Polenak Law Firm

Managing Partner: Kristijan Polenak

Partners: Tatjana Shishkovska, Aleksandar Dimic, Metodija Velkov, Tanja Polenak

Senior Associates: Zoran Andonovski, Natasa Popova-Alebic, Anastazija Sazdovska

Associates: Ivica Maksimoski, Andrej Stojkovic, Ema Tasevska, Vanja Curlinova Kostovska

Junior Associates: Biljana Ninik, Bojan Jonovski, Simona Angelovska, Mirjana Bijeljanin

Languages: Croatian, English, French, German, Russian, Serbian

Firm Overview:

Polenak Law Firm continues the tradition of providing top quality legal services since 1946.

The firm developed from an individual practice working in criminal and civil litigation to a partnership in the 1970s and adding commercial and corporate matters, growing its partnership and areas of work in the 1990s and rising to a structured full-service law firm in 2007.

Throughout its history the firm and its brand was considered one of the market leaders. Today, this leadership is recognised and praised by clients and relevant legal directories.

The dedication of the firm’s lawyers enable it to offer assistance needed to address all clients' needs for a prompt and well-reasoned legal advice.

The number of transactions handled make it the most experienced law firm on the market in banking, project finance, M&A, privatisation processes, competition and antitrust matters, aviation, energy, telecommunications and PPP. The innovative approach and newly introduced legal structures give the firm a competitive advantage.

The knowledge and practice of the firm’s litigation lawyers in criminal, civil and commercial cases is remarkable, construing one of its prominent benchmarks.

The affiliation with leading law firms from each jurisdiction in the region, joined together in the South East Europe Legal Group (www.seelegal.org), enables it to offer its clients coverage and superior legal services in the region.

Main Areas of Practice:

The main focus of services is directed to multinational corporations, banks and international financial institutions, providing experienced legal advice in many practice areas and offering wide range of legal services.

The firm’s notable M&A experience is built in decades of practice by advising in most of the largest M&A transactions and in numerous share transfers in SMEs.

One of the firm’s flagships is its banking and finance practice. Over the last 20 years, the firm advised joint managers on several issuances of sovereign bonds, provided regulatory advises and opinions to international banks and IFI’s, including advices on loan structuring, drafting agreements, FX matters, enforceability of ISDA and GMRA contracts in North Macedonia, secured loan structures, syndicated lending, etc. The firm assisted corporate issuers in public and private share offerings.

The firm’s competition practice, as market leader in this field, deals with merger notifications, proceedings at the Commission for Protection of Competition (prohibited agreements, introduction of behavioral or structural remedies, abuse of dominant position), internal competition compliance checks.

The firm provides full legal support to its corporate clients. Its services enable its clients to achieve local legal compliance on data protection, consumer protection, competition and anti-trust, labour law requirements, reporting requirements, etc. The firm prepares drafts and reviews contracts with suppliers and/or buyers and provides legal assistance at the courts and governmental agencies in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The firm provides variety of legal services related to real estate. The experience record includes title examinations and transfers, leases, lease-backs, drafting complex asset deal documentation, entry into public registers, creation and perfection of security over immovable asset, investing immovable asset into a corporate entity, as well as asset due diligence. The firm also assists with estimation of taxes and communal duties. In greenfield investments, the firm assists its clients to assess timing and construction permit procedures.

Energy and mining have proven to be a potential for investments and development. North Macedonia is rich with water, sun and minerals, providing natural resources for power generation and mining. Polenak Law Firm advises clients in renewable energy generation and energy distribution, as well as companies in the mining industry.

The firm’s IP practice is also notable, providing client support in registration of trademarks and patents.

International Work:

Over 80% of the firm’s clients are multinational corporations and international financial institutions. Most of the firm’s experience is practically achieved and applied in supporting international clients.

Clients:

The client list of Polenak Law Firm comprises of international finance institutions, banks, insurance companies, tobacco business, energy, telecommunications, metals industry, construction companies, transportation companies. Key clients include: Adient, Cevahir Holding, Deutsche Telekom Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, LC Waikiki, Limak, Inditex, Johnson Matthey, Joyson Safety Systems, Philip Morris, Sanrio, Siemens, TAV Airports, Titan Cement, WizzAir.