H&P Magazine II/2025

End of the old days – Get your business ready for the European Digital Identity Wallet

The business landscape is undergoing significant transformation. The European Digital Identity Wallet is poised to revolutionise identity verification, contract signing, online sales, and customer communication across the EU. How can your business fully leverage its potential? And why and how should you prepare for it without delay?

Dalibor Kovář a Ondřej Kašpar · 12 January 2026

New building acts in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. A purely coincidental similarity?

A simple, fast, and digital building procedure – this is what the new building acts on both sides of the Czech-Slovak border promise today. How are they similar and how do they differ? The fiction of consent, black buildings, digitalisation, the decision makers – check with us for how to build in Slovakia and the Czech Republic according to the new building regulations.

František Korbel, Jiří Buryan a Ondřej Majer · 12 January 2026

Nice idea – too bad it’s not yours anymore. Remember that the competition never sleeps

You invest in development, marketing and people and you’re ahead of the competition. Do you protect what you have created though? Without a patent, trademark or well-drafted contract, you risk someone else reaping the fruits of your labour. How to protect intellectual property in business?

Ivan Rámeš a Tomáš Havelka · 8 January 2026

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.

Where success is created. Czech Business Diamonds are heading to the regions

Czech businesses with regional roots prove that high-quality work, innovation and perseverance have nationwide as well as international reach. These are the stories uncovered by the Czech Business Diamonds award, which we at HAVEL & PARTNERS and ONE FAMILY OFFICE have partnered with for the second time.

What’s new II/2025

News from the firm — group turnover of CZK 1.7 billion, the best international law firm in Slovakia for the fourth time in a row, TOP Employer for the eleventh time, summer promotions for 12 colleagues, a new Security Director and a new banking and finance partner.

Waiting for the global champion

Slovakia has talent, ideas and ambition, yet it is still waiting for its first technological unicorn. The third edition of the INVESTOR & STARTUP MEETUP event, organised by HAVEL & PARTNERS and ONE FAMILY OFFICE, took place in Bratislava’s Rivers Club. It brought together leaders from the Czech and Slovak startup scenes to demonstrate to startups the changes necessary for global success.

Czech Republic bans first foreign investment. 7 lessons you should take

In March this year, the Czech government made history by using its powers under the Foreign Investment Screening Act (the FDI Act) for the very first time to block a foreign company's investment. What key takeaways are there from this? And if you’re working with a foreign investor, could this put your company at risk?

Robert Neruda, Roman Světnický a Martin Rott · 8 September 2025

To inherit? No, thanks

When to consider alienating inheritance

Disputes within the family, protracted probate proceedings with an uncertain end or an unfavourable share of the real estate – these are situations you will commonly encounter when inheriting. Their solution can be quite simple – it’s called alienation of inheritance. It comes in handy when you don’t wish to inherit, but you don’t want to walk away empty-handed either. How to transfer the heir’s share?

Jiří Kunášek a Marta Fantová Argalášová · 12 January 2025