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

Restructuring & Insolvency/Bankruptcy
Labour & Employee Benefits
Corporate & Commercial Law
Litigation & Arbitration

With almost 20 years of experience in business law, Mihai, qualified both as a lawyer and as an insolvency practitioner, has been advising clients in all matters of reorganization and insolvency as well as in all areas of labor law.

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 well as complex insolvency litigations in all industries, including energy, constructions, pharma, retail, and financial.

On labor matters, Mihai advises national and international clients in all industries, in both advisory and litigation mandates, including employees’ rights and benefits, restructuring plans or employees’ transfer, collective bargaining agreements and negotiations, disciplinary and professional unfitness procedures, discrimination and harassment claims.

Mihai advises national and international clients from all industries, both on consulting and litigation mandates in the field of Labor Law and Employee Benefits. His experience includes assisting with restructuring plans, voluntary retirement plans, employee benefits, individual employment contracts, transfer of employees, collective bargaining agreements, collective bargaining and consultation, redundancies, disciplinary and professional liability proceedings, discrimination claims and harassment.

  • Studies
  • Spoken languages
  • Qualifications & Career
  • Mandates
  • Affiliations
  • Awards
  • Appreciations
  • Experience in legal activity: 18 years
  • Experience in Mușat & Asociații: 18 years
  • Deputy Managing Partner: 2020 – to date
  • Partner: 2015-2020
  • Managing Associate: 2013 –2015
  • Senior Associate: 2009 - 2013
  • Associate: 2006-2009
  • Managing Partner Mușat & Asociații - Restructuring\Insolvency Department: 2015 – to date
(2016) – Business Law Master's Degree, Bucharest University
(2007) – National Institute for the Training and Perfecting of Lawyers
(2005) – LL.B, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Law
  • English
  • French
  • Romanian

Assisted a leading Romanian company in the field of hydropower and hydrotechnical construction in Romania, currently in insolvency. The mandate consists mainly in developing a reorganization plan aimed at successfully reintegrating the company and paying off its debts amounting to approximately EUR 100 million.

Assisted a Romanian subsidiary of a an important international bank in connection with an appeal against the measure of the insolvency administrator to reject the bank's request for payment of the claims arising after the opening of the insolvency proceedings, representing the accessory claims to the secured claim to which the bank was entitled up to the moment of the legal subrogation.

Assisted a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, regarding the USD 3.7 billion acquisition of a major chemical manufacturing company in connection with an extensive due diligence on the business transfer.

Assisted a Germany-based global provider of plasma proteins therapies and diagnostics – in the insolvency proceedings initiated against a Romanian pharmaceuticals distributor for the recovery of EUR multimillion commercial debts.

Assisted the largest heating system administrator in Romania in a high-value dispute filed by one of Bucharest biggest electricity producer against the City Municipality in its capacity as principal creditor requesting that the City Municipality be held liable for the entirety of debtor’s statement of affairs, worth more than EUR 850 million.

Assisted one of the largest snack companies in the world, on the EUR 2 billion acquisition of a high-growth European leader in croissants and baked snacks, with respect to all employment matters regarding the deal including various aspects of the transfer of employees linked with the take-over of various business lines, being actively involved in the due diligence phase and also in the actual implementation of the transfer.

Assisted a global leader in the supply of digital services, with annual revenues of circa € 12 billion and employing approximately 100,000 employees in 72 countries, in connection with the implementation of various annual employee share offerings in Romania.

  • Member of the Romanian Bar Association, since 2005
  • Member of the National Insolvency Practitioners Association, since 2012
  • Member Insol Europe, since 2018
  • Member of the Disciplinary Commission within National Insolvency Practitioners Association – Bucharest Branch, since 2021
  • Leading Lawyer, Restructuring & Insolvency in Romania, Leading Lawyers Gala 2022, organized by FinMedia and Financial Market magazine
  • Leading Lawyer, Restructuring & Insolvency in Romania, Leading Lawyers Gala 2021, organized by FinMedia and Financial Market magazine
“Mihai Popa was very prompt and professional and this makes the difference compared to other law firms in Romania I worked in the past. He demonstrated high flexibility and attention to details.”
Legal 500, 2022 – Restructuring & Insolvency
Clients praise Mihai Popa for proposing “different approaches” that are “successful” thanks to his “huge expertise”.
Legal 500, 2022 – Restructuring & Insolvency
“I always received successful solutions for my complex legal cases” one client reports about Mihai.
Legal 500, 2022 – Restructuring & Insolvency
“One strong point of the team is their leading partner, Mihai Popa. He is resourceful, very skilled negotiator and has an excellent understanding of the practicalities of restructuring and insolvency.”
Legal 500, 2021 – Restructuring & Insolvency
“Clients report that Popa is ‘a very skilled negotiator with an excellent understanding of complex transactions,’ also highlighting his work on recovery plans and restructurings.”
Chambers Europe, 2020 – Restructuring & Insolvency
“Muşat & Asociaţii’s Mihai Popa is ‘responsive, with up-to-date industry knowledge’.”
Legal 500, 2017 – Restructuring & Insolvency