Rankings 2024
D&B David and Baias – a successful partnership.
In a partnership, the success belongs to the partnership. The team wins and with it, each one of its members.
Chambers Europe 2024
TAX – BAND 1
Chambers Review
D&B David si Baias specialises in contentious tax matters and has proven expertise in proceedings before Romanian courts. The law firm handles disputes relating to VAT and corporate income tax, as well as environmental tax matters. It offers tax advisory services through its strong connection with PwC, assisting with both national and international matters. It represents an extensive array of clients from the real estate industry, as well as the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Clients Testimonials:
- “The team from David si Baias is very professional and has high skills to defend complex and sophisticated matters.” – Tax client Europe
- “The Davis si Baias team have a high understanding of how industries and businesses work. They are up to date with what’s going on in the Romanian environment and provide competent advice about the impact on our sector of activity.” – Tax client Europe
- “D&B has very well prepared staff which gives them an ability to handle complex and sophisticated matters with ease.” – Tax client Europe
- “They were proactive, have strong knowledge and are fast answering in all the projects.” – Tax client Europe
Notable Practitioners
Dan Dascălu attracts ample praise for his skills as a tax litigator. He is considered an expert in a range of contentious matters, often concerning corporate income tax, VAT and tax annulment.
Clients Testimonials:
- “Dan is an extremely well-prepared lawyer who helped us with complex interpretations of the matters tackled.”
- “Dan has great experience!”
Ana Maria Iordache handles contentious matters relating to VAT and income tax.
Clients Testimonials:
- “Ana Maria has high communication skills, strong legal knowledge and deep understanding of the overall local and global environment.”
COMPETITION/ANTITRUST – BAND 2
Chambers Review
Sorin David is highly regarded for representing clients in investigations into alleged abuses of dominance or retail price maintenance. He is also esteemed for his work on the competition law aspects of proposed corporate transactions and for assisting with compliance issues.
Clients Testimonials:
- “Sorin David is the lawyer with the largest experience in competition law, in my opinion.” – z`Competition/Antitrust client Europe
Lucian Bozian often assists clients with merger control filings. In addition, he represents clients in behavioural investigations and sector inquiries, as well as acting on competition compliance mandates.
Clients Testimonials:
- “He is dedicated, and very proactive in finding solutions adapted to the business need.” – Competition/Antitrust client Europe
- “It is a pleasure to work with him.” – Competition/Antitrust client Europe
- “He is proactive and always there for us, he always has the response on the spot.” – Competition/Antitrust client Europe
CORPORATE/M&A – BAND 3
Chambers Review
D&B David si Baias team climbs a tier up as a result of strong market support. The group frequently acts for multinationals with headquarters in Romania on their integration with local businesses, including reorganisations and project developments. The law firm routinely assists with the local aspects of cross-border acquisitions and mergers, acting as both sell-side and buy-side adviser. Its lawyers regularly represent clients ranging from multinational companies to local businesses in often high-profile deals.
D&B team advised Donalam on the acquisition of the functional assets of COS Târgovişte which is currently under judicial reorganisation.
Anda Rojanschi advises domestic and international clients on the acquisition of Romanian companies, as well as representing shareholders in sales. She acts for tech players and clients from the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.
Clients Testimonials:
- “They respected all the deadlines and were very flexible in their work.” – Corporate/M&A client Europe
- “The team looked after every detail in full.” – Corporate/M&A client Europe
- “They know what they are talking about. They give me a lot of confidence.” – Corporate/M&A client Europe
- “The lawyers offered innovative solutions to complex legal issues. They have a constructive and creative approach.” – Corporate/M&A client Europe
DISPUTE RESOLUTION – ROMANIA – BAND 4
Chambers Review
D&B David si Baias is cited for its experience handling competition disputes and also often handles clients’ complex tax matters. The firm is further known for its strengths in data protection law. Clients of the firm come from the energy, financial services, and agricultural sectors. D&B strongly benefits from its ongoing association with PwC.
Notable Practitioners
Dan Dascălu is well reputed for his expertise in tax disputes, particularly litigation concerning VAT and tax liabilities. He also represents clients in procurement disputes and appeals against fines.
Clients Testimonials:
- “Dan Dascălu is always there for us when needed. He combines academia with his practice as a litigator. He has extremely profound knowledge.”
FINTECH LEGAL – BAND 2
Chambers Review
The D&B team advises banks and other financial institutions regulatory compliance and authorisation matters. It also works with clients on financings and other corporate mandates, and can assist with data protection issues.
Work Highlights
D&B advised Carrefour Group on various data protection and privacy matters, including on the implementation of new data processing activities, technologies and technical and organisational measures which include data protection impact assessments and legitimate interest assessments.
Notable practitioners: Ovidiu Bold is a key contact.
Clients Testimonials:
- “The firm offers strong communication that is very effective and based on a good understanding of the client’s needs and of the challenges it faces.”
Chambers Global 2024
CORPORATE/M&A – BAND 3
Chambers Review
D&B David si Baias team climbs a tier up as a result of strong market support. The group frequently acts for multinationals with headquarters in Romania on their integration with local businesses, including reorganisations and project developments. The law firm routinely assists with the local aspects of cross-border acquisitions and mergers, acting as both sell-side and buy-side adviser. Its lawyers regularly represent clients ranging from multinational companies to local businesses in often high-profile deals.
D&B team advised Donalam on the acquisition of the functional assets of COS Târgovişte which is currently under judicial reorganisation.
Anda Rojanschi advises domestic and international clients on the acquisition of Romanian companies, as well as representing shareholders in sales. She acts for tech players and clients from the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.
Clients Testimonials:
- “They respected all the deadlines and were very flexible in their work.”
- “The team looked after every detail in full.”
- “They know what they are talking about. They give me a lot of confidence.”
- “The lawyers offered innovative solutions to complex legal issues. They have a constructive and creative approach.”
Legal 500
EU AND COMPETITION – TIER 1
D&B David si Baias SCA fields a team of sought-after competition lawyers in Romania. The group has been kept especially busy handling state aid issues, and reports an uptick in merger clearance mandates arising from an increased amount of M&A activity in the Romanian market. Market investigations remain a core pillar of instruction for the team. Practice head Sorin David has an excellent reputation in the field. Lucian Bozian, Sonia Voinescu, Gabriela Ifrim and Andreea Toncu are key names in the practice.
Leading individuals – Sorin David
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘Professional individuals and team good work, delivered on time. Very good communication.’
- ‘Very well organized, informed and ready to take action at any time. Very well prepared professionally, great communicators. Able to provide integrated and innovative solutions.’
- ‘Exceptional professional background in the competition legislation, excellent knowledge and experience in the field. Quick availability and response to clients’ requests.’
- ‘The team stands out for its professionalism, good communication both within the team and in the relationship with clients, the ability to present information on time and in a clear manner.’
- ‘Each individuals has the qualities presented above for the team. I am honored to mention: Sorin David, Lucian Bozian, and Andreea Toncu.’
- ‘Sonia Voinescu and Gabriela Ifrim have a very good team spirit and fast reaction, passion for what they are doing, that it is clear for me.’
- ‘Highly professional team, good in understanding client’s needs and flexible in providing competent and efficient solutions tailored to such needs.’
- ‘Lucian Bozian stands out with his detailed expertise, pro-active attitude and qualified advice in competition compliance matters.’
TAX – TIER 1
The tax team at D&B David si Baias SCA provides ‘bulletproof solutions’ across a broad range of tax matters including VAT, profit tax, transfer pricing, social contributions, excise duty and environmental tax issues. As a member of the PwC worldwide network, the team is able to advise a number of international clients, and has experience before the European Court of Justice. Dan Dascălu, who heads the practice and also spearheads PwC’s offering across the CEE region, is particularly strong in tax litigation. Ana-Maria Iordache is a go-to for European law, and Mihail Boian has notable crossover experience with white collar crime matters. Managing partner Sorin David is also recommended.
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘Very good and knowledgeable team, resourceful and always ready to provide bulletproof solutions.’
COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE AND M&A – TIER 3
D&B David si Baias SCA‘s team is lauded for its ‘in-depth understanding and complex knowledge of mergers and acquisitions law, and extraordinary ability to understand extremely complex transactions‘. The client base includes pharmaceutical, healthcare and energy sector entities. Anda Rojanschi has ‘deep knowledge of M&A intricacies‘, and jointly heads the practice with Sorin David, who fields expertise in corporate and competition law. Cristina Păduraru and managing associates Adina Oprea and Romana Petre are names to note.
Work highlights
- Assisting Public Power Corporation with the acquisition of Enel Group’s entities in Romania.
- Acted for Broadhurst Investments, as a shareholder of Vel Pitar, on the sale of its participation in the company to Grupo Bimbo (Mexico).
- Advised Ceres Pharma on the acquisition of dietary supplement brand Dacia Plant.
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘David and Baias Law Firm truly stands out in the legal field. Their team’s exceptional expertise and dedication to clients is impressive. They take a client-centric approach, tailoring their services to individual needs, which fosters strong client relationships.’
- ‘Their commitment to diversity and inclusion in their workplace is admirable, and it’s reflected in their team’s diverse perspectives.’
- ‘I had the privilege of collaborating with Anda Rojanschi from David and Baias Law Firm on several M&A projects, and I must say it was an exceptional experience. Anda’s dedication, expertise, and professionalism truly stood out throughout our partnership. Her attention to detail and deep knowledge of M&A intricacies were invaluable in navigating complex transactions. She consistently went the extra mile to ensure that our projects were not only executed flawlessly but also aligned with our strategic goals.’
- ‘In the world of M&A, where precision and timeliness are paramount, Anda Rojanschi’s contributions were instrumental in achieving successful outcomes. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in these endeavors, and I wholeheartedly recommend her and the firm for their outstanding legal services.’
- ‘The team has analytical thinking and focus on understanding of our business needs, not only from a legal perspective, but also from a technical one. They have an in-depth understanding and complex knowledge of mergers and acquisitions law and an extraordinary ability to understand extremely complex transactions and governance processes of our company. ’
- ‘Practice is unique due to: 1. experienced corporate M&A team, 2. able to identify solutions for complex legal matters 3. prompt responses for requests and ability to meet tight deadlines 4. availability of the team for discussions and meetings, as necessary 5. solution-oriented and constructive approach for transaction legal matters 6. an overall good communication and understanding of the business’s needs.’
- ‘The legal team providing support included partner Anda Rojanschi and managing associate Adina Oprea. The team was easy to work with, very supportive during the project, showed in-depth legal knowledge and great transaction expertise.’
EMPLOYMENT – TIER 3
The employment team at D&B David si Baias SCA stands out for its ‘breadth of expertise and exceptional collaborative demeanour’. Collective negotiations are an area of particular strength for the team, which is also experienced in the employment elements of complex restructuring projects, including collective dismissals. The team is co-headed by Dan Dascălu, head of the department, and Anda Rojanschi; Dascalu is particularly recommended for complex employment law disputes.
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘I have exclusively engaged the services of these attorneys for matters related to employment advice and litigation. On each occasion, they have demonstrated a remarkable level of expeditiousness and professionalism in handling our cases.’
- ‘The team’s breadth of expertise and exceptional collaborative demeanour stand out as notable attributes.’
- ‘The team is available, prompt and attentive.’
- ‘They give the client confidence to reach the desired result.’
- ‘What stands out to me is I never felt dumb or looked down upon, we always got along and they explained to us even the stupid questions. They won a case in court that we thought we would lose.’
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES – TIER 3
Lauded for its team members’ ‘excellent professional expertise‘, D&B David si Baias SCA‘s energy and natural resources group assists clients within the oil & gas sector. The unit has experience obtaining concession licences and rights for exploration and production, in addition to longstanding experience in the renewables sector. Managing partner Sorin David co-leads the team with energy specialist Laurentiu Pachiu, PricewaterhouseCooper-D&B integrated deals team member Anda Rojanschi and the ‘excellent’ Delia Pachiu, who is recommended for complex regulatory matters.
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘Raluca Mustaciosu is the best lawyer I’ve ever had the chance to work with, she has a very long expertise in the field of real estate and energy, she is passionate about these fields and speaks from her heart about it. Besides being an excellent professional, she is a nice human being, very empathetic and always close to her clients.’
- ‘D&B shows excellent professional expertise, with mix teams of lawyers specialised in a vast area of fields that manage to cover even the most complex projects/topics. They are good with keeping deadlines and anticipating client needs.’
- ‘Sorin David is by far one of the brightest legal minds in Romania, a pioneer in competition law. It is a pleasure to work with him and continue to learn from him.’
- ‘Laurentiu Pachiu is a very pragmatic lawyer, offers quickly solutions including when there are difficult legal issues to be tackled.’
- ‘Delia Pachiu is an excellent lawyer. She has extensive knowledge in many areas of law, expertise built over the years working in a challenging regulatory environment in the energy field. ’
DISPUTE RESOLUTION – TIER 4
D&B David si Baias SCA‘s dispute resolution team has a strong track record in advising on contentious tax and administrative law matters, and is equally adept at handling contractual disputes. Dan Dascălu is a highly regarded practitioner in the space, with expertise in handing tax and administrative law disputes; he co-heads the practice with managing partner Sorin David, tax litigation expert Mihail Boian and litigator Ana-Maria Iordache.
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘Resourceful and skilled- great attention to detail.’
- ‘Mihaela Ragea has in-depth knowledge of the case to be presented in court.’
- ‘Ana-Maria Iordache – a trusted partner for her clients.’
- ‘The team proved to be prompt, available and highly flexible in terms of reacting to the constant challenges we were facing, identifying and simplifying the complex matters at stake, in accordance with our needs and expectations. The solutions received were consistent and creative, the support provided was at a very high level of professionalism, both from a technical, but also from a strategic perspective.’
- ‘Dan Dascalu and Mihail Boian were involved in our assistance, Dan being the leader of the D&B team with whom we closely collaborated. Dan is a well known and excellent professional adviser, his technical input being broad, highly precise and grounded. His litigation experience and professional knowledge were once again highly appreciated and helped us to have a clear picture of the matters at stake, the risks and the options available, this being really useful for us to deal with the some of the important challenges we faced this year. Mihail was also very active and responsive in offering support for the projects being performed.’
- ‘They are very well trained specialists, with a successful track record. They have a proactive way of collaboration always bringing alternative strategies that gave us the comfort that our risks are well mitigated. Each initiative is carefully planned, documented and explained.’
- ‘Dan Dascalu – Client orientation, business acumen, sharp thinking.’
REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION – TIER 4
The real estate team at D&B David si Baias SCA acts for clients, both sell-side and buy-side, in complex, high-end real estate transactions. The drafting and negotiation of complex lease contracts is a particular area of expertise for the team, alongside acting cross-practice with the firm’s M&A team to support clients through deals which involve substantial real estate assets. The team is a part of the PricewaterhouseCooper Legal network and collaborates with colleagues across the CEE region and globally. Sorin David, managing partner, co-heads the team with corporate and M&A specialist Anda Rojanschi and real estate expert Georgiana Bălan.
Work highlights
- Assisted Public Power Corporation S.A., with the acquisition of Enel Group’s assets in Romania.
- Continued to assist Europa Investment Fund with several transactions for the acquisition of poultry farms and related land.
Clients Testimonials:
- ‘The is a great synergy between the team members: a united and professional team’
- ‘Proactive team, with in-depth legal knowledge.’
GCR 100 2024
D&B DAVID SI BAIAS has six competition-focused professionals and several litigators who specialise in antitrust matters. The firm, which is a member of a regional cluster of firms connected to PwC, spearheads the network’s Central and Eastern European competition offering under the leadership of partner Sorin David. He and managing associate Lucian Bozian recently assisted Dnata Catering, a leader in airport catering, in two investigations carried out by the RCC into the airport food and beverages market. The latest of these concerned an alleged vertical restraint agreement with Bucharest International Airport and was closed without sanctions for Dnata, pursuant to commitments.
D&B David si Baias also advised Romania-based pharmaceutical distributor and retailer Catenas/Fildas Trading in a sectoral investigation.
Who’s Who Legal
We are pleased to receive a new recognition of our team’s performance, this time from the international guide Who’s Who Legal (WWL), which highlights professionals considered leaders in the practice of Competition and State Aid. Sorin David, Managing Partner at D&B David and Baias, has been ranked as Recommended in both areas, Competition and Competition – State Aid, while Lucian Bozian, Senior Managing Associate at D&B David and Baias, is also a recommended lawyer in the Competition area, in the Future Leaders category for 2024.
IFLR 1000
Review IFLR1000
The firm has a particular focus on M&A work but is also active on banking and finance matters. The firm is active on acquisitions, mergers, bid work and investments. Deal highlights include the merger of Signal Iduna Asigurare Reasigurare and the former Ergo Asigurari, Public Power Corporation’s acquisition of Enel Group’s entities in Romania and Gruppo Bimbo acquisition of Vel Pitar.
Key clients
- Public Power Corporation, Orange, Shell România, Istanbul Memorial Healthcare Group, Broadhurst Investments, Signal Iduna Asigurare Reasigurare, Exim Banca Românească, Vista Bank (România) şi Aedificium Banca pentru Locuinţe.
MERGERS & AQUISITIONS – BAND 4
Sorin David and Anda Rojanschi are mentioned as Highly regarded lawyers in Mergers and Acquisitions.
Clients Testimonials:
- “The lawyers have impressive expertise in M&A and group reorganisation projects, as well a very good understanding of healthcare regulations. They are business and solution oriented and available to deliver under pressure.” (M&A client)
- “The lawyers are experienced in both M&A and healthcare regulations, and they give practical advice. They have a good understanding of business requirements and are easy to reach.” (M&A client)
- “Continuous availability and devotion to the client. Good understanding of the client’s business and not just the legal aspects. High professionalism with emphasis in detail. Always courteous to the client, willing to work and provide tangible/effective solutions to any difficulty that may arise in complex transactions such as the above.
- Able to meet strict deadlines.” (M&A client)
- “Team of experts with extended expertise, they are very responsive and problem solvers.” (Restructuring client)
- “Always available (24/7) and willing to help the client. Always to the point when she was answering to my queries/clarifications. Able to suggest effective and quick solutions to any matter that may occur. Excellent understanding of the energy sector and the energy regulation. Patient, hard worker and always kind. Excellent command of the English language.” – Corina Ştefania Celmare, M&A Senior Associate
- “Very responsive, excellent legal knowledge on M&A procedures, problem solving and very responsive.” – Cristina, Paduraru, M&A partner
- “Anda is our go-to lawyer for complex legal matters. She has a great business understanding and she is creative in identifying solutions. She is easy to work with, friendly, communicates clearly.” – Anda Rojanschi, M&A partner
- “Anda is one of the legal market leaders, having a wealth of experience in M&A projects, as well as a great exposure to healthcare clients and excellent understanding of the healthcare industry. Her advice is practical and to the point and she is easy to reach.” – Anda Rojanschi, M&A partner
SERVICII FINANCIARE ŞI BANCARE
Ovidiu Bold is recognised as a Notable Practitioner in Capital Markets, Banking.
D&B David si Baias is a Notable law firm in Banking and Finance.