an outstanding TMT team, they are highly specialised and easily cover all types of work relating to the telecom, media and technology sectors.’ The team includes a number of practitioners with experience at national regulatory authorities, and benefits from the firm’s broader data protection and data privacy expertise. Headed by Ciprian Timofte, the group regularly supports international clients in the financial services, IT, and healthcare industries. Vlad Cercel and Cătălin Băiculescu co-head the team alongside Timofte. Cercel is ‘well known for his experience in the telecom and audiovisual sectors’, while Băiculescu is ‘a one-of-a-kind TMT lawyer’ with particular experience in the entertainment and media space. Florentina Petrisor is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Vlad Cercel; Cătălin Băiculescu; Ciprian Timofte

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Cătălin Băiculescu is well known for his TMT legal experience and needs no further introductions. He is very knowledgeable about the laws in the audiovisual sector and efficient: he is able to review, process and synthesise information very quickly. His support in solving various legal issues affecting our business is greatly appreciated, he makes a fantastic TMT lawyer, wonderful to work with and down to earth.’

‘The firm is highly active in the TMT sector, they have experienced lawyers in their team who provide outstanding quality combined with impressive industry knowledge. When choosing our legal advisors, we want a team that meets the following criteria: know-how, promptness, focus on deadlines, open communication and professionalism. For us, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is at the forefront of the legal services market in every respect, and TMT is not an exception. ’

‘Over the past few years, I’ve been constantly meeting and liaising with Catalin Baiculescu, who is a one-of-a-kind TMT lawyer: well-prepared on the technical side, with strong interdisciplinary skills, in addition to being a powerful negotiator. He is extraordinarily diligent and proactive, offering both practical and commercially oriented solutions, which means that he really puts himself in clients’ shoes. ’

‘This law firm has an outstanding TMT team, they are highly specialised and easily cover all types of work relating to the telecom, media and technology sectors. They are extremely proficient and have a very strong knowledge and understanding of the nuances and technical implications of our business decisions.’

‘Cătălin Băiculescu is our main choice for media related work, he knows the industry inside out. He is a highly capable and versatile partner with enormous experience. Partner Vlad Cercel clearly stands out, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him. He is well known for his experience in the telecom and audiovisual sectors. ’

‘This firm and its employees demonstrate great legal expertise! They are open and flexible to the customer’s schedule. They always go the extra mile to help and support the right way. I highly recommend their services!’

‘They work great as a team and also individually. The colleagues that we collaborated with are very well-prepared, very helpful, responsive and always do follow up with the client. We have only high praises for the following colleagues.’

‘Outstanding professionals. In this company, it seems like they hire only people with the highest IQs. It forces you, as a client, to up your game. ’

Key clients

Adobe Systems Romania

Telekom Romania Mobile

Orange Romania Communications

E-Infra

Booking Holdings

Verifone/ 2Checkout

GlobalLogic

EAD.RO Interactive

Ericsson Telecommunications Romania

Fun Labs Romania SRL

Netcity Telecom / Direct One

Netflix International

Ringier Romania

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC)/ ELC Digital Technology

Uber

Untold SRL

Vodafone Romani

Work highlights

  • Advising GlobalLogic Inc., a Hitachi Group Company (Japan) on entering the Romanian IT services market.
  • Advising Estée Lauder on the operation of its Bucharest technology center/ ELC Digital Technology.
  • Advising Booking Holdings Inc. on the operation of its Bucharest cybersecurity and IT Center of Excellence.

Romania > TMT: gambling law Tier 2

The gambling team at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii has ‘excellent specialised expertise in the intricacies of online gambling laws‘, advising operators on both their online and offline presences. Clients benefit from the team's diverse expertise across IP, tax, dispute resolution, employment, data protection and anti-money laundering matters. This cross-disciplinary approach is spearheaded by Horia Ispas, who leverages his M&A and corporate experience to advise gambling clients on regulatory and compliance issues. Managing associate Sergiu Crețu is noted by clients for his ability to ‘meet the unique needs and objectives of clients within the online gambling industry’. 

Practice head(s):

Horia Ispas

Other key lawyers:

Sergiu Cretu

Testimonials

‘The team has excellent specialised expertise in the intricacies of online gambling laws, regulations, and industry practices. They easily assist in navigating the complex regulatory landscape governing online gambling. They use a client-centric approach by providing personalised, practical, timely and strategic legal advice in line with the client’s goals and objectives.’

‘Sergiu Cretu has outstandingly deep expertise in online gambling laws. He always keeps the clients updated on industry trends, technological advancements, and emerging legal issues within the online gambling sector. He tailors legal strategies to meet the unique needs and objectives of clients within the online gambling industry.’

Key clients

TSG Interactive Plc

TSG Platforms Ltd

Amelco UK Ltd

Apco Systems Ltd

Kambi Malta Ltd

Pariplay Malta Ltd

Realistic Games Limited

BTB Betlab Holdings Ltd

Chargeads S.R.L.

Ibus Media Limited

Bet Live Studios S.R.L.

LSEL Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising PokerStars on a wide range of compliance/regulatory issues specific to the performance of online gambling in Romania.
  • Provided assistance to Pariplay Malta Limited on all regulatory related matters under Romanian jurisdiction applicable to Romanian B2B gambling suppliers.
  • Provided assistance to BTB Betlab Holdings LTD in relation to its operations on the Romanian gambling market.

Romania > White-collar crime Tier 3

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii fields a criminal law department whose services in white-collar crime cover litigation as well as internal investigations and compliance advice. Leadership of the team is divided between Manuela Gornoviceanu, who has three decades of experience representing clients before all court levels in Romania, and Robert Rosu, who is also vastly experienced at the highest level of litigation in the country. Senior associate Constantin Matei focuses his practice exclusively on criminal law matters.

Practice head(s):

Robert Rosu; Manuela Gornoviceanu

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Highly specialized criminal defense attorneys.’

‘The white collar crime team is operating like a specialized boutique criminal firm under the brand of Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii which in my view, is both time-effective and also cost-effective, as we benefit from the full range of legal services under the same roof.’

‘The entire team is excellent: Robert Rosu is an outstanding lawyer and one of the best defense lawyers in the country! He always makes sure that the advice and work are carefully tailored to each specific matter and respective clients’ circumstances.’

‘Manuela Gornoviceanu is extremely well prepared to handle any criminal case: she is rigorous, discreet and efficient. She always presented her findings in a clear and concise manner and highlighted for us the best arguments that we should make.’

‘Constantin Matei is is skilled, deeply compassionate and justice oriented. He demonstrates an excellent use of tactics and strategies.’

‘In addition to professionalism, we can add the team’s time and availability, finding solutions in critical situations, being open to technical and very technical discussions even if I was not a specialist, offering alternative solutions so that together we can choose the most suitable one.’

‘Very good collaboration and open and sincere communication on their part, and I would also add the relationship of sympathy and trust that has developed throughout the projects, so I recommend them with all openness, conviction and responsibility of the statements.’

Key clients

The Romanian Football Federation

Carpatair S.A.

Work highlights

  • Advising an international company active in the FMCG industry on preventing a potential criminal procedure.
  • Representing a pharmaceutical company in a criminal case regarding contraband and counterfeiting.

The firm: Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is one of the leading law firms in Romania and in the region, both in terms of the high-quality services it provides to its clients and the magnitude of the projects the firm has been involved in during recent years. The firm boasts a talented team of more than 120 lawyers in its Bucharest office. It also operates a secondary office in Cluj-Napoca (one of the most important cities in Romania), and has excellent national coverage based on correspondent law offices in major cities, including Iasi, Timisoara, Constanta etc. Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii’s team comprises lawyers, insolvency practitioners, tax consultants, IP counselors, economists who provide comprehensive services to effectively meet clients’ needs. In addition, thanks to the firm’s dedicated foreign desks, the team is able to assist international investors seeking to gain a foothold or expand their existing operations in Romania with the full range of services in relation thereto.

The firm’s client portfolio includes international corporations, financial institutions, as well as ‘Fortune 500’ category companies. It also works with local public authorities and bodies.

In addition, in a highly innovative move for the Romanian market, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii and Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii Tax team entered into a formal cooperation agreement with Andersen in March 2019. This is the first collaboration agreement in Romania, and continues Andersen Global’s expansion in Eastern Europe. “Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is one of the highest quality law firms in Romania, with an outstanding team and best-in-class service,” said Mark Vorsatz, Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen Tax LLC CEO. “We’re proud to bring them into the Andersen Global family.”

Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii undertakes a strong commitment to applying quality management principles, regarding information security, having obtained certifications in accordance with ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standards. In addition, the firm has been pursuing a broad range of social responsibility activities throughout the years, with its initiatives mainly focusing on the following areas: education, culture, sports and charity. Several of the firm’s CSR and pro bono programs address the needs of the younger generations while engaging with the wider community of experts in various disciplines, including mathematics, physics and informatics, as well as architecture, medicine etc. From educational programmes designed for law school students, to programmes addressing the special needs of exceptional children, such as maths geniuses, we demonstrate our conviction that education is invaluable to individuals and societies. In addition, in line with Tuca Zbârcea and Asociatii’s ambition to nurture future generations by encouraging, supporting and promoting talent, the firm has deployed a range of initiatives aimed at establishing higher standards in arts/culture and sports.

Areas of practice: Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii provide legal services in every aspect of business, covering all major areas of practice: aviation and aerospace; banking and finance; capital markets and securities; competition; corporate and commercial; criminal law and corporate crime; data protection; electronic communications and IT; employment; energy and natural resources; environmental law and permitting; gambling; healthcare and medical services; insolvency and liquidation; insurance and private pensions; intellectual property; litigation and arbitration; media and advertising; mergers, acquisitions and privatisation; oil and gas; pharmaceutical law; PPP, PFI and concessions; real estate; regulatory legal services; shipping and transport; and tax.

Department Name Email Telephone
Arbitration Florentin Tuca [email protected] 004021 204 88 91
Arbitration Cornel Popa [email protected] 004021 204 88 94
Arbitration Levana Zigmund [email protected] 004021 204 76 32
Arbitration Anca Puscasu [email protected] 0040374 136 307
Taxation Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa [email protected] 004021 204 88 96
Taxation Alexandru Cristea [email protected] 004037 413 61 15
Banking and finance Stefan Damian [email protected] 004021 204 88 93
Banking and finance Mihai Dudoiu [email protected] 004021 204 76 36
Banking and finance Gabriela Anton [email protected] 004037 413 63 42
Capital markets and securities Stefan Damian [email protected] 004021 204 88 93
Capital markets and securities Silvana Ivan [email protected] 004021 204 76 40
Competition Raluca Vasilache [email protected] 004021 204 76 33
Corporate and commercial Florentin Tuca [email protected] 004021 204 88 91
Corporate and commercial Stefan Damian [email protected] 004021 204 88 93
Corporate and commercial Catalin Baiculescu [email protected] 004021 204 76 34
Corporate and commercial Horia Ispas [email protected] 0040374 136 316
Electronic communications and IT Catalin Baiculescu [email protected] 004021 204 76 34
Electronic communications and IT Vlad Cercel [email protected] 004037 413 63 40
Employment and pensions Serban Pâslaru [email protected] 004021 204 88 97
Energy and natural resources Gabriel Zbârcea [email protected] 004021 204 88 92
Energy and natural resources Sorin Vladescu [email protected] 004021 204 88 95
Energy and natural resources Irina Moinescu [email protected] 004021 204 76 41
Energy and natural resources Cornel Popa [email protected] 004021 204 88 94
Environmental law and permitting Ciprian Dragomir [email protected] 004021 204 88 90
PPP, PFI and concessions Florentin Tuca [email protected] 004021 204 88 91
PPP, PFI and concessions Serban Pâslaru [email protected] 004021 204 88 97
PPP, PFI and concessions Vlad Cercel [email protected] 004037 413 63 40
Intellectual property Ciprian Dragomir [email protected] 004021 204 88 90
Litigation Ioana Hrisafi [email protected] 004021 204 76 31
Litigation Ionut Serban [email protected] 004021 204 76 37
Litigation Christina Vladescu [email protected] 004021 204 76 38
Real estate Dan Borbely [email protected] 004021 204 88 98
Real estate Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa [email protected] 004021 204 88 96
Real estate Oana Ureche [email protected] 004021 204 76 35
Real estate Dragos Apostol [email protected] 004037 413 62 42
Mergers, acquisitions, privatisation Gabriel Zbârcea [email protected] 004021 204 88 92
Mergers, acquisitions, privatisation Stefan Damian [email protected] 004021 204 88 93
Mergers, acquisitions, privatisation Cornel Popa [email protected] 004021 204 88 94
Corporate and commercial Ciprian Timofte [email protected] 0040374 136 341
Mergers, acquisitions, privatisation Ciprian Timofte [email protected] 0040374 136 341
Data privacy Ciprian Timofte [email protected] 0040374 136 341
Litigation Dan Cristea [email protected] 0040374 136 368
Employment Mihai Anghel [email protected] 0040374 136 388
Litigation Oana Gavril [email protected] 0040374 136 344
Litigation Cătălina Mihăilescu [email protected] 0040374 136 371
Insolvency and liquidation Cătălina Mihăilescu [email protected] 0040374 136 371
Competition Andreea Oprișan [email protected] 0040374 136 387
Real estate Alexandra Pereș [email protected] 0040374 136 326
Corporate and Commercial Alexandra Pereș [email protected] 0040374 136 326
Mergers, acquisitions, privatisation Alexandra Pereș [email protected] 0040374 136 326
Litigation Alina Ungureanu [email protected] 0040374 136 234
Insolvency and liquidation Alina Ungureanu [email protected] 0040374 136 234
Photo Name Position Profile
Gabriela Anton photo Mrs Gabriela Anton Gabriela Anton is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, specialising mainly…
Dragos Apostol photo Mr Dragos Apostol Dragos Apostol is a Partner specialising in mergers, acquisitions and privatization, as…
Catalin Baiculescu photo Mr Catalin Baiculescu Cătălin Băiculescu is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. He has…
Dan Borbely photo Mr Dan Borbely As a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, Dan Borbely co-heads the…
Vlad Cercel photo Mr Vlad Cercel Vlad Cercel focuses on PPP/concession and public procurement projects, as well as…
Dan Cristea photo Mr Dan Cristea Dan Cristea is a Partner in the litigation and arbitration practice group…
Alexandru Cristea photo Mr Alexandru Cristea Alexandru Cristea is a Partner with Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii Tax SRL,…
Stefan Damian photo Mr Stefan Damian Stefan Damian is Deputy Managing Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. He…
Ciprian Dragomir photo Mr Ciprian Dragomir In his capacity as Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, Ciprian Dragomir…
Mihai Dudoiu photo Mr Mihai Dudoiu Mihai Dudoiu is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii and co-head…
Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa photo Mr Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa Razvan Gheorghiu-Testa is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, having built…
Ioana Hrisafi photo Mrs Ioana Hrisafi Ioana Hrisafi-Josan is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii and co-heads…
Horia Ispas photo Mr Horia Ispas
Silvana Ivan photo Mrs Silvana Ivan Silvana Ivan is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii and works…
Irina Moinescu photo Mrs Irina Moinescu Irina Moinescu is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. Her main…
Serban Pâslaru photo Mr Serban Pâslaru Serban Paslaru is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, specialising mainly…
Cornel Popa photo Mr Cornel Popa Cornel Popa is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. Cornel combines…
Anca Puscasu photo Mrs Anca Puscasu Anca Pușcașu, a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, is specialized mainly…
Ionut Serban photo Mr Ionut Serban Ionut Serban is a Partner in the litigation and arbitration practice group…
Florentin Tuca photo Dr Florentin Tuca Dr Florentin Tuca is Managing Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. He…
Oana Ureche photo Mrs Oana Ureche As a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, Oana Ureche focuses on…
Raluca Vasilache photo Mrs Raluca Vasilache Raluca Vasilache is a competition Partner with Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii and…
Christina Vladescu photo Mrs Christina Vladescu Christina Vladescu is a Partner in the litigation and arbitration practice group…
Sorin Vladescu photo Mr Sorin Vladescu Sorin Vladescu is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii, specialising in…
Gabriel Zbarcea photo Mr Gabriel Zbarcea Gabriel Zbarcea is Managing Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. His practice…
Levana Zigmund photo Mrs Levana Zigmund Levana Zigmund is a Partner at Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii. She practices…
Number of lawyers : 120
English
French
German
Italian
Spanish
European Employment Lawyers Association
Multilaw
HR Club Romania
American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham)
British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce (BRCC)
Managing Partner : Florentin Tuca, [email protected]
Managing Partner : Gabriel Zbârcea, [email protected]
Deputy Managing Partner : Stefan Damian, [email protected]

Diversity lies at the heart of Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii’s brand. Our diversity policy is about ensuring that work is evenly distributed or that career-making opportunities are afforded to a diverse group of attorneys and staff. Our diversity policy is also about recruitment and retention of diverse talent, understanding and responding to the needs of our diverse clients, promotion of women and minorities, commitment to offer equal employment opportunities and to foster an atmosphere conducive to open and safe discussion of diversity topics, enforcement of anti-discrimination and harassment policies, including gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The firm’s team comprises lawyers and staff members from an ethnic minority background, such as Roma people or people from Hungarian, Russian, Turkish and German minorities. The firm is also providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities. As a general comment, more than 56% from our team are female lawyers of whom 45% are in leadership positions (Partner level and/or Managing Associate level). Overall, 65% of our entire team is female.

According to our Pro Bono program, we commit to contribute up to 3% of the firm’s billable hours to Pro Bono work. In line with our commitment to help make a difference to the profession, as well as the wider community, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii has been pursuing a broad range of social responsibility activities throughout the years. As per our CSR policy, the firm’s initiatives are mainly focused on the following areas: education, culture, sports and charity. What’s more, the firm set up a dedicated non-profit organisation called Noctilucent to implement social responsibility projects. Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is a socially responsible company that takes a strong, real interest in the future of the legal profession and is willing to shape that future by investing in talented people, improving education and enabling access to meaningful, quality sources of information. Several of the firm’s CSR and pro bono programs address the needs of the younger generations and our focus is not exclusively on law students and law graduates. Instead, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii engages with the wider community of experts in various disciplines, including mathematics, physics, informatics, as well as architecture, medicine etc. From educational programmes designed for law school students, to programmes addressing the special needs of exceptional children, such as maths geniuses, we demonstrate our conviction that education is invaluable to individuals and societies. In addition, in line with Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii’s ambition to nurture future generations by encouraging, supporting and promoting talent, the firm has deployed a range of initiatives aimed at establishing higher standards in arts/culture and sports.

Thanks to the firm’s constant involvement in Pro Bono, CSR and sponsorships, Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has received various accolades from prestigious publications, including The Financial Times in its annual FT Innovative Lawyers report. The firm is also a past recipient of the Award for CSR and Pro Bono commitment (Legal Magazin, Gala Profesiilor Liberale, 2013) and Brand Culture Award for devising a one-of-a-kind internship in public speaking for law students in Romania (Legal Marketing, The Times/Legal Innovation Awards, 2017).


Diversity lies at the heart of Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii’s brand. Our diversity policy is about ensuring that work is evenly distributed or that career-making opportunities are afforded to a diverse group of attorneys and staff. Our diversity policy is also about recruitment and retention of diverse talent, understanding and responding to the needs of our diverse clients, promotion of women and minorities, commitment to offer equal employment opportunities and to foster an atmosphere conducive to open and safe discussion of diversity topics, enforcement of anti-discrimination and harassment policies, including gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The firm’s team comprises lawyers and staff members from an ethnic minority background, such as Roma people or people from Hungarian, Russian, Turkish and German minorities. The firm is also providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities. As a general comment, more than 56% from our team are female lawyers of whom 45% are in leadership positions (Partner level and/or Managing Associate level). Overall, 65% of our entire team is female.

According to our Pro Bono program, we commit to contribute up to 3% of the firm’s billable hours to Pro Bono work. In line with our commitment to help make a difference to the profession, as well as the wider community, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii has been pursuing a broad range of social responsibility activities throughout the years. As per our CSR policy, the firm’s initiatives are mainly focused on the following areas: education, culture, sports and charity. What’s more, the firm set up a dedicated non-profit organisation called Noctilucent to implement social responsibility projects. Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is a socially responsible company that takes a strong, real interest in the future of the legal profession and is willing to shape that future by investing in talented people, improving education and enabling access to meaningful, quality sources of information. Several of the firm’s CSR and pro bono programs address the needs of the younger generations and our focus is not exclusively on law students and law graduates. Instead, Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii engages with the wider community of experts in various disciplines, including mathematics, physics, informatics, as well as architecture, medicine etc. From educational programmes designed for law school students, to programmes addressing the special needs of exceptional children, such as maths geniuses, we demonstrate our conviction that education is invaluable to individuals and societies. In addition, in line with Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii’s ambition to nurture future generations by encouraging, supporting and promoting talent, the firm has deployed a range of initiatives aimed at establishing higher standards in arts/culture and sports.

Thanks to the firm’s constant involvement in Pro Bono, CSR and sponsorships, Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii has received various accolades from prestigious publications, including The Financial Times in its annual FT Innovative Lawyers report. The firm is also a past recipient of the Award for CSR and Pro Bono commitment (Legal Magazin, Gala Profesiilor Liberale, 2013) and Brand Culture Award for devising a one-of-a-kind internship in public speaking for law students in Romania (Legal Marketing, The Times/Legal Innovation Awards, 2017).


CLIENT: Legal Manager
COMPANY/FIRM: A company active in the automotive industry
TESTIMONIAL: Tuca Zbârcea & Asociatii is a well-known law firm with a solid history in the Romanian legal environment. Working in several projects with them, it convinced me about the professional and human quality of the lawyers I interacted with, so I may say I (personally) know a few of them from the “battlefield”.


CLIENT: CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: A company active in the pharma sector
TESTIMONIAL: Highly professional, impressive understanding of specific law, clear communication.


CLIENT: CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: A non-bank financial institution
TESTIMONIAL: I was really impressed to see that the lawyers I work with can answer 99% of my questions on the spot and have a very good reference of our business (they know exactly what happened and when).


CLIENT: General Manager
COMPANY/FIRM: An oil & gas company
TESTIMONIAL: Very good understanding for the business, very dedicated, very good explanations on the steps to be followed, good communication.


CLIENT: Legal Director CEE
COMPANY/FIRM: A company active in the industrial manufacturing sector
TESTIMONIAL: The lawyers are very professional and I consider them my first choice when I need legal support, not only due to their legal competencies, but also because they are always very prompt, business oriented, they always find the best legal solution and always support me in making a correct risk assessment. Not to say that it is always a pleasure to work with them!


CLIENT: Legal Manager
COMPANY/FIRM: A company active in the steel industry
TESTIMONIAL: Very good quality of legal services, good understanding of client’s needs and strategy, great success in litigation, dedication to the file, timely responses, availability.

Florentin Țuca, Managing Partner, Țuca Zbârcea & Asociați

Florentin Țuca, Managing Partner of Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații and also a highly experienced pleading lawyer talks about the challenges facing a criminal lawyer in today’s business environment.

Do you consider the mission of a criminal defence lawyer more delicate and more difficult than that of one specialising in civil and commercial law, for example?

I cannot say that the legal mission of a criminal defense lawyer is, statistically speaking, necessarily more difficult than that of an attorney specialising in civil or commercial law. The diagnosis resulting from such comparative analysis is dependent on a number of factors which I do not insist on detailing right now.

But, yes, I do think the job description of a criminal defense lawyer is somehow more delicate and subtle. And this is because, beyond the abstractions inherent to the legal equations that are subject to analysis and which are, in essence, similar (regardless of the field of law in question), in criminal cases, these lawyers have an additional mission: managing emotions and feelings. And this is a very delicate mission just by knowing that the stake for which they fight is not, most often, assessable in money, but in the freedom and the fate of their client.

A lawyer involved in a criminal case with a high media impact exposes himself, in turn, at least to some extent and becomes the sole bearer of public messages about the case. Is this a beneficial increase in visibility for the lawyer or an additional risk of being assimilated, in a negative way, with their client?

Criminal defense lawyers involved in “high-impact media” cases do have the opportunity to build a more visible public image than a civil law practitioner who keeps a low profile. Such an “opportunity” can, of course, mean “chance” or, on the contrary, “bad luck” depending on several factors: the lawyer’s communication skills, the specific data of the case, the client’s profile, the public perception of the case, etc. One is to be the lawyer of the disliked Weinstein (in which not even the Dean of Harvard Law School could intervene as a lawyer without escaping the virulent disapproval of students) and one is to be the lawyer of Robert Rosu (the victim of an unfortunate and immense miscarriage of justice, felt as such by the Romanian and international lawyers who analysed the essential data of the case and, eventually, recognised as such by the Supreme Court’s judges who fully acquitted Robert on all charges in November 2021).

You said at one point: “the lawyer is, or should be, the doctor-priest of the subjects of law.” Does the lawyer-client relationship reach deep into consciousness? Does a lawyer treat and heal the hidden flaws of the client they represent? Does or should the client feel in the presence of the lawyer as in a confessional?

I strongly believe in the “secular” secrecy of the lawyer-client relationship based, above all, on trust. Just as the priest is my confidant of the mysteries of the soul, and the doctor is of the mysteries of the body, so I am entitled to a confidant and counsellor as regards the “social mysteries.” And such guidance can only come from a lawyer, presumed to be the most appropriate interpreter of the rules that govern the society.

You are the founder of the business law firm Ţuca & Asociații and since 2005 the co-founder of the renamed company Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii, with an excellent reputation and a rich experience in various areas of law. As a good market expert and entrepreneur, what would you recommend to a young law firm?

I don’t believe in the recipe for happiness, and the motivational bestsellers about the 7 ways to honesty and other virtues make no impression on me. Therefore, it is difficult for me to offer an “one-size-fits-all” type of advice… I am convinced that true success is based on “a custom-made” approach to challenges. In other words, it all depends on the volume of resources put into the respective project and the skills and competencies supporting such.

Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații advised Carrefour on Romania’s largest retail transaction in recent years

Carrefour has recently announced it signed an agreement with Louis Delhaize Group for the acquisition of the local subsidiary that operates the group’s business in Romania under the brand “CORA”. The French retailer retained Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații as legal advisor on this deal.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii successfully assists MOL Romania in a motorway services concession project

MOL Romania Petroleum Products S.R.L. won 7 out of the 13 lots for services spaces leased under concession by Compania Națională de Administrare a Infrastructurii Rutiere S.A. for equipping/fitting out, operating and maintaining the services spaces located on Romanian motorways open to road traffic, on the routes of Nadlac - Sibiu and Pitesti - Bucharest (A1) and Cernavoda - Constanta (A2). The company retained Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii to provide full advisory services in respect thereof.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii advised CEZ on selling part of its Romanian assets to a funds manager

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii acted for CEZ Group as regards the divestment of its Romanian assets, namely the electricity distribution assets, the energy supply and an operational portfolio of renewable energy to funds managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets ("MIRA"). The seven companies which are part of the deal are: Distributie Energie Oltenia, CEZ Vanzare, Ovidiu Development, Tomis Team, MW Team Invest, TMK Hydroenergy Power and CEZ Romania.

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii advises on Coca-Cola HBC Romania-HEINEKEN Romania deal

Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii provided legal assistance to Coca-Cola HBC Romania in the transaction by which the leader of the local beverage industry acquired 50% of the share capital of Stockday, an online business-2-business platform developed by HEINEKEN Romania. The transaction was recently approved by the European Commission.