HAVEL & PARTNERS, a leader in the implementation of artificial intelligence and modern technologies among law firms and the holder of the Innovative Law Firm of the Year 2025 award in the Law Firm of the Year competition, is expanding its portfolio of AI tools with the advanced Legora platform developed specifically for the legal sector. Legora will enable the firm’s lawyers to work even faster and more precisely with extensive document sets, to prepare and review legal documentation, and to conduct sophisticated analyses of legal sources – further enhancing the efficiency and quality of the firm’s services.
Legora complements and expands the existing innovation ecosystem of HAVEL & PARTNERS, which forms a key pillar of the firm’s transformation strategy under the TIGER project. Through this initiative, the firm adapts its operational model to a new era of legal consulting shaped by rapid technological development, artificial intelligence, and rising client expectations for comprehensive advisory services.
“We continuously invest in technologies that increase the quality and efficiency of our work. As one of the most technologically advanced law firms in the region, we want to keep progressing systematically. Legora provides our teams with additional advanced tools that allow us to deliver legal and tax advice even faster – with maximum emphasis on quality,” says Dalibor Kovář, partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS responsible for the internal implementation of innovative solutions.
HAVEL & PARTNERS has long been at the forefront of technology and AI implementation among law firms and advises clients on these topics as well. In the Law Firm of the Year 2025 competition, the firm received the Innovative Law Firm of the Year award for its comprehensive approach.
Collaboration with Legora is a natural continuation of the firm’s longstanding investment in technological development – from its in-house AI portal HP.AI and the WAIR legal research tool to a range of automation and analytical solutions that streamline the work of both lawyers and back-office teams.
The firm also heavily invests in talent development, knowledge management, and the expansion of its Innovation Ambassador program. Ambassadors help spread best practices, integrate firm data into AI tools, and develop new, more efficient methods of client service delivery. They also actively contribute to making the latest technologies a natural part of everyday legal practice.
In deploying all innovative and AI tools, HAVEL & PARTNERS adheres to the highest standards of client data protection, confidentiality, and safe technology use. While technology significantly accelerates and enhances legal work, strategic insight and rigorous quality control remain firmly in the hands of the firm’s legal experts.
For the eighth time, HAVEL & PARTNERS has won the international award as the best law firm in the Czech Republic in the Lexology Index Awards 2025 (formerly Who’s Who Legal). In its evaluation, the respected international legal ranking highlighted HAVEL & PARTNERS’ exceptional client care, strong professional position in the market and focus on innovation.
With this international success, and shortly after becoming the absolute winner of the Law Firm of the Year in the Czech Republic, HAVEL & PARTNERS confirmed its position as a long-term leader on the Central European legal market and its high standard of comprehensive legal and tax services.
“We are very appreciative of the award we have received, all the more so because it is the eighth time we have received it. This is an important signal that our long-term strategy and high demands on the quality and professionalism of our team are delivering results. We are intensively developing innovative projects and approaches that advance the efficiency and delivery of legal services, and the work and expertise of our people remains a key factor in our success. Next year, we will celebrate 25 years since the firm was founded and I see this type of award as a confirmation that the combination of an experienced team, modern approach and responsible management represents a solid foundation for our further development,” said Jaroslav Havel, managing partner of the firm.
Lexology (formerly Who’s Who Legal) is a global platform providing verified legal information and analyses from leading law firms and experts in over 170 jurisdictions. It is one of the most acknowledged sources for tracking legal trends, regulatory changes and international standards in business and law. Lexology Index Awards are based on extensive research and client feedback and are one of the most important global rankings of legal services. It annually recognises the top law firms in more than 70 jurisdictions.
The results of this year’s rating were announced on 26 November at a gala event in London.
In the 18th annual Law Firm of the Year awards, HAVEL & PARTNERS was named the Best Domestic Law Firm in the Czech Republic for the sixth consecutive year, while also receiving the award for Best Client Service. In addition, HAVEL & PARTNERS received a special honour as the Innovative Law Firm of the Year. The firm’s specialised teams also won in the practice categories of Competition Law and Asset Management. In other areas, the firm ranked among the most recommended law firms.
“This is our best result in the history of this competition. We have once again succeeded in being recognised as both the best Czech law firm and the most client-preferred firm. This confirms that our long-term focus on service quality, stability, and strategic business advice with added value is the right direction. Our success is built on a strong team and exceptional client relationships that have the nature of genuine partnership, which we truly appreciate. Our clients give us, as their advisors, the opportunity to become part of their business and their story – and we strive to reciprocate by addressing their ambitions and goals with contextual understanding, precision, speed, and a focus on their further growth,” says managing partner Jaroslav Havel.
In addition to the main and client service awards, the firm also received a special distinction this year as the Innovative Firm of the Year. HAVEL & PARTNERS actively integrates artificial intelligence into its legal practice, develops its own legal-tech applications, and uses state-of-the-art systems for file management, communication, and client relationship management. The firm implements automation tools to enhance the efficiency of its teams. With its exceptional know-how and dedicated technology law team, HAVEL & PARTNERS brings this expertise into client collaboration as well, helping clients make meaningful and effective use of new technologies within their business operations.
“We have long been among the leaders in the use of technology in law, and we are already actively integrating artificial intelligence into our daily practice. But we want to keep improving. This is why, this year, in cooperation with the consulting company M.C.TRITON, we launched the transformational project TIGER, the most extensive internal change in the history of HAVEL & PARTNERS. The aim is to further adapt the structure and operation of the firm to the new era of advisory services shaped by rapid technological development, artificial intelligence, and increasing demands for efficiency and quality,” adds Jaroslav Havel.
The repeated victory in the Asset Management category confirms the firm’s strong position in providing comprehensive advisory services to private clients. HAVEL & PARTNERS has long offered a wide spectrum of services – from legal and tax planning to the structuring of family arrangements and intergenerational wealth transfer. These specialised services for high-net-worth families and individuals have been further expanded by the affiliated ONE FAMILY OFFICE, which provides comprehensive support in areas such as investment and wealth management, protection of family assets including fiduciary services, and ensuring the highest possible quality of life for families in the areas of health, security, next-generation education, and philanthropy.
The firm’s team of 50 lawyers, tax and accounting advisors provides services to one-third of the wealthiest Czechs and Slovaks, as well as leading entrepreneurs, investors, athletes, and successful women in business. “Advisory work for private clients requires not only top-level expertise, but also a high degree of trust and understanding of personal and family contexts. Our team has more than eighteen years of experience in this field. We have had a specialised team dedicated to this area since 2007, and over that time we have prepared more than 550 foundation and trust structures. This combination of legal, tax, and business know-how enables us to offer clients solutions that truly work – solutions that securely protect their assets, simplify their management, and enable their growth across generations,” says partner David Neveselý.
The specialised team at HAVEL & PARTNERS has also won the Competition Law practice category for the sixth time, following its success earlier this year in the Slovak Law Firm of the Year awards, where it likewise took first place in the same category.
HAVEL & PARTNERS’ Competition Law team at is one of the most experienced and largest in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. More than 20 lawyers and economists at the firm focus on competition law and economics, providing clients with the full spectrum of services in respect of antitrust agreements, dominance, and merger control. Their portfolio also includes matters related to state aid, significant market power, and foreign investment screening.
“Competition law is a field that is constantly evolving. The rules change, decision-making practice shifts, and the priorities of competition authorities move. New markets emerge and conduct that was once acceptable may now be problematic. Our work consists of safely guiding clients through this jungle – in other words, in prevention and strategic risk management. We help clients structure their business models so that they are compliant, yet still flexible and competitive. And when an issue does arise, we strive to minimise its impact. I see this award as confirmation that we are able to combine our legal expertise with a detailed understanding of how markets function and transform this into long-term partnerships with our clients,” says Robert Neruda, the partner in charge of the firm’s competition practice.
In 18 additional specialist categories, HAVEL & PARTNERS was ranked among the highly recommended firms (top tier) in the Law Firm of the Year awards. Based on the results of this year’s competition as well as all previous years, the firm remains – by the number of all nominations and awards – the most successful and most comprehensive law firm in the Czech Republic.
The official results of the awards, organised annually by EPRAVO.CZ under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and the Czech Bar Association, were announced at a ceremony held on Wednesday, 26 November, at the Municipal House in Prague.
HAVEL & PARTNERS has a new partner since November. Milan Sivý, a seasoned corporate and transactional lawyer with many years of experience across the CEE/EMEA region, joins the firm as a partner focusing on M&A, private equity, general corporate law, and private clients.
“Mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate law and asset protection and structuring services are among the strategic practice areas of our law firm. Milan Sivý has more than ten years of experience in these areas. Thanks to his expertise and ability to connect legal and commercial aspects of complex transactions, we will be able to respond even better to the needs of our clients from the ranks of investors, financial institutions and private clients,” said Jaroslav Havel, managing partner of HAVEL & PARTNERS.
Before joining HAVEL & PARTNERS in 2025, Milan Sivý worked in the Prague office of an international law firm, at leading Czech law firms, and provided legal advice to a Czech banking institution.
In the field of M&A and private equity / venture capital, Milan Sivý has extensive experience in advising leading investors, industrial groups, banking institutions and private equity funds on major acquisitions, restructurings and equity transactions in the Czech Republic and the CEE region.
Milan Sivý advises on the entire transaction cycle – from structuring the transaction, due diligence and auction processes through negotiating and drafting transaction documentation to closing and subsequent integration or post-transaction restructuring. In the past, he provided legal support in the most significant M&A transactions in the Czech Republic, including the sale of energy assets, acquisitions of banks, technology platforms or manufacturing companies, and setting up complex investment structures, both on the sellers’ and buyers’ sides.
In corporate law, he specialises in corporate transformations, restructuring and setting up ownership and management structures within corporate groups. He also used his expertise in this area as the head of the author team of the commentary to the Act on Transformations of Business Corporations and Cooperatives.
As a new partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS, he will also focus on structuring and managing private wealth, including the legal aspects of setting up holding structures or endowment funds and trusts. He will also provide private clients with comprehensive legal advice on planning, protection and intergenerational transfer of assets. He is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and a member of the Board of STEP Czech and Slovak Republics z.s.
The HAVEL & PARTNERS Group was listed by Czech Elite (Česká elita), a ranking jointly prepared by the Seznam Zprávy editorial team and Deloitte, among the 100 most valuable companies controlled by Czech owners. The award confirms the HAVEL & PARTNERS Group’s exceptional economic stability, long-term growth, and strong position in the domestic and international professional services market.
“The fact that we have been ranked among the 100 most valuable Czech firms for the second time in a row and as the only law firm in the whole ranking attests to our exceptional performance and the strength of the HAVEL & PARTNERS Group. I believe this is the result of our team’s strategic management and responsible approach. We are grateful for the trust of our clients, many of whom have also been ranked in this list. We appreciate the cooperation with our clients that helps us grow in the long term and be one of the leaders in Czech business,” says managing partner Jaroslav Havel.
With an estimated value of CZK 3.5 billion, HAVEL & PARTNERS is ranked 99th. The Czech Elite ranking of companies is compiled by the editorial team of Seznam Zprávy, a Czech online news outlet, in cooperation with Deloitte based on the performance of companies in the last closed financial year. The value estimate is based on standard indicative valuation procedures derived from the companies’ profit, debt, and a comparative base determined by the value attributed by the capital markets to industry peers in Europe.
According to Patria Corporate Finance’s latest analysis for 2023, HAVEL & PARTNERS, including its Slovak office and its Academy, was worth around CZK 2.8 billion. The HAVEL & PARTNERS Group, which also includes Cash Collectors, a collection agency, and other specialised entities, was worth more than CZK 3.3 billion. The value was estimated before ONE FAMILY OFFICE was officially established on 1 January 2024, significantly increasing the Group’s value ever since.
The aim of the Czech Elite project is to present strong Czech brands and companies that fundamentally contribute to the development of the Czech economy. The Czech Elite gala evening was held in the Spanish Hall of Prague Castle on Thursday, 6 November. Full results of the ranking are available at the website of Seznam Zprávy.
Photo: Seznam Zprávy / Renata Matějková, Michal Turek, Radek Vébr.
For the first time, the General Court of the EU has addressed a question for preliminary ruling concerning a Czech tax entity in the field of excise duties. The HAVEL & PARTNERS legal team, representing the client in cooperation with EKP Advisory, has succeeded in a dispute over exemption from excise duty on ethyl alcohol used in ethyl alcohol-based flavours intended for flavouring of foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages. The General Court sided with our arguments, supporting our interpretation of Article 27(1)(e) of the Council Directive on excise duties.
At the heart of the case was the taxation of ethyl alcohol-based flavours sold in miniature bottles, used to flavour foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol strength not exceeding 1.2% volume. The Czech Customs Administration, followed by the Prague Municipal Court, had denied the producer of these flavours an exemption from excise duty on the ethyl alcohol contained in these products. The client distributed these flavours both directly to consumers and to other entities, primarily retail chains, for resale.
According to the Czech Customs Administration, the issue lay in the sale of flavours in miniature bottles to retail chains, which did not themselves use the products, i.e. did not consume them to prepare foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages but merely resold them to end consumers. This failed to meet the conditions set out in the Czech Excise Duty Act, and therefore the exemption from excise duty on the ethyl alcohol contained in these products could not be granted.
The case was subsequently addressed by the Supreme Administrative Court, which—based on the legal reasoning of the HAVEL & PARTNERS team led by managing associate Martin Pecha—referred a question for preliminary ruling to the General Court. The question was whether “Is it compatible with the obligation of a Member State to apply the exemption from duty set out in Article 27(1)(e) of Council Directive 92/83/EEC (1) to render an exemption for additives (ethyl alcohol-based flavours falling under CN code 330210) conditional on the flavours being demonstrably used for the preparation of foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol strength not exceeding 1.2 % vol., and not on the fact that those additives are simply intended for that purpose?”
Under the Czech legislation, the exemption from excise duty on ethyl alcohol contained in flavours was conditional on proof that the flavours were demonstrably used for the preparation of foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol strength not exceeding 1.2% volume.
The General Court concluded that such legal regulation contradicts the EU Council Directive on excise duties. According to the General Court, the decisive factor is the intended purpose of use of the flavours —not whether they were demonstrably used for the preparation of foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages with an alcohol strength not exceeding 1.2% volume. It is now up to the Supreme Administrative Court to decide in the case based on the General Court’s ruling.
“This ruling represents a form of satisfaction not only for our client but also for the HAVEL & PARTNERS legal team, which dedicated significant effort to this case. Although the case initially appeared unlikely to succeed due to existing negative case law of the Supreme Administrative Court in a similar matter, we believed in the strength of our precise legal arguments—now validated by the General Court. Its decision confirms that the respective Czech legislation was contrary to EU law, a discrepancy that the Czech legislature has already addressed through an amendment to the Excise Duty Act,” comments Martin Pecha, managing associate at HAVEL & PARTNERS, on this success before the General Court.
Dear Clients and Business Friends,
Next year we will celebrate 25 years since the formation of our Czech-Slovak law firm, which has gradually outgrown the vision of providing top legal services at an international level. We are now full-service consultants with a broad scope and an increasingly strong cross-border reach. The range of our advisory services reflects the essence of our work, i.e. to find the best private and business solutions for you, our clients, from A to Z. Through our H&P Magazine, we help you navigate current business challenges and provide inspiration, both local and international, for important decisions. This is no different in this new issue.
How to approach taxation of ESOPs in the Czech Republic, why we should prepare for the European digital identity wallet, what is alienation of inheritance, what useful information can be learned from the German coalition agreement, or how to currently build in Slovakia and Czechia under the new building regulations? We also present an exclusive interview with Arham Karim, Vice President for Investor Relations at Bain Capital. All this and more can be found in H&P Magazine in its on-line version and downloadable pdf format.
We will also tell you how not to lose ideas worth millions in business and what lessons to learn from the first ban on foreign investment in the Czech Republic. You will also learn what role family offices play today and how specifically the ONE FAMILY OFFICE concept works.
We trust that you will find ample practical information and inspirational suggestions in the new issue of H&P Magazine to help you better navigate the dynamically changing business environment and take advantage of new opportunities for growth.
Thank you for your trust and we wish you an inspiring read!
In the first half of 2025, the largest Czech-Slovak law firm, HAVEL & PARTNERS, recorded revenues of CZK 642 million. The firm recorded double-digit year-on-year growth in revenues from legal and tax services of almost 13%. The revenues of the entire group, which also comprises the collection agency Cash Collectors, and other specialised services including ONE FAMILY OFFICE, exceeded CZK 750 million.
“Sales growth was supported by both the Czech offices and the Slovak office, which grew by 35%. However, our goal is not just to improve the figures, but above all to continuously enhance our services and strengthen the value we provide to our clients. This applies to legal and tax services, comprehensive transactions, international expansion, and family wealth management. Thanks to our international approach, our branch in Frankfurt, Germany, and our extensive network of contacts, we are ready to provide strategic support that goes far beyond the borders of the Central European region,” said Jaroslav Havel, the firm’s managing partner.
HAVEL & PARTNERS’ tax team performed exceptionally well in the first half of 2025, with revenues from tax advisory services increasing by a record 58% year-on-year. The firm’s positive economic development was also supported by its services in litigation and insolvency, real estate and the public sector, as well as its specialised advisory services for private clients related to family wealth management.
HAVEL & PARTNERS has been growing continuously since its establishment in 2001. Furthermore, in 2024, the HAVEL & PARTNERS group was ranked among the TOP 100 most valuable companies controlled by Czech owners, according to the Czech Elite ranking. This ranking was compiled by Seznam Zprávy in cooperation with Deloitte.
The latest analysis by the consultancy firm Patria Corporate Finance valued HAVEL & PARTNERS, including its Slovak office and the Academy training institute, at CZK 2.8 billion as of 31 December 2023. The value of the entire group, including Cash Collectors, a collection agency, and other specialised entities, was estimated at over CZK 3.3 billion. This valuation was conducted before the formation of the ONE FAMILY OFFICE Group, which was officially established on 1 January 2024 and continues to increase the group’s value significantly.
Law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to the Czech industrial MTX Group on the acquisition of the Croatian company Omial Novi from the Swiss Aluflexpack Group. The transaction was one of the main conditions for the European Commission’s approval of the entry of global aluminium packaging manufacturer Constantia Flexibles into the Aluflexpack Group.
A team led by partner Petr Dohnal and counsel Pavel Ondrák, which comprised senior associate Vuk Djukić and associate Pavel Váňa, worked on the international transaction under the supervision of the European Commission.
Counsel Roman Světnický and senior associate Martin Rott played an important role in the proceedings before the European Commission in the comprehensive process for approval of MTX Group as a suitable buyer of Omial Novi – which will ensure sufficient competition on the European market – and in resolving other competition law issues.
The financing of the transaction was managed by partner Filip Čabart, counsel Štěpán Černý, senior associate Jakub Jireš and associate Jakub Kačerek. Other aspects of the transaction were also handled by managing associate Adam Karban, senior associate Kateřina Kabátová and associate Róbert Košala.
The Croatian legal matters were supervised by the team of Ilej & Partners led by Goran Ilej, Nika Jurković, and Franka Baica.
With this acquisition, MTX Group has significantly strengthened its position in the European packaging industry, particularly in the sterilisable feed and food packaging market. The transaction only confirms the international reach and reputation of the entire MTX Group.
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to the investment group Czechoslovak Capital Partners (CSCP) in connection with the Tusarova 41 real estate project, which brings high-quality urban housing to the dynamically developing Holešovice district in Prague 7.
The legal services included, in particular, advice on securing bank financing for the project, which was handled by managing associate Ondřej Falta and senior associate Petr Potůček.
The Tusarova 41 project offers 32 modern residential units and commercial premises with separate entrances. It combines a bold urban character with an emphasis on functionality, quality and architectural purity. Thanks to its location and attractive design, it is an interesting opportunity for both future residents and investors.
The CSCP investment group, participating in the project as a financial and strategic partner, has been operating on the market since 2012 and has already carried out projects worth over CZK 3.5 billion. CSCP’s goal is to support the development of high-quality residential projects that enrich the urban environment and enhance the standard of living in the capital city.
Law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to MPM-QUALITY on its acquisition of a majority share in ELTON hodinářská, manufacturer of traditional Czech watches PRIM.
The HAVEL & PARTNERS team was led by Counsel Pavel Ondrák and included Anna Gloserová, Vuk Djukič, Monika Čermáková, and Daniel Doležal. The transaction was supervised by Partner Petr Dohnal.
The original owner of the acquired share was MADE CS, a member of the CSG Group.
The transaction was signed and settled in June this year.
HAVEL & PARTNERS, a law firm, provided legal advisory to OMV Group, which operates a network of petrol stations in Czechia, in connection with the expansion of OMV’s long-term cooperation with Pražská energetika.
The legal advisory was provided by a team led by partner Petr Dohnal and composed of managing associates Radek Riedl and Ivo Skolil, senior associate Patrik Chrást, and, for competition law, counsel Ivo Šimeček and senior associate Dita Krumlová.
As part of a newly established joint venture, both companies will further intensify their cooperation regarding their investments, site selection, and development planning as they intend to strengthen the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Specifically, they plan to establish an additional 113 ultra-fast charging stations with a capacity of 300–400 kW at 48 new and existing locations by 2030. The strengthened network is to offer a unique level of comfort and capacity for customers in Czechia.
The transaction is expected to be settled in the second half of this year after the project receives all necessary permits under public law both in Czechia and abroad.
