Lakatos, Köves and Partners

Firm overview: Lakatos, Köves and Partners (LKT) is an independent internationally focused full service commercial law firm based in Budapest. It has a predominantly international client base, offering cutting-edge know-how and matching innovative legal solutions to business needs. The firm has been independent since 2009 having been Clifford Chance’s office in Budapest from 1993 to 2009. LKT’s market standing is reflected in top tier rankings in many areas including banking and finance, capital markets, corporate/M&A, competition, dispute resolution, real estate, and TMT. The firm works with leading law firms from around the world, in relation to their Hungarian activities and issues. LKT is a member of the Budapest Bar Association, International Bar Association, Multilaw, Interlaw, INSOL and the Loan Market Association.

Practice areas: Aviation, banking and finance, capital markets, competition/antitrust, consumer protection, corporate/M&A, dispute resolution, employment, energy, GDPR/IP, life sciences, project development, real estate and construction, tax advisory, telecommunication/media/technology, transportation & logistics

Main areas of practice
M&A: The firm advises on the full range of M&A transactions, representing foreign investors both in relation to Hungary specific transactions and also regional or global transactions, on which the firm assists in relation to the Hungarian aspects of such deals.

Corporate/regulatory/compliance: The firm advises many corporates, in particular the subsidiaries of international companies on the issues facing them in their operations in Hungary, ranging from general corporate establishment and maintenance through their compliance with all local regulatory requirements (eg sectoral regulation, investigations, competition law). Notably active sectors in the firm’s practice are financial services, real estate, automotive, aviation, energy, life sciences and TMT/IT/technology.
Contact: Iván Sólyom
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Ádám Máttyus
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Pál Rahóty
Email: [email protected]

Banking and finance and capital markets: The firm’s banking and finance practice includes asset financing, structured financing, real estate projects, corporate and aviation financing, both on the lender and the borrower side, banking regulation, M&A in the banking sector, banking products, NPL, restructuring, insolvency and banking litigation. Capital market mandates include securitizations, share and bond issuance (including sovereign bonds), complex equity and debt securities offerings, dual-listings, IPOs, derivatives, structured products, structured finance and asset management issues, as well as regulatory matters (Brexit, Prospectus Directive, MiFID, EMIR, etc.)
Contact: Szabolcs Mestyán
Email: [email protected] 
Contact: John Fenemore
Email: [email protected]

Competition/antitrust: The firm has longstanding expertise on all types of matters in this area, including merger filings, competition/anti-trust issues, cartel proceedings, abuse of dominant position and representation during investigations by the Hungarian Competition Office and court litigation procedures. LKT’s consumer law practice is outstanding, including dealing with Unfair Commercial Practices (UCP).
Contact: Iván Sólyom
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Eszter Ritter
Email: [email protected]

Aviation: LKT has an aviation group, which is unique in Hungary and market leader in the CEE region. LKT acts on aircraft finance, JOLCO transactions, securitisation of aircraft lease receivables, aviation regulatory, financial and operating leases, sale and leaseback transactions, pooling of engines, security interests, insurance and reinsurance liability, litigation and dispute resolution with strong trial capability, repossession of aircraft and tax issues.

Contact: Szabolcs Mestyán
Email: [email protected] 
Contact: John Fenemore
Email: [email protected]

Real estate and Construction: LKT’s real estate team is one of the largest legal real estate teams and has a dominant position in the real estate market in Hungary for many years, including team members with 15+ years of experience. The firm advises on the entire spectrum of real estate matters, including acquisition and structuring, construction and development, asset and property management with a special expertise in the field of offices, retail, logistic and industrial properties, hotels and other specialised areas such as private hospitals, student housing, greenfield developments.
Contact: Attila Ungár
Email: [email protected]

Dispute resolution: LKT successfully represents clients in international arbitration proceedings before the ECHR, ECJ, and ICSID and in litigation proceedings at ordinary courts.
Contact: Balázs Fazakas
Email: [email protected]

Employment: LKT advises clients in relation to employment and executive contracts, pension schemes and benefit programs, employment disputes, HR aspects of M&A transactions, works council and trade union relations. The firm has extensive experience in managing international restructuring and redundancy projects, mobility and remote/hybrid work schemes. The team is increasingly involved in IT related issues i.e. GDPR, employee surveillance practices, employment aspects of AI etc.
Contact: Éva Bognár
Email: [email protected]

Energy: LKT’s energy practice includes involvement in the full range of energy sources from nuclear through conventional power to renewables, with broad experience in regulatory issues, project development, financing and M&A. In the renewables field, the activities are mainly in solar and thermal projects.
Contact: Ádám Máttyus
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Viktória Szilágyi
Email: [email protected]

IP/GDPR: Advising in brand protection, trade mark filings, renewals and due diligence, IP litigation and disputes, Tech related matters, GDPR and data protection, including full GDPR audits.
Contact: Iván Sólyom
Email: [email protected]u

Tax advisory: LKT fully integrates tax advice into its legal work. The tax practice head is a certified tax advisor and a qualified lawyer. LKT’s tax team advises on the full range of tax issues connected to the clients’ businesses, in particular in corporate, real estate and employment matters.
Contact: Balázs Kántor
Email: [email protected]

Telecommunication/media/technology: LKT works on ground-breaking transactions in the telecommunications, media and technology sectors in Hungary with a broad base of expertise in regulatory aspects of market liberalization and consolidation, including M&A transactions and frequency tenders. LKT advises on all aspects of telecommunication law, internet and e-commerce (i.e. data protection, M&A, corporate, competition and regulatory).
Contact: Péter Lakatos
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Iván Sólyom
Email: [email protected]

Managing partner: Dr. Péter Lakatos LL.M.
Number of partners: 11
Number of lawyers: 50+, including tax advisors
Languages: English, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian, Spanish

CONTACT: Madách Trade Center, H-1075 Budapest
Madách Imre út 14., Hungary

Tel.: +3614291300 / www.lakatoskoves.hu

[email protected]