White & Case LLP - Lawyers

Practice Experience

Michal Dlouhý, head of M&A, Corporate and Capital Markets for Central and Eastern Europe, concentrates on international financial transactions and has 20 years of experience in cross-border securities, private equity, M&A, privatization, and restructuring transactions in Europe and the Americas.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Mr. Dlouhý is a recognized expert in public and private M&A transactions, having represented, among others, the following clients:

PPF Group, the largest Czech-based investment group, on the joint venture between PPF and the Italian insurance giant Generali. The joint venture closed in 2008 and is believed to be the largest-ever M&A transaction involving the Czech Republic. The transaction was also declared the Emerging Markets Deal of the Year 2008 by Acquisitions Monthly.
UniCredito Italiano in connection with the Czech and Slovak aspects of its EUR 20 billion takeover of HVB Bank. This was part of the biggest merger in the European banking sector.
National Property Fund of the Czech Republic in the restructuring and sale of Česká spořitelna, a.s. (Czech Savings Bank), the second largest bank in the Czech Republic. This privatization consisted of the sale of a controlling interest in the bank to Erste Bank of Austria.

Capital Markets

Michal Dlouhý remains one of the leading capital markets experts across the CEE region. Among his most visible representations belong:

Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank in connection with the establishment of the EUR 10 billion EMTN program of the Czech Republic and the subsequent issue of EUR 2 billion in 5% Notes due in 2018. The Notes were admitted to the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
Morgan Stanley in connection with the annual update of its EUR 1 billion EMTN program and its admission to the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The Notes under the program are guaranteed by the Czech Republic.
BNP Paribas, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley, the joint arrangers of the EUR 4 billion EMTN Program of the Slovak Republic, which was the largest sovereign bond issue ever by the Slovak Republic. The issue was extremely successful and became the cheapest financing the Slovak Republic has ever achieved on the public market.
Merrill Lynch International, acting as a global coordinator, bookrunner and lead manager, in connection with the USD 210 million Initial Public Offering of Zentiva N.V., a Dutch holding company for Czech and Slovak pharmaceutical companies.

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar
Czech Bar Association

Education
JD, Fordham University School of Law, New York, USA, 1990
BA, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 1984

Awards and Recognition
Mr. Dlouhý was named one of the top 50 lawyers in Europe by the Commercial Lawyer (November 2001).
Mr. Dlouhý has been ranked as a leading expert in the areas of mergers & acquisitions, capital markets, corporate, and banking & finance by the latest editions of Chambers Global, International Financial Law Review (IFLR), PLC Which Lawyer, The Legal 500, European Legal Experts in the Czech Republic, The Legal Media and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers.
Mr. Dlouhý was also named one of the top 100 lawyers globally in the Chambers Global Directory of the World’s Leading Lawyers 2000.

Benchmarking Publications Quotes
"Good leader who really knows how to manage a successful private equity transaction."
"He is an incredibly strong lawyer, and peers respect his wealth of experience in CEE."
"He is a natural leader who is commended for his immense dedication and genuine likeability, by peers and clients alike."
"Has as much experience as anyone out there, and knows when to fight and when to compromise."
"An experienced guy with long-term vision." (Chambers Global 2009)
"The lawyer of choice for IPOs."
"Magnificent." (Chambers Global 2008)

Languages
Czech
English
French
Spanish