Deputy Managing Partner
Areas of practice: Restructuring & Insolvency / Bankruptcy, Dispute Resolution, Labour & Employee Benefits, Corporate & Commercial Law, Insurance
Phone: +40 21 202 59 10
Fax: +40 21 223 04 95
E-mail: mihai.popa@musat.ro
Address: 43 Aviatorilor Boulevard, 1st District, Code 011853, Bucharest, Romania
Mihai has been advising clients for more than 15 years in all matters of reorganization and insolvency, as well as all areas of labour law. Mihai is qualified both as a lawyer and as an insolvency practitioner and this allows him to take a more comprehensive, practical and forward looking approach when assisting our clients.
Insolvency advice coordinated by Mihai covers judicial and voluntary reorganization, pre-insolvency proceedings, bankruptcy and liquidation, asset recovery and/or negotiations with debtors and creditors.
As Head of the Restructuring & Insolvency department, he also manages complex insolvency litigation, including recovery of receivables, cancellation of fraudulent acts, challenging the measures ordered by judicial receivers, in all industries, including energy, constructions, pharma, retail or financial.
On labour matters, Mihai generally advises national and international clients in all industries, in both advisory and litigation mandates. His expertize covers employees’ benefits, restructuring plans, voluntary retirement schemes, individual employment agreements, employees’ transfer, collective bargaining agreements, collective negotiations and consultations, secondment, disciplinary and professional unfitness procedures, discrimination and harassment claims.
Mihai is also an author and conferences speaker on practical matters regarding restructuring and insolvency in various industries including financial and energy sector.
Career & Qualifications
EDUCATION
- Law degree, University of Bucharest (2005)
CAREER
- Experience within Muşat & Asociaţii: 15 years
- Deputy Managing Partner, Muşat & Asociaţii: April 2020 to date
- Partner, Muşat & Asociaţii: 2016 – March 2020
- Managing Associate, Muşat & Asociaţii 2013 – 2016
- Senior Associate, Muşat & Asociaţii 2009 – 2013
- Associate, Muşat & Asociaţii 2005 – 2009
LANGUAGES
- English, French and Romanian
Relevant Experience
A selection of Mihai’s recent mandates include advising/representing:
- The largest Romanian heating power producer during the voluntary winding-up as the last stage of reorganization.
- A Dutch multinational company, specialized in financial and banking services within the insolvency procedure regarding one of the largest State-owned companies in the chemical industry.
- Retained as judicial administrator of one of the largest local companies in the construction sector (formerly owned by the Romanian State) during the insolvency procedure.
- The Romanian subsidiary of the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment in more than 30 cases involving enforcement procedures for the repossession of industrial equipments and insolvency procedures against its Romanian debtors,
- A leading French company acting in the field of fire safety in connection with the insolvency procedure against the largest Romanian manufacturer of electronic security equipments (as debtor) for the recovery of significant commercial debts, as well as the repossession of equipment granted to the debtor.
- A global leader in the supply of aircraft, engines, OEM material and asset management services in relation to the recovery of a multimillions EURO commercial debts against a major low-cost airline carrier.
- A global health & care pharmaceutical and medical devices company in insolvency procedures against two Romanian health & care medical services companies in relation to the recovery of outstanding commercial debts and repossession of leased medical equipment
- A water supply services provider controlled by a local territorial authority in relation to the recovery of a multimillion euro commercial debt against its main debtor and its guarantor, both being well-known Romanian infrastructure contractors which are currently under insolvency proceedings
- The German national railway company in the insolvency proceeding initiated against three railway local manufacturers for the recovery of multimillion euro debts arisen from the performance of various services and supply agreements concluded between the parties
- An Italian based multinational company active in the field of waste water collection, treatment and disposal, during insolvency procedure against a Romanian debtor following a multi million commercial litigation
- A water supply services provider controlled by a local territorial authority in relation to the recovery of a multimillion euro commercial debt against its main debtor and its guarantor, both being well-known Romanian infrastructure contractors which are currently under insolvency proceedings.
Memberships
- Romanian Bar Association (Admitted 2005)
- National Insolvency Practitioners Association (Admitted 2012)
Accolades
- “The lawyers quickly answer our requests and inform us about things we should be aware of. I think they basically covers all the bases.” Source: Chambers Europe, 2016
- “The lawyers here react extremely fast and deliver very good information.” Source: Chambers Europe, 2016
Publications
- Speaker for “Insolvency Partnership – option or necessity?” – 3nd edition, held by Musat & Asociatii, Bucharest, June 2019
- Speaker for “NPL Europe 2019 – A new wave of deals”, held by Smith Novak, London, march 2019
- Speaker for “Insolvency Partnership – option or necessity?” – 2nd edition, held by Musat & Asociatii, Bucharest, June 2018
- Speaker for “Insolvency Partnership – option or necessity?” – 1st edition, held by Musat & Asociatii, Bucharest, June 2017
- Comments on the influences brought to the insolvency market by amending Law 85/2014 on insolvency prevention and insolvency procedures, BizLawyer, 2019;
- Comments on the impact brought to the business environment by modifying the Insolvency Code, Capital, 2019
- Doing Business in Romania – the restructuring and insolvency section, Musat & Asociatii, 2010 – 2019
- Doing Business – Resolving Insolvency – Romania, World Bank Group, 2016 – 2019.
