About
The law firm “DR. ZSLUDOV VAGYIM ÜGYVÉDI IRODA” was founded in 2000 by Vadim Zhludov, a 1989 graduate of the Faculty of Law at Lomonosov Moscow State University, who moved to Hungary in 1992. Before establishing his own law firm, Vadim Zhludov worked from 1994 to 2000 at one of Hungary’s largest law firms, “Balintfy and Partners” (https://www.balintfy.hu/en), which specializes in providing legal services to medium and large Hungarian companies with foreign capital participation.
We provide legal services to Hungarian and foreign companies and individuals in virtually all areas of business. Our clients include transportation companies engaged in international transport by land, water, and air; trading and construction companies; industrial enterprises; and private medical clinics. Diplomatic missions and consular offices of former CIS countries also seek our assistance.
The most common requests we receive from our clients are:
- Incorporation of Hungarian companies, acquisition of shares in a Hungarian company
Typically, our work goes beyond simply preparing the founding documents and registering the company with the Commercial Court. The decision to establish a company is preceded by preparatory work, during which there is a need for advice on corporate, tax, and labor law, the provision of a registered office address, the drafting of an office lease agreement, the selection of a bank, assistance in choosing an accounting firm, and so on. We make no secret of our interest in ensuring that a company established with our assistance has a long-lasting presence, firmly establishing itself in the Hungarian and international markets. Our clients turn to us for assistance throughout the entire lifespan of the company, right up to the liquidation process, should the need for the company cease to exist for any reason. In addition to business entities (limited partnerships, LLCs, and corporations), we register representative offices and branches of foreign companies in Hungary, as well as non-profit organizations.
If our client acquires a stake in an existing Hungarian company, we conduct a legal due diligence review of the target company, engaging experienced auditors and financial advisors in the process.
- Drafting real estate purchase and sale agreements
In accordance with established practice in Hungary, it is most common for the buyer to hire a lawyer to draft the real estate purchase agreement. This is because it is the buyer who has a vested interest in ensuring that, after paying for the property, it does not turn out that the house is mortgaged, subject to litigation, up for auction due to debts, or, God forbid, has already been sold to another, more agile buyer. Investigating such circumstances is the lawyer’s job prior to the conclusion of the contract. It is extremely important to note that the buyer acquires ownership of the property not at the time the contract is signed, but at the time of registration as the owner in the land registry. Therefore, it is important to submit the registration documents to the Land Registry Office at the property’s location as soon as possible after the contract is signed.
- Representation in commercial disputes, negotiation of settlement agreements, and representation in court and arbitration proceedings related to the performance of foreign trade contracts and civil law transactions
Based on our experience with Hungarian civil and arbitration proceedings, we firmly believe that when entering into and executing commercial transactions with Hungarian partners, you should not rely on the courts to protect your interests against a bad-faith party who breaches the terms of the contract. The problem is that the duration of court proceedings is not limited by legal norms. In practice, the hearing of even the simplest case in a Budapest court of first instance takes 1–1.5 years, and the court of second instance requires approximately the same amount of time to hear an appeal.
As a result, it takes at least 2 to 2.5 years from the filing of the complaint until a final judgment is rendered in the case. During this time, the defendant will have successfully disposed of any remaining assets, and the court officers will have no choice but to throw up their hands and offer you their condolences, while complaining about the judges’ heavy caseloads and the lack of government policies aimed at reducing the duration of court proceedings.
- Labor law consulting, drafting of employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements, representation in court
In the field of labor law, we primarily represent the interests of employers. As part of our work in this area, we advise company executives on Hungarian labor law, correspond with employees on behalf of the employer, draft documents related to labor relations, and represent employers in labor court. We consider our primary task in this area to be the competent drafting of documents that help prevent conflicts from arising, and, if a conflict cannot be avoided, ensure a favorable position in court proceedings.
- Consulting on tax and customs law; representation before the Hungarian Tax Authority and customs authorities
- obtaining licenses from ministries and government agencies, as well as permits for commercial activities issued by local government authorities to companies engaged in retail trade
Our office is located in one of Budapest’s main business districts, at the following address:
1095 Budapest, Lechner Ödön fasor 3. B épület 1/1.
Our direct phone number for consultations in Russian is +36 30 9618 535 (WhatsApp, Telegram).
Email address: zsludov@zsludov.com
Consultations are available by appointment only. The first consultation is free of charge.