Litigation generated close to 30 percent of Clifford Chance Badea’s turnover in 2012

The Romanian office of Clifford Chance law firm has generated close to 30 percent of its turnover from the litigation department, which is at the level of a medium-sized firm specialized in this practice.

Most of the litigation cases came from real estate, constructions – including roads and motorways, the financial sector and other industries, according to Vlad Peligrad, senior associate and coordinator of the litigation practice at Clifford Chance Badea.

“Although traditionally we are a transactional law firm, our litigation practice was established naturally in order to meet the clients’ needs to assist and represent them in litigious circumstances,” Peligrad told BR.

The firm’s litigation arm has 12 lawyers, half of whom are specialized in litigation, while the rest provide support on the transactional side of the cases. The law firm is currently looking for experienced litigators to meet the growing demand in this practice.

Peligrad said the firm’s competitive advantage lies in the transactional background of its lawyers. Most of them have supported deal making in banking & financing, M&A and real estate. “This way we know a lot better what to explain to a judge or to an arbiter if we handled the relevant transaction or a similar one,” said Peligrad.

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“We rather have in our litigation team lawyers who worked on transactions at least for a year or two and who developed in parallel a litigation practice,” commented Peligrad.

Around 60 to 70 percent of cases are settled outside the court, this actually being the goal of the litigation department.

“In our opinion, solving a litigation case before going to court is a lot more helpful for the clients because it cuts costs,” stated Peligrad.

The litigation department of Clifford Chance Badea is coordinated by Peligrad, together with Radu Ropota – specialized in insolvency, and Bianca Alecu – specialized in criminal law, both of whom are senior lawyers.

Ovidiu Posirca