Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații Tax has hired Ion Capdefier as an Of Counsel for the firm’s tax division. He joins a line-up of tax consultants to enhance and further develop the tax advisory practice of Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații Tax. Ion Capdefier brings to the role more than 35 years of professional expertise in Economic Sciences, including over 20 years working for the Romanian public finance and tax administration authorities. In particular, he is well known for his time as a General Director at the Ministry of Public Finance and the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), where he built a consistent track record of success in the settlement of challenges and other tax administrative claims. He was also involved in the regulation of the profession of tax consultant and fostered the professional development of the first generation of tax consultants in Romania.

Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații picked up the “Law Firm of the Year Award: Romania” at the “IFLR European Awards 2012” Gala which gathered 250 participants from across Europe. Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații was recognised as the best law firm in Romania at this year’s IFLR European Awards in London, following its successes in providing local law advice on innovative, international deals in Banking and Finance, Capital Markets and Mergers and Acquisitions. The citation singled out the firm’s consistent ability to deal with complexity in novel ways over the last 12 months.

Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații acted for a Romanian bid consortium member in its challenge to award of a EUR 20 million public construction works contract for the Sala Polivalentă Cluj, a 7,070-seat multi-purpose indoor arena. In a favourable decision obtained by Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații on March 22, the Cluj-Napoca court annulled a decision issued in 2010 by the local municipality whereby it appointed the joint venture of CON-A, Plan 31, Intersport and Dico & Țigănaș as successful bidder in the public procurement process for awarding a public works contract for the construction of a multi-purpose indoor arena (Sala Polivalentă) in Cluj-Napoca. Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații fielded a team of lawyers consisting of Ionuț Șerban, Partner and Dan Cristea, Senior Associate who have acted on behalf of ACI Cluj (a recognised local construction company) as leader of the unsuccessful bidder consortium also comprising SC Grup 4 Instalații, SC Trustul de Instalații Montaj Construcții SA, Bogart Construct SRL, DAS Engineering Grup. The defence team included a renowned local barrister, Aurel Bujiță of the Cluj Bar, acting for SC Trustul de Instalații Montaj Construcții SA.

Leading local independent law firm Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații expanded its current practice in tax advisory services by launching a tax consultancy division, a separate legal entity to the law firm, combining lawyers, tax advisors and former Ministry of Public Finance’s experts. Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații Tax S.R.L. specialises in providing tax advisory services and operates as an affiliate of Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații law firm. The core team consists of five certified tax consultants having worked for the past 8 to 10 years with the “Big 4”. Five other attorneys experienced in tax law and related contentious disputes are also part of the team. Alexandru Cristea, Tax Partner and Răzvan Gheorghiu-Testa, Partner with Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații supervise the strategic development of the business. The team also comprises two other experts with vast experience in large audit companies and in the Ministry of Public Finance.

Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații is the sole Eastern European Law Firm to have scooped an award at this year’s ceremony hosted by Managing Partners’ Forum (MPF), a UK-based professional body for those involved in the management of professional firms worldwide. Joint winners for the “Best Managed Workplace” award, Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații and LABLAW (Italy) shared the honours for having obtained the highest score from their employees on the perceived quality of the firms’ management.