Bucureşti - 07 decembrie 2010
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Bucharest, December 7th, 2010: Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii has appointed six new Partners to strengthen the management team, thus bringing the total number of Partners to 21. The Romanian independent law firm has also promoted five lawyers to Senior Associate.
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii has promoted 11 lawyers to various roles, as part of the firm’s annual performance review taking place in November. All the appointments are effective from January 1st, 2011.
The firm’s six new partners are: Mihai Dudoiu, Ionuţ Şerban, Christina Vlădescu, Ioana Gelepu, Silvana Ivan and Irina Moinescu specialising in finance/project finance, litigation and domestic arbitration, capital markets, corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, as well as energy.
“These are exciting times for us and a significant step forward in the development of the firm. Besides boosting the number of our partners by 40%, these new positions are, in fact, testament to the hard work and commitment, as well as to the remarkable contribution to the firm’s successes that the newly promoted partners have shown to us during the past years”, stated Florentin Ţuca, Managing Partner at Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii.
Mihai Dudoiu specialises in finance and project finance. With more than 11 years of professional experience, he has worked as a corporate and finance lawyer in the local offices of two leading international law firms, before joining Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii.
Ionuţ Şerban focuses on litigation and domestic arbitration and has been with the firm since the establishment of Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii. His experience as a pleading lawyer covers 6 years.
Christina Vlădescu, a former magistrate, specialises in litigation and domestic arbitration, her experience extending to over 6 years as a district judge and 11 years as a pleading lawyer.
Ioana Gelepu focuses on litigation, with 8 years of experience as a pleading lawyer.
Silvana Ivan acts in the firm’s capital markets and securities, as well as corporate and commercial practice groups. She also has a strong background in mergers and acquisitions, as well as in privatisation and post-privatisation issues. With 9 years of professional experience, she has been working with the firm ever since Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii was founded.
Irina Moinescu has a vast experience in energy law, with a focus on the electricity sector. She has been practicing law for the past 9 years and has worked with Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii since the firm’s formation.
All six Partners have been involved in major projects and have a great track record of success in co-ordinating or representing some of the firm’s most important clients in complex mandates and cases before local and international courts of law. Prior to their appointment, they all had the opportunity to get involved in the firm’s decision-making process as part of their assignment as Managing Associate.
“We have full confidence in the force and quality of our team and this year round of promotions illustrates this trust. After two years of economic downturn and almost no clear answers as to the extent this crisis would impact on local businesses, this year’s internal review which resulted in 6 new Partner promotions and 5 other promotions to Senior Associate are natural decisions underlying our long-standing commitment to grant our team members full and equal access to the partnership formula according to transparent and merit-based criteria”, added Gabriel Zbârcea, Managing Partner at Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii.
The five lawyers promoted to Senior Associate are Andreea Oprişan, Andreea Lisievici, Dan Cristea, Ciprian Timofte and Gabriela Costescu.
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii’s representatives also unveiled a plan to continue the firm`s expansion strategy and organic growth with at least 10 to 12 lateral hires to take place within a short-term, as well as with the intention to lease additional office spaces in order to accommodate the firm’s expanding practice and to improve its operation.
Notes to editors
About the new partners at Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii:
Mihai Dudoiu, 34 years old, was promoted as a Partner of Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii, acting as the co-head of the firm`s Banking & Finance practice group. With more than 11 years of professional experience, Mihai worked as a corporate and finance lawyer in the local offices of two international law firms, prior to joining Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii in 2009, as a Managing Associate. Mihai is specialised in advising on all legal aspects related to project finance and has acted as the Romanian leading lawyer in transactions having an aggregated value in excess of EUR 2 billion. His professional experience includes acting for local and international credit institutions financing real estate developments (commercial, office, residential and hotels), projects in the energy field with a particular focus on renewable energy (such as wind, hydro, photovoltaic, biomass, biogas and cogeneration), acquisitions and green-field investments in the energy sector. The credit and financial institutions, the investment companies and funds as well as the non-banking financial institutions are among Mihai’s clients. More recently, Mihai has also specialised in providing assistance in relation to restructuring of non-performing loans, trading of distressed assets and insolvency matters. Mihai Dudoiu graduated from the Law School of the University of Bucharest and became a qualified lawyer in the Bucharest Bar Association in 2000. He is fluent in English.
Ionuţ Şerban, 33 years old, has been appointed a Partner in the Litigation and Arbitration practice group of Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii. For the past 6 years of practice as a pleading lawyer, he has appeared before Romanian courts at all levels, domestic and international courts of arbitration in complex civil law, corporate and commercial, contentious-administrative, labour and fiscal disputes, complex bankruptcy and reorganization proceedings, forced execution and debt recovery measures, as well criminal law cases and various arbitral proceedings. Previously a Managing Associate of the firm, Ionuţ has a strong track record in representing local and multinational companies, credit institutions, non-banking financial institutions, governmental institutions and bodies of the local and central public administration system, as well as renowned public figures. In particular, he is experienced in civil law (especially in claims, litigation regarding nationalized properties, press offences, civil agreements), family law, complex commercial disputes derived from Romanian and international commercial law relations (commercial transactions, privatizations, joint ventures etc.), as well as in corporate disputes (operation and dissolution of companies, disputes between shareholders, withdrawals and exclusions from company, cancellation of GMS decisions etc.). Ionuţ also concentrates on administrative and fiscal contentious, labour disputes and criminal law and has an important practice in representing client in complex bankruptcy and reorganization proceedings, forced execution and debt recovery measures. A graduate from the Law School of the University of Bucharest, he became a qualified lawyer in the Bucharest Bar Association in 2004. Ionuţ Şerban is fluent in English.
Christina Vlădescu, 40 years old, became a Partner in the Litigation and Arbitration practice group of Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii, after having been a Managing Associate for several years. As a former judge for almost 6 years, she has built up a recognised business litigation practice by effectively combining a thorough understanding of the local judicial system with impressive advocacy skills gained in more than 11 years of practice as a trusted legal advisor and pleading lawyer. Such an in-depth knowledge has been pivotal in her achieving favourable results for the firm’s clients before Romanian courts at all levels, including the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the Constitutional Court of Romania. In particular, Christina has argued and briefed numerous complex civil and commercial cases, especially in matters concerning ownership and other real rights (restitution claims for nationalized properties and expropriation, disputes on real estate transactions), civil and commercial agreements, enforcement, various contractual and tort liability cases, corporate law litigation (shareholder disputes, withdrawals and buy-outs from the company, annulment of GMS resolutions) as well as unfair competition and insolvency matters. Christina also has a strong track record of success in handling disputes from a mixture of legal areas such as administrative-contentious (fiscal and customs matters, disputes involving public procurement and concessions), family and labour law. In addition, she has an important practice in managing arbitration cases. Christina Vlădescu graduated from the Law School of the University of Bucharest in 1993 and has been a qualified lawyer in the Bucharest Bar Association since 1999. She speaks English fluently and has a good knowledge of French language.
Ioana Gelepu, 33 years old, became a Partner in the Litigation and Arbitration practice group of Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii, being a pleading lawyer with 9 years of practice. Previously a Managing Associate, she has successfully handled a large array of civil, commercial, administrative and labour litigation matters. As part of her vast experience, Ioana has successfully represented the firm’s clients in complex cases, worth dozens and hundreds of millions of Euros, involving contractual or tort liabilities, corporate law or concerning documents issued within privatization procedures, in cases on the annulment of certain documents issued by administrative authorities (including those issued in public procurement procedures), fiscal-administrative or customs authorities, as well as in complex labour disputes having as object the annulment of decisions for disciplinary sanctions, payment of salary rights and the annulment of collective bargaining agreements concluded at company level. A graduate from the Law School of the University of Bucharest, Ioana Gelepu became a qualified lawyer in the Bucharest Bar Association in 2002. She speaks English fluently.
Silvana Ivan, 32 years old, became a Partner at Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii, acting in the Capital Markets and Securities, as well as in the Corporate and Commercial practice groups. She also has a strong background in mergers and acquisitions as well as privatisation/post-privatisation issues. For the past 9 years, Silvana has assisted important clients in relation to a wide range of capital market/financial instruments transactions, as well as with respect to various regulatory and compliance requirements applicable to the regulated entities in the field. She attended intensive workshops with the Vienna Stock Exchange and Prague Stock Exchange and also with their related clearing and settlement service providers and has further acquired a significant expertise in the drafting and implementing of new local capital market regulations and procedures in view of optimizing the current framework and, harmonizing it with the relevant international standards and practices. Furthermore, Silvana Ivan took part in high-profile investment projects, acting for renowned multi-national companies active in various industries (e.g. financial services, pharma and healthcare, FMGC etc.), in relation to their operations and investment plans in Romania, including mergers and acquisitions, privatisation/post-privatisation issues, activities’ and business model restructuring, corporate and commercial issues. She is a graduate from the Law School of the University of Bucharest and a member of the Bucharest Bar Association since 2001. Silvana Ivan holds a Masters Degree (L.L.M.) in International Business Law from the Central European University and is fluent in English.
Irina Moinescu, 32 years old, became a Partner at Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii. Her main area of practice is in energy law, with a focus on the electricity sector. Over the past 9 years, she has acquired a wealth of expertise in dealing with complex projects in this field, including the first privatisation projects in the electricity and gas sectors or the development of large-scale investments, especially renewable projects. Irina has also advised on complex regulatory matters, such as amending the applicable regulatory framework in the renewable energy field, having been directly involved in the drafting of the amendments proposed to the law for establishing the promotion system for producing energy from renewable energy sources, as well as on the corporate commercial and M&A issues related to the implementation of the firm’s energy projects. Furthermore, Irina has a vast experience in specific operation of commercial companies (such as shares assignment, management procedures, shareholders agreements, share capital increase) and in the drafting, negotiating and closing commercial agreements. Other areas of practice include electronic communications, media and advertising. A graduate from the Law School of the University of Bucharest, Irina Moinescu is a member of the Bucharest Bar Association since 2001. She speaks English fluently.
Note to the editors
About Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii:
With a team comprising 88 lawyers in the Bucharest office, Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii is the sole Romanian independent law firm with a representative office in Spain.
The firm also opened a secondary office in Cluj-Napoca, in association with Nistorescu, Şomlea & Asociaţii and enjoys excellent partnerships with various law offices throughout the country.
In September 2010, Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii entered into a strategic cooperation agreement, based on a “best-friend” relationship with Ţurcan & Ţurcan law firm, the leader of business law market in Chişinău, the Republic of Moldova.
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii offers the whole range of legal services, being recommended by prestigious specialised international directories in areas of practice such as: corporate & commercial; mergers, acquisitions & privatization; litigation & international arbitration; energy & natural resources; banking & finance etc.
With revenues of EUR 22.7 million in 2009, up from EUR 18.6 million in 2008, according to various local and international media reports, Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii has registered the best financial performances in Romania, according to various local and international periodicals.
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii has garnered a string of local, regional and international accolades, having been named the “Law Firm of the Year” for the past four consecutive years and the “Most Innovative Continental European Law Firm” in the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers Report 2009. It recently received Chambers’ Europe most prestigious award for excellence – the “Law Firm of the Year Award” (Chambers Europe Awards for Excellence 2010), for the firms’ notable achievements in 2009, including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and excellence in client service. Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii also won the award “Law Firm of the Year in Eastern Europe and Balkans” in the annual Lawyer European Awards 2010 ceremony.
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii’s client portfolio comprises many local and international companies, prominent financial institutions, as well as public authorities and governmental institutions. A selective list of clients includes: Erste Bank / Banca Comercială Română (BCR), OMV Petrom, CEZ, Rompetrol, ArcelorMittal, Carrefour, Romtelecom, Orkla Foods, Colgate-Palmolive, GED Capital Development, Cadbury, the Bucharest Stock Exchange, BRD-Groupe Société Générale, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Philip Morris, Alstom Transport, Siemens, Ericsson Telecommunications Romania, ING Real Estate etc.
For additional information, please contact:
Alina Pintică
PR & Marketing Executive
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii
Tel.: (021) 204 88 90
Mobile: 0723 526 389
E-mail: alina.pintica@tuca.ro
http://www.tuca.ro
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Ţuca Zbârcea&Asociaţii lawyer partners