Law Firm Senica & Partners, Ltd

The firm: For more than 38 years, SENICA has built trust and provided top legal services to companies, international corporations and individuals. Due to its local and global-minded expertise, the highest commitment to the law and its business-oriented approach, SENICA became one of the biggest and most prominent law firms in Slovenia and the region of the Western Balkans.

SENICA provides comprehensive and tailored legal and tax advice in all areas of law and tax, including transfer pricing. SENICA is constantly developing new approaches in its working practice as the invention and creativity in resolving complex legal questions is why clients come to SENICA and stay with it for many years.. so SENICA implements a modern and holistic approach to resolving clients’ problems exceeding traditional legal representation. SENICA builds relationships with its clients and gains a good knowledge of their aims and needs, enabling it to outline legal risks, advantages and disadvantages of clients’ chosen business strategies and help them mitigate possible business risks.

Besides having an experienced and talented team, SENICA teams up with renowned and experienced off-counsels from Slovenia and abroad (former constitutional court judges, economic advisors, tax consultants, etc.) as well as important experts and scientific institutions such as faculties and institutes from fields of law and economics.

SENICA is a member firm of Andersen Global, the international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of legal and tax professionals worldwide. Andersen Global comprises more than 13,000 professionals , has over 1,800 global partners, and covers over 390 locations worldwide. Its professionals share a common background and vision and are selected based on quality, like-mindedness and commitment to client service.

Andersen Global assigned Katarina Kresal, SENICA’s Managing Partner, to co-chair the CEE Subregion. Since December 2022, she is also a member of the Global Management Committee of Andersen Global, which comprises ten members from the US, Canada, EU, UK, Middle East and Africa. The Committee is essential in integrating Andersen Global's business and defining its future.

Furthermore, SENICA expanded its legal and tax capabilities in Slovenia via Andersen Global by establishing Andersen Advisory, Ltd., as SENICA’s subsidiary. Andersen Advisory, Ltd., provides tax, accounting, valuation and other business advisory services, and forms, together with SENICA,  Andersen in Slovenia.

This exclusive cooperation with Andersen Global, strengthened by the establishment of Andersen Advisory, Ltd., enables SENICA to provide clients with best-in-class tax and legal services worldwide seamlessly and consistently without stepping out of their regular communication framework at the regional and global levels.

Main areas of practice
Banking and finance: SENICA has extensive advisory experience in a range of complex domestic and cross-border debt and equity transactions, enabling it to take on the most difficult challenges in banking and finance. The banking and finance team possesses a comprehensive understanding of the law and takes on a practical approach to effective operation on the market. It also has a track record of providing tailored solutions for its client's specific needs, including advising Adria Mobil on a EUR 24m bond issue, advising ACH on EUR 73.5m overall debt refinancing, and creating new insurance policies with VTB Bank. SENICA’s clients include banks such as Raiffeisenlandesbank Kärnten, Russian VTB bank, Intesa San Paolo, VTB Bank, ABANKA, Eurobank Ergasias S.A., with drafting and reviewing of credit facility agreements, drafting and reviewing of pledge agreements, warranties, bonds issuance, taxation etc.

A significant part of the SENICA’s work involves following the fast changes in market regulation and obligations related to the provision of financial services, thereby navigating clients through the increasingly complex regulatory environment and helping them reach their business goals.

Contact: Katarina Kresal, Aleš Lunder
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Competition and antitrust: Recognised for impeccable performance, SENICA provides clients expert advice on competition and antitrust issues at every step of their business, i.e. from introducing a new marketing strategy, forming joint ventures and broadening the market for their products to compliance checks and legal issues with competitors or competent state bodies. SENICA’s extensive experience enabled it to handle and successfully settle one of the most significant competition dispute cases in Slovenian history, the representation of T-2, a privately owned telecommunication company, in EUR260m litigation (abuse of dominant position) and administrative proceedings initiated by Slovenian Competition Protection Agency against Telekom Slovenije, a state-owned telecommunication company, and to continue breaking new legal ground such as in the representation of Euromedia in EUR10m litigation against Pošta Slovenije for abusive practices and representation of Surovina, a waste management company, before Slovenian Competition Protection Agency in the procedure of anticompetitive agreements and concerted practices (value of EUR8m). Such a track record is also why clients from various sectors, such as telecommunications, automotive industry, industrial and manufacturing, retail and healthcare and many more, trust SENICA.

Contact: Maja Šubic
Email: [email protected]

Corporate and M&A: The corporate law team has extensive experience providing the full range of business legal services and strategic guidance to large enterprises and emerging start-up companies in key practice areas. What differentiates SENICA from the competition is that it always emphasises the specific nature of the industry, the individual business needs and the client's long-term objectives when providing legal counselling. Due to expertise and experience, SENICA enjoys the trust of clients from different industries, such as energy, retail, logistics, automotive industry, manufacturing, transport, IT, life sciences, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. SENICA always aims to simplify complex legal requirements and provide legal solutions so clients (which, e.g. include DM DROGERIE MARKT, University medical centre Ljubljana, SANOFI PASTEUR, Astellas Group, Infoblu S.p.A., Mytilineos Holdings S.A., Tesla International B.V. and Tesla Energy d.o.o. and Adient) can focus on their business.

SENICA, as a full-service firm, has the knowledge and the means to approach all issues related to M&A with thoroughness and pragmatism, either on the vendor or buyer side, which is highly valued among clients. With an innovative approach and negotiation skills, SENICA ensures the transaction runs smoothly. What further differentiates SENICA from other law firms is the understanding of ways of doing business which enables it to help clients mitigate risks and close the deal successfully and efficiently.

The recent highlights of SENICA’s M&A work include the following:

• Coordinating a multijurisdictional team of EU law firms on securing financial collaterals towards Cineworld in negotiating EUR1,9bn loan from a group of lenders represented by Arnold & Porter;
• Representing ASCENT Slovenia Ltd. in negotiations with Slovenia for the payment of damages due to an unlawful decision mandating an environmental impact assessment related to natural gas extraction project;
• Acting as a local advisor on a buy-side of Lumen Technologies's divestiture of EMEA Business to Colt Technology Services Group Limited;
• Advising BINDER BETEILIGUNGS AG in an M&A transaction;
• Acting as a local legal advisor for GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL LLC (GPI) to perform legal due diligence in an M&A transaction with the value of EUR1,450bn;
• advising and representing DM DROGERIE MARKT as general legal counsel and its sole representative in all legal matters;
• Advising and representing PETROL d.d., Ljubljana, in several M&As in the energy and mobility sectors;
• Advising Globe Regal Yachting on asset and share deal acquisitions in Slovenia;
• Advising Pollen Street Capital and its subsidiaries in a cross-border transaction on the buy-side in the process of acquisition of the majority business share in several companies in the field of insurance in Slovenia and Croatia;
• Advising Updata Partners in a cross-border transaction on the buy-side in the process of acquisition of a major international software company;
• Advising Vertica Capital Partners in a cross-border transaction on the buy-side in the process of acquisition of a critical Slovenian software company;
• Assisting NUNNER International B.V. on the buy-side of a transaction concerning the acquisition of a 100% business share of the company in the transport sector;
• Advising Gorenje in the EUR35m sales of Surovina;
• Representation of QUANTEL MEDICAL in EUR6m acquisition of Optotek;
• Representation of Monte Rock in EUR31m acquisition of shares in HIT Montenegro and the Maestral tourist complex in Montenegro.

Contact: Katarina Kresal, Maja Šubic
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Dispute resolution, arbitration and mediation: When litigation happens, the SENICA’s role is not just to protect the client’s legal interests. SENICA also ensures that the process does not distract or derail the client’s business. The essence of SENICA’s practice is advocacy before first or higher instance courts when negotiating a settlement or presenting a client’s perspective to an investigative body. SENICA has developed particular knowledge and experience through the cases it has handled, which, e.g. include representation of Adria Mobil, one of Europe's leading companies in the recreational vehicle and mobile home markets, in EUR10,1m litigation for the payment of damages, representation of Port of Koper, the largest port and logistic system in the region, against EUR32.6m claim for damage compensation and representation of Surovina, a waste management company, in EUR1,3m litigation for compensation for damages resulting from a real estate property fire.

SENICA strives to form efficient and focused arbitration processes and strategies and assists clients with tailored advice from experienced arbitration lawyers, ranging from the contract drafting stage to dispute resolution. What sets SENICA apart from the competition is that it is considered a market leader in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in terms of dispute prevention and dispute resolution. If and when disputes arise, SENICA’s primary focus is to find the best possible solution for the client, preferably by avoiding litigation.

Contact:  Katarina Kresal, Petra Plevnik, Maša Kramar
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Employment and labour: SENICA provides labour and social security law legal services. SENICA offers employees and employers the services of legal advice, representation, preparation of contracts, termination of employment contracts in employment relationships and other contractual forms of work. They also cover the area of pension and disability insurance and employment of agency workers. The long and rich experience in the field of labour and social security law allows its professionals to easily and quickly identify the needs of clients (which include, e.g. Mercator, DM DROGERIE MARKT, CPK, 2HM Logistics d.o.o., Strabag, AP Murska Sobota, Tekstil, British Embassy in Ljubljana, Festival Ljubljana, Splošna bolnišnica Murska Sobota, CDE, Steklarna Hrastnik and Bolnišnica Postojna and many more) and provide them with a personal approach and individual treatment.

Contacts: Žiga Sternad
Email: [email protected]

Real estate: With the real estate market becoming increasingly competitive and regulated, SENICA understands that clients need lawyers who know not only about the regulation and the market but also have expertise in financing real estate projects and insight into project development. As a result, the team provides clients (such as Mercator, GO ASSET Development, SCPI CORUM Origin, Union Hoteli, Globe Regal Yachting and others) an integrated approach to their needs when entering or strengthening their position on the local or foreign real estate market. With its professional and innovative approach, SENICA’s real estate team helps clients navigate the sea of legislation and overcome all the legal challenges to successfully develop their projects, which among others, include the EUR58m real estate development project of GO ASSET, the EUR56m and EUR6m construction and acquisition of the logistics real estate properties by SCPI CORUM Origin and representation of SBK Holding A.S. in the cross-border sale process of Skiper Resort in Croatia and Hotel Riviera in Montenegro (in an aggregated value of EUR97m).

Contact: Maja Šubic, Petra Plevnik, Maša Kramar
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Restructuring and insolvency: With extensive experience in business consulting and crisis management, SENICA successfully advises clients in financial difficulties and offers them intelligent and innovative solutions to various problems in insolvency and restructuring. SENICA’s work is based on a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving, which allows it to successfully advise clients on the improvement of their existing capital and provide preventive measures or warnings in situations in which its customers' obligations could increase unnecessarily. SENICA also helps clients protect and maintain their credit rating by selling off or buying additional assets. Experience from various industries allows SENICA to provide professional advice and successful representation to foreign and domestic insolvency companies, borrowers and lenders in complex restructurings, owners who find themselves in the role of debtors or creditors, and buyers and investors who see the business's potential in a company in jeopardy and therefore want to acquire a share in it. SENICA’s work highlights in this area include advising MERCATOR in EUR3bn restructuring of Fortenova grupa, advising Mestna Vrata in EUR17m financial reconstructions, advising ARABICA in EUR5.23m financial reconstructions, advising in EUR34m MRA and compulsory settlement of Litostroj Jeklo and EUR35m restructuring of collateralised financial receivables to Litostroj Jeklo and advising Sava in EUR242.8m restructuring procedure.

Contact: Katarina Kresal, Aleš Lunder
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Tax: In light of the constantly changing international tax laws, companies face pressure to develop an effective tax strategy in line with the regulatory environment. With a team of specialists, who also have experience working in-house, enabling them to understand client needs perfectly, SENICA assists its clients when identifying risks and evaluating different structuring scenarios in case of reorganisations, acquisitions or business sales. Considering the global trends and initiatives introduced by the OECD, it is vitally important that the structure of an international group is set up properly to avoid any future tax risks. Furthermore, SENICA expanded its legal and tax capabilities in Slovenia via Andersen Global by establishing Andersen Advisory, Ltd., as its subsidiary. Andersen Advisory, Ltd., provides tax, accounting, valuation and other business advisory services, and with SENICA, forms Andersen in Slovenia.

Contact: Janja Ovsenik, Lucijan Klemenčič
Email: [email protected], [email protected]