Mușat & Asociații este întotdeauna cu un pas înainte în ceea ce privește evoluția cadrului legislativ și a mediului de afaceri, anticipând nevoile clienților și acționând că un deschizător de drumuri în domeniu.

Practice areas

Corporate & Commercial Law
Infrastructure & PPP/Public Procurement
Telecom, IT & Media
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
Energy & Natural Resources
Environment
Shipping, Aviation & Transport Law

Iulian Popescu is one of the leading of business attorneys in Romania, leveraging over 20 years of legal expertise and a generational family legacy of attorneys. He is particularly appreciated for his strategic, business-focused, pragmatic, holistic and high professional approach.

Iulian has contributed to complex transactional work involving public-private and B2B components, including privatizations, PPPs, concessions and cross-border M&As.

With extensive experience in Corporate & Commercial, he advised clients on joint ventures, regulatory matters and commercial contracts across various industries, including energy, environment, technology and transport. He is also proficient in Public Procurement, assisting multinational corporations on large civil infrastructure projects and strategic military acquisitions.

Additionally, Iulian supports global companies in navigating TMT, e-commerce, data privacy and digital asset matters, working with giant telecom, media, and technology operators.

Holding degrees from top universities, he also possesses in-depth knowledge of Shipping, Aviation & Transport and European Union Law that have been invaluable in managing litigations, arbitrations, mediations and non-contentious matters.

  • Studies
  • Spoken languages
  • Qualifications & Career
  • Mandates
  • Affiliations
  • Awards
  • Appreciations
  • Legal experience: 20 years
  • Legal experience within Mușat & Asociații: 20 years
  • Deputy Managing Partner: 2018 – to date
  • Partner: 2012 – 2018
  • Managing Associate: 2009 - 2012
  • Senior Associate: 2004 - 2009
  • (2021) – Expert in public procurement, Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity & Ministry of National Education
  • (2012) – Chartered mediator, Panel of Authorized Mediators - Mediation Council
  • (2010) – Expert in trademarks, State Office for Inventions and Trademarks
  • (2008) – ACIArb, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • (2004) – Fully qualified lawyer, Bucharest Bar
  • (2002) – Admitted as lawyer, Bucharest Bar
(2010) – MA Degree – EU Law, King’s College London
(2008) – LL.M. Degree - Shipping Law, Maritime University Constanța
(2005) – PG Diploma – Common Law Contracts, Worcester College, Oxford
(2005) – LL.M. – International Business Law, Ovidius University Constanta
(2002) – LL.B. – Legal Science, Romanian–American University Bucharest
  • English
  • French
  • Romanian

Assisted a top Turkish construction group, included in the Top International Contractors list published by the US “Engineering News Record”, active in international infrastructure projects, highways, expressways, railway and metro systems, gas/oil pipelines, dams and hydroelectric power plants etc., in contentious and non-contentious matters in connection with the participation in various awarding procedures for design and build contracts with respect to the execution of motorways in Romania.

Assisted the world's largest offshore drilling contractor based on revenue, on regulatory and contractual matters relating to their involvement in the deep-water drilling in the Romanian offshore platform, including the transboundary movement involving their drilling vessels in the Black Sea.

Assisted a global manager of alternative investment products, for private and institutional clients, founded in Bahrain in 1982, with offices in United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, China and Singapore and a USD 34.2 billion value of assets under management, in connection with the takeover of the 100% stake in one of the Europe’s leading centres of excellence in the field of software development, continuously active on the Romanian market since 1998, with over 400 employees.

Assisted a leading US technology company, active at international level, which supplies wireless equipment, tactical radios, electronic systems destined to be used in the governmental, defence and commercial sectors, in connection with various public procurement procedures conducted by Romanian entities that are active in the military field (e.g., CN Romtehnica; Ministry of National Defence), as well as in its relation with the Compensation Office for Special Technique Procurement in connection with its offset obligations.

Assisted a global leader in technology and engineering in connection with its spinoff of its business, as well as the restructuring of its portfolio, including several of its assets located in Romania, followed by their transfer under a multi-jurisdictional transaction for the amount of approximately USD 1.2 billion.

Assisted one of the most important producers of industrial gas turbines in the world, during the sectoral acquisition procedure carried out by the National Gas Transport Company Transgaz S.A. Medias, for the execution of the project “Development on the territory of Romania of the National System of Natural Gas Transport in the direction of Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria”, as well as during the execution of the project.

Assisted an international high technology group engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world, primarily in the defence and homeland security arenas (naval, aerospace and land systems), in connection with the participation to public procurement procedures organized by the Ministry of National Defence, as well as during the public procurement procedures organized by CN Romtehnica S.A. (a company owned by the Romanian Ministry of Defence, which is in charge of equipping the Romanian Armed Forces).

  • Member of the Romanian Bar Association, since 2013
  • Member of the Constanta Bar, since 2003
  • Member of the Union Internationale des Avocats
  • Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • Member of the Panel of Authorized Mediators
  • Highly regarded, in the field of Project Development, IFLR 1000, 2020-2023
  • Leading Individual, in the field of PPP and Procurement, Legal 500, 2020-2023
  • Leading Individual, in the field of TMT, Legal 500, 2020-2023
  • Leading Individual, in the field of Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions, Legal 500, 2015
“Iulian Popescu has noteworthy expertise in public procurement and tendering procedures in the energy and logistics infrastructure sectors, as well as advising on contractual negotiations. He also advises clients on energy offsetting. An interviewee praises his skill in contentious matters.”
Chambers Europe, 2022 - Projects
“He's been proving to the market that he can handle the projects division of the firm.”
Chambers Europe, 2020 - Projects
Practice head Iulian Popescu has an “excellent track record”.
Legal 500, 2019 - Energy & Natural Resources
Clients recommend the “detail-oriented” Iulian Popescu.
Legal 500, 2015 - Corporate Commercial M&A