Monia Dobrescu

EDUCATION

• Law Degree, University of Bucharest (2002)

CAREER

• Experience within Muşat & Asociaţii: 17 years
• Partner, Muşat & Asociaţii: January 2012 to date
• Managing Associate, Muşat & Asociaţii 2009 – 2011
• Senior Associate, Muşat & Asociaţii 2006 – 2009
• Associate, Muşat & Asociaţii 2002-2006

LANGUAGES

• English, Spanish and Romanian

A selection of Monia’s recent mandates include advising:

• One of the most important European financial institutions, in connection with the multimillion EUR facility granted to certain European entities from TeraPlast Group
• A leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm, regarding its treasury and trade solutions to be operated via correspondence bank account opened with the Romanian subsidiary of a well-known american bank.
• A globally recognized Fintech company, regarding the application of the deposit guarantee scheme in Romania in the context of implementing of a bank to bank channel in Romania. 
•  A payment technology company, in connection with various legal matters with special focus on the implementation of the Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) surcharging ban. 
• The largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance, in securing its guarantees package in relation to a EUR 83,000,000 loan granted for the acquiring of a company with business in the solar power industry.
• A global provider of business travel payment solutions, with respect to regulatory and other legal aspects concerning one of its products.
• A multinational technology company, in connection with the launch of the Apple Pay product in Romania.
• One of the largest providers of accessible consumer financial services in the world, in connection with the transfer of a relevant stake in the Romanian local entities.
• A leading full service commercial banking institution based in Korea, in connection with five photovoltaic projects located in three different regions of Romania. Our legal assistance spans a wide variety of legal matters, from regulatory and energy matters (including the feasibility of the projects in the context of legislative changes in the renewable sector) to extensive assessment on the financing documentation and securitisation of the lender’s position.
• Retained by a leading European financial institution to provide assistance during the USD 200,000,000 financing granted to one of the subsidiaries of the largest oil and gas producer in South Eastern Europe, secured by various guarantees and collaterals granted by the company and two of its Romanian subsidiaries.
• Acting for leading Switzerland-based holding company engaged in private banking, investment banking and asset management areas, as well as a European financial leading Group in banking services in connection with the senior amortizing term loan facility granted to a privately owned international grain and fertilizer trader, amounting to CHF 200,000,000, for the indirect partial financing of some promissory notes and for refinancing the bridge loan facility granted in 2013 for the latter’s indirect acquisition of Azomures, a Romanian giant corporation in the field of fertilizers.
• The consortium of banks formed of two leading Italian banking institutions in connection with securing the banks’ receivables resulting from multimillion financing granted by the banks for purchasing the shares of a local player in the energy industry.
• One of the world’s leading financial service providers regarding the implementation of a reverse factoring mechanism on the Romanian market.
• One of Denmark’s major banks in connection with the security package concluded by the bank to secure the financing, amounting to DKK 26,000,000, granted to a local real estate player.
• The largest Romanian bank in connection with multimillion financing for the development of two large photovoltaic parks in Romania.
• A leading international financial and investment group in connection with the increase of a multimillion facility granted to the local subsidiary of a Czech real estate developer for the construction of a large office building project in Romania.
• A leading Spanish real estate developer in connection with various real estate developments in Bucharest and Cluj, with an investment value of over EUR 300,000,000, including with respect to pre-closing and post-closing documentation, as well as permitting aspects.
• An international holding and investment company based in Israel in connection with the EUR 78,000,000 acquisition of the remaining quota in one of the biggest real estate projects in Bucharest, consisting of a shopping mall and five stand-alone office buildings, with an investment value of approx. EUR 300,000,000.
• A leading Spanish savings bank in connection with the structuring of various multi–million project finance deals via its banking branch network established in Romania.
• The investment division on Romanian commercial bank in relation to various real estate residential and mixed–use schemes developments in Romania exceeding EUR 250,000,000.
• A leading Spanish real estate developer in connection with various land acquisitions in Bucharest and Cluj and development of residential compounds with a project investment value in excess of EUR 200,000,000.
• An European leader in banking and financial services in relation to various financing and related collateralization (amounting over USD 600,000,000) for supporting the business operations of several oil trading companies.
• A major player in the Swiss financial industry in connection with credit facilities (and related security package) in excess of USD 100,000,000 granted to a major player in the oil trading industry.
• The subsidiary of a leading Dutch based bank in relation to financing of major oil trading companies for a total amount exceeding USD 150,000,000 and correspondent security package falling under Romanian law.
• A leading European bank in connection with credit securitization falling under Romanian law, with a total amount in excess of 75,000,000 USD.
• A real estate investment fund with respect to a EUR 100,000,000 syndicated loan facility for the financing of the acquisition of industrial outlets in Romania.
• A leading European financing groups in relation to various multimillion real estate projects finance, including the enforcement and realization of security interests.
• A Spanish construction company,with respect to the development of four major infrastructure projects with a total value of approx. EUR 50,000,000.
• A leading Finnish forest management group, with respect to its acquisitions of various forest lands in Romania, with a total amount of over EUR 40,000,000.
• A leading company focused on owning, operating and developing shopping centers in Central and Eastern Europe, in real estate issues linked to the dispute between Atrium and the Austrian lender Meinl Bank.
• A real estate investment fund on the acquisition of a large industrial project.
• One of the largest funds in Europe in connection with various private acquisitions in Romania, with a value in excess of EUR 100,000,000.
• One of the leading listed property companies in Europe with regard to various real estate projects refinancing in excess of EUR 44,000,000 made available by a leading Austrian bank in relation to certain projects developed by the client in Bucharest.
• An UK based real estate investor in relation to a EUR 40,000,000 syndicated term loan facility made available by two European commercial banks for the development of a retail & commercial park within Vitandis Shopping Centre Bucharest.
• A leading financial services company with respect to facility loans granted to the German company, Bäumler AG, secured by inventory held in Romania.
• One of the major Austrian private banks with regard to EUR 12,000,000 term loan facility granted in view of the refinance of the acquisition, renovation and refurbishment of an office building located in Bucharest.
• The shareholder of the developer of one of the largest logistic centers in the country for land acquisitions matters and conclusion of title insurance.
• A major local real estate developer in relation to restructuring of the lease agreements concluded for their shopping centers in Bucharest.
• One of the main investors in the Romanian retail market holding an impressive portfolio of retail parks and shopping centers in the main secondary cities, in relation to various issues concerning retail and commercial mixed use scheme projects developed on the local market.

• Bucharest and Romanian Bar Associations (Admitted 2003)

• “The real estate team is highly qualified and experienced and offers best advice as to the legal strategies. The lawyers are also very commercially oriented”. Source: Legal 500, 2020
• “High level of professionalism, good knowledge of the legislative history of Romania in the real estate field for the last 30 years.” Source: Legal 500, 2020 Source: Legal 500, 2020
• “Very capable, prompt, good knowledge and oriented to fulfill the customer needs.” Source: Legal 500, 2020
• “Monia Dobrescu and her team of associates are highly knowledgeable. They understand our specific needs and always come with a personalized approach. Finding the right path through the complicated and not always clear Romanian legal system is definitely a test for the best. And they pass it over and over again.“ Source: Legal 500, 2020
• Monia Dobrescu has been praised for her “balanced and accurate approach” to cases. Source: Chambers Europe 2015
• Clients recommend Monia Dobrescu as “very capable” and “outstanding negotiator”. Source: Legal 500, 2015
• “In our international banking practice … for China Development Bank, I come across corporate lawyers in about three dozen mostly developing world countries a year. With a large data set of experiences to compare Muşat to, I am happy to state that they are among the two standout team I`ve had the pleasure of working with in the last year”. – Source: International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR 1000), 2014

• Ranked as one of the IFLR1000 Women Leaders for 2021
• Highly recommended – Real Estate (Chambers Europe, 2017)
• Leading individual – Banking, Finance and Capital Markets (Legal 500, 2015)
• Highly recommended – Real Estate (Chambers Europe, 2015)

• Comparative Law Yearbook of International Business: Romania Chapter – “Regulation of Financial Services” (Center for International Legal Studies – 2013)
• “Financial Services in Romania” (Comparative Law Yearbook of International Business – CILS , 2012)
• “Guarantees under the new Civil Code” (Legal 500, 2012)
• Corporate Real Estate Handbook – Romania Chapter (PLC, 2011)