Public Sector and Regulation, Public Procurement, State Aid and PPP

Havel, Holásek & Partners has, we believe, the largest team of lawyers specialising in the public sector in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Havel, Holásek & Partners advises significant public sector entities – central state administration bodies, higher regional authorities, municipalities, entities owned by the state or municipalities, and contracting parties operating the fields of energy and transport. In addition, Havel, Holásek & Partners provides legal advisory to large contractors (both local and foreign) for the public sector as well as top consultancy firms offering services to the public sector.

Our expert team of 25 lawyers offers comprehensive services in relation to public procurement projects also providing, if required, legal consultancy for other related areas, such as real estate and construction law, financial and tax aspects, contract law, commercial and corporate law, intellectual property, energy law, and represent clients before the Office for the Protection of Competition and other regulatory bodies (for instance the Energy Regulatory Office, the Czech National Bank). The team members have gained their extensive experience not only as practicing lawyers, but through holding offices in different bodies and institutions, such as the Office for the Protection of Competition (Robert Neruda, former Vice-Chairman; Romana Derková, former Director of Public Procurement Supervision Department), the Czech National Bank (Jan Topinka, former head the Financial Market Regulation Department), the Ministry of Justice (Richard Otevřel, former head of the International Department; Petr Bříza, former chief advisor to the Minister on EU law), the Ministry of the Interior and the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU (Petr Solský, former head of the Justice and Home Affairs Unit) and the Parliament of the Czech Republic (Jaroslav Šuchman, former head of the EU section of the Senate of the Czech Republic). Havel, Holásek & Partners also represents clients on a regular basis in tenders for the privatization of state assets, in proceedings organised under the Czech law and with regard to the rules of international organisations, inter-alia, the European Investment Bank.

Our lawyers are also experienced in representing clients in state aid matters, are familiar with the relevant EU legislation, and assist in proceedings involving the review of state aid by the European Commission.

PPP PROJECTS

Havel, Holásek & Partners has a dedicated PPP projects practice. Our most recent work has focused on the following areas:

• Road and motorway infrastructure financing
• Co-generation heat and electricity sources
• Water and sewage treatment plants
• Accommodation and parking facilities
• Construction of prisons

Our close professional links with experts in international project finance give us ready access to the latest market standards, knowledge, expertise and resources required to provide our clients with comprehensive project finance advice, regardless of whether the client may be a public sector entity, a private sector corporation (construction companies, manufacturers, consultants or service providers), a financial institution or a global or European development financing institution.