HAVEL & HOLÁSEK – THE LARGEST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 2010

Havel & Holásek has retained its position as the largest law firm operating in the Czech Republic, as well as the first place in the Telecommunications & Media category of the Law Firm of the Year 2010 competition. Havel & Holásek has thus won two out of fifteen categories and has, together with White & Case, become the law firm quoted most often (seven times) among the top five law firms nominated in individual categories. The results were announced yesterday by EPRAVO.CZ, the competition organizer.

Compared to last year’s results, when Havel & Holásek won three categories of the competition, this year the firm shares the first place in the number of categories won with two other law firms: Weil, Gotshal & Manges and White & Case. This year, however, it has been nominated most often (seven times) among the top five firms in individual categories, together with White & Case.

“We are happy to have confirmed our position as the largest law firm in the country. We also appreciate our nomination as one of the Top 5 law firms in half of the categories and believe that it confirms the high quality and comprehensiveness of the services we offer,” said Jaroslav Havel, the managing partner of Havel & Holásek, adding: “At the same time, however, we are sorry not to have been ranked among the best in the category of Mergers & Acquisitions, which is currently the core field of practice of our firm. As in the previous years, we have assisted our clients in dozens of successful transactions. In addition, our M&A team of almost forty lawyers, including six partners, is the largest in the Czech Republic.”

Jaroslav Havel says that for Havel & Holásek this year has been a year of further growth and management professionalisation. “Our thanks go, above all, to our clients for their trust in us, but we also appreciate the opinions of our competitors and independent evaluators. Our firm continues growing and developing, aiming at further progress in all fields of the legal consultancy we provide. This year, for example, we have significantly strengthened our team in Slovakia, which has reached 100% growth in revenues. We have also created new practice groups specializing in Competition, Insurance, and Sports Law. Great attention is paid to the ongoing process towards a fully professional management team,” he commented.

“The first place in the Telecommunications & Media category of The Law Firm of the Year 2010 competition is a continuation of the success we achieved last year. To me and to the entire team specializing in telecommunications, information technologies, and media it means great satisfaction and motivation. We believe that we will remain able to satisfy our clients’ expectations in the future and thus live up to this prestigious award.”

Havel & Holásek’s success in the domestic competition The Law Firm of the Year 2010 was not its only accomplishment this year. The firm’s other achievements include being ranked by clients as the best law firm in the Czech Republic in the ILO Client Choice Awards 2010, organized by the International Law Office (ILO) rating agency. Since 2005, the ILO Client Choice Awards are granted to law firms and lawyers from all over the world for a high standard of client care and superb quality of legal services.

About “Law Firm of the Year”

Law Firm of the Year, held for the first time in 2008, is a competition assessing the quality of legal services rendered by major law firms in the Czech Republic. It is organized by EPRAVO.CZ, an Internet-based company that operates the server www.epravo.cz. EPRAVO.CZ also organizes the Lawyer of the Year competition on an annual basis. The results of the two competitions are based on the decisions of a jury of evaluators comprising representatives of major local and international corporations, law firms, and professionals of EPRAVO.CZ.