2026 Edition
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CERHA HEMPEL Dezsö & Partners is the Budapest branch of CERHA HEMPEL, a network of offices in Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania and the Slovak Republic.The firm advises borrowers and lenders in financing transactions and has experience in banking, project development deals and domestic and cross-border M&A deals. The firm's project development team is especially strong in energy and infrastructure. This year, the team, led bySándor Szterényi, advised the National Concession Office on the procedure and structure of a concession that aims to open the market of the public bus transport services. This project is the first tender process conducted, and public utility contract concluded, on the Hungarian market for public passenger transport services based on Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007.The M&A team, led by Andrea Presser, advised ENELIS in the merger and rebranding of ENELIS Kft. And ENELIS Zrt. Key clients of the firm include Erste Group Bank, Bitpanda Group,Duna Aszfalt,Enelis Informatikai, National Concession Office, General Electric Global Services, INDOTEK, O&GD Central, and Hungarian Mobility Development Agency.
Testimonials
'What stood out most was their immediate legal preparedness and strong regulatory expertise. From the beginning, they understood both the legal complexity and the practical business context of the matter and were able to translate that into a clear and actionable process.' (Banking & Finance)
'Their communication with us was consistently clear, transparent, and easy to follow. They had full control over the process, kept all deadlines, and provided regular updates, which gave us a high level of confidence throughout the engagement.'(Banking & Finance)
'The documentation they prepared was thorough, well-structured, and fully met our needs as a client. We also appreciated that they were able to support us with translations and multilingual documentation, which was particularly valuable given the international nature of the matter.'(Banking & Finance)
'Overall, they stood out through a combination of legal precision, practical thinking, responsiveness, and reliable project management.'(Banking & Finance)
'Their advice is precise and straight to the point. They are easy to approach and reply with short turnaround times. They comfortably move around locally while also fully understand the international context.' (Project Development)
‘Andrea Presser acted as the senior lawyer and our main point of contact throughout the matter. She guided us through the full process in a very clear, structured, and professional way, from the initial legal assessment to the preparation and submission of the regulatory request and the follow-up with the authority.'(Banking & Finance)
‘What stood out most about Andrea Presser was her strong regulatory expertise and practical judgment. At the outset, she provided a preliminary legal assessment of the situation, which later proved to be accurate once the authority issued its formal response. This gave us confidence that the matter was being handled with both legal precision and a realistic understanding of the regulatory environment.’(Banking & Finance)
‘Andrea Presserwas excellent in communication and project management. She kept us continuously informed, explained the legal issues in a clear and accessible way, managed expectations properly, and made sure that the process moved forward efficiently. Her approach was calm, reliable, and solution-oriented throughout.’(Banking & Finance)
'Overall,Andrea Pressercombined strong legal expertise with excellent client care. She made a complex regulatory process understandable and manageable for us, and her work contributed significantly to a successful outcome.'(Banking & Finance)
‘Máté Baumgartner played an important role in preparing the documentation that was submitted to the Hungarian National Bank. At the time, he was acting in a junior legal role, but his work was consistently precise, well-structured, and reliable. He processed the materials and background information we provided very quickly and accurately. He clearly understood the business and legal context of the matter, interpreted the facts correctly, and was able to translate them into clear and professionally prepared documentation.’(Banking & Finance)
‘What stood out about Máté Baumgartner was his speed, attention to detail, and ability to work efficiently on a complex regulatory matter. The documentation he helped prepare was thorough, coherent, and well aligned with the objective of the regulatory submission.’(Banking & Finance)
'Overall,Máté Baumgartnershowed strong legal drafting skills, excellent comprehension of the matter, and a very professional approach throughout the process.'(Banking & Finance)
'Márton Kocsis was our first point of contact at CERHA HEMPEL and played an important role in initiating the engagement. As a senior lawyer, he quickly understood the nature of our regulatory issue and directed us to the appropriate specialist within the firm, Andrea Presser.'(Banking & Finance)
'What stood out aboutMárton Kocsiswas his ability to assess our needs efficiently and make sure that the matter was handled by the right expert from the beginning. This helped ensure that the process was well structured from the outset and that no time was lost in identifying the appropriate legal support.'(Banking & Finance)
'AlthoughMárton Kocsiswas not the day-to-day lead on the matter, he remained supportive in the background and contributed to a smooth and professional client experience. His involvement gave us confidence that the firm had a clear internal structure and that our matter was being handled with the right level of senior attention.'(Banking & Finance)
'SándorSzterényi is managing our cases with strong expertise overall market knowledge and strategic thinking.' (Project Development)
'Eszter ÁgnesKontor is highly experienced in project development, was approachable, and was readily open to tailor the documentation to our very atypical case.' (Project Development)
Testimonials
'What stood out most was their immediate legal preparedness and strong regulatory expertise. From the beginning, they understood both the legal complexity and the practical business context of the matter and were able to translate that into a clear and actionable process.' (Banking & Finance)
'Their communication with us was consistently clear, transparent, and easy to follow. They had full control over the process, kept all deadlines, and provided regular updates, which gave us a high level of confidence throughout the engagement.'(Banking & Finance)
'The documentation they prepared was thorough, well-structured, and fully met our needs as a client. We also appreciated that they were able to support us with translations and multilingual documentation, which was particularly valuable given the international nature of the matter.'(Banking & Finance)
'Overall, they stood out through a combination of legal precision, practical thinking, responsiveness, and reliable project management.'(Banking & Finance)
'Their advice is precise and straight to the point. They are easy to approach and reply with short turnaround times. They comfortably move around locally while also fully understand the international context.' (Project Development)
‘Andrea Presser acted as the senior lawyer and our main point of contact throughout the matter. She guided us through the full process in a very clear, structured, and professional way, from the initial legal assessment to the preparation and submission of the regulatory request and the follow-up with the authority.'(Banking & Finance)
‘What stood out most about Andrea Presser was her strong regulatory expertise and practical judgment. At the outset, she provided a preliminary legal assessment of the situation, which later proved to be accurate once the authority issued its formal response. This gave us confidence that the matter was being handled with both legal precision and a realistic understanding of the regulatory environment.’(Banking & Finance)
‘Andrea Presserwas excellent in communication and project management. She kept us continuously informed, explained the legal issues in a clear and accessible way, managed expectations properly, and made sure that the process moved forward efficiently. Her approach was calm, reliable, and solution-oriented throughout.’(Banking & Finance)
'Overall,Andrea Pressercombined strong legal expertise with excellent client care. She made a complex regulatory process understandable and manageable for us, and her work contributed significantly to a successful outcome.'(Banking & Finance)
‘Máté Baumgartner played an important role in preparing the documentation that was submitted to the Hungarian National Bank. At the time, he was acting in a junior legal role, but his work was consistently precise, well-structured, and reliable. He processed the materials and background information we provided very quickly and accurately. He clearly understood the business and legal context of the matter, interpreted the facts correctly, and was able to translate them into clear and professionally prepared documentation.’(Banking & Finance)
‘What stood out about Máté Baumgartner was his speed, attention to detail, and ability to work efficiently on a complex regulatory matter. The documentation he helped prepare was thorough, coherent, and well aligned with the objective of the regulatory submission.’(Banking & Finance)
'Overall,Máté Baumgartnershowed strong legal drafting skills, excellent comprehension of the matter, and a very professional approach throughout the process.'(Banking & Finance)
'Márton Kocsis was our first point of contact at CERHA HEMPEL and played an important role in initiating the engagement. As a senior lawyer, he quickly understood the nature of our regulatory issue and directed us to the appropriate specialist within the firm, Andrea Presser.'(Banking & Finance)
'What stood out aboutMárton Kocsiswas his ability to assess our needs efficiently and make sure that the matter was handled by the right expert from the beginning. This helped ensure that the process was well structured from the outset and that no time was lost in identifying the appropriate legal support.'(Banking & Finance)
'AlthoughMárton Kocsiswas not the day-to-day lead on the matter, he remained supportive in the background and contributed to a smooth and professional client experience. His involvement gave us confidence that the firm had a clear internal structure and that our matter was being handled with the right level of senior attention.'(Banking & Finance)
'SándorSzterényi is managing our cases with strong expertise overall market knowledge and strategic thinking.' (Project Development)
'Eszter ÁgnesKontor is highly experienced in project development, was approachable, and was readily open to tailor the documentation to our very atypical case.' (Project Development)
Based in Budapest, Lakatos, Köves and Partners is an independent local firm established in 1991. As one of the larger firms on the Hungarian market, it employs over 30 lawyers, including nine partners. This year, the banking and finance team, led by John Fenemore, advised the Steering Committee of RCF Lenders on Hungarian law matters in the debt restructuring of Intrum. The deal won Restructuring Impact Deal of the Year at the 2026 IFLR Europe Awards. The team also provided legal assistance to an ad hoc group of international financiers on the financing of ACCELL Group, involving numerous lenders and a multi-jurisdictional security package. The firm was awarded Hungary Law Firm of the Year at the 2026 IFLR Europe Awards. Key clients of the firm include Indotek, Deutsche Bank, KKR, HPS, Svedbank,Nitrogenművek, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, Erste Bank, Citigroup, Vodafone, Viessman, Uber, PPF Group, tamboran Resources, Green Power Investments, DVM, Bunge, Mars, DAF, Nippon Paper, and Ceva-Phylaxia.
Testimonials
'We found the firm to be very knowledgeable and responsive.' (Asset Finance)
'We appreciate the firm's speed, accuracy, and customer-focused approach.' (Banking & Finance)
'They are extremely responsive, helpful and commercial.' (Capital Markets: Debt)
‘They delivered highly responsive, concise and practice‑oriented advice. Their team demonstrated strong technical expertise and a clear familiarity with cross‑border financial services frameworks, enabling them to provide commercially relevant guidance rather than purely theoretical input. We particularly valued their ability to distil complex regulatory issues into clear, actionable conclusions.’ (Financial Services Regulatory)
'The cooperation was friendly, quick and responsive and they were available when needed. The scope of the engagement was rather specific, and they did a great job in providing us with a well-founded legal opinion.' (Financial Services Regulatory)
'We appreciate that they find all possible actions to reach the aim of ours, even mentioning the possible risks.’ (M&A)
'The team is very responsive and knowledgeable.' (M&A)
'They can provide comprehensive legal support on the complicated cross-border transaction, including but not limited to negotiation, foreign investment screening, anti-trust, employment, and IP protection. The whole team worked closely together and were dedicated to the project. Their senior partner Ivan Solyom directly participated in the two-week long on-site negotiation which greatly helped to close the cultural gap between the transaction parties by leveraging his transactional experience and personal charisma.' (M&A)
'Nora Kertai provides sound advice and responsive service.' (Asset Finance)
'Ágnes Ábrahám is very good at defining client requirements, conducting negotiations, and drafting requirements in legal language.' (Banking & Finance)
'Ágnes Ábrahám is very helpful, enthusiastic, and responsive.'(Capital markets: Debt)
'Eszter Zsófia Szakmáry has assertive communication, negotiation skills, quick thinking, ahigh level of expertise, and a strategic approach.' (Banking & Finance)
'John Fenemore is commercial and pragmatic.' (Capital markets: Debt)
'Szabolcs Mestyán is a market leading expert.' (Capital markets: Debt)
‘Szabolcs Mestyán stands out for delivering regulatory advice that combines strong technical precision with a clear and structured analytical framework. He is particularly effective at ensuring that the legal analysis remains both accurate and accessible. In addition, he demonstrates a reliable ability to identify key regulatory risks and articulate them in a balanced and measured manner, supporting well‑reasoned decision‑making.’ (Financial Services Regulatory)
‘Gergely Kántor stands out for his exceptional responsiveness and his ability to engage very effectively on follow‑up queries. He consistently provides clear feedback, addressing questions with precision and without unnecessary elaboration. In particular, he demonstrates a strong ability to quickly grasp the underlying context and intent behind questions, accurately assessing where they originate from and tailoring his responses accordingly. His combination of responsiveness, contextual understanding and precise feedback makes him especially effective in iterative, client‑driven regulatory advisory work.’ (Financial Services Regulatory)
'Pál Rahóty has good communication and is responsive.' (Financial Services Regulatory)
'Ádám Mattyus has a prompt reaction to every email.' (M&A)
'Antal Harsányi has a wide specialization. He is able to help with commercial and administrative matters with the counterparty.' (M&A)
'Iván Sólyom directly participated in the on-site negotiation and transaction documents finalization in the deal, which did great help to accelerate the project based on his experience.' (M&A)
'Kornél Dirner is very dedicated to the project and coordinate the internal team very efficiently.' (M&A)
Testimonials
'We found the firm to be very knowledgeable and responsive.' (Asset Finance)
'We appreciate the firm's speed, accuracy, and customer-focused approach.' (Banking & Finance)
'They are extremely responsive, helpful and commercial.' (Capital Markets: Debt)
‘They delivered highly responsive, concise and practice‑oriented advice. Their team demonstrated strong technical expertise and a clear familiarity with cross‑border financial services frameworks, enabling them to provide commercially relevant guidance rather than purely theoretical input. We particularly valued their ability to distil complex regulatory issues into clear, actionable conclusions.’ (Financial Services Regulatory)
'The cooperation was friendly, quick and responsive and they were available when needed. The scope of the engagement was rather specific, and they did a great job in providing us with a well-founded legal opinion.' (Financial Services Regulatory)
'We appreciate that they find all possible actions to reach the aim of ours, even mentioning the possible risks.’ (M&A)
'The team is very responsive and knowledgeable.' (M&A)
'They can provide comprehensive legal support on the complicated cross-border transaction, including but not limited to negotiation, foreign investment screening, anti-trust, employment, and IP protection. The whole team worked closely together and were dedicated to the project. Their senior partner Ivan Solyom directly participated in the two-week long on-site negotiation which greatly helped to close the cultural gap between the transaction parties by leveraging his transactional experience and personal charisma.' (M&A)
'Nora Kertai provides sound advice and responsive service.' (Asset Finance)
'Ágnes Ábrahám is very good at defining client requirements, conducting negotiations, and drafting requirements in legal language.' (Banking & Finance)
'Ágnes Ábrahám is very helpful, enthusiastic, and responsive.'(Capital markets: Debt)
'Eszter Zsófia Szakmáry has assertive communication, negotiation skills, quick thinking, ahigh level of expertise, and a strategic approach.' (Banking & Finance)
'John Fenemore is commercial and pragmatic.' (Capital markets: Debt)
'Szabolcs Mestyán is a market leading expert.' (Capital markets: Debt)
‘Szabolcs Mestyán stands out for delivering regulatory advice that combines strong technical precision with a clear and structured analytical framework. He is particularly effective at ensuring that the legal analysis remains both accurate and accessible. In addition, he demonstrates a reliable ability to identify key regulatory risks and articulate them in a balanced and measured manner, supporting well‑reasoned decision‑making.’ (Financial Services Regulatory)
‘Gergely Kántor stands out for his exceptional responsiveness and his ability to engage very effectively on follow‑up queries. He consistently provides clear feedback, addressing questions with precision and without unnecessary elaboration. In particular, he demonstrates a strong ability to quickly grasp the underlying context and intent behind questions, accurately assessing where they originate from and tailoring his responses accordingly. His combination of responsiveness, contextual understanding and precise feedback makes him especially effective in iterative, client‑driven regulatory advisory work.’ (Financial Services Regulatory)
'Pál Rahóty has good communication and is responsive.' (Financial Services Regulatory)
'Ádám Mattyus has a prompt reaction to every email.' (M&A)
'Antal Harsányi has a wide specialization. He is able to help with commercial and administrative matters with the counterparty.' (M&A)
'Iván Sólyom directly participated in the on-site negotiation and transaction documents finalization in the deal, which did great help to accelerate the project based on his experience.' (M&A)
'Kornél Dirner is very dedicated to the project and coordinate the internal team very efficiently.' (M&A)
5 practice areas
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CERHA HEMPEL has more than twenty years' experience in the Hungarian market.
Around 30 dedicated legal professionals provide first-class legal advice to local and international clients. Over the years, our team have gained a reputation as leading experts in their fields, and have advised countless international and domestic clients active in Hungary.
Working closely with the entire CERHA HEMPEL network, the team in Budapest provides clients with the highest level of legal advice on local and cross-border corporate and commercial law.
6 practice areas
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Providing first class legal services to our clients can only be achieved by the combination of knowledge, talent and practical experience.
Our involvement in a number of ground-breaking business transactions implemented in Hungary and the CEE region ensures that we continuously gain practical experience.
It is vital for us to establish in-depth personal relationships with our clients with an understanding of their business and a strong commitment to assist them in all circumstances.
Our creative and pragmatic lawyers do not hesitate to apply innovative legal structures when a transaction requires it.
