LEGATE, s.r.o.

Chairman: JUDr. Peter Vrábel

Managing Partners: 1

Number of partners: 3

Number of lawyers: 13

Languages: English, German, Russian, Czech, Slovak

Firm Overview:

LEGATE Law Firm has been active in the Slovak legal market since 2004, operating as a well-established provider of legal services with its headquarters in Bratislava. The firm is a stable legal practice with an international reach, founded on a deep understanding of the Slovak legal landscape and supported by a team of experienced lawyers capable of delivering services in Slovak, English, German, and Russian.

The team is led by JUDr. Peter Vrábel, Managing Partner, who, together with three other partners (Mrs Alena Pláňavská, Mr Miroslav Dudlák, and Mr Norbert Havrila), eight lawyers (comprising five attorneys and four trainee lawyers), and robust administrative and marketing support, constitutes the core of LEGATE’s professional structure.

LEGATE is committed to providing top-tier legal advice that is not only technically sound but also practical and cost-efficient. The firm offers bespoke legal solutions rooted in a thorough understanding of clients’ businesses, industries, and individual needs. Its objective is not solely the resolution of legal issues, but also to furnish clients with a strategic advantage. A team-based brainstorming methodology is employed for each matter, with oversight from one of the partners to ensure the highest standard of results.

The firm is a member of Globalaw, an international network of law firms, which enables it to offer multi-jurisdictional legal services with a strong focus on local expertise. LEGATE is also an active member of the International Bar Association, the European Aviation Law Association, and various professional committees dedicated to Construction Law and Civil Aviation. These affiliations enhance the firm's ability to respond flexibly to the demands of both domestic and multinational clients.

LEGATE’s excellence is regularly acknowledged by esteemed legal directories. In the 2025 edition of Law Firm of the Year Slovakia, LEGATE was ranked as a Highly Recommended law firm in seven categories: Energy and Energy Projects, Telecommunications and IT Law, Public Procurement, Compliance, Restructuring and Insolvency, Logistics and Infrastructure Projects, and Environmental Law. In Legal 500 Europe 2025, the firm was ranked as a Top Tier practice in the field of Energy, affirming its long-standing expertise in the sector. Additional strong rankings included Tier 2 in Dispute Resolution, Tier 3 in Mergers & Acquisitions, and Tier 2 in Real Estate and Construction Law.

JUDr. Peter Vrábel has been inducted into the prestigious Legal 500 Hall of Fame for Energy Law, placing him among the elite legal professionals in Europe. JUDr. Vrábel and Mgr. Miroslav Dudlák, MBA, have also been recognised as Leading Individuals, underscoring their critical roles within the firm. LEGATE has further attained commendable rankings in the international Chambers & Partners directory, notably in Energy (Band 3) and Dispute Resolution.

These accolades serve as a testament to the firm’s strategic vision and professional dedication, consistently delivering measurable value to its clients and contributing to the advancement of the legal profession.

Main Areas of Practice:

Antitrust and Competition Law

Banking & Finance

Construction & Real Estate

Commercial, Corporate & M&A

Dispute Resolution

Employment/Labour Law

Energy & Industry

Insolvency & Restructuring

Intellectual Property

Public Procurement

Tax

Transport

Corporate, M&A:

3 Partners; 10 other qualified lawyers

■ Cross-border legal counselling (5 jurisdictions) with respect to acquisition of private equity investment fund valued more than EUR 100,000,000.00

■ Representing consortium in the matter of EUR 50,000,000.00 budget for calls in relation to PPP SESAR2020 - the project managed by SESAR joint undertaking significant initiative within air traffic management in the area of technological research and development

■ Comprehensive counselling of client in M&A (sell-side) matter (regional major agriculture commodities reseller) with annual turnover exceeding EUR 40,000,000.00

■ Pre-acquisition legal counselling and representation of client in M&A (sell-side) matter regarding share transfer in Target company and Cooperative (highly specialized on agricultural commodity reselling and its processing) valued more than EUR 8,000,000.00

Contact: JUDr. Peter Vrábel

Tel: +421 2 6252 7316

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Mgr. Miroslav Dudlák, MBA

Tel: +421 2 6252 7561

Email: [email protected]

Contact: JUDr. Norbert Havrila

Tel: +421 2 6252 7562

Email: [email protected]

Energy:

3 Partners; 10 other qualified lawyers

■ Legal counselling related to LDPE Unit construction (LSTK; EPC contract); the matter value exceeding EUR 300,000,000.00

■ Legal advisory regarding new Ethylene Storage Facility construction project valued up to EUR 50,000,000.00 involving cost-plus fee EPC contract drafting and negotiations with contractors

■ Long-term legal advisory linked with construction of key (significant public and state interest) Polish-Slovak gas interconnector project valued more than EUR 100,000,000.00 (grants provided by EU)

■ Specialised long-term legal counselling with respect to waste management business activity of foreign entity (non-EU client) ensuring compliance with regional waste management regulation including its transport (multiple cross-border aspects)

Contact: JUDr. Peter Vrábel

Tel: +421 2 6252 7316

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Alena Pláňavská

Tel: +421 2 6252 7561

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Mgr. Miroslav Dudlák, MBA

Tel: +421 2 6252 7561

Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution:

2 Partners; 11 other qualified lawyers

■ Representation of defendant in matter regarding change orders related to preparatory underground and demolition works for project valued up to EUR 200,000,000.00

■ Representation of regional major gas industry player as defendant against claim arising from promissory notes in the amount more than EUR 45,000,000.00; matter has been resolved before all Slovak judiciary instances (including the Constitutional court of Slovak republic) and also before European Court of Human Rights; matter has been under high media and public attention

■ Representation of client in matter regarding payment of gas transit fees and defending the client against counterclaim arising from promissory notes; the matter valued up to EUR 40,000,000.00

■ Representing UK distributor of the health and hygiene products in administrative litigation with respect to the admissibility of the intra-group costs against corporate income tax base valued more than EUR 1,000,000.00

■ Pioneering legal expertise aimed at enforcement of unlawful emission allowance against the state (allowance paid by the client on the basis of unlawful emission quota taxation based on CJEU case law). Such activities have been widely appraised by the clients – energy suppliers of large industrial parks

Contact: JUDr. Peter Vrábel

Tel: +421 2 6252 7316

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Mgr. Miroslav Dudlák, MBA

Tel: +421 2 6252 7561

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Mgr. Michal Mistrík

Tel: +421 2 6252 7561

Email: [email protected]

Public Procurement:

1 Partner; 4 other qualified lawyers

■ Legal counselling regarding assessment of public procurement cancellation due to exceptional change of specific circumstances with respect to international obligations arising from EU grant schemes; the matter is exceeding EUR 100,000,000.00

■ Legal assessment of horizontal “in-house” exemptions within public procurement legislation with respect to specific category of contracts (regional key energy player; local operator of air navigation services)

Contact: JUDr. Peter Vrábel

Tel: +421 2 6252 7316

Email: [email protected]