In the year 2000, my partners and I launched the PETERKA & PARTNERS law firm in Prague, Czech Republic. Over time we developed an ambitious idea – to create an integrated regional law firm, which at first seemed almost impossible. However, after years of dedication and hard work, we became a strong alternative to the global legal giants and local law firms active in the CEE region through their networks or best friends. Prague where our headquarters are located, was just the beginning. The following year (2001) we established an office in Slovakia, followed by offices in Ukraine (2006), Bulgaria (2008), Russia (2009), Poland and Romania (2010), Belarus (2012) and Hungary (2013).
We have pioneered a unique one-stop integrated approach for the provision of legal services in the CEE region which allows us to effectively represent clients within the CEE region and beyond. All of our offices are 100% subsidiaries owned by the central partnership and do not operate as a network, franchise, or joint venture. Our fully-integrated firm is based on the “one-firm” management concept and has one chain of command. In our contemporary, interconnected world, the business activities of our clients, and consequently their needs for legal services, cross the borders of the CEE region into other EU countries, and beyond – across the entire globe. In reaction to this strong demand, we have carried out hundreds of meetings abroad and established personal contacts with leading law firms in more than 90 jurisdictions all over the world. We are proud to be able to offer our one-stop concept to clients regardless of where their current needs may be.
Our path to success was not always easy. We had to overcome many personal and professional obstacles, but we are proud that our path has been clear and transparent and that we were able to maintain complete legal and economic independence. We consider these characteristics to be fundamental requirements for an independent legal practice in general, and especially in our region. We consider the CEE region as our homeland. It is where we come from, it is where we live, and it is what we love. In all of our activities we strive to show deep respect for the history and the culture of the different countries in which we operate and to diverse perspectives and backgrounds of our team members.