Wolf Theiss advised AFI on obtaining a EUR 450 million credit facility for the purposes of refinancing its three shopping centres in Romania – AFI Cotroceni in Bucharest, AFI Ploieşti and AFI Braşov. The syndicate of lenders, which granted the largest real estate credit facility ever issued in Romania, was led by prominent Austrian and Romanian banks.

Wolf Theiss' Banking & Finance team in Bucharest, led by Partner Claudia Chiper, provided legal assistance to AFI Europe group of companies that own and manage the shopping centres AFI Cotroceni in Bucharest, AFI Ploieşti and AFI Braşov. This involved negotiating and signing the syndicated long-term refinancing facility agreement and the related finance documents. In addition to Claudia Chiper, Senior Associate Iuliana Stoicescu and Associate Cătălin Sabău were involved in all aspects of the financing transaction.

"We would like to thank Claudia and her team for their contribution to the successful finalisation of the transaction. They have shown top-notch professionalism, diligence and sustained effort with every aspect of the transaction", declared Doron Klein, CEO of AFI Europe Romania.

"We are honoured to have had the opportunity to support AFI in accessing the largest real estate credit facility ever granted in Romania. In 2022, our Banking & Finance team at Wolf Theiss had the pleasure to advise on the largest real estate deals in the Romanian market. This year, our practice has been busy with all types of financing transactions with a high degree of complexity which is the result of our hard work and dedication”, stated Claudia Chiper, Partner and Head of the Banking & Finance practice within Bucharest office of Wolf Theiss.

About AFI Europe

AFI Europe is an owner, manager and developer of landmark real estate assets in Central and Eastern Europe, in the field of commercial and residential projects and properties. AFI Europe has been operating for 25 years (in Romania – 17 years), and the portfolio of properties owned and operated by it includes business parks and office complexes, shopping malls and retail properties, multi-family residential projects and mixed-use developments.

About Wolf Theiss

Founded in 1957, Wolf Theiss is one of the leading law firms in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CEE/SEE). We have built our reputation on unrivalled local knowledge which is supported by strong international capabilities. With more than 360 lawyers in 13 countries, over 80% of the firm's work involves cross-border representation of international clients.

In Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine, Wolf Theiss represents local and international industrial, trade and service companies, as well as banks and insurance companies. Combining law and business, Wolf Theiss develops comprehensive and constructive solutions on the basis of legal, fiscal and business know-how.