PRO BONO LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 2023

Who we are...

OPL gunnercooke is a full-scale corporate law firm with a team of lawyers spanning across seven different countries, committed to making a change in the lives of our clients and communities.

Ideas, People, Networks – these are the core pillars of our business that have been guiding OPL's evolution and have enabled us to become trailblazers of legal transformation.

We constantly challenge ourselves and develop new innovative ideas to better support our clients, by introducing operational improvements, designing state of the art legal-tech solutions, or integrating diverse types of resources. Our people, as distinctly skilled individual lawyers delivering services to the highest international standards, and together as a professional community sharing the desire to make law better, relentlessly work to transform ideas into tangible solutions and channel feedback from clients. We rely on gunnercooke's global network of lawyers, legal innovation experts and critical thinkers, that support us in scaling innovative concepts and to create value on the international level jointly with our partners.

In 2022, OPL partnered with gunnercooke, a challenger international law firm with offices in the UK, US and Germany. OPL gunnercooke is building a network of gunnercooke lawyers and offices across the entire CEE region.

We are committed to advancing the legal industry's transformation, using our knowledge, tech-capabilities, and vision of the legal market to deliver client-specific, creative, efficient and high-quality solutions. As part of this commitment, we launched gunnercooke LegalTech, a joint venture with gunnercooke, which provides the global gunnercooke network and its clientele with legal tech solutions. OPL's co-founder Miklos Orban is a member of gunnercooke's leadership board as its Chief Technology Officer.

Our team...

While vibrantly diverse in our range of industry expertise, practice areas, and languages, our team is united in enjoying our work and the services we provide to our clients and in our passion for being at the forefront of legal services transformation.

György Baksay-Nagy

Attorney-at-law, Head of Intellectual Property

György joined OPL gunnercooke in April 2022 in order to lead the intellectual property (IP) practice of the firm. György worked previously at the IP practice group of international law firms and spent one year at a German leading IP firm, Bardehle Pagenberg in Münich. György gained significant experience in strategic planning of IP portfolios, enforcement of IP rights in more than 50+ countries, regularly handles oppositions and invalidity procedure (both related to trademarks and designs) before the EUIPO and the Hungarian IP Office. He has experience advising on a breadth of IP matters relating to patents, domains, software, confidentiality, malicious falsehood, registered designs, licensing, brand protection, IP enforcement, litigation and branding. Spending significant time as a seconded inhouse counsel György has experience in general commercial matters and understands the business needs. He is an IP-law lecturer at Budapest University of Technology and Economics and frequently mentors start-ups. György is passionate about cars and travelling.

Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2008
  • PhD (candidate), ELTE (Hungary), expected 2023
  • Admissions:

  • Fully qualified attorney-at law, Hungary
  • Trademark and Design attorney, EU
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Miklós Orbán

    Partner

    Miklós co-founded OPL in 2011 in order to create a uniquely innovative platform for providing top quality CEE legal services to multinational companies operating in the region. After spending several years at leading international law firms in London and Budapest, Miklós went on to spend seven years as Director of Regulation at British Telecom, where he was responsible for regulatory, compliance and public policy in 25 countries of the CEE and Russia/CIS regions. Qualified in both Hungary and New York, Miklós’ innovative and ingenious approach to practicing law, as well as his robust expertise in the field, recently landed him a place in Hungary's Top 3 IT lawyers in the "Top 100 Hungarian Lawyers". Miklós is an arbitrator at the Arbitration Court of NAK (Hungarian National Chamber of Agricultural), and he mentors law students at Queen Mary University of London.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 1999
  • LLM, Georgetown University (U.S., Fulbright Scholar), 2001
  • PhD (absolutorium), ELTE (Hungary), 2007
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Lawyer, New York
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Ferenc Bánhidi

    Of Counsel for ICT

    Ferenc joined OPL in 2018 as a senior economic advisor supporting the team’s regulatory capabilities in the electronic communications sector. He has more than 20 years of professional experience, working in the private sector for seven years and holding senior management positions at the Hungarian telecom authority for 13 years. From 1999 to 2003 Ferenc played a major role in designing and elaborating a new Hungarian telecom regulatory framework, aimed at market liberalisation and implementing EU regulations. Ferenc has a profound knowledge of telecom regulatory practice in EU member countries; he represented Hungary from 2002 to 2009 in the European Regulators Group and from 2010 to 2013 in the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). From 2013 to 2015, the European Commission appointed him as an expert in Macedonia, supporting the local government in developing an EU-compatible telecommunications regulatory framework.

    Education:

  • MA, Economics, Corvinus University (Hungary), 1975
  • MBA, Technical University of Delft (Netherlands), 1992
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Chinese, fluent
  • Viktória Holló

    Affiliate Lawyer

    Viktória joined OPL in 2019 in order to provide additional support to OPL's growing base of Japanese clients investing and operating in Hungary. A qualified Hungarian lawyer with over a decade of studying Japanese language and culture and providing business, translation, and interpreting services to Japanese clients in Hungary, Viktória is able to bridge legal, linguistic, and cultural divides to ensure our Japanese clients receive a seamless service to support their Hungarian ventures. Prior to joining OPL, Viktória worked at an international law firm in Budapest, where she provided general corporate legal services. In her free time, she enjoys learning about kimono and practicing the art of Japanese tea.

    Education:

  • JD, Károli University (Hungary), 2014
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Japanese, fluent
  • Péter Tóth

    Associate

    Péter joined OPL in 2017 to continue to build his corporate legal expertise in a cutting-edge business-oriented law firm. Péter was promoted to associate in 2020 before passing the bar exam, pursuing a fast track career path at OPL. A quick learner with a keen interest in understanding clients’ interests and business models, Péter focuses primarily on data protection and real estate matters. Prior to joining OPL, he spent nearly two years with a mid-size Budapest corporate law firm, where he gained experience advising on investment projects involving European Union state aid law and was seconded to a mid-sized Hungarian credit institution. During his studies, Péter spent a semester at the University of Leuven mastering European Union law and was admitted as a research fellow in the Department of International Law in his home university, ELTE. Péter acquired his first dan in aikido in 2014, and he is a true aficionado of Chinese tea brewing.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2017
  • Erasmus+ Programme, University of Leuven (Belgium), 2016
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary (expected 2022)
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Spanish, conversational
  • Nóra Szűcs

    Senior Associate

    Nóra joined OPL in 2014 seeking an innovative platform from which she could expand her commercial real estate and finance practice. Nóra started her career at Clifford Chance Budapest and its successor practice Lakatos, Köves and Partners, where she completed her training and practiced in the real estate and finance departments. Nóra’s practice primarily serves German and Austrian real estate funds investing in CEE as well as property/facility management service providersand international tenants. Nóra also leads OPL’s finance practice, recently managinga major European biofuel supplier’s refinancing of its plant. She also supports the firm’s M&A team, often leading on due diligence projects. Nóra is a passionate learner and is working towards qualifying as an English solicitor.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2008
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, conversational
  • Avni Hafuzi

    Project manager

    Avni joined OPL in 2019 and is responsible for implementing office projects. He is a creative and funny person who finds a solution for everything. He likes cars and driving as well as watching sports and movies and learning new things in every part of his life. Avni is also studying international relations and would eventually like to work in diplomacy. He is fluent in English, German, and Hungarian and conversational in Albanian and Italian.

    Márk Rátkai

    Trainee

    Márk joined OPL in 2018 in order to deepen his knowledge in ICT and labour law and support OPL’s ICT team with telecommunications compliance research in multiple global jurisdictions. He is also a member of the firm’s employment law practice, providing extensive legal research on both employer and employee matters. Márk remains active in his university, sitting on the student council and the Bocskai István college international law working group as well as representing Hungary in an international labour law moot court competition. He regularly contributes to Arsboni event management and writes articles for Hungary’s law student and newly qualified lawyer markets. Márk’s biggest hobby is travelling around the world.

    Education:

  • JD, Károli Gáspár University (Hungary), expected 2020
  • Erasmus Scholar, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal), 2019
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary (expected 2023)
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Ádám Kaplonyi

    Counsel

    Ádám Kaplonyi joined OPL in 2020 to further boost the firm's real estate law practice. Before joining OPL Ádám spent more than a decade at the international law firms Salans and Dentons and later joined KPMG as a director. Ádám has over 20 years of experience and an excellent reputation in M&A transactions and other real estate related matters, with particular regard to real estate developments, financing, leases and environmental issues. He also gained extensive experience in corporate matters and dispute resolution. In his free time Ádám is passionate about reading; he finds books on history and cosmology the most fascinating.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary 1998)
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Szabolcs Perlaki

    Partner

    Szabolcs co-founded OPL in 2011 as a platform for his practice in providing top quality legal services to his globally ranked clients, mainly in Real Estate and ICT. He has an innate talent for designing complex real estate deals and executing asset management for institutional investors. After training at Austrian law firm CHSH in Vienna in the real estate department, Szabolcs joined PricewaterhouseCoopers Budapest, adding tax and accounting angles to his growing real estate practice. He then co-founded a law firm that became CHSH’s Budapest office. He was an adjunct lecturer at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, where he delivered courses on property management and real estate law. Szabolcs is also co-founder of the Hungarian Facility Management Association and is a licensed lift operator.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 1999
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, fluent
  • Ildikó Móricz

    Associate

    Ildikó joined OPL in 2018 in order to broaden her ICT expertise by returning to private practice from a senior in-house position with major telecommunications provider Invitel Group. Ildikó trained with a small law firm, gaining a broad range of client experience, before joining the in-house team of a telecommunications firm later bought by Invitel. Her decade at Invitel and its predecessor saw Ildikó rise to become senior legal advisor, having overseen all aspects of Invitel’s operations with respect to ICT law, regulatory issues, and advertising and marketing law as well as acting as the company’s data protection officer and consumer protection officer. In particular, Ildikó was the lead project manager executing Invitel Zrt’s 2016 demerger, an unprecedented transaction in the regional market, and managing all legal aspects of Invitel’s network infrastructure construction and maintenance. Leading the firm’s ICT practice group, Ildikó significantly adds to OPL’s capacity to provide comprehensive legal services tailored to ICT clients. In her spare time, Ildikó watches American football and rescues stray cats.

    Education:

  • JD, Károli University (Hungary), 2006
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Ildikó Rácz

    Employment Law Expert

    Ildikó joined OPL in 2017 in order to bring her expertise to support the firm’s employment law practice while finalising her PhD dissertation on the impact of digitalisation on labour law’s legal institutions. Prior to joining OPL, Ildikó worked at the Customs and Financial Workers’ Union and at a Budapest labour law boutique, providing comprehensive employment law services to both employers and employees including employment contract drafting as well as advising on dismissal and HR policies. Ildikó has won numerous awards, obtaining first place for claimants at the national competition on labour law advocacy, third place at the Scientific Student Conference, and she recently attended the international Hugo Sinzheimer Moot Court Competition. Ildikó is an adjunct lecturer in labour law at Károli Gáspár University Faculty of Law, an editor at Arsboni, a Hungarian legal professional community, and has practised traditional Hungarian folkdance for fifteen years

    Education:

  • Phd (Candidate), Károli Gáspár University (Hungary) (expected 2020)
  • JD, Károli Gáspár University (Hungary), 2016
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, proficient
  • Italian, conversational
  • Maciej Chrzanowski

    Associate

    Maciej joined OPL in 2016 in order to contribute his Polish commercial law and IT technical expertise to broadening OPL’s legal service capabilities across CEE. As general counsel at the Polish Institute of International Affairs since 2015, Maciej manages and conducts all aspects of the Institute’s external and internal legal matters, including copyright law and employment of the Institute’s 80-90 contracted experts. After qualifying as a lawyer, Maciej went on to qualify as a legal counsel, then providing all aspects of commercial law advice with a Kraków legal counsel firm. Having also worked at a technical support company servicing Hewlett Packard, Maciej has a good technical understanding of virtual private networks, internet applications, and internal IT systems. An arthouse film buff, Maciej has attended the annual Wrocław film festival every year since 2005.

    Education:

  • Masters of Law, Jagiellonian University (Poland), 2007
  • Postgraduate diploma in Intellectual Property law, Jagiellonian University (Poland), 2011
  • Admissions:

  • Legal Counsel, Poland
  • Languages:

  • Polish, native
  • English, fluent
  • Russian, conversational
  • Szilvia Horváth

    Office Manager

    Szilvia has been the heart of OPL since its establishment in 2012. She not only performs all of the office’s vital management tasks but supports each and every member of the OPL team too. Before joining OPL, Szilvia worked in Germany and other Budapest-based law firms. Szilvia holds a Master’s degree in Hungarian literature and enjoys practising yoga.

    Dániel Szabó

    Associate

    Dániel joined OPL in 2016 in order to bring his legal skills and experience to bear on a more international platform. After completing his training at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Budapest and then at a local boutique firm, Dániel set up his own firm, steadily growing his client portfolio and advising on general corporate and real estate transactions as well as on employment and commercial litigation matters. Dániel is currently on part-time secondment to the legal department of a major multinational bioeconomy company and advises international financial institutions and telcos on fintech and data protection issues. Dániel has also lectured at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, teaching Property/Facility Management and Real Estate law. Dániel is an avid board game player and is a Green Bay Packers fan.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2005
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Kristína Cellengová

    Associate

    Kristína joined OPL in 2016, expanding OPL’s in-house CEE capabilities to advise OPL’s clients on their Slovakian and Czech business interests. Her comprehensive commercial law experience and specialisation in telecommunications regulation are invaluable to our clients seeking CEE-wide legal and regulatory services. After completing her training at regional Slovakian boutique firm, where she regularly managed small-scale commercial transactions and represented clients in court, Kristína built her own practice advising a wide array of small- to medium-sized enterprises. Since joining OPL, her advice has become essential to our multinational corporate clients focused on attaining growth in CEE. Kristina volunteers for Slovakia's legal assistance program and fills the remainder of her spare time dancing and working in her family's vineyard.

    Education:

  • Mgr. (Masters in Law), Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia), 2011
  • JD in Commercial Law, University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice (Slovakia), 2014
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Slovakia
  • Languages:

  • Slovakian, native
  • Hungarian, native
  • Czech, fluent
  • English, fluent
  • Zsolt Major

    Trainee

    Zsolt joined OPL in 2013 to deepen his knowledge of the ICT sector. Zsolt provides regular update services to OPL’s clients on evolving issues in telco and ecommerce regulation across 30+ countries. Zsolt also regularly assists in advising clients on data protection issues and is interested in drone regulation and electronic identification. Zsolt is an ardent fan of Swedish melodic death metal music.

    Education:

  • JD, Pázmány Péter University (Hungary), expected 2019
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Tamás Ujj-Mészáros

    Senior Associate

    Tamás brought his real estate practice to OPL in 2011, where it has grown to include borrower-side banking finance. Tamás’ clients rely on him for his in-depth knowledge of the Hungarian commercial real estate market and practices. Tamás completed his training and built his practice in the real estate department at Austrian law firm CHSH in Budapest, advising Austrian, German and French real estate funds, property/facility management service providers, production companies, and international tenants. He recently closed a complex transaction in which a major biofuel producer acquired Danube waterfront land and facilities and another in which a German investor sold Budapest Castle District property to private buyers, overcoming the Hungarian state’s recent assertion of the right to first refusal on such properties. Tamás also teaches at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (in property/facility management and real estate law). A cycling enthusiast, Tamás once finished a 200km race with an average speed of 44km/h.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2005
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, fluent
  • Zsigmond Horváth

    Trainee

    Zsigmond joined OPL in 2019 during his final year of law school to broaden his previous legal experience in comprehensive legal research and general legal business support. Zsigmond focuses primarily on real estate and ICT matters; he also works on telco and ecommerce public policy issues. Prior to joining OPL, he spent two years with a Budapest law boutique providing commercial litigation and international arbitration services. Zsigmond loves playing football, enjoys hiking and camping, and is also interested in literature.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2019
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, conversational
  • Dániel Rácz

    Associate

    Dániel joined OPL in 2019 from leading international law firms in order to join an innovative platform to expand his corporate, M&A and financial regulatory practice. He started his career at Allen&Overy and went on to work at Weil, Gotshal & Manges as an associate. Dániel advises clients on complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, company reorganisation and restructuring procedures as well as financial regulatory and fintech issues. Based on his analytical approach, he has developed a deep understanding of business and policy aspects in complex legal and regulatory matters. He is a lecturer at ELTE Law School teaching fiscal and financial law. Dániel is passionate about modern history, traveling and rock music.

    Education:

  • PhD (candidate), ELTE (Hungary), expected 2020
  • Master1, Panthéon-Assas University, Paris 2 (France), 2012
  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2012
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • French, advanced
  • German, advanced
  • Zoltán Nemessányi PhD

    Of counsel

    Zoltán joined OPL as of counsel in 2020. With background in academia (PhD 2010) and private practice, he has worked since 2014 as deputy state secretary for international civil justice cooperation in the Hungarian Ministry of Justice, his main responsibilities were the management of the legislative work program in private international law, IP-law, competition law, as well as the coordination, elaboration and representation of Hungary's position in the work of international organizations dealing with the unification of private law/private international law and IP law (UNIDROIT, UNCITRAL, WIPO, HCCH). He has been the vice-chair of UNCITRAL (2018-2019) and vice-chair of two WIPO-treaties (Assembly of the WIPO Copyright Treaty, Assembly of the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty). Through Zoltán, OPL has increased its expertise in international trade, dispute settlement and competition law matters. He is leading OPL's litigation practice.

    Education:

  • Lawyer, Faculty of Law, University of Pécs (Hungary), 2001
  • PhD, Faculty of Law, University of Pécs (Hungary), 2010
  • MBA, Faculty of Economics, University of Pécs (Hungary), 2014
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, fluent
  • Edit Csaba

    Finance Manager

    Having joined in 2019, Edit is responsible for OPL's financial and operational management. In addition to preparing reports, budgets, invoices and accounts, she supports the office's general management and contributes to event organisation. Edit has a degree in economics (majoring in EU studies) from the John von Neumann University of Szolnok. Edit has lived and worked in South Korea, Australia, the USA and Finland as a career foreign service officer and a spouse for over 25 years. A true globetrotter, she loves foreign cultures and relishes exploring the world. She regularly volunteers for charity organisations helping seriously ill or disabled children (Planting Love Korea, Children's Medical Research Institution in Canberra). In her spare time, when not busy managing her two teenage daughters and her husband, Edit likes to learn more about international cuisine and gourmet cooking and she also enjoys hiking and camping.

    Gréta Baksa

    Associate

    Gréta joined OPL in 2019 to strengthen the firm’s employment law practice. She trained at PWC Legal and the Austrian-German law firm, SCWP Schindhelm, subsequently furthering her career as a client portfolio managing attorney at PWC Legal and through in-house experience at an environmental certification company. Gréta specialises in supporting multinational corporate clients in their operations by advising on employment, company law, and compliance matters. In addition to providing routine support, she has experience in assisting clients through compliance investigations regarding fraudulent behaviour and in HR due diligence. Pursuing her passion for the HR field and the wish to develop a deeper understanding of clients’ needs, she recently attained the postgraduate degree HR Business Partner from Budapest Corvinus University. She continues to conduct her extensive postgraduate research on employers’ attitudes towards career changers. In her free time, Gréta is passionate about diving, traveling and environmental protection.

    Education:

  • PhD (candidate), ELTE (Hungary) topic: mediation, expected 2021
  • HR Business Partner, Corvinus (Hungary), 2019
  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2009
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, fluent
  • Zsófia Oláh

    Senior Associate

    OPL brought Zsófia into the firm from its start in 2011 in order to lead the firm’s employment law practice and cement OPL’s ability to provide comprehensive and top-quality commercial law advice. Zsófia’s analytical prowess and risk management skills have made her an indispensable adviser to our clients. After training at each of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Squire Sanders in Budapest, Zsófia spent about 4 years at Austrian law firm CHSH’s Budapest office, where she provided high-level commercial law advice to prominent clients, including Budapest Airport in relation to its acquisition of a new software system. In the last several years, Zsófia has become the de facto head of legal at a major European biofuel supplier and advises several multinationals on Hungarian employment matters. Zsófia also contributes a weekly blog on employment law matters to HRBlog.hu, a website for Hungarian human resources and employment professionals.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2003, including an Erasmus Scholarship at University of Bocconi, Milan
  • LLM, International Business Law, Central European University, 2007
  • Diploma/Certification in Employment Law, University of Pécs (Hungary), 2015
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, fluent
  • Spanish, conversational
  • Italian, conversational
  • Ádám Dunai

    Associate

    Ádám joined OPL in 2014, bringing his passion for telco, media and ICT law to the firm’s international clients operating in the CEE region. Ádám specialises in advising major international wholesale telco and social media providers on the transformation of the digital sector as well as on IP and EU law and public policy issues. Prior to OPL, Ádám spent nearly a year focusing on media regulatory issues at the largest Hungarian commercial television company RTL Klub. When not working on multinational ICT projects, in his spare time Ádám continues to improve his Chinese language skills and is also interested in literature and theatre.

    Education:

  • BA, Hungarian Language and Literature, Pázmány Péter University (Hungary), 2009
  • Chinese Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, 2013
  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2016
  • Admissions:

  • Lawyer, Budapest (expected 2019)
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • Chinese, advanced
  • French, conversational
  • Kutaiba Al Hussein

    Associate

    Kutaiba started working with OPL in 2018 to boost OPL’s ICT sector expertise in Arabic countries. A native of Syria, he was a general manager in a medium size business before moving to Hungary to pursue his LL.M at CEU. An intensive ICT law course there sparked his interest in the field, leading him to join OPL’s ICT team, focusing in particular on telco regulation in the MENA region. Kutaiba enjoys hiking, nature and animals.

    Education:

  • BA in law, University of Aleppo (Syria), 2012
  • LL.M in International Business Law, Central European University (Hungary), 2018
  • Languages:

  • Arabic, native
  • English, fluent
  • Hungarian, basic
  • Jessica Vause

    Legal Researcher

    Jess joined the OPL team in 2017, completing a year-long internship with the firm in Budapest as part of her undergraduate UK law degree. She has continued her role while completing her studies, working closely with OPL’s CEE lawyers and supporting their English-language drafting. While working at OPL, Jess has developed a keen interest in M&A and telecommunications law. She is also deepening her industry knowledge in renewable energy and CAVs and intends to go on to complete an LLM in the US. In her free time, Jess enjoys travelling and sampling global cuisines.

    Education:

  • Law with International Relations, LLB, University of Surrey (England), 2019
  • Languages:

  • English, native
  • Lewis Foster

    Intern

    Lewis joined OPL in 2019 as an intern as part of his undergraduate degree in law at the University of Surrey in the UK, in order to broaden his professional experience in a corporate legal environment. Lewis researches and drafts regulatory updates and monitoring reports both within the EU and globally in the telecommunications and other regulated sectors. He also provides support in legal research on legal innovation and changes in the global legal industry. Lewis is a passionate football fan and enjoys playing football, snooker, golf and occasionally tennis.

    Education:

  • LLB (law), University of Surrey, England (expected 2021)
  • Languages:

  • English, native
  • Balázs Rapi

    Trainee

    Balázs joined OPL in 2019 in order to work on challenging commercial legal matters in an innovative professional environment. Balázs advises clients on real estate transactional and regulatory matters. Prior to joining OPL, he worked at two international law firms where advised on Hungarian and international tax structuring and commercial transactions. Balázs also gained experience in antitrust and EU regulatory policies as a trainee at the European Commission in Brussels. Balázs is passionate about combat sports and philosophy.

    Education:

  • JD, University of Szeged (Hungary), 2016
  • Admission:

  • Lawyer, Hungary (expected 2020)
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, conversational
  • Kristóf Kovács

    Associate

    Kristóf Kovács joined OPL in 2020 to facilitate the work in the field of residential and commercial real estate and IT. Before joining OPL Kristóf has an experience in civil law, with special regard to residential real estate, condominiums and hotel development projects. Besides real estate, he also gained substantial experience in the field of IT, corporate (special regard to banktruptcy law) and litigation. Kristóf is a passionate golfer and traveller, and also an avid lover of history and of the Lake Balaton.

    Education:

  • JD, ELTE (Hungary), 2011
  • Admission:

  • Attorney, Hungary
  • Languages:

  • Hungarian, native
  • English, fluent
  • German, fluent
  • What we do...

    OPL is an international, innovative, and independent legal consultancy boutique providing full-range CEE legal and regulatory services primarily to multinational companies. We excel at helping our clients manage risk – our expertise in identifying, analysing, and mitigating risk ensures that our clients’ businesses can focus on profit and growth. We also provide flexible legal resourcing and legal process outsourcing services to our partner law firms and in-house counsel.

    We pride ourselves on our approach to providing commercial, strategic, and sector-specific legal services through a range of creative, purpose-built solutions that may include any (or all) of:

    • Legal advisory services
    • Flexible legal resourcing
    • Legal process outsourcing
    • Mass claim management
    • General counsel coaching and training
    • Legal team management
    • In-house counsel audits and transformation
    • IT-based compliance monitoring, case monitoring, and business reporting

    We have particular expertise in the following industry sectors:

    • Technology, media, telecom
    • Commercial property
    • Biofuels

    Our practice areas cover:

    • Corporate (M&A, finance, investment management, securities)
    • Real estate
    • Employment
    • Privacy and data protection
    • Intellectual property
    • Dispute resolution
    • Regulatory and public policy

    Community...

    OPL's team is committed to being both responsible professionals and caring citizens, using our presence in the international legal profession and our local community to make a positive impact.


    As with our business, our pro bono programme has a global focus: we seek international projects in which our legal team can work for the public good in our areas of expertise. For example, we have been advising a non-profit working towards improving the legislative framework for data protection and privacy in Lebanon. The non-profit is using OPL's analysis of current legislation and suggested improvements to educate civil society, SMEs, and legislators with a goal of lobbying lawmakers to pass legislation strengthening individuals' rights to data protection and privacy. We have also recently undertaken a pro bono project advising Terre des Hommes, a child protection NGO working with a UN agency to develop and launch a software platform for international humanitarian case management purposes. The project was fascinating in terms of finding a balance between protecting data subjects' privacy rights (and ensuring regulatory compliance) and the need to remove obstacles to efficient data processing.


    Our social responsibility programme is focused on local needs, where we believe our resources can best be put to use improving educational opportunities. At OPL, we strongly believe that wealth inequality has become one of the biggest issues in Hungary, and we are dedicated to supporting equal opportunity for all in our community. As a part of this mission, we have set up a long-term partnership with a local secondary school (Leövey Klára Gimnázium) in an underprivileged neighbourhood of Budapest by establishing an OPL scholarship through which we sponsor students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to the financial support that we provide to successful candidates, we also connect the students with leading professionals in the careers of their choice to help ensure they have long-term career support, networks and inspiration. By encouraging student candidates to find inspiring entrepreneurial stories from their own environment, we are accumulating through the students' applications an impressive collection of stories about recent Hungarian entrepreneurship.


    We are also committed to supporting continual improvements in legal education: several of our lawyers teach at local universities, and we regularly mentor law students and Hungarian national teams competing in international law student competitions.

    For more information on our pro bono and social responsibility programmes, please contact us at office@opl.hu

    Career...

    If you are a motivated legal professional looking for a state-of-the-art law office, then OPL is the right place for you. We are an international, young, energetic, and vibrant team of diverse professionals who love our work. We tend to describe ourselves as the most creative and avant-garde legal team in Central and Eastern Europe, wishing to serve as hub for those with a similar outlook.

    We are always open to new team members with the following features:

    • entrepreneurial mind-set
    • out-of-the (legal) box thinking
    • achievement of the extraordinary (academic or otherwise)
    • outstanding educational background or outstanding results/experience
    • excellent command of English (additional languages highly valued)
    • excellent integrity
    • ready to work hard
    • open to new challenges

    The standard OPL package includes a modern working environment (loft office), a vibrant and dynamic team of co-workers, the opportunity to engage with a wide range of international clients, a great variety of work, coaching and training support for professional development, and a competitive salary. If you are interested in joining us, please send your CV and a cover letter to office@opl.hu

    Professional Development Programme

    The more a business invests in its people, the better quality product its team can produce and the more motivated the team will be to do so. That’s why OPL invests in an extensive programme ensuring its lawyers are continuously improving their legal, business, and professional skills through training, feedback, and mentoring.

    From trainees through senior legal staff, OPL’s lawyers benefit from a range of professional development opportunities:

  • Six-month mentorship pairings between senior and junior members, through which juniors get tailored advice on developing their professional abilities and seniors gain HR experience
  • Ongoing in-house legal skills training in drafting, advising, advocacy and other professional skills
  • Flexible working arrangements and other support for pursuing additional higher education (e.g. masters, PhDs, LLMs)
  • An in-house mini-MBA programme providing both basic and advanced training in how businesses operate and are valued and financed
  • Support for improving professional English-language communication skills
  • Contact...

    H-1036 Budapest, Perc u. 6.
    Phone: +36 (1) 244 8377
    Fax: +36 (1) 244 8378
    office@opl.hu

    For Intellectual Property law related matters please contact directly at ip@opl.hu

    Disclaimer

    Terms of Use...

    This website is provided by Orbán & Perlaki Law Firm (“OPL”), a partnership established pursuant to the respective regulations of the Hungarian Bar Association. This Disclaimer governs your use of the website and by accessing the website you agree to be bound by the regulations. If any provision in this Disclaimer shall be held to be illegal or invalid in whole or in part, then such part of the provision shall be deemed not to form part of the Disclaimer. The remaining parts of the Disclaimer shall not be affected.

    Please note that OPL has the right to change any conditions at any time without notice and these changes will take effect immediately after publication. By continuing to use OPL’s website you agree to be bound by such modifications.

    All the materials, contents, data, designations situated on this website are the intellectual property of OPL or have the consent of the rights holder and may be used for personal purposes only.

    All contents of this website are protected by law, which may only be used, distributed, transmitted, re-transmitted, broadcast, modified or shown in public with the prior written permission of OPL.

    OPL strives to always publish complete, accurate, and credible information on its webpage, however the information, materials and opinions published are for the purposes of general information only, and at times, since the legal environment changes continuously, may be incomplete or out of date. The information posted herein is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice.

    OPL or its affiliated firms will not accept any responsibility and shall not be liable for any special direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever arising from the information materials published on the aforementioned website.

    The information provided is not intended to replace or serve as substitute for specific advice, consultation or professional service. If you require specific legal advice, please see the contacts section and do not hesitate to contact us. The website does not use cookies or any other means collecting data on visitors and OPL does not process personal data appertaining to the visitors of the website.

    This Disclaimer, available only in English, is governed by Hungarian law.

    If you have any questions, comments or suggestions on how we can improve the accessibility of our website please contact us at:
    H-1036 Budapest, Perc u. 6 or at office@opl.hu.

    Cookie policy...

    At OPL, we firmly believe in being clear and open about how we use any kind of information. This policy provides detailed information about how and when we use cookies.

    Cookies are small text files stored on your computer. They are used for many things, such as remembering whether you have visited the site before, general information about your computer settings, your IP address or your browsing patterns. Even if they contain information about the use of your computer, they do not include any personal information about you. To find out more about cookies please visit http://www.aboutcookies.org/.

    We use cookies to help us understand how our visitors use our webpage, so we can keep improving our website. For the better understanding, we use Google Analytics which is provided by Google Inc. The information generated by these cookies is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for compiling reports for us on website activity. Please note that Google only receives your truncated IP address. This is sufficient to identify the country from which you are visiting our site, but is not sufficient to identify you individually. If you would like more information about the Google Analytics policy, please visit https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

    If you do not agree to our use of cookies, you should set your browser settings accordingly. If you disable the cookies that we use, this may impact your user experience while browsing our site.