CMS' criminal defence practice in Bucharest is led by May 2023 partner appointment Mihai Jiganie-Serban, who has had a rapid rise to become one of the standout practitioners in the field in Romania. He leads a team whose 'inter-disciplinary cooperation with other departments enhances its capability', working closely with the CMS network in the region to support a prestigious client base of the range of cases under the white-collar crime umbrella. Coordinator of the wider dispute resolution practice, Horia Draghici is a key figure in criminal litigation too, and the practice was boosted by the return of Cosmin Cretu in June 2023, rejoining from Dentons.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘it is unique by the willingness to understand the specific topic, the time and patience allocated even in multiple simultaneous cases.’
‘Communication and proactive approach.’
‘CMS has a solid white-collar crime practice. The WCC crime team at CMS works well together. The level of their commitment is extraordinary and they are capable of developing and adapting their client's defense strategy with a strong focus on the final objective in the most efficient and cost effective way.’
‘Mihai Jiganie-Serban is one of the best white collar crime lawyers on the market. Mihai is always business-oriented, he knows how to think outside the box and choose the best strategies for his clients.'
'Cosmin Cretu is a very committed young lawyer who is always willing to go the extra mile for his clients. Cosmin's great results have been achieved following his extremely thorough and hands on approach.'
'Ionut Chisar is also a very talented young lawyer with great theoretical knowledge and a lot of potential.’
‘The white-collar team is solid and agile. They have extensive experience in the most complex criminal cases in Romania amounting to millions of euro stakes. Its inter-disciplinary cooperation with other departments enhances its capability. The international network of CMS is clearly a plus.’
‘Mihai Jiganie-Serban is one of most experienced Romanian criminal defense lawyers. Not only his long lasting case file recommends him but also his capacity to react quickly and to coordinate various branch of legal departments in order to provide efficient assistance in high stakes criminal cases.’
Work highlights
- Advising a global agribusiness company on an internal investigation into allegations of €30m fraud.
- Defended an EU leader in construction and infrastructure projects against alleged tax fraud and money laundering in the context of the implementation of a railway rehabilitation project in Romania.
- Representing a global IT company against alleged accessory to abuse of office in relation to the public acquisition of an IT solution.
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Practice head
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Mihai Jiganie-Serban