Professional notice
This Romanian firm originally specialised post-privatization disputes, but is now just as well known for its construction work
| People in Who’s Who Legal: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Pending cases as counsel: | 11 |
| Value of pending counsel work: | US$1050 million |
| Treaty cases: | 0 |
| Current arbitrator appointments: | 6 (of which 3 are as sole or chair) |
| Lawyers sitting as arbitrator: | 2 |
Zamfirescu Racoti first took shape in the mid-1990s, just as the Romanian legal market began to liberalise. Headed by Calin-Andrei Zamfirescu, the firm made its international arbitration debut as counsel to the state agency managing Romania’s privatisation programme. It won its first case, over a cancelled US$238 million oil refinery sell-off, which opened the door to later privatisation disputes.
Later it branched out into construction, representing Romanian construction company Bog’Art in a series of 10 cases beginning in 2003. The firm has since built upon this area, with partner Cosmin Vasile in particular known for his FIDIC expertise.
In 2007 it made its investment treaty debut as co-counsel with White & Case in a US$10 million UNCITRAL dispute, followed by a US$140 million claim against Romania for a US client.
In recent years clients have included Romania’s state-owned motorway company, which it is representing in two disputes each worth over US$100 million, and a US$750 million dispute for a Romanian energy company against ENEL over a put option in a privatisation agreement.
Client comment
Laura Voinea, legal director at Romania’s state assets administration authority, praises the firm’s capacity to respond to requests and mobilise at short notice. “This rapidity in their reaction as well as the professionalism of their advice clearly distinguishes them from other companies,” she says.
“I was pleasantly surprised to find out that, apart from the privatisation and post-privatisation-related matters, they have extensive knowledge of international private law and environmental law.”
She singles out Vasile and senior associate Cosmin Cojocaru: “They have a very practical approach, an excellent capacity of synthesis as well as an ability to foresee the opponent’s moves.”
ZAMFIRESCU RACOTI & PARTNERS ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Zamfirescu Racoti & Partners (ZRP) is a leading law firm in Romania, assuring both business and dispute resolution support and representation. Presently, Zamfirescu Racoti & Partners benefits from the contribution of a total number of 51 attorneys highly specialized in various business-related law areas, and together with 29 staff members work in a common endeavor, providing clients with superior counsel and achieving outstanding, creative, pragmatic, timely, and cost-effective results.
ZRP manages the biggest national and international arbitration portfolio in Romania, handling arbitrations conducted under the auspices of numerous arbitral bodies or rules including the ICC International Court of Arbitration Paris (“ICC”), the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”), the Camera Arbitrale Nazionale et Internazionale di Milano (“CAM”), United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (“UNCITRAL”), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID”).
ZRP also offers legal assistance and representation services in multimillion-value disputes held under the auspices of The Court of International Commercial Arbitration attached to The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania.
The practice includes a wide array of disputes in the following areas:
- Construction and Infrastructure Projects
- Energy
- Engineering
- Insolvency
- Maritime Law
- Media
- Banking and Finance
- Distribution and Transport
- Production
- Real Estate and others.
The arbitration practice in the firm has been established on the background of the extensive experience and strong reputation in arbitration of Calin-Andrei Zamfirescu (Senior Partner), a highly reckoned name in the legal community, Honorary President of the National Union of Romanian Bars and Head of the Romanian Delegation before CCBE, acting as counsel and arbitrator and recognized as a pre-eminent figure in the dispute resolution field in Romania. He is currently heading the International Arbitration Practice at Zamfirescu Racoti & Partners in coordination with Cosmin Vasile (Managing Partner), another well-reputed expert, counsel and arbitrator, standing behind the resonant expansion of the firm in the field of commercial arbitration over the past years.
CONTACT PARTNERS
Calin-Andrei ZAMFIRESCU, Co-Head of the International Arbitration Department
E-mail: [email protected]
Cosmin VASILE, Co-Head of the International Arbitration Department
E-mail: [email protected]
CONTACT DETAILS
Zamfirescu Racoti & Partners Attorneys at Law
12 Plantelor Street
023974 District 2
Bucharest, Romania
Phone: +40 21 311 05 17 / 18
Fax: +40 21 311 05 19
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.zrp.ro