Cobzac & Partners

Cobzac & Partners is a well-known law firm operating in Moldova. Since 2006 its lawyers have been providing top quality legal services for both international and local clients, designing solutions which factor in, to the best extent possible, future developments.   The firm ranks on the top positions in the local legal market, recognized for its core practice areas: litigation and arbitration, corporate and commercial, M&A and restructuring and insolvency, enforcement. also, the firm has  excellent practitioners and substantial experience in the fields of banking and finance, real estate and construction, employment, intellectual property, competition and antitrust, consumer protection, customs legislation.

The firm’s clients range from foreign developers and entrepreneurs in various key industries, investors, acquirers, trustees, leading banks, non-banking credit organizations or private individuals to state-owned companies and state authorities.   

In addition, the firm provides first-class advice to support client’s business in all market conditions. Cobzac & Partners’ expertise consists not only in the solid banking, finance and capital markets knowledge displayed by us, but also, in the experience we have gained over time as a law firm and the best practices we have developed for the Moldovan jurisdiction. Cobzac & Partners has a broad experience in assisting local and foreign clients active in various sectors in structuring transactions and operations to meet the requirements of Moldovan and European Union competition legislation and in defending or obtaining clearance for their business conduct.   

The firm’s lawyers provide counselling in the field of corporations, most frequently within the framework of establishment of corporations and associated corporate relations, counselling in the field of shareholder structures and agreements for local and foreign investors and strategic partners; mergers, divisions and squeeze-outs of local corporations.    

The firm’s litigation and arbitration practice has a long track record of achievement in complex, high stakes, international disputes. Cobzac & Partners brings exceptional industry knowledge and provide leading edge advice. Because the firm’s lawyers are leaders in the local jurisdiction, Cobzac & Partners positioned to deliver both local insight and global perspective to meet our clients’ interests in many complex and difficult cases.      

At the moment  Cobzac & Partners has ten  professionals specialized in various fields, who are among the best in what they do.  Our team of lawyers includes a mix of highly experienced lawyers with in-depth knowledge of the Moldovan market and of the specific regulatory and business local environment.  

We are advancement facilitators. When activating our resources and knowledge of law and business, our guiding principle is always what serves the client’s best interests. In everything we do our objective is to combine the highest professional standards with efficiency, reliability, understanding of the client’s needs, and empower clients to create, develop and safeguard thriving businesses. Considering the actual economic environment, which varies through increased competitiveness and different changes on the world’s map, we try to find the best personalized solution for each client, to offer high quality law services.  

Areas of practice
Mergers and acquisitions/capital markets: Cobzac & Partners provides legal advisory on making acquisitions, merging, being acquired, or fending off takeovers, using a variety of transaction formats – leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, minority investments, covering issues related to bid and tender preparation and mergers and acquisition finance.

Banking and finance: the firm’s expertise consists not only in the solid banking, finance and capital markets knowledge displayed by the firm’s lawyers, but also in the experience they gained over time as a firm and the best practices they developed for the Moldovan jurisdiction. We are used to designing solutions which factor in, to the best extent possible, future developments. Cobzac & Partners advises investors and developers in a wide range of deals such as: acquisition and leveraged finance, asset based lending, asset finance, debt capital markets, Derivatives, Investment grade lending, Project and infrastructure finance, Real estate finance, Reserve based lending, Trade and export finance.

Commercial and corporate: The firm’s expertise covers all the legal needs of corporate upper management relating to corporate structuring and risk management. Years of experience combined with our solution-oriented and innovative attitude guarantee that you will get the best possible advice—reliably and with no delay. Cobzac & Partners provides counselling in the field of corporations, most frequently within the framework of establishment of corporations and associated corporate relations, counselling in the field of shareholder structures and agreements for local and foreign investors and strategic partners; mergers, divisions and squeeze-outs of local corporations. Legal services provided to companies are treated in a comprehensive way, including implementation of all corporate changes, contractual relationships, counselling in associated fields of administrative law, labour and competition law, securities law and other legal branches regarding day-to-day corporate operations.

Litigation and arbitration: The firm’s litigation and arbitration practice has a long track record of achievement in complex, high stakes, international disputes. The firm brings exceptional industry knowledge and provide leading edge advice. Cobzac & Partners regularly functions at the intersection of business and regulation, combining industry knowledge and a proven ability to guide you through courts and governmental bodies. Experienced trial and appellate lawyers litigate and win commercial disputes across all industries. Arbitration lawyers have in-depth knowledge of the distinct customs, rules, and procedures of tribunals. Litigation and arbitration practice of the firm has earned a reputation for providing remarkable services and delivering outstanding results.

Real estate: The firm is at the center of the real estate marketplace, advising a wide range of domestic and international clients in some of the most dynamic and complex transactions in the industry. From the purchase, sale, development and financing of office, hotel, retail, industrial and mixed-use properties, to joint ventures, commercial leasing and debt restructurings, our team represents owners, developers, funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other financial institutions in a broad array of commercial real estate transactions. The firm’s lawyers counsel commercial real estate companies on mergers and acquisitions, and we advise domestic and foreign individuals and companies on secured lending transactions, public and private securities offerings, project financings, bankruptcies and restructurings that contain significant real estate components.

Competition: Cobzac & Partners has the capacity to provide the entire range of tailored competition advice, through a creative and thorough approach: assistance in all phases of investigations: dawn raid assistance, post-dawn raid risk assessments and recommendations, preparation of defense strategies and statements of defense in response to the competition authority’s statements of objections, challenge in court of decisions; advice on commitments applications; structuring of transactions and commercial mechanisms in order to meet the requirements of Moldovan and EU competition legislation;  merger clearance; competition audits and follow-up recommendations in consideration of the identified risks.

Insolvency and restructuring: Cobzac & Partners has years of experience handling the most demanding insolvency proceedings, which translates into a cost-effective and reliable service from start to finish. The firm represents a wide range of clients, including companies in need of financial restructuring, leading financial institutions, investors, acquirers, business partners, trustees, administrators and receivers in connection with the largest and most complex insolvencies and restructurings, as well as in connection with acquisitions of distressed companies, debtor-in-possession financings and exit financings, cross-border, out-of-court restructurings, multinational insolvencies and workouts, strategies for distressed investors to obtain control of troubled companies, rescue, debtor-in-possession and exit financings, pre-packaged and pre-arranged plans of restructuring.

PPP and public procurement:  The firm’s team assists bidders as well as contracting authorities and financing institutions on all phases of procurement procedures and has a high success rate in procurement litigation cases in front of the administrative complaints body as well as in court.

Energy: mergers and acquisitions on the energy market, development of greenfield projects, construction and construction-related permits, engineering, procurement and construction agreements, operation and maintenance agreements, grid connection power agreements, power purchase agreements, including EFET, supply agreements, grant of subsidies process, project finance and regulatory.