Hugo Vitzman

Hugo Vitzman was born on 27/05/1953. A member of the Bucharest Bar since 1992 and a former Arbiter within the State Arbitration Court, he is a counselor to the Romanian Justice Department for Civil Law.

Founder of Vitzman, Webster & Partner in September 1996, in 2002 became a partner of Studio Legale Sutti and the Head of SLS office in Bucharest, where he can be reached through the relevant channels of communication or at his personal e-mail address hugo.vitzman "at" sutti.com.

Besides his experience in legislative drafting, and his current managerial duties, as a practising lawyer he specialises in Corporate Deals, Property, International Contracts and Litigation.
 

 

Education:   

   Institution "Matei Basarab" high school Bucharest Law school - University of Sibiu and Univeristy of Bucharest
   Dates  1968-1972 1974-1978, 1992
   Degrees or diplomas obtained diploma diploma

 
 
Language skills: [1 for lowest, 5 for highest]


 
Language  Reading  Speaking  Writing
English  5 4 4
French 5 3 3

 
 
Specific Experience: 

 
Dates
August 2001
Description 
Legal Due Diligence
Client
BNP Paribas
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Acting as local counsel and reviewed corporate documents, litigation reports, Board decisions, loan securities etc. of a Romanian Bank.

Acted jointly with Norton Rose, London

 
 
Dates
September 2000 - May 2001
Description 
Legal Opinion in connection with a US$ 25 millions senior bridge facility granted to a Romanian group of companies acting in Telecom/IT business.
Client
ING Bank N.V.
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Legal opinion. Reviewed and drafted changes to the Loan Agreement, Charges over shares/social parts and Pledges over the accounts of the Borrower and other Romanian Obligors. 

Acted jointly with Norton Rose, London

 
 
Dates
September 1999 - May 2000
Description 
Legal Opinion
Client
Telesystem International Wireless Corporation
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Legal opinion on several options resulting from the client's quality of major shareholder in Romania's first GSM mobile operator. 

Acted jointly with Norton Rose - London

 
 
Dates
July 2000 - August 2000
Description 
Simultaneous due diligence on two Romanian companies in connection with a US$ 20 mil. facility.
Client
LUKoil 
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Drafting Due Diligence Report. 

Acted jointly with Norton Rose, Moscow

 
 
Dates
1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - on going
Description 
Intellectual Property litigation
Client
ALLIED DOMECQ SPIRITS & WINE Ltd. - UK
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Successfully represented the Client in the first and second levels of jurisdiction in front of the Romanian Courts for the annulment of the unlawful registration of a well-known trademark by a Romanian company addicted to famous trademarks' piracy. 

Acted together with a well-known Romanian barrister - Mr. Florea Gheorghe

 
 
Dates
December 1997
Description 
Financing the acquisition of two ATR 42-500 for TAROM S.A.
Client
ABN AMRO BANK Aerospace Amsterdam
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Documents drafted / Legal opinion / Registering Mortgages on aircraft. Acted as sub-contractor for Norton Rose - London.

 
 
Dates
December 1998 - May 1999
Description 
Investment of International Finance Corporation (I.F.C.) in GARANTA S.A. Romania
Client
I.F.C. 
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Advising I.F.C. on its equity participation as new shareholder in GARANTA S.A. Acted as sub-contractor of Norton Rose - London

 
 
Dates
December 1998 - May 1999
Description 
Investment of International Finance Corporation (I.F.C.) in DemirBank S.A. Romania
Client
I.F.C. 
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Advising I.F.C. on its equity participation as new shareholder in DemirBank S.A. Acted as sub-contractor of Norton Rose - London

 
 
Dates
December 1998 - May 1999
Description 
Legal opinion in connection with the investment of International Finance Corporation (I.F.C.) in GARANTA S.A. Romania
Client
International Finance Corporation (I.F.C.)
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Advising I.F.C. on its equity participation as new shareholder in GARANTA S.A. Acted as sub-contractor of Norton Rose - London

 
 
Dates
December 1998 - May 1999
Description 
Legal Opinion in connection with the investment of International Finance Corporation (I.F.C.) in DemirBank S.A. Romania
Client
International Finance Corporation (I.F.C.)
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Advising I.F.C. on its equity participation as new shareholder in DemirBank S.A. Acted as sub-contractor of Norton Rose - London

 
 
Dates
May 2000 - July 2000 - August 2000
Description 
Legal Opinion and Notification with the Romanian Competition Council 
Client
Air BP Sales (part of BP Amoco Plc.) 
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Notification to the Romanian Competition Council for the Exclusive Sale-Purchase Agreement for aircraft fuel, between Air BP Romania and TAROM S.A. (Romania's National Airline Operator). Gathering data from the implied companies, drafting notification and filing it with the Romanian Competition Council. Clearance granted.

 
 
Dates
1998-1999-2000-2001
Description 
Legal Opinions in connection with Real Estate acquisitions
Client
METRO Cash & Carry; METRO A.G. Germany
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Due diligence, Legal Opinions, drafting Sale-Purchase Agreements, registering the titles over the land in Bucharest (3), Constanta, Bacau, Craiova, Cluj, Timisoara, Brasov, Sibiu and Iasi

 
 
Dates
November 2000
Description 
Privatisation of S.C. Industria Sarmei S.A. Cluj County-Romania
Client
S.C. Industria Sarmei S.A. Cluj County-Romania
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
legal assistance to S.C. Industria Sarmei S.A. and Legal Opinion in relation with certain contracts made with SKET Walzwerkstechnik GmbH, a German company wishing to supply equipment to the Romanian party.

 
 
Dates
August 2000 - on going
Description 
Joint Venture and Contract Law
Client
DIREX SYSTEMS GmbH 
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Creation of a Joint Venture and drafted lease agreements for a clinical centre in Cluj County. 

Acted jointly with Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz, Bucharest

 
 
Dates
June 1999 - September 1999
Description 
Privatisation by way of assets' sale of Sighisoara Milk Plant and Targu-Mures Milk Plant
Client
HOCHLAND GmbH, Germany
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Drafting documents, negotiations with the State Ownership Fund's representatives, due-diligence report and registering the titles over the real estate assets

 
 
Dates
January 2000 - February 2000
Description 
Privatisation of LAMDRO S.A. Turnu Severin
Client
MAX AICHER GmbH & CoKG
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Due Diligence. Acted jointly with Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz, Bucharest

 
 
Dates
2000 - on going
Description 
Litigation
Client
German Embassy in Bucharest
Specific role in each stage of transaction 
Representing the German Embassy in Bucharest in a real estate litigation.

Assisted Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz, Bucharest

 
 
Personal Professional Record:

 
 
Dates  1978-1981  1981-1985 1985-1990  1990-1993  1993-1996  1996-present
Firm/Agency Mairie  State Arbitration Court Ministry of Justice Parliament of Romania Sole Practitioner Vitzman, Webster & Partners, Studio Legale Sutti
Location Bucharest, Ilfov  Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest Bar Bucharest
Position  Legal counsel  Assistant Arbitrator Legal Adviser & Inspector on State Notary offices Legal Expert & Draftsman of the Legal Comitee of the Romanian Parliament Attested lawyer with full right of audience Attested Lawyer with full right of audience
Description  Advising on all issues related to the Mairie atributions  Assisting the arbiters in the arbitration process.
Drafting arbitral awards.		 Advising the Minister of Justice on the internal management of State Notary offices. 
Inspections in the teritorry.		 Directly in charge with legislative creation of the essential laws during that period. All legal services, including litigation. All legal services, including litigation and arbitration.

Advising a large number of mainly corporate entities both Romanian and Foreign within all the important practice areas. 

Involved in a large number of international legal projects in Romania.