HAVEL & PARTNERS has joined a network of more than a dozen international firms to launch the Global Legal Tech Alliance, a cross-border collaboration designed to give law firms an even more active role in developing and deploying the technology that is reshaping legal practice.
“Artificial intelligence, automation, and digitalization are transforming business. At HAVEL & PARTNERS, we aim to play a key role in this transformation. That is why we are constantly innovating, pushing boundaries, fundamentally changing the way we work, leading the way in technology and AI implementation, and assisting our clients in these areas as well. We view technology not only as a tool, but primarily as an opportunity to do things smarter and faster—not just for our clients’ projects, but also within our own firm. As the largest independent law firm and long-standing technology leader in CEE, we consider joining the Global Legal Tech Alliance a natural step. Participating in this initiative allows us to collaborate with like-minded firms around the world, co-create innovative solutions, and deliver even greater value to our clients,” says Robert Nešpůrek, Partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
The alliance addresses a gap in the market: while firms across jurisdictions face similar challenges in adopting AI and legal technology, there has been no structured, law-firm-led platform for tackling them collectively. The Global Legal Tech Alliance aims to change that through shared standards, joint development of solutions for complex legal workflows, and dedicated training through the Global Legal Tech Alliance Academy.
Through the Global Legal Tech Alliance Academy, member firms will access shared training resources and development programmes for legal professionals at all levels. The Global Legal Tech Alliance Forum provides a regular platform for peer exchange on emerging technology and legal operations, while the Global Legal Tech Alliance Strategic Forum brings together senior leadership for longer-term dialogue on the direction of legal tech and its implications for the profession.
The alliance is built on the idea that law firms are best placed to drive innovation in this sector, holding high quality data, having a deep understanding of legal issues, and adhering to high ethical standards of practice. It is aimed at providing the best possible, tech-enabled legal advice to clients.
The largest Czech-Slovak law firm, HAVEL & PARTNERS, secured for the fifth consecutive year the main award in the International Law Firm category at the 14th annual Law Firm of the Year competition in Slovakia. At the same time, it won the Best Client Services category and also claimed first place in Banking and Finance. In other 14 categories, the firm was ranked among highly recommended and recommended law firms. The results once again confirm the high standard, comprehensive scope, and international reach of the services provided. With a total of more than five dozen awards in the Slovak and Czech competitions in the past years, HAVEL & PARTNERS is the most successful and most comprehensive law firm in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The main award in the International Law Firm category confirms the long-standing ability of HAVEL & PARTNERS to support clients in their international expansion as well as in assisting foreign investors entering Central Europe. The firm provides legal and tax advisory services in 12 languages, has assisted clients in more than 110 countries, and as much as 70 percent of its cases include an international element.
Securing its fifth consecutive victory in the International Law Firm category is further proof that HAVEL & PARTNERS ranks among the strongest partners for cross‑border business in the region. The firm supports clients in their international expansion as well as in assisting foreign investors entering Central Europe. Its strong international platform is further underpinned by direct representation in Frankfurt, while close cooperation with ONE FAMILY OFFICE has extended a global reach to its services for private clients as well. “This award is a confirmation for us that international support is a natural part of how we operate and that we are able to serve our clients as a strategic partner in their most important decisions at home and abroad,” says Jaroslav Havel, Managing Partner of HAVEL & PARTNERS.“Our strength lies in our ability to turn international reach into tangible support for clients. We assist with structuring, coordinating cross‑border transactions, and addressing regulatory and operational matters across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. In this way, we provide clients with international advice that combines in‑depth knowledge of the domestic environment with effective management of cross‑border projects,”adds Ondřej Majer, Partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
The award in the Best Client Services category highlights long‑term partnerships, an individual and proactive approach, and the ability to deliver real value to clients. HAVEL & PARTNERS has been operating in Slovakia since 2008, with a team of nearly 50 lawyers serving more than 500 clients. “The most valuable award for us is the trust and satisfaction of our clients. We see our repeated victory in the Best Client Services category, decided directly by clients themselves, as strong confirmation that they appreciate not only our expertise, but also the way we think about their business and stand by them over the long term. Our success is built on a strong team and exceptional relationships with our clients. “Clients place their trust in us to be part of their business and of the key moments in their story—and we want to honour that trust by supporting their goals and ambitions with an understanding of the broader context, with precision, speed, and a focus on their further growth,” says Štěpán Štarha, Partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
First place in the Banking and Finance category confirms the firm’s strong expertise in one of the most demanding and highly regulated areas of the market. In this field, HAVEL & PARTNERS integrates financing, financial services regulation, and insurance, delivering legally precise yet commercially viable solutions for banks, insurers, investors, and corporations, both domestically and internationally. “This award is a confirmation for us that we are able to provide clients with comprehensive, business‑oriented advice across financing, regulation, and insurance.We value it all the more as it comes in a segment where expertise, trust, and the ability to find solutions even in complex situations are decisive. We thank our clients for the trust they place in us when turning to us with their financial projects, transactions, and regulatory challenges,” says Jan Procházka, Partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
Law Firm of the Year is a prestigious industry competition evaluating the legal services of law firms operating in the Czech and Slovak Republics, organized by the publishing house EPRAVO Group, s.r.o. It was first announced in the Czech Republic in 2008, and since 2013 it has also been held in Slovakia in cooperation with the weekly TREND. Find out more information here. The awards ceremony took place on 21 April during a grand gala evening organised by EPRAVO Group, s.r.o. in cooperation with the weekly TREND at the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel in Bratislava.
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to the innovation agency JIC on the creation of a unique venture capital fund structure in the Czech Republic. JIC Ventures is a new fund focused on technology start-ups from the Czech Republic and the CEE region, combining private capital with public funds and responding to the long-term need for more affordable early-stage funding.
The fund itself is a unique project not only in the Czech Republic but also in the wider Central European context, both in its structure of investors and its aim to support the development of technology entrepreneurship and to strengthen the availability of venture capital for promising start-ups.
The fund has a total size of CZK 400 million and focuses on deep tech, SaaS and other advanced technology areas. It should support approximately 20 start-ups. In addition to capital, its ambition is to offer selected companies expertise, experience and links to the investor, university and scientific community, thus contributing to the development of innovative entrepreneurship and supporting the Czech Republic’s transition to an economy based on high added value, technology and research.
HAVEL & PARTNERS’ legal advice included setting up the entire structure of the fund, establishing individual entities and defining the relations between the general partner, limited partners and the fund. It also involved setting up JIC Ventures 2 a.s. as a venture capital entity and drafting related contractual, corporate, tax and regulatory documentation.
The legal advice was provided by a broad HAVEL & PARTNERS team led by VC partner Jaroslav Baier, with key involvement of managing associate Josef Bouchal, associate Johana Němečková, and other experts in venture capital and fund structures. The tax aspects of the deal were handled by partner Josef Žaloudek, and the regulatory aspects by a team led by counsel Martin Stančík.
The JIC innovation agency, founded in 2003 by the City of Brno, the South Moravia Region, and Brno universities, supports the creation and growth of start-ups, spin-offs and innovative companies, with a long-term focus on the development of entrepreneurship based on innovation, technology and research. This year, the Financial Times ranked JIC among the 50 best start-up centres in Europe.
HAVEL & PARTNERS will internally promote a total of 19 legal and tax professionals as of 1 April. Róbert Gašparovič, Irena Munzarová and Albert Tatra will be promoted to the position of Counsel effective April.
A further five professionals will advance to the role of Managing Associates: Marta Fantová Argalášová, Pavla Korcová, Peter Košecký, Kamil Kovaříček and Ivona Zurynková Hladíková.
The team of Senior Associates will be strengthened by the promotions of Daša Aradská, Oliver Benda, Roman Dubeň, Lucia Gáťová, Tomáš Jansa, Ondřej Mocek Kaufmann, Andrea Mochorovská, Robert Nersesjan, Alena Šíchová and Filip Šperl.
Within the tax team, Adéla Skočíková will be promoted to the position of Tax Manager.
“At a time of the rapid rise of AI and the transformation of the labour market and professional services, the importance of truly experienced professionals is growing. In addition to top-tier expertise, they bring critical thinking, leadership, and strategic decision-making capabilities. At HAVEL & PARTNERS, the systematic support of our colleagues’ growth and development is a long-term process we consider essential. Thanks to this, we are able to consistently build and develop a strong base of senior professionals and future leaders from within,” says Jaroslav Havel, the firm’s Managing Partner.
HAVEL & PARTNERS relies on a stable team of senior lawyers and other professionals. The majority of the firm’s partners have advanced to leadership positions through internal promotion. “Alongside technological skills such as working with AI and data, so-called ‘deeply human’ competencies are becoming increasingly important – including critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, adaptability, and leadership. It is precisely the combination of these skills with top-level professional expertise that is now key to maintaining competitiveness,” adds Jaroslav Havel.
Until now, the firm traditionally announced career promotions at the beginning of the year. Going forward, it has shifted internal promotions to April, better aligning them with individual performance evaluations for the previous year, which are conducted annually in March.
“This change allows us to reflect the results of performance evaluations in our colleagues’ career progression immediately after they are completed. At the same time, it enhances the transparency of the entire process and creates a clearer link between evaluation outcomes, individual performance, and the future direction and development of our professional teams. We view career progression as a key tool for long-term motivation and the overall stability of our team,” explains Petra Rudová, HR Director.
With offices in Prague, Bratislava, Frankfurt, Brno, Plzeň, Olomouc and Ostrava, HAVEL & PARTNERS is the largest independent law firm in Central Europe. The firm has a team of 400 lawyers, tax advisers and patent attorneys, including approximately 260 attorneys-at-law, and a total of 750 professionals. For 12 consecutive years, it has also been ranked as the most sought-after employer among law firms in the TOP Employers survey.
Source: STEP Journal
Milan Sivý TEP and Jiří Pokorný discuss the increasing prevalence of family foundations in Czechia and their key advantages over trusts as succession planning structures.
The Czech Republic pioneered asset management structures within the European Union. The Civil Code, effective from 2014, adopted the Quebec fiducie model, in Czech svěřenský fond (the Czech trust), as a continental equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon trust. This instrument has since become widely used for private asset management and succession planning.
However, other estate planning vehicles enabled by the Civil Code, notably family foundations and establishments, have remained less prominent. Czech legal subjects may choose from multiple institutional succession planning options. Family foundations have recently experienced significant growth due to their advantages for founders and families, warranting closer examination.
Under Czech law, a foundation is a legal entity constituted by assets allocated for a specific purpose. Czech law distinguishes between foundations and endowment funds. For simplicity, this article refers to the common characteristics of both, and both are referred to as foundations. Unlike corporations, the property element prevails over the personal, ensuring autonomous and continuous management.
Foundations have a centuries-long history in the Czech Republic (at least since 1811, in the case of charitable foundations) and are not, in essence, a new legal tool unknown to the general public. However, the general public usually associates foundations with public benefit activities rather than with the management of private or family assets.
In a family foundation, the founder establishes the foundation by allocating assets and setting its purpose and rules (generally, to support the founder and their family and to manage family assets). The board of directors serves as the governing body. A supervisory board or protector provides oversight.
Family foundations initially remained overshadowed by Czech trusts, which gained popularity through the public trust register, [1] favourable tax treatment and media attention.[2] From 2014 to 2025, Czech private trusts reached 5,259.[3] During the same period, 374 family foundations were established.[4] Notably, family foundation registrations have increased annually since 2020.
Despite initially receiving less media attention, family foundations have been analysed in Czech professional literature since 2014, when the new regulation on family foundations came into effect. Through advisor education and growing client awareness, family foundations are establishing their role in asset protection and succession planning. Key advantages over Czech trusts include:
Czech family foundations are not yet widely known to the general public, but they are increasingly finding their place in the Czech market. For clients with assets located in continental law jurisdictions, family foundations offer a more recognised, efficient and secure structure of asset management. A similar trend of growth can be observed in German-speaking countries and, in recent years, also in Poland.
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[1] Czech foundations are also subject to a public register.
[2] Similar rules apply to family foundations, as well.
[3] The total number of trusts (not only private ones) for the same period is 5,279. The data is based on publicly available sources.
[4] The total number of foundations (not only private or family ones) for the same period is 1,683 (in the foundation register, including foundations established before 2014, the total is 3,185).
The Chartered Town of Brno has adopted comprehensive Principles for Cooperation with Investors in the Development of Public Infrastructure within its territory. The documentation, which also includes a model planning agreement and a model example of calculating the investment contribution, was prepared by HAVEL & PARTNERS.
The firm’s legal team has extensive experience in establishing regulatory frameworks for development projects and preparing contractual documentation of this type. The expert team working on the project was led by partner František Korbel. The preparation and negotiation of all documents were handled by managing associate Tomáš Kalenský, associate Petra Gabrhelová, and junior associate Tereza Žůrková.
“We greatly appreciate the trust that Brno has placed in us by entrusting us with this project. By adopting these Principles, Brno clearly demonstrates that it intends to base the development of its territory on transparent and fair foundations. New projects can bring real added value to the city only if the impacts on infrastructure are addressed early on and if the rules of the game are set in advance – equally and clearly for everyone,” emphasized František Korbel, partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
The adopted Principles create a clear, predictable, and transparent framework for cooperation between the town and private investors in the preparation of both residential and commercial development projects within the territory of Brno.
A key focus is the development of public infrastructure and civic amenities. The document aims to contribute to a faster and more efficient development process while ensuring a fair distribution of costs arising from the increased burden placed on the area by new development projects.
The documentation was prepared in accordance with the applicable legal framework, including the requirements of the new building legislation. An integral part of the project was also the preparation of a model planning agreement, which will facilitate further negotiations between the parties on specific planning agreements, as well as a model example for calculating the investment contribution.
In this year’s TOP Employers survey, based on voting by university students across the Czech Republic, HAVEL & PARTNERS has once again been ranked the most sought-after law firm. The firm has now held the top position among law firms for 12 consecutive years. HAVEL & PARTNERS also achieved further success in the specialist category Lawyer, in which votes are cast by students with the highest academic achievements.
“We greatly value this recognition over the long term, as it reflects how our firm is perceived directly by students and young lawyers. It confirms that our systematic work with talent, our emphasis on individual mentoring, and the opportunity for junior colleagues to participate in top-tier and often international projects truly make sense. We offer our colleagues an environment that combines high professional standards with support for personal development and a fair career perspective,” says Petra Rudová, HR Manager at HAVEL & PARTNERS.
With seven offices and a team of 400 lawyers, tax advisers, and patent attorneys, HAVEL & PARTNERS has long ranked among the leaders of the Central European legal market. The firm advises clients on sophisticated cases with an international dimension as well as on projects at the intersection of various legal and business sectors.
The firm currently engages approximately fifty students, who are fully integrated members of its practice teams. “Our students particularly appreciate the strong team spirit and genuine collaboration – both among themselves and across different practice areas. Equally important to them is the opportunity to grow professionally under the guidance of experienced professionals, to receive regular and meaningful feedback, and to work on assignments that move them significantly beyond what they encounter at university. They also gain experience with the latest technologies and artificial intelligence tools, which are increasingly shaping the future of the legal profession and becoming its natural part,” adds Petra
This year, 14,404 students took part in the voting. The TOP Employers ranking evaluates companies based, among other criteria, on the quality of the working environment, opportunities for professional development, corporate social responsibility, and prospects for future career and financial growth.
The revenues of the law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS grew year‑on‑year by 7% in 2025, reaching CZK 1.6 billion. The total revenues of the entire group, which also includes the debt‑collection agency Cash Collectors and other specialised services, exceeded CZK 1.8 billion according to preliminary results. HAVEL & PARTNERS Group, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, thus once again posted excellent economic results and continues to grow steadily since its founding.
“The results achieved confirm our long‑term stability and our ability to grow even in a dynamic market environment. We are able to do so thanks to long‑standing cooperation with our clients, partners and decision‑makers, and through top‑tier advisory services not only in law and tax, but also, within the group, in other areas including accounting, patent practice, asset protection and development, out‑of‑court debt recovery, competition economics, data protection, legal and managerial education, as well as health‑care concierge services or consulting in security, HR, marketing and public relations,” says managing partner Jaroslav Havel.
Since last year, the firm has also focused intensively on internal changes as part of its TIGER project. “We are concentrating on making our structure more efficient and on further key areas of our operations—from partnership and performance to technology, employee motivation and accelerating work with talent. Last year we made significant investments in artificial intelligence and technological innovation, which enable us to increase the efficiency of our services and focus on the real added value for clients,” Jaroslav Havel adds.
The firm recorded a significant economic boost in Slovakia in 2025, where total revenues grew by 18%. In the Czech Republic, the firm’s economic growth was supported by strong performance in areas such as technology, real estate, and particularly specialised private client services. For reasons of discretion and the specific nature of the services provided, the economic results of ONE FAMILY OFFICE, a private investors’ and business club, are not included in the group’s overall results.
“Cooperation with affiliated ONE FAMILY OFFICE helps strengthen the group’s global practice and opens up new opportunities in international legal services. This enables us to support clients even more effectively in their domestic and cross‑border activities,” Jaroslav Havel comments on cooperation.
The successes of HAVEL & PARTNERS and the high standard of its services are further underscored by numerous professional awards. Last year, HAVEL & PARTNERS achieved its best‑ever results in the Law Firm of the Year awards, winning the Best Domestic Law Firm and the Law Firm of the Year for Best Client Services for the sixth consecutive year, and also receiving the award for Innovative Firm of the Year. The firm also won the main award for Best International Law Firm in the Slovak Law Firm of the Year competition.
In 2025, HAVEL & PARTNERS Group, with an estimated value of CZK 3.5 billion, was included, already for the second time, in the TOP 100 most valuable companies controlled by Czech owners, according to the Czech Elite ranking. The ranking was compiled by the editorial team of Seznam Zprávy in cooperation with Deloitte.
HAVEL & PARTNERS assisted the prominent British venture capital fund 20VC, acting as the lead investor, in connection with its investment in the Czech startup BottleCap AI.
The legal advice, focused primarily on negotiating and preparing the transaction and investment documentation, was provided by the firm’s VC and PE partner Jaroslav Baier together with associate Tomáš Jansa.
BottleCap AI was founded by its CEO Jaroslav Beck and AI scientists Tomáš Mikolov and David Herel. The startup develops technologies that enhance the efficiency of AI large language models (LLMs) and help reduce the costs of their operation and further development.
Specifically, the company created its own basic AI model, CAP1, which served as the basis for launching its first product—an iOS application that summarizes and streamlines content from online communities and discussion platforms.
Renáta Šínová, a leading Czech expert in family law and civil procedure, and counsel at HAVEL & PARTNERS, has been awarded the Lawyer of the Year 2025 award in the field of family law. The Lawyer of the Year award, presented by the Czech Bar Association and the media and educational group EPRAVO.CZ, has long recognised exceptional personalities of Czech law for their expertise, professional integrity and human approach to the practice of law.
At the gala event, Renáta Šínová thanked the Union of Family Lawyers, which had nominated her for the award. In her personal thank-you speech, she dedicated part of the award to the woman who inspired her to choose family law, which has been the focus of her entire professional career: “It was my grandmother, who was an amateur lawyer. Her parents’ financial circumstances did not allow her to study, so with only primary education she served as a lay judge for 27 long years, and also attended to the family issues of her five younger siblings.”
Renáta Šínová has on a long-term basis focused on complex matrimonial cases, regulation of the legal relations of minors, proceedings for the establishment and denial of parenthood, and related civil procedural issues. As counsel, she is a member of the HAVEL & PARTNERS dedicated family law team, where she uses her exceptional know-how to handle the clients’ private matters.
In addition to her law practice, Renáta Šínová is also a prominent figure in the academic environment. She is an associate professor at the Faculty of Law of Palacký University in Olomouc, where she specialises in civil procedure and family law. She also shares her expertise in professional seminars and educational programmes of the HAVEL & PARTNERS ACADEMY.
Renáta Šínová is co-author of a textbook series focused on civil procedural law, co-author of commentaries to the Civil Procedure Code, and author of extensive passages in the fourth volume of the large commentary to the Civil Code. She is also one of the main co-authors of a monograph on family law published by Leges (Marriage, Divorce, Family Law Proceedings, Parental Responsibility). She has long cooperated with the Judicial Academy, the Office for International Legal Protection of Children, and is a member of a working committee of the Czech Government Legislative Council. In 2024, she also won the Czech-Slovak Flamma award, given to exceptionally inspiring female lawyers.
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided legal advice on the preparation and negotiation of two land use planning agreements for the development of the Na Jelenách area in Prague 11 borough. This is one of the largest undeveloped sites in Prague’s Jižní Město. The planning agreements were approved by the Prague City Assembly in autumn 2025.
The legal advice was provided by a HAVEL & PARTNERS’ team led by partner František Korbel, with senior associate Tomáš Kalenský and associates Terezie Koenigová and Petra Gabrhelová.
Due to the ownership structure of the land, it was necessary to prepare two separate land use planning agreements with different investors. The negotiations were conducted in accordance with the city-wide Methodology for Investor Contributions to the Development of the Capital of Prague and the model land use planning agreements, ensuring a transparent process and predictable rules for all parties involved.
The total value of the commitments undertaken by the investors under the agreements exceeds CZK 328 million. A key benefit is, in particular, the commitment to construct a new nursery school with a capacity of 200 places and subsequently transfer it to the administration of Prague 11 Borough. The commitments also include the construction of a cycle path directly within the development area.
The execution of the planning agreements in the Na Jelenách area demonstrates how cooperation between municipalities and investors can lead to tangible results in the form of new infrastructure and public amenities. The Capital of Prague and Prague 11 Borough have secured funding amounting to hundreds of millions of Czech crowns, while at the same time retaining control over the future form and functioning of the area.
HAVEL & PARTNERS has long supported cities and municipal districts in establishing cooperation with investors, including the preparation of methodologies and the negotiation for land use planning agreements for specific projects.
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to Cresco Real Estate, the largest residential developer in Slovakia, in connection with the financing of the second phase of the SO-HO Rezidence residential project in Prague’s Holešovice district.
The transaction was led by counsel Štěpán Černý together with associate Filip Šperl, under the partner supervision of Filip Čabart. The legal services primarily included the review and negotiation of the loan documentation and related security arrangements.
The SO-HO residential project reflects contemporary trends in modern urban architecture, with an emphasis on greenery, a high standard of living, a community-oriented concept, and maximum functionality of interior layouts with regard to natural light. The second phase of SO-HO Rezidence follows the already completed building on V Háji Street and comprises 194 modern apartments, with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
In connection with this project, Cresco Real Estate is also receiving long-term legal advice in the area of real estate law from partner Martin Ráž and associate Jan Šplíchal.