Popescu & Asociatii

What do you see as the main points that differentiate Popescu & Asociatii from your competitors? Our firm differentiates by our commitment to quality, integrity and ethical principles, within the entire activity. This dedication to professional standards instils trust and confidence in clients and sets Popescu & Asociatii apart, thus prioritizing long-term relationships. Popescu & Asociatii differentiates on the market by offering excellent personalized services and expertise in all practice areas and industries. Having very good lawyers, with deep knowledge and experience, working in multidisciplinary teams, gives us the advantage of proactive and fast communication with our clients. It is important to build strategic and strong partnerships with other important organizations, such as consulting firms, financial institutions or industry associations and we take pride in establishing and expanding our services due to these alliances and provide added value to our clients. Furthermore, we have within the team thought leaders in the legal industry, such as PhD. Gheorghe BUTA, Senior Partner, a prominent figure, with 45 years of experience, both as a magistrate and as an attorney-at-law and PhD. Nicoleta TANDAREANU, one of the highly regarded and recommended legal and academic professionals and an emblematic figure. Their vast expertise brings added value, both to the team and the clients, as their contribution enhances the company's reputation, attracts talented lawyers, who want to learn from the best, and generates new collaboration opportunities, both in Romania and on international level. All the above, along with excellent services and our characteristic seriousness, differentiate and strengthen our position in the market. By focusing on these key differentiators, Popescu & Asociatii position itself, for more than 5 years already, as a leading and different player in the legal market, attracting clients that are seeking premium specialized expertise and innovative solutions.   Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that? In the next 12 months, we anticipate significant growth in the areas of health and pharma, disputes, banking, IT & digitalization, intellectual property and GDPR as well as environment. Let's take them one at a time: Health and pharma are expected to expand due to increased demand for healthcare services, especially. The driver behind this growth includes advancements in technology, improved connectivity and the need for better and fastest services from healthcare providers. The projects in the area of white-collar crime and especially those of arbitration contributed, to a considerable extent, to the increase in activity during 2023, areas of practice that we observe and anticipate growing for the next period as well. Further on, the banking sector brings an important flow of projects, some of them being innovative for the Romanian market, considering that the banking system is one of the most regulated areas and, in last years, the digitization, cyber security, GDPR regulations and many other changes, influenced the dynamics of this industry. Moving on to the accelerated digitization processes and IT sector, as we well know, technology is present and develops continuously in all industries, having a major influence in our lives. Recently, artificial intelligence is being used and explored more and more and will continue to leave its mark on. The drivers behind this trend include the growing importance of technology and  AI, as well as the need for businesses and for people generally, regardless of industry and profession, to adapt very fast in the digital age. Absolutely, the technology is also revolutionizing the way in which lawyers interact with the clients and the legal services we provide. Looking ahead, we also believe that, within the actual context, the activity in the areas of IP and GDPR regulations will grow constantly. The development of digitization, combined with everything that involves data protection and security, has led to an increase in the provision of personal data and the transmission, between public and private entities inside and outside borders, which means compliance with very strict regulations, both at European and national level. On the global agenda, as well as on the short and long term strategy of private companies and public authorities, remains the major concern for the environment. This concern means medium and long-term investments in environment projects such as: green energy projects, sustainable projects, circular economy, etc. Also, vast infrastructure, urban regeneration, technology or sustainable development projects are underway or ready to start. Moreover, the number of these type of projects will surely increase in the coming years, opening up new opportunities and broad perspectives for a sustainable future.   What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients? Our vision in this direction remains unchanged: we constantly emphasize personalized services, where knowledge of the client's business and its development strategy for the future are a priority. Only such an approach can bring added value in the long term to the lawyer-client relationship. Obviously, in addition to the above and in the context of growing expectations, for example from the point of view of promptness, but without neglecting the quality of services, it can be easily stated that the client’s attention, both in the relationship with the legal teams, but also in general, has become more and more agile. Since the clients are looking for the best lawyers, who offer excellent expertise, as well as precise and immediate responses, along with permanent adaptability and being up to date of all regulations, we consider that the strategy we apply, within the team and within the relationships we build with our clients, provides the expected results, both in everyday activity, but also on the long term. Communication plays a fundamental role within any team and in relationship with clients or any business partner, in all the industries. This is the reason that the ability to communicate accurately and effectively, at the highest level, is an essential skill for each member of Popescu & Asociatii and contributes to a successful business. Also, establishing, since the foundation, and improving clear communication channels ensures us, as a team, but also to our clients, efficient communication processes about the cases, providing at the same time that clients receive personalized support, tailored to the specific needs or to the industry.   Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them? The role of lawyers is a complex one and clients' expectations are increasing, both in terms of quality as well as regarding the speed of reaction. In the fast-paced world we live in and, since artificial intelligence continues to develop in an increasingly way, the continuous learning and adaptation are mandatory-key aspects. Technology helps us, but it is important to learn to use all the tools efficiently so that everything we have today, and did not exist a few years ago, to be wisely managed for achieving our goals and the business growth of our clients. Combining strategically technology and artificial intelligence within legal practice and our daily activities, can lead to improved legal services, generating added value as we have faster access to information and to a lot of useful tools.   Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business? The best answer to this question is the one that does not focus on the concrete example, but on the previously exposed conceptualization, in order not to give the opportunity to highlight one example to the detriment of another that may be just as worthy to be mentioned. Knowing and understanding the medium and long-term vision of the client's business creates an excellent decision-making synergy with the team of lawyers and thus the decisions, with impact for the company, are either better, or timelier, or faster, or more stable, etc. The examples can be multiple, from the prompt identification of the risks associated with the decision-making plan, to the elimination of lucrative gaps between teams. At the same time, for example, long collaborations with clients from many industries, knowing and understanding their future perspectives, allows us to easily identify the optimization factors of the regulatory framework in which they operate. For this reason, every project and every client in our portfolio are important and we strongly believe that, through the premium legal services we offer, we bring added value not only from a juridical perspective, but also from a strategic point of view, from our perspective on the industry, on the trends that must be followed or, on contrary, sometimes is good to reanalyze and position yourself differently, compared to the wave and trends. For Popescu & Asociatii team, the projects in which we provided legal assistance and succeeded, for example, the cancellation of decisions with a prejudicial effect on the image of certain people or companies, are important and valuable. Our clients recognize and appreciate the added value of our services, the legal services combined with top expertise from the point of view of business consultancy and long-term vision. Last, but not least, flexibility, quick adaptability and a comprehensive understanding of the bigger picture remain essential features to best guide our clients through a complex economic and legal landscape in an unpredictable period.   Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time? Undoubtedly, all the clients are seeking stability and strategic direction from their law firms, especially in complex legal matters or when they are dealing uncertain regulatory environments. Moreover, clients rely on the lawyers they choose not only for legal expertise, but also for guidance on long-term strategic planning and risk management. In three years’ time, Popescu & Asociatii will continue to be a leading player in the Romanian legal market, growing in terms of clients & projects, lawyers and achievements. We plan to expand our team, reach out to both young and experienced lawyers and bring devoted and passionate colleagues within our firm. We are committed to client success and  plan to continue to bring best expertise and innovation in our clients’ businesses. By staying agile, flexible as well as responsive to market dynamics and focused on delivering value to our clients, Popescu & Asociatii will continue to thrive and expand its presence in the future ahead.

What do you see as the main points that differentiate POPESCU & ASOCIATII from your competitors? Gheorghe BUTA, Senior Partner: The answer to this question I would not want to seem like a cliché, but on the contrary, to show the aspects that really differentiate us on the market. Thus, after almost a year since I joined the team which I actually knew, I can honestly say that POPESCU & ASOCIATII differentiates on the law market through professionalism and the trust that clients have in the team's decisions, whether they are related to legal aspects, business or are reputational decisions. Within POPESCU & ASOCIATII we strongly believe in the need of understanding both the client's problem and the business in order to be able to offer, each time, the right solutions, adapted equally to the problem and to the industry’s specifics, solutions which in the short, medium and long term bring the effectively pursued results and not only the achievement of a favourable result on the moment. In other words, we believe in the competitive advantage of the team and in the unique way in which each lawyer is actively involved in order to better understand the whole context, to analyse all the details. Thereby, these are the essential and at the same time the differentiating characteristics to achieve the desired results. In addition to the main points mentioned above, it is important to note that our team of lawyers pays a lot of attention to prevention and adoption of appropriate measures, thus aiming to balance each time both the opportunities and risks in such a way that the results to be in the client’s favour. Also, the difference between POPESCU & ASOCIATII and other law firms is visible at fine tuning, more precisely on very complex projects, where the right decision is timed at millimetre and per second, the millimetre being the location and the second being the timing – both essential and which makes the difference between success and loss. Currently, after just over 4 years of activity of the team in this formula, POPESCU &ASOCIATII is the only law firm in Romania that has managed to achieve exceptional results, both in the legal practice and in terms of evolution as brand, visibility and recognition on the local law market. And I am not referring here only to the awards obtained so far, but also to the recognition coming from fellow lawyers and from clients. Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that? We are going through an intense period, with various predictions on the future. The war in the neighbouring country and the energy crisis have caused uncertainty and a high degree of concern over the future, while the inflation and rising prices have led to the permanent revision and adaptation of the initial plans to the actual context. However, we can see a maturation of the business environment, which determines a moderate growth of the economy, even with opportunities in some of the areas of interest. Moreover, analysing the current situation, we can see how the energy crisis has shown us the image of a difficult situation faced by companies in several industries, not only in Romania, companies whose activity depends on fossil fuels. On this basis we have noticed an even greater interest from companies to invest in alternative solutions that will lead to the use of green energy, from renewable sources, investments which will certainly lead to an increase in this practice, both in the next 12 months and in the following years. In addition, as lately there has been a progression of disputes arising from public procurement and energy supply contracts, but also from mandates in sectors such as HORECA, FMCG, pharmaceutical, health or waste management, we consider that litigation and arbitration are the practices that will grow this year as well. This statement is also based on the fact that the Litigation Department is the main 'engine' or one of the main business engines in any law firm and Dispute Resolution is the largest practice within POPESCU & ASOCIATII, with the largest share on the turnover. Further on the digitalization, which has had a very rapid growth during the pandemic, continues to develop at an accelerated rhythm and influence both the client’s business and the consumer’s behaviour. These being mentioned, we remind that the economic players in the market have to manage a series of challenges, but also of opportunities, trying to find the most appropriate solutions for all the situations they face, to show flexibility and to adapt, quickly and as well as possible, to all changes. Our analyses make us hope for an economic recovery; therefore, we consider that the market is wide and there is room for investments and optimization of flows, in accordance with the evolution of the economical context and POPESCU & ASOCIATII team is constantly nearby the clients, to provide them the right advice and all the necessary legal support. What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients? POPESCU & ASOCIATII started from the beginning on a solid collaboration with its clients, a strong relationship that is based on trust, responsibility, open communication and total flexibility, thus developing sustainable partnerships. Currently, the results of the entire activity from the first 4 years of the company reflect the successful implementation of a different model of a law firm, to provide Premium Services for Premium Clients, a team that responds every time to the needs of the clients, whether we are talking about prevention or protection, regardless of the clients' field of activity or the economic context. In terms of investing in people, this does not represent a change, but it is and will remain the first strategic objective of the company, a priority and constant concern of the management since the performance can only be achieved through a permanent learning process, both individually and from senior lawyers who are true mentors for their colleagues. Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them? Definitely, the technology has brought important changes in law industry in the last years, and it will certainly continue at this rhythm. First of all, the pandemic period on the one hand, has led us all to a faster digitalization, including the judicial process, at the level of the courts and of the arbitration process. Of course, the technology offers many advantages among which are the opportunity to have quick access, at any time, to all the documentation of a mandate or the possibility to set up an online meeting, at just a click, regardless of the physical location of the client representatives or colleagues. In this context, we believe that all the lawyers and clients have adapted to the new era, and this has brought a lot of advantages. Therefore, many lawyers, including our team, still prefer the direct contact with our clients for the important meetings, to the detriment of using the digital tools. Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business? There are many projects that can be listed here, especially since most of the files in our portfolio concern special situations with a high level of complexity, including voluminous documentation and careful research work. We strongly believe that all our projects and clients are very important, and we manage to bring value in every partnership we develop and, as a proof of this, stands the fact that so far we have by our side all the clients with whom we have started a collaboration, and more than that, they recommend us to their business partners. Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time? Certainly, the clients are looking for stability and for the right strategic directions from their law firms, and POPESCU & ASOCIATII is recognized as a team of extraordinary lawyers and strong opponents in the courtroom. The expertise of our Partners is impeccable, their involvement being complete so that all our lawyers (including even the juniors) accomplish everything in a rigorous and exceptional manner, being dedicated and having extensive knowledge in terms of regulations, legislative changes and the clients’ areas of activity. POPESCU & ASOCIATII is growing, in terms of projects, of people and of the activity in general. For the next 3 years and not only, we have as a strategic objective to develop the upward trend, a trend that we have maintained since the company’s founding and we expect a growth on all levels: business, team and mandates.