Leading local law firm RTPR and leading global law firm Allen & Overy have collaborated for 12 years under an association agreement. From 2 March the two firms will continue to partner on domestic and international projects under a new relationship agreement. For local projects Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu SCA will refer to itself as RTPR.

The name change follows A&O’s practice for the offices it does not own but partners with on transaction, cases and advice. Radu Taracila Padurari Retevoescu SCA (RTPR) is owned exclusively by the 6 Romanian partners – Costin Tărăcilă, Victor Pădurari, Alexandru Retevoescu, Mihai Ristici, Valentin Berea, Alina Stăvaru.

“We are proud to be the reference firm for, and to have worked together with, Allen & Overy on numerous landmark deals in Romania and the CEE region over more than 12 years. Having a new relationship agreement with Allen & Overy is once again testimony to RTPR’s highest quality standards of advice and ethics and further cements our position as a leading transactional firm in the market”, stated Costin Tărăcilă, Managing Partner of RTPR.

A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe said: “We value our collaboration with RTPR and are pleased this will carry on under the new arrangement. We will continue to provide the highest quality legal advice in Romania and the CEE region, which are important markets for us and our clients.”

RTPR will continue to work closely with Allen & Overy on matters for both local and international clients. For projects with aspects that fall under the laws of other countries, RTPR will continue to work with Allen & Overy in the jurisdictions where A&O has an office. Similarly, Allen & Overy will partner with RTPR on projects in Romania or matters requiring Romanian law advice. Under the new relationship the collaboration will continue to extend beyond working together on client matters, to aspects such as legal training for lawyers or joint marketing initiatives.

RTPR is one of the most experienced and solid law firms in Romania, recognised as such by Legal 500, Chambers and IFLR1000 – the most reputed international legal guides – which constantly include RTPR on top tiers in the rankings for different practice areas: Corporate/M&A – ranked first in all 3 legal guides, Banking & Finance – ranked first in Legal 500 for the 9th consecutive year and for the 4th consecutive year in IFLR1000, Capital Markets – ranked first in IFLR1000 for the 6th consecutive year and for the 9th consecutive year in Legal 500, while Dispute Resolution, Competition and Energy and Natural Resources are ranked in the second tier in the latest edition of Legal 500.

Some of the projects in which RTPR and Allen & Overy have worked together include:

• successfully representing 8 major Hollywood film studios in the first site blocking case (i.e. obtaining a court order obliging the major Internet service providers to block pirate websites) ‎in the entire CEE region
• the first mortgage bonds issue programme in Romania with a value of EUR 1 billion assisting Barclays Bank PLC as arranger for Alpha Bank Romania as issuer
• the sale of A&D Pharma, the largest pharma group in Romania, to Dr Max, owned by Penta Investments
• the EUR1.150 billion financing of the CME acquisition by PPF Group N.V. advising the arrangers
• the sale of Profi supermarket chain by Enterprise Investors to Mid Europa Partners, the largest deal ever completed by a private equity fund in Romania and the largest transaction in the retail sector in the country’s history
• the USD60 million financing granted by EBRD to SNTGN Transgaz SA Medias for the construction of Phase 1 of the Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria corridor (BRUA project)
• the USD360 million credit facility granted to KMG International group by a syndicate of banks made up of ING Bank N.V. through ING Bank N.V. Amsterdam – Bucharest Branch, Banca Comerciala Romana, Raiffeisen Bank SA and UniCredit Bank SA