(source: SME)
It is not just court rulings granting millions of euros that are of significant importance - for instance, some people say no figure can be put on the value of a Slovak court ordering authorities to respect the rights of same-sex couples.
Litigation & Arbitration: 10 largest law firms
Advokátska kancelária RELEVANS
Allen & Overy
SOUKENÍK – ŠTRPKA
Dentons Europe CS LLP
Škubla & Partneri
TaylorWessing e/n/w/c
Squire Patton Boggs
BBH
PRK Partners
act MPH advocates
Ranking created based on the following criteria (values for 2022): number of points for active deals (85% weight), sales revenues (5% weight), points for number of lawyers (10% weight). The ranking reflects also the proportion of each firm’s hours spent on this category.
This was what happened with Mariano Ruiz and Jakub Šanko. Thanks to the help of the Dentons law firm, they succeeded at the Žilina Region Court in a case in which the Foreigners’ Police, the immigration authority in Slovakia, had refused to grant Ruiz a residence permit on the grounds of family unification, claiming that the state does not recognise their marriage, which had taken place in Argentina.
The ground-breaking decision from October 2022 is one of a number of inspirational litigation deals the largest law firms in Slovakia have worked on in the past year. Based on references provided by lawyers, The Slovak Spectator newspaper and the Sme daily prepared The Largest Law Firms ranking.
“This year, we allowed law firms to report not only their largest litigations, but also new cases in which a significant ruling has been issued in the past 12 months, or in which an innovative approach was taken,” said Ján Pallo, publisher of The Slovak Spectator which is responsible for the ranking’s methodology.
The ruling in the case of Ruiz and Šanko is also important for the future, said Peter Kubina, partner at Dentons.
“Once this judgement becomes final and cannot be appealed, it will form an important precedent for other couples in similar situations and may serve as a basis for acknowledgment of further rights that LGBT+ citizens are currently being denied,” Kubina explained.
Potential to change the health insurance system
Once there is a ruling in a legal dispute between private health insurers and the state, it may also have great importance for the future. Private insurer Dôvera, which is owned by the Penta financial group, claims it has suffered the consequences of an unequal approach by the state.
