SECTORS
  • Investments
  • Financial sector
  • Insurance
  • Telecommunications, Media and Information Technologies
  • Infrastructure and Transportation
  • Pharmaceutical Sector
  • Consumer Protection and Retail
  • Energy Sector
  • ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
  • Agricultural Sector
FIELDS OF EXPERTISE
  • Corporate and Commercial
    Incorporation
    • Consultancy on the initial business structure;
    • Preparation of documents on the incorporation and functioning of the company (e.g. articles of association, statements on incorporation, powers of attorney, rules on internal organization and operation);
    • Consultancy and legal assistance in the process of company registration with all relevant bodies;
    • Commercial representation before state authorities and private structures.
    Daily activity of companies
    • Legal assistance and consultancy on any issue occurring in the company’s activity (e.g. transactions, internal organization, labor law);
    • Legal assistance and support in the preparation and conduct of statutory bodies meetings;
    • Legal consultancy on the shareholders’ rights (including the minority shareholders);
    • Carrying out all formalities related to the registration of changes in the incorporation documents (e.g. change of activities, changes in the social capital);
    • Consultancy and legal assistance in any type of restructuring of the company and of statutory bodies;
    • Legal due diligence of the company or its assets;
    • Consultancy on optimal strategies to increase company profit and protect against the risk created by third parties;
    • Consultancy and assistance in obtaining licenses, authorizations, and other permits necessary for carrying out business activities.
    Complex agreements
    • Legal assistance and representation relating to negotiation, signing, and executing agreements;
    • Assessment the client’s legal and economic risks following the signing of an agreement;
    • Drafting offers, counteroffers, acceptances, agreements, and other documents associated with agreements;
    • Negotiation of the agreement’s terms with the client’s partners; assistance in post-negotiation stage (e.g. re-negotiation, review, termination/cancellation of the agreement, hard-ship situations,); assistance with the translation, authentication, and registration of agreements (when appropriate).
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  • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Consultancy on structuring the merger and/or acquisition
    • Analyzing the legal and economic risk of the merger/acquisition for the client;
    • Carrying out legal due diligence of the target company;
    • Preparation of legal opinions;
    • Drafting documents necessary for registering the merger/acquisition;
    • Legal assistance during the implementation of the transaction;
    • Representation of the companies involved in M&A at the Competition Council for obtaining necessary permits;
    • Representation of clients in front of the National Commission of Financial Market and other relevant state authorities for registering the merger/acquisition.
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  • Capital Market
    • Consultancy and legal assistance in all types of securities transactions in the Republic of Moldova;
    • Consultancy and legal assistance on the issuance, placement, and repurchase of shares;
    • Assistance in preparing documents associated with capital market transactions and in the structuring of contractual relationships;
    • Consultancy and legal assistance on purchasing and registering securities on the capital markets of the Republic of Moldova.
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  • Bankruptcy and Winding Up
    Winding Up
    • Assistance and legal consultancy at all stages of the winding up process;
    • Preparation of documents necessary to start and execute the winding up;
    • Legal assistance and representation of the company in relation to the creditors and debtors, as well as representation before the state bodies;
    • Legal assistance in the delisting of the companies from the state register.
    Bankruptcy
    • Consultancy and legal assistance in providing solutions to prevent bankruptcy (e.g. impossibility to cover existing debts with the company’s assets, debts, and liabilities);
    • Consultancy and representation services in litigation related to bankruptcy proceedings;
    • Preparation of necessary documents;
    • Representation of interests of debtors or creditors, representation of clients (debtors/creditors) in the bodies of creditors, etc.;
    • Consultancy and legal assistance on the restructuring of debts and consolidation of liabilities.
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  • Competition and State Aid
    Competition
    • Consultancy on fair competition rules, rules applying to anticompetitive agreements, economic concentrations, companies with a dominant position, and investigations conducted by the Competition Council;
    • Consultancy and legal assistance in notifying the Competition Council on the operations of economic concentration;
    • Legal assistance in obtaining permits on economic concentration;
    • Legal evaluation of contracts, transactions, practices, and business structures with respect to competition law requirements;
    • Assistance and representation of clients at the Competition Council, as well as during the investigations;
    • Assistance in challenging the acts of the Competition Council;
    • Representation of clients’ interests in legal claims against the Competition Council.
    State Aid
    • Advice on State Aid schemes, arrangements for the notification and authorization of State Aid;
    • Assistance in preparing the documents for obtaining and authorizing State Aid;
    • Assistance in challenging the deeds of the Competition Council related to State Aid;
    • Representation of clients’ interests in legal claims against the Competition Council.
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  • Real Estate
    • Legal due diligence related to real estate;
    • Preparation of legal opinions and reports on the legal title of real estate;
    • Drafting/reviewing agreements and documents related to real estate transactions (sale and purchase agreements, lease agreements, mortgage agreements, etc.);
    • Assistance in negotiating and signing real estate transactions;
    • Representation and assistance of clients in registering property rights, mortgages, and surface and other real rights;
    • Consultancy and legal assistance in managing real estate;
    • Representation of clients in legal claims related to real estate.
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  • Intellectual Property
    • Legal advice on the means, risks, and advantages of IP rights’ use and protection;
    • Assistance in registration of copyright, trade mark, inventions, and other IP rights;
    • Assistance in protecting clients’ IP rights on the territory of the Republic of Moldova and other countries;
    • Assistance in the managing IP rights (e.g. licenses, copyright IP contract negotiation);
    • Representing clients before the State Agency on Intellectual Property;
    • Representing clients in IP litigation in the national law courts;
    • Representing clients in IP mediation or arbitration proceedings, including arbitration at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
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  • Employment and Human Resources
    • Preparation of documents relating to employment (individual and collective labor agreements, amendments to the existing documents, internal orders, internal rules);
    • Legal assistance in negotiating and signing agreements between employers and employees;
    • Counseling and legal assistance in procedures related to dismissal, employment, promotion, etc.
    • Legal assistance in specific transactions, mergers, spin-offs, take-overs etc.;
    • Daily legal assistance on any aspect of employment;
    • Representation in legal claims concerning labor disputes.
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  • Legal Due Diligence
    • Legal assessment of the entity: companies, shares, business line, real estate, etc.;
    • Legal assistance in negotiating and drafting agreements on transactions taking into account conclusions following a due diligence assessment;
    • Consultancy on structuring and assistance in negotiating partnerships for the incorporation of joint ventures, acquisitions, or sale transactions;
    • Legal assessment of companies in terms of corporate structure, contractual and labor relations, encumbering of assets, and other issues of interest for the client.
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  • Regulatory Compliance
    • Assessment of legislative initiatives’ impact upon clients’ businesses;
    • Participation in public debates on specific normative deeds;
    • Promoting clients’ interests before public/regulatory authorities;
    • Legal assistance and advice on issues related to licenses, permissions, and authorizations of any kind (e.g. agriculture, environmental, constructions);
    • Assessment of agreements and company activities with respect to regulatory compliance;
    • Legal advice and assistance on issues related to personal data protection.
    • Assistance and representation in front of relevant state bodies for personal data protection;
    • Conducting research and analysis of a given regulatory framework;
    • Participation in the lawmaking process (e.g. drafting legislative acts, public consultation thereof).
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  • Public Acquisitions and Public-Private Partnerships
    • Consultancy on the procedure and requirements of public acquisitions and Public-Private Partnerships (“PPPs”);
    • Drafting the necessary documents for participation in public tenders (acquisitions, PPPs, concessions, etc.);
    • Representing the client in front of contracting authorities;
    • Legal assistance and advice in the offer’s post-opening stages (clarifications, negotiations, claims, etc.);
    • Legal assistance during all phases of contract execution (setting entities, license obtaining, subcontracting, employment, clarifications with state authorities etc.)
    • Consultancy and legal assistance at setting the PPP entity;
    • Assistance/representation in legal claims related to public acquisitions/PPPs/ concessions.
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  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
    • Preliminary assessment of the risks, consequences, and financial burdens of the potential or existing conflict;
    • Preparation of all necessary documents to resolve the dispute within mediation or arbitration proceedings;
    • Legal assistance and representation in mediation or arbitration proceedings at national or international levels at all stages. Our competencies include advising and representing clients in arbitration proceedings under the national arbitration rules, as well as those of the ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, WIPO, etc.;
    • Assistance in recognizing and enforcing foreign arbitral awards in the Republic of Moldova;
    • Assisting in challenging enforcement procedures.
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  • Litigation
    Any business may face unforeseen conflicts. Oftentimes, conflicts may not be justified economically, time-wise, by the results, or consequences for the parties’ reputation.
    ERA’s lawyers are qualified to handle any type of litigation. We evaluate and suggest creative and practical solutions, assess the potential consequences, and provide a detailed analysis of costs and benefits. ERA’s litigation services include, but are not limited to:
    • Assisting/representing clients during pre-litigation procedures;
    • Preliminary assessment of the risks, consequences, and financial burdens of potential/existing litigation.
    • Assistance and legal representation in the law courts at all or any of the stages of the proceedings;
    • Assisting clients in challenging the decisions of public authorities in national law courts, including all the stages of appeal provided by national legislation;
    • Representing clients in the European Court for Human Rights;
    • Assisting in enforcing foreign decisions and judgments in the Republic of Moldova.
    Commercial and Civil Disputes
    • Consultancy, assistance, and representation in commercial disputes relating to the execution of commercial agreements, disputes on unfair competition, and other commercial litigation;
    • Assistance and representation of clients in real estate litigation, litigation concerning intellectual and industrial property rights, and civil litigation.
    Administrative Litigation
    • Legal assistance and representation in challenging the decisions of public authorities at the preliminary stage and in the law court;
    • Preparation of the necessary documents in this respect.
    Criminal Litigation
    • Offering preventive strategies in order to avoid criminal law issues, including corporate crimes, white collar crimes, and other infringements of the criminal law;
    • Assistance and representation before prosecuting authorities (police, prosecutors, National Anticorruption Center, etc.);
    • Assistance and representation in front of law courts;
    • Delivery of legal opinions on pending criminal cases;
    • Assistance and representation during criminal procedural measures;
    • Representation of victims or third-parties in civil claims within criminal proceedings;
    • Drafting complaints, appeals, and other type of applications.
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