Maja Žgajnar

Banking, Capital markets, Corporate / M&A

• MLAW, Managing Partner (2026-)

• CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Attorneys-at-law - Slovenian Branch, Partner, Head of Banking & Finance (2017 - 2026)

• Schönherr Attorneys-at-law – branch Slovenia, Partner, Head of Banking & Finance (2013 - 2017)

• Wolf Theiss Attorneys-at-law – Slovenian branch, Senior Associate (2007 - 2013)

• Law firm Gregorin – Štifter and Gregorin, o.p., d.o.o., Senior Associate, (2002 - 2007)

• Schönherr Attorneys-at-law – branch Slovenia, Associate (2001 - 2002)

Slovenian bar association

Managers’ Association of Slovenia

• "Slovenia enacts Act on Purchasers and Servicers of Non-Performing Loans", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2024).

• "Slovenia's perspective on the proposed harmonisation of avoidance actions in insolvency proceedings", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2024).

• "Amendment to the Insolvency Act Brings Additional Duties to the Management and Supervisory Bodies", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2024).

• "Navigating Property Bonds", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2024).

• "Blockchain", article published on Chambers and Partners (CMS, 2024).

• "EU regulation mandates crypto-asset white paper", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2023).

• "Overview of the competent authorities under MICAR", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2023).

• "Establishing collateral – important amendments to the Slovenian Property Code",article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "Company reporting and disclosure obligations amid the COVID-19 pandemic", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "Winding-down business operations in Slovenia", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "A closer look at the temporary regulation of insolvency proceedings and court-sponsored financial restructurings in Slovenia due to the COVID-19 epidemic", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "Review of the Slovenian anti-corona law package proposal with a particular focus on moratorium of loans, enforcement and insolvency proceedings", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "EU set to unleash a sustainable finance market", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "Easing the burden of financial distress in Slovenia", article published on CMS Law-Now and LinkedIn (CMS, 2020).

• "Securitization from a Slovenian perspective", article published on www.ceelegalmatters.com (CMS, 2018).

• Article on an interesting legal case concerning legal proceedings regarding the listing of a medicinal product on the list financed by public funds in Slovenia, published in Life Science and Healthcare (Wolf Theiss, 2010).

• "Public Procurement" (chapter "Audit Procedures"), a book in English published online (Schönherr, 2002).

• "Vinculated shares in Germany", article published in the Slovenian legal newspaper Pravna praksa (June 2002).

• "Privatisierung von Banken in Slowenien", article published in the Austrian newspaper Die Presse (Schönherr, 2001).

• "Report on the amendments of the Slovenian legislation in the year 2001", article published in The International Lawyer (Schönherr, 2001).

Maja Žgajnar is the founding partner of MLAW, focusing on transactional matters across Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Financial and Corpoate Restructuring, and M&A. With 25 years of experience, she advises financial institutions, investors, and corporates on high-value, strategically significant transactions in Slovenia and across Europe. Maja spent 13 years as a partner at leading international law firms, leading and advising on landmark transactions in Slovenia and across international markets.

She is a regular moderator and speaker at international and regional conferences on banking, restructuring, and distressed assets, including NPL Europe, the Global Investor Summit, and ESG-focused industry events.

MLAW is a modern boutique law firm based in Slovenia, collaborating with trusted partners locally and throughout Europe.

The firm provides full-spectrum legal advice to corporate clients across a range of industries. It also offers private clients 360° solutions for property, finance, and related matters where discretion is essential. Sports law is another area of MLAW’s expertise, with services designed specifically for the sports sector.

MLAW has deep expertise across the full spectrum of banking and finance. MLAW’s financing practice covers the complete range of lending and credit transactions, from bilateral and syndicated loans to acquisition and leveraged finance, real estate and project finance, and corporate and working capital facilities. MLAW acts for lenders, borrowers, sponsors and arrangers on domestic and cross-border deals, advising on structuring, documentation, security packages, intercreditor arrangements, and refinancings. MLAW also has a strong track record in alternative financing, including private credit and direct lending, mezzanine and subordinated debt, and asset-based financing.

Alongside our transactional work, we advise on capital markets, banking and financial services regulation, and banking litigation. Our team brings extensive experience in court-supervised and out-of-court financial restructurings, insolvency proceedings, asset recovery, and claims enforcement.

A particular strength is our long-standing track record in loan portfolio and other debt transactions, both performing and distressed. We act for buyers and sellers alike, structuring deals as true sale or synthetic transactions.

Backed by extensive domestic and international experience, MLAW combines deep expertise with a personal, hands-on approach, delivering clear and practical advice.

• Slovenia’s first major multi-sector financial restructuring, involving approximately EUR 1 billion in debt

• The first and largest non-performing loan portfolio sale in Slovenia to date, face value exceeding EUR 800 million

• The largest single-ticket loan sale by Slovenia’s bad bank, face value exceeding EUR 180 million

• Issuance of AT1 bonds, valued at approximately EUR 150 million

• The One Cycling project, backed by an international Saudi fund, developing a new business model for professional road cycling, valued at over EUR 300 million

• Advising Bahrain Victorious on its participation in Collective Cycling Group, a newly incorporated vehicle restructuring professional road cycling's commercial model, backed by EUR 25 million in seed investment from leading WorldTeam owners among other, Ivan Glasenberg.

• Bilateral and syndicated lending, including corporate, working capital and revolving facilities

• Acquisition and leveraged finance, including sponsor-backed transactions

• Real estate finance and development financing

• Project and infrastructure finance, including renewables

• Alternative financing: private credit and direct lending, mezzanine and subordinated debt, and asset-based finance

• Refinancings, amendments and extensions, and intercreditor arrangements

• Security packages and collateral, including cross-border security structures

• Loan portfolio and debt transactions (performing and non-performing), on the buy-side and sell-side, structured as true sale or synthetic transactions

• Capital markets, including bond issues and property bonds

• Banking and financial services regulation, including licensing and sustainable finance

• Court-supervised and out-of-court financial restructurings

• Insolvency proceedings, asset recovery and claims enforcement

• Banking litigation and disputes

Mediator’s licence, Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Justice, 2009

State bar examination, Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Justice, 2005

Bachelor of Laws (univ. dipl. pravnik), University of Maribor, Faculty of Law, 2001

Maja is listed among IFLR1000 Women Leaders in Slovenia – an elite ranking reserved for the most prominent female lawyers worldwide practising in the areas covered by IFLR1000, and one that only four women in Slovenia hold.

Maja is also one of just 14 lawyers ranked by Chambers and Partners as leading practitioners in Banking and Finance in Slovenia.

Slovenian, English, German

We advise across the financial sector, acting for domestic and international banks, non-bank lenders, private credit and investment funds, leasing and factoring companies, payment and fintech providers, insurers, and NPL investors and servicers. Our borrower-side experience spans a broad range of industries, including real estate and construction, energy and renewables, infrastructure, manufacturing and industrials, retail and consumer goods, food and agribusiness, technology, telecommunications and media, as well as state-owned enterprises and other public-sector borrowers. We regularly act for family-owned businesses and private equity portfolio companies and multinational groups on both domestic and cross-border financings.