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Commentary

Trust is not a given. On lawyers’ gratitude and humility

When we founded our law firm at the turn of the millennium, the legal profession was mainly associated with the image of lawyers of the 1990s – assertive individualists building their reputations in what now seems like the wild and unpredictable “nineties”.

Jaroslav Havel · 12 January 2026

What’s New I/2026

Our best-ever result in the Law Firm of the Year competition, a second consecutive appearance in the Czech Elite ranking, and NextWomen project data on the growth of women’s wealth.

Case study

Architectural gems and cultural footprint

We like doing projects with an overlap – we help develop culture, education and architecture through legal advice.

Case study

Mergers in banking

Banking, Finance & Capital Markets is one of our key practice areas. Our clients include major leading Czech, Slovak and foreign banks, insurance companies, as well as other financial institutions, corporations and major institutional and private investors.

Taxation of ESOPs – What Every Employer Should Know

Employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, have become a popular incentive tool in recent years, particularly among startups and technology companies. However, taxation of these benefits remains a challenge for many employers. The rules have changed several times over the past year and a half, and in practice there is still uncertainty as to when and how tax should be paid. Let’s bring some clarity to the issue.

David Krch, Josef Žaloudek a Petr Tušakovský · 8 September 2025

HAVEL & PARTNERS opens the door to global business

From the Czech Republic to the world − and from the world to us

In today’s global economy, legal certainty is just as vital as capital − whether for Czech companies expanding internationally or foreign investors entering the Czech and Slovak markets. HAVEL & PARTNERS supports clients navigating both directions of cross-border business. Thanks to its close cooperation with ONE FAMILY OFFICE, the firm has also extended its international reach in services for private clients.

Pro bono II/2025

A mosaic of pro bono and CSR activities in issue II/2025 — 145 kg of clothes for Moment, over seventy runners at the Night Run for Světluška, nearly CZK 120,000 from the RunCzech Half Marathon and CZK 200,000 from the Lawyer of the Year Gala for Loono and the Czech Stem Cells Registry.

Foreword II/2025

Next year we will celebrate 25 years since the formation of our law firm. Today, we are a consulting group whose services cover the entire spectrum of clients’ needs - from complex legal and tax advice to our family office, ONE FAMILY OFFICE.

Jaroslav Havel · 8 September 2025

Interview

Private equity has been democratised

Private equity is no longer the preserve of institutional investors. “What was previously only available to institutions is now more accessible. People are richer, more global and better informed, often because of their education at banks or their own experience, for example, selling their companies to private equity funds,” said Arham Karim of Bain Capital in an interview.

Germany’s Government Plans – What entrepreneurs can learn from the coalition agreement?

Germany’s new government plans to turn recession-hit Germany into a “locomotive of Europe” moving forward. So, what will change under the leadership of the new chancellor? And how can Czech and Slovak entrepreneurs benefit from this?

Philip Smitka a Martin Peckl · 8 September 2025

Transaction overview

Overview of selected transactions with the involvement of HAVEL & PARTNERS II/2025

Over the past 19 years, we have been involved in 900 transactions, not only in the field of mergers, acquisitions, sales and restructurings. Their total value exceeds CZK 875 billion. Here is an overview of the most significant ones from the recent period.

Billionaire-Level Family Office

The elite attorney Jaroslav Havel has been building the largest family office in Central Europe, a unique club for business families. He helps them access the world’s most exciting investment opportunities, and work together to protect their assets, ensure a high-quality life, and educate the next generation.