Banking, finance and capital markets in Bosnia & Herzegovina

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz D.O.O. in cooperation with local lawyers

Specialising in domestic and cross-border advisory work in the full range of financial project matters, the banking and finance practice at CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz D.O.O. in cooperation with local lawyers regularly handle acquisition financing, corporate lending, and distressed debt trading. Transactions in the microcredit sector and multijurisdictional equity investments are core strengths of the team. Andrea Zubović-Devedžić  spearheads the team, with a focus on advising local and foreign firms in relation to regulatory requirements for subordinated debt financing. Sanja Voloder is another key member of the team, advising on acquisition of shares and loan restructuring matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

Andrea Zubović-Devedžić


Autres avocats clés:

Sanja Voloder


Les références

CMS offers a truly market leader service in Bosnia with a team of seasoned legal professionals, who are familiar with the expectations of our business in terms of delivery of advice and project management. The local knowledge brought to the table by CMS’s attorneys has proved to be a valuable asset for our organization.

Principaux clients

European Fund for Southeast Europe


Green for Growth


Finance in Motion


European Bank for Restructuring and Development


European Investment Fund


Containex Container-HandelsgesellschafT M.B.H


Mutares SE & Co. KGaA


Atradius collections B.V.


Proparco


Otis AG


SPORTRADAR GROUP AG


Citibank


Soda Sisecam Lukavac


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising EFSE on subordinated debt financing of a systemic bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina, member of an international group, in relation to Tier 2 regulatory capital requirements.
  • Advising the client Austrian Development Bank (OEEB) regarding loan restructuring and negotiation with a local company.
  • Advising Soda Sisecam Lukavac on implementation of a pioneer project of introducing a payment system vis swift communication.

Karanovic & Partners in cooperation with local lawyers

With offices in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, the banking and finance practice at Karanovic & Partners in cooperation with local lawyers handles financial regulatory matters in both Bosnian entities. Nihad Sijerčić leads the practice, while Amina Đugum Brkanic handles corporate and loan financing transactions and capital markets. Drafting share purchase agreements and advising on financial regulations are other areas of the team’s expertise. With a strength in domestic and cr0ss-border M&A Marija Pušić, assists in advising investors on Bosnia law aspects of various cross-border acquisitions.

Responsables de la pratique:

Nihad Sijerčić


Autres avocats clés:

Amina Đugum Brkanic; Marija Pušić


Les références

‘The office seems very coordinated as a team.. They have a wide range of knowledge and capabilities for each area, and in more complicated cases they contribute to the solution of the problem together.’

Transaction was private equity exercise, the whole team consisted of women which is quite advanced for European standards.

I was positively surprised about the level of experience and knowledge in the pure financial aspects of the deal which made it easy to translate the financial ideas into juridical/contractual language.’

Principaux clients

ADP International Services B.V.


Blockchain


EBRD


L’Agence Française de Développement


GLS Alternative Investments


IuteCredit


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising EBRD on a project aimed at identifying and mapping the solutions which will enable the local communities to develop photo-voltaic projects.
  • Advising L’Agence Française de Développement on a sovereign loan to the state Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • Advising China Export Import Bank on the contemplated financing of the Banja Luka – Prijedor highway.

Maric & Co Law Firm

Lauded as the ‘go-to firm in Bosnia and Herzegovina,’ Maric & Co Law Firm‘s banking and finance team regularly advises inbound clients in the banking, retail, and infrastructure sectors on the full range of financing matters. Founder and managing partner with ‘experience that is hard to match,’Branko Maric specialises in advising foreign-owned and regionally significant commercial banks lending to local banks and companies on Bosnian law and regulations. Nebojša Marić is a key member of the team, advising on transactional and regulatory work for banking clients. Slaven Dizdar is another key member of the team.

Responsables de la pratique:

Branko Maric


Autres avocats clés:

Nebojša Marić; Slaven Dizdar; Bojana Bosnjak-London


Les références

‘The go-to firm in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Always impressive. Partner-led but efficiently so.’

‘Branko Marić is the Bosnian lawyer you want. Experience that is hard to match.’

‘Although the jurisdiction is small. Maric & Co has developed as a modern and experienced law firm. Its Banking and Finance practice group makes an impression of a mature and at the same time dynamic unit. With its diversified team they work for local fees on international standards, with good knowledge of deferent aspects of financial transactions. I am impressed by the speed and quality even among younger lawyers which shows effective leadership and mentorship. They are attractive partners not only for clients but also for the international law firms they work with.’

Principaux clients

DEG


European Investment Bank (EIB)


IFC


Unicredit Bank London Branch


Unicredit bank Mostar


Intesa Sanpaolo bank


Raiffeisen bank


ProCredit Bank


Addiko Bank Sarajevo


Sparkasse


KfW


Modo Money London


Ziraat bank


Securities Register of FBIH


Unicredit Bank Banja Luka


Addiko Bank Banja Luka


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Unicredit Bank on all types of the regulatory issues and relations with its sensitive clients and their financing.
  • Advised EBRD on multiple loans granted to local financial institutions and directly to the largest companies.
  • Advised Intesa SanPaolo Bank on all types of the regulatory issues and relations with its sensitive clients and their financing.

Wolf Theiss - in cooperation with local lawyers

With significant regional expertise, Wolf Theiss - in cooperation with local lawyers‘s banking and finance practice houses ‘one of the best teams on the market,’ frequently counselling regional banking groups on loan banking and structuring. Managing partner Naida Čustović specialises in financing aspects of restructuring and bankruptcy in the SEE region. Advising financial institutions, governments, public bodies, and international corporations on the full range of loan agreements is another key strength of the team. Ilma Kasumagić  assists on various advisory matters, while Lamis Kulenović aids Čustović in various cross-border cryptocurrency matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

Naida Čustović


Autres avocats clés:

Ilma Kasumagić; Lamis Kulenović; Admira Sitnić


Les références

‘Team is one of the best teams on the market, especially in Banking & Finance. They provide services of the highest quality and are involved in the biggest projects on the market. ’

‘Naida Custovic, their managing partner, stands out as the lawyer with the most experience and highest legal skills. She is one of the leading lawyers in Banking & Finance and draws her expertise not only from transactions on the local market, but also from her involvement in international transactions of this kind. She is also a pleasure to work with and is always very professional and friendly even when on the opposing sides. ’

 

Principaux dossiers


Law Office Miljkovic & Partners

Law Office Miljkovic & Partners‘s banking and finance team services a broad client list including commercial, development, and investment banks, as well as various other financial institutions. the team also advises on project financing in the infrastructure sector, enforceability of securities in renewables, and complex debt structuring matters. Sead Miljković leads the team with expertise in regulatory matters, while Amar Bajramović leads on due diligence and liquidation matters.

 

Responsables de la pratique:

Sead Miljković


Autres avocats clés:

Amar Bajramović; Maja Šimunac


Les références

‘The office seems very coordinated as a team. We have not noticed any shortcomings when one of the colleagues is absent, but communication continues as if everyone is knowledgeable about everything. They have a wide range of knowledge and capabilities for each area, and in more complicated cases they contribute to the solution of the problem together.’

‘Having in mind that we have our in house legal department we are using services of Law Office Miljković and Partners for highly complex legal matters. The team is more than competent to handle such matters, they have experience and knowledge and we always feel very confident when engaging them. I would say that their approach stands out. They are solution focused, quick in responding and extremely dedicated. Such level of service is rarely found in local companies, and international ones offer very high rates and usually do not have that strong individuals locally. The entire team is very r efficient and able to go extra mile.’

‘I mostly work with partners Sead Miljković, Amar Bajramović and Maja Šimunac. I have worked with Sead before and have always been pleased with the level of service he provided. He is upfront and business oriented, with focus on solutions. We have also been pleased with level of services Maja has provided. She has strong drafting skills and is able to provide innovative solutions. I have also been working previously with Amar Bajramović, very good and experienced lawyer. His approach stands out, he is out of the box thinker and it has always been great pleasure to work with him.’

Principaux clients

EBRD


Addiko Bank


Prevent Group


ASA Group


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising public company Motorways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in project of financing motorway section, which is part of Corridor Vc.
  • Advising Client in relation to financing documentation, in particular facility agreement and various security agreements.

Dimitrijevic & Partners

Specialising in advising international banking groups and other corporate clients on Bosnian law and regulatory matters, the banking and finance team at Dimitrijevic & Partners also advises on major syndicated unsecured loans and loans in the energy sector. Stevan Dimitrijevic co-heads the team with Nina Vještica, advising shareholders among other clients, on cross-border refinancing matters. The team also regularly handles loans in the energy sector, refinancing in retail, and act as local counsel on bond offering transactions. Đorđe Dimitrijević is also recommended.

Responsables de la pratique:

Stevan Dimitrijević; Nina Vještica


Autres avocats clés:

Đorđe Dimitrijević


Les références

‘Highly knowledgeable of the local law, and even more important when speaking about jurisdiction as complex as Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the local practices.’

‘We worked mostly with Nina Vjestica and have only positive experience from working with her.’ 

Principaux dossiers


dmb partners

Lauded as ‘one of the best teams in the market,’ dmb partners‘s banking and finance team regularly advises foreign investment firms on significant financing packages, due diligence processes, and debt financings. Managing partner Dina Duraković leads on large cross-border transaction financings, and advises on the full range of financing matters for clients in real estate development, banking, and insurance sectors. Representing banking clients in litigation is another strength of the team. With a focus on regulatory work, Merima Čarković-Karasalihović also represents clients before relevant courts and regulatory authorities, while Armin Hadžić advises insurance and debt-collection firms on regulatory matters.

 

Responsables de la pratique:

Dina Duraković


Autres avocats clés:

Merima Čarković-Karasalihović; Armin Hadžić


Les références

‘dmb is one of the best teams on the market and we use them for all our financing projects. We have used them in the process of securing funding for our biggest project. They were our principal advisors in negotiations with the bank. They are very skilled lawyers, with a lot of experience on the market and good feeling for the commercial side of transactions. Their awareness of commercial aspects of business is what makes them different than other firms. We also appreciate their punctuality and ability to react immediately and respect very tight deadlines.’

‘Dina Durakovic is managing the firm and she is the lawyer with the greatest experience and expertise. She manages the team very well, so other lawyers are also very capable and responsive. Dina has great understanding of our business and awareness of the commercial aspects of transactions, which makes her advice always competent and very good to have (and not only legal, but also commercial advice). She is a valuable part of our team in all our projects.’

‘We worked with dmb partners at their initiative and were very happy to work with them. They acted as lead legal counsel in negotiation of a loan facility for a Bosnian company. They needed us to assist under Slovenian law, as the bank was from Slovenia and insisted that the loan agreement should be governed by Slovenian law. Our cooperation was smooth and we supplemented each other perfectl

Principaux clients

Orion Resource Partners


ASA Banka d.d. Sarajevo


Sparkasse Bank BH d.d. Sarajevo


Uniqa Osiguranje d.d. Sarajevo


EOS Matrix d.o.o.


Mkd IuteCredit BH d.o.o. Sarajevo


APS BH d.o.o.


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Orion Resource Partners, a global investment management firm specialized in metals and mining investment, on a USD 244.5 million financing package for Vares Silver Project.
  • Advised local real estate company, Crni vrh d.o.o, on EUR 50 million financing of project involving construction of luxury residences in Sarajevo.
  • Advised ASA Banka d.d. Sarajevo, the largest local bank in BiH and the 4th biggest bank on the market in all regulatory and corporate matters and represent them before the courts in all passive litigation.

Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr

Specialising in project financing in the energy sector, the banking, finance, and capital markets team at Moravcevic Vojnovic and Partners in cooperation with Schoenherr also advises on project investments and real estate financing. Matija Vojnovic leads the team, while Jelena Arsić‘s expertise includes advising national financial institutions, handling acquisition finance mandates, and capital markets. Minela Šehović and Ivana Panić are other key members of the team.

Responsables de la pratique:

Matija Vojnovic


Autres avocats clés:

Matija Vojnovic; Jelena Arsić; Minela Šehović; Ivana Panić


Les références

‘ I’ve worked with the team for several years on various complex matters. Their service has consistently met my expectations, and I greatly appreciate their deep knowledge in handling complex issues. It’s always a pleasure working with them.’

‘Matija Vojnovic brings a wealth of experience to the table. He’s approachable and solution- focused, possessing extensive knowledge of the region from both legal and business standpoints. Minela Sehovic is a meticulous lawyer well-versed in the local market. Her proactive and responsive approach is highly commendable. Jelena Arsic is an exceptional lawyer known for her pragmatic problem-solving skills.’

‘The wide network in the region with very strong team.’

Principaux clients

Etmax d.o.o.


Sberbank


UniCredit Bank a.d. Mostar


UniCredit Bank a.d. Banja Luka


GETINGE GROUP


VTB Bank


Hidroelektrana Dabar


United Group


Wiener Insurance Vienna Insurance Group a.d


UNIQA


EOS Matrix


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised UniCredit Bank a.d. Banja Luka in adispute with Bitminer Factory, overturning a EUR 131 million first instance judgment.
  • Advised HES Gornja Drina on the financing and construction of HPP Buk Bijela, a 55 m high concrete gravity dam, and hydropower plant.
  • Advised Hydro Power Plant “Dabar” Ltd, ERS as borrower, and Government of the Republic of Srpska as guarantor, on the financial closing of EUR 189 million loan facility.

Law firm SAJIC

The banking and finance team at Law firm SAJIC has significant experience in advising large international banks in policy financial support, conducting due diligence on projects, along with the full range of financial advisory work. The practice is jointly led by Aleksandar Sajic and Sanja Djukic, who lead on providing comprehensive assistance in the purchase and collection of receivables, and regulations in both the Republic of Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina from the Banja Luka office. Handling sales and purchase agreements, securities and representing banks in litigation are other core strengths of the team. Milica Kardaza and Nikolina Zubac are also key team members.

 

Responsables de la pratique:

Aleksandar Sajic; Sanja Djukic


Autres avocats clés:

Milica Kardaza; Nikolina Zubac


Les références

‘The Sajic team is responsive and experienced to handle client’s needs and queries in a timely and professional manner.’ 

‘Aleksandar Sajic, is very helpful and capable, and is very commercial in understanding the client’s needs.’

 

Principaux clients

THE EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF CHINA


EOS MATRIX


PROCREDIT


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised client in process of financing the project of the HPP Dabar.
  • Advised client on purchase and sale of receivables. Conducting due diligence.
  • Represented Procredit bank in many proceedings related to the banking law, like enforcement or litigation proceedings, and advised them on securities proceedings.