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.
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.
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided legal advice to Amundi Czech Republic, an investment company, in connection with the sale of the Keystone office building located in Prague’s Karlín district to a Swiss investor. This transaction represents the sale of the last asset from the portfolio of the KB Real Estate Fund 2, managed by Amundi, and marks the completion of the fund’s investment cycle. The fund is now entering its final stage of settlement and the return of funds to its investors.
The transaction was led by partner Lukáš Syrový and managing associate Albert Tatra. The firm provided the client with comprehensive legal support throughout the entire transaction process, in particular in relation to the preparation and negotiation of the transactional documentation, structuring of the transaction, and coordination of the closing.
The Keystone building became part of the KB Real Estate Fund 2 portfolio in 2017. Its sale confirms the continued strong demand for high-quality real estate assets in the Czech capital.
The Keystone office building is located at the corner of Pobřežní and Šaldova streets in an attractive area of Prague’s Karlín district. The building, featuring a distinctive façade inspired by Cubism, is considered one of the architectural landmarks of this part of the city. It offers 6,446 m² of premium office and retail space with a long-term, stable tenant base.
We wish you a peaceful and happy Christmas and may the New Year 2026 bring you good health, happiness, success, and all that you hope for.
In the prestigious white series of large commentaries published by C. H. Beck, a substantial expert commentary on the new Building Act has been released. It offers a detailed and comprehensible interpretation of individual provisions of the Act for practical use. One of the principal authors is František Korbel, partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS and a leading Czech expert on construction law and legislation, who participated in preparing the commentary together with an extensive team of specialists from the firm.
Their involvement underscores HAVEL & PARTNERS’ prominent position in the field of construction law. Led by František Korbel, the firm’s experts also participated in drafting the Czech building legislation itself – from the original draft of the new Building Act to Prague, Brno, and Ostrava building regulations, as well as the new Metropolitan Plan for the Capital City of Prague.
The commentary contains two volumes totalling 2,700 pages. The publication was prepared by an authorial team of more than eighty members, including representatives from the judiciary, academia, legal practice, public administration, architecture, and the construction sector.
“The new Building Act introduces fundamental systemic changes. Our goal was to provide a comprehensive, clear, and above all usable interpretation that will help professionals navigate its application in practice,” said František Korbel.
The commentary draws not only on current case law and academic literature but also on the authors’ long-standing practical experience and their active role in preparing and interpreting building legislation. It also includes a comparison of the new legal regulation with the previous Building Act and a detailed analysis of relevant case law, enabling readers to better understand the scope and impact of the adopted changes.
The publication is intended for a broad professional audience – particularly officials, judges, lawyers, architects, designers, urban planners, developers, law students, and other professionals who encounter construction law in their work.
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advisory to the statutory city of Hradec Králové in the sale of a majority stake in FC Hradec Králové, a football club competing in the Czech top football league.
The complex transaction was led by partners Jan Koval and Josef Hlavička, with a significant involvement from managing associate Ivo Skolil, senior associate Jana Šimková, and associate Johana Němečková.
The advisory covered the full structuring of the transaction, addressing not only the sale of shares in FC Hradec Králové but also the future operation of sports facilities, including the Malšovická Arena, under a usufructuary lease agreement. It also involved drafting and negotiating acquisition and shareholder agreements, related corporate advice, and coordinating the entire public tender and buyer selection process.
The majority stake was acquired by Fotbal HK 1905, whose co-owners include, among others, former Czech national team players Pavel Nedvěd and Ivo Ulich, alongside a group of private investors.
This transaction marks a major milestone in the continued development and long-term stability of the first-league club while preserving the city’s minority stake. FC Hradec Králové is a traditional regional sports brand with a 120-year history and strong community ties.
HAVEL & PARTNERS has long-term and extensive experience in sports law, including legal advisory on acquisitions and sales of professional football clubs.