Apart from heading the management committee and overseeing the direction of the firm, Mr. Muşat is constantly involved in the practice. He has been active for over 40 years and counts numerous successfully settled court cases heard before the Supreme Court of Justice and international arbitral tribunals.
Mr. Muşat has a wealth of experience of foreign investors’ issues in Romania, and a profound understanding of the market, as well as of the legal and business trends. He is one of the ‘market builders’ of the business law practice in Romania, being involved as team leader in a variety of high-profile merger and acquisition transactions, as well as in most of the major privatization deals in Romania, acting either on the side of the Romanian Government or on the private buyers’ side, most of them multinational corporations or large local companies.
He gathered unparalleled experience in Mergers and Acquisitions/Privatisation, Banking, Project and Corporate Finance, and Dispute Resolution (international and domestic arbitration included). Mr. Muşat is a frequent lecturer on restructuring, privatisation and mergers and acquisitions matters, as well as on other issues regarding doing business and foreign investments in Romania.
Assisted the largest player in the Romanian electricity distribution and supply market, in connection with the initial public offering (IPO) of 105% shares and its admission to trading on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, as well as advising on the issuance of GDRs on newly issued shares. The issuance has been successfully listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and GDRs listed and traded on the London Stock Exchange (transaction value: EUR 440 million).
Assisted one of the largest European energy groups in two ICC arbitrations concerning contractual performance (with a claim value in excess of EUR 850 million).
Assisted a foreign investor (as claimant) against the Romanian State in relation to a complex ICSID arbitration, with aggregate claims of over EUR 400 million, as a result of the infringement by the Romanian State of the Bilateral Investment agreement between Romania and Sweden, which provides, inter alia, for fair and equitable treatment of the foreign investors, and the obligation not to expropriate investments.
Assisted one of the biggest players in the natural gas and refining industry in Romania in connection with the EUR 90 million acquisition of the remaining free float of a subsidiary company active in natural resources field, so far the most successful mandatory public offer ever conducted on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.
Successfully advised the Romanian authorities in connection with the public offering on the Bucharest Stock Exchange for the sale by the Romanian State of 15% of the share held in a major national gas transportation and grid operator as well for the sale of 100% shares held in the largest player in the Romanian electricity distribution and supply market, both transactions being successfully completed for a transaction value in excess of EUR 400 million.
Assisted the lead legal counsel for a major Romanian commercial bank in connection with the EUR 100 million sale of the majority stake held in a leading insurance company.
Assisted one of the largest European energy groups on the acquisition of several energy companies owned by the Romanian State among which a 800 MW thermal power plant located in Brăila, involving investment in excess of EUR 1 billion.