Kalo & Associates

Kalo & Associates
Address
Contact Person: Perparim Kalo
Kavaja Street, G-KAM Center,  5th floor
Po Box235, Tirana , Albania
Tel: +355 4 22 33 532
Fax: +355 4 22 24 727
Website: www.kalo-attorneys.com
Business Profile

Kalo & Associates is a law firm established in 1994 that has now developed into one of the most prominent and successful commercial law firms in Albania. With a highly trained and dedicated workforce of over 30 lawyers and support staff, the firm provides innovative and effective quality legal advice in a wide range of commercial areas and has demonstrated its ability to handle sophisticated complex matters. The firm is proud of having successfully managed to guide a selected clientele, mainly foreign and multinational companies, many of which of Fortune 500.

Kalo & Associates visionary approach has enabled the firm to gain complex contracts, both government and private, or to get involved in large projects including those of privatizations of vital sectors of Albanian economy and also to increasingly position itself in cross-border transactions.

Keeping the client’s interests at the heart of its vision the firm is committed to helping businesses achieve their goals by keeping apace with and anticipating needs of existing and potential deals.

The firm has been continually ranked with Chambers Global, Chambers & Partners, International Financial Law Review, etc., as a leading firm in the Albanian legal market. They define the firm as:

always professional and very efficient“; 
“well established law firm in Albania”;
having a western focus in their practice
“highly regarded by the market for their quick advice”;
having a rising reputation and the ability to come back with solutions”.

Partner Role

Përparim KALO Managing Partner

Kalo & Associates in connected with the name of its founder, Mr Kalo, who is also its Managing Partner. The firm grew under the management of Mr Kalo being one of the first lawyers in Albania to set up a private practice in Albania and one of the first to practice commercial law and provide reliable legal support to foreign investors in Albania.

Over 17 years of legal professional experience, 4 years legal advisor in public administration and 13 years as a private practitioner advising clients in, amongst other areas, commercial and project matters, Mr Kalo has given the firm a solid foundation for a guaranteed future.

Mr. Kalo is member of the American Chamber of Commerce Board; Albanian Securities Commission; Centre for International Legal Studies; Tirana and Albanian Bar Association; International Bar Association; International Development Law Organization. He is also author of several publications, and co-author of the Arbitration and mediation law book and an English-Albanian bilingual law dictionary.

Contact:p.kalo@kalo-attorneys.com

Alban Caushi Partner

Mr. Caushi is a well-respected lawyer and legal consultant with over 12 years experience. Initially he was involved in legal reform projects undertaken by ABA CEELI then worked for some time in the public administration and telecommunications sector then joined Kalo & Associates in 1996, and contributed there to the development of the firm especially with its litigation practice and then with other areas of practice.

During Mr. Caushi’ s time at this firm he has worked extensively advising and coordinating teams in various legal projects for clients such as the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Energy, Ministry of Finance, and also private sector clients. Many of these projects involved matters of privatization demanding his wide range of legal expertise.

He remains dedicated to the development of the law in Albania and is a member of Tirana Bar Association, International Bar Association, Institute of Public and Legal Studies (Advisory Board Member)and the Centre on Commercial Mediation and Arbitration (Certified Arbitrator). Mr. Caushi is fluent in Albanian, English and Italian.

Contact: a.caushi@kalo-attorneys.com

Advantage Of Excellence The firm growth is also having the support of a committed, quality and promising team of lawyers that are highly trained, many of whom hold post-graduate qualifications with some having gained their qualifications overseas.

Almost all are fluent in at least two other European languages and all provide legal representation in English. The firm is known to have excellent relations with their clients and is adept in providing the right solution for the client in combating the legal problems they face.

The close team network means that all lawyers are able to draw upon the expertise of others in the firm to help provide a complete, comprehensive service and anticipate and even intercept any potential legal problems.

One specific and very important factor that guarantees quality and satisfaction of client is that teams set up on ad-hoc basis are always being monitored by one of the partners and also have one senior associate managing the case and coordinating efforts and partner-team, member-member and team-client communication.

 

What Makes The Difference A diversified range of practice enabling strong, seamless, multi-disciplinary representation for clients across a broad range of legal areas:

▪ Agency ▪ Arbitration ▪ Banking ▪ Competition ▪ Concessions
▪ Construction ▪ Corporate ▪ Distributorship ▪ E-contracts
▪ Employment ▪ Environment ▪ Factoring ▪ Franchising
▪ International Sales ▪ Insurance ▪ Information Technology
▪ Intellectual Property ▪ Infrastructure ▪ Insurance ▪ Litigation
▪ Leasing ▪ Media ▪ Mergers and Acquisitions
▪ Natural Resources ▪ Planning ▪ Public Procurement
▪ PPP-s ▪ Real Estate ▪ Securities ▪ Tax
▪ Restructuring ▪ Telecommunications ▪ Utilities

Ability To Get Through The firm has acted and acts for premiere corporations such as ▪ ABN AMRO Bank ▪ Alpha Bank ▪ Albanian-American Enterprise Fund ▪ AVON Cosmetics ▪ BBC ▪ Bechtel ▪ Citibank ▪ British American Tobacco ▪ Cisco Systems ▪ Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company ▪ Club Med ▪ DDB* ▪ DEUTCHE Bank* ▪ Diners Club ▪ Electrolux* ▪ EMPORIKI Bank* ▪ Ericsson* ▪ General Electric ▪ GlaxoSmithKline ▪ Hellenic Petroleum ▪ HOCHTIEF AirPort ▪ IATA ▪ Kodak ▪ Lafarge ▪ Lockheed Martin ▪ Merrill Lynch ▪ Microsoft ▪ Michelin ▪ Novartis ▪ Occidental Petroleum ▪ Opportunity Albania ▪ Oracle ▪ Philip Morris International ▪ Schlumberger ▪ SITA ▪ SNV ▪ Swedish International Development Agency ▪ Thyssen Krupp ▪ Visa International ▪ Societe Generale ▪ Vodafone ▪ Western Union

Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures The firm has taken a lead in this area through providing legal advice in the creation of complex business structures. Past experiences include involvement in acquisitions of companies operating in banking, beverages, cement, insurance, information technology, media, medical, and telecommunications industries.

Currently, advising a Joint Venture between one of the largest construction companies in the world and a regional company in the largest ever project to date in Albania for the construction of a motorway heading through the north of the country, under an over 500 million Euro contract.

Concessions, Privatization and PPP’s The credentials in concessions, privatisation and PPP-s are significant as the firm advised the concession company running the Tirana International Airport under a 20 years BOT Concession. In the past they advised the Government of Albania on the largest sale of a state-owned bank and on the sale of a part of the shares in a state-owned insurance company to IFC and EBRD. Currently they are advising the Albanian Government in the unbundling of the unbundling and then privatization of the Distribution of the state owned Albanian Power Corporation.

As well, the firm has been advising IFC and the World Bank on the new concessions law and on a regulatory framework for PPP-s in water and road transport sector.

We are advising one international and one regional energy company and a big construction company from a Scandinavian country on concession cases in power and transport sectors.

Banking and Finance As firm’s largest department, it engages in all aspects of banking to several major banks in Albania and overseas. The lawyers in the banking practice groups are adept and expert in both transactional and regulatory banking and financing matters, having also acted in many acquisitions, more recently representing a French group in the purchase of the controlling interest of a local bank owned by Albanian private entrepreneurs.

This department has also provided and continues to provide legal services on matters of corporate finance, and as the market opens up to new financial products it continues to be at the forefront. The firm is often called upon to be involved in working groups for the drafting of new laws, e.g. financial leasing, insurance, corporate and municipal bonds and also investment funds law.

Another aspect of the work often carried out by this department is advising and providing legal services in projects of syndicated financing, often acting as counsel to international financial institutions. The largest of such financing agreements includes the provision of a 100 million EUR syndicated loan, financing for the targeted project for the modernization of the railway network and the syndicated financing in support of a concession agreement.

Commercial Contracts Our firm is frequently approached by international investors seeking to approach the Albanian market in many different forms, and those wishing to enter into transactions with local businesses. We advise on matters such as Agency/Distribution Agreements, Franchising, International Sale of Goods, Leasing Agreements, Service Agreements, cross-border jurisdictional matters, and indeed any type of commercial contracts that wish to be recognized and enforced in Albania.

The team of lawyers in this department have qualified, gained or are gaining post-graduate degrees in Western countries, such as France, Germany, Holland, Italy and UK and USA. The diversity of the schools and cultures brought by the lawyers is an asset that generates good perspective and understanding when analyzing and indeed drafting complex commercial contracts.

Litigation Kalo & Associates has been involved frequently in complex litigation cases and have been able to create several precedents within the Albanian Legal System, most notably, through the rulings provided by the Supreme Court of Albania.

Predominantly representing foreign clients in commercial matters, in this area, the firm has also been successful in the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards under Albanian law, much to the benefit of the clients.

The firm has been active in the development of new legislation on commercial arbitration, in the establishment of a private arbitration centre in Albania, and also further in training future arbitrators. Also the firm being increasingly engaged in arbitration cases; only recently in 2006 the firm’s partner Alban Caushi was representing a major client in a multi-national arbitration hearing overseas. As well, firm members have been active in a project of an international financial institution for improving the Civil Procedure Code to better protect interests of creditors in the procedures of foreclosures of mortgages and pledges.

Property This area of practice covers a fair proportion of the firm’s work, predominantly within the commercial sector and FDI. Given the precarious legal position in the matter of land restitution in Albania, disputes as to ownership title and third party rights over property frequently arise and require experience and careful management. Both the strong property and litigation team have become very skilled at securing successful outcomes for clients.

The firm provides advice on the general contents of leases and contracts of sale ensuring that terms are not onerous or disadvantageous to our clients. The firm’s particular expertise in the area of banking and finance lends great support in this area in relation to the securing of loans often required for the purchase of property/land.

The firm has contributed in the drafting of spatial planning law, restitution of property law, and other laws and regulations related to real property matters.

Tax The firm routinely advises on tax matters, including Double Tax Treaties and tax restructuring, advising and providing representation in tax appeal matters and procedures for, amongst others, major clients operating in the field of telecommunications, oil, construction, cosmetics, etc.

The team advises on all aspects of tax and taxation in Albania, and works with the relevant other department, be it the commercial contracts team or the corporate/infrastructure team, to provide the client with the best solutions resulting in the most beneficial and cost-effective outcome.

The firm had been acting from 1996-2001 as a correspondent for Albania in the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation in Albania, and continues to provide advice and assistance in the drafting of tax legislation. The firm was advising the Government of Albania in association with PWC, in the World Bank project for the Drafting of new accounting law in Albania and for the transposition of IAS and IFRS standards in Albanian legislation.

Employment The team also provides effective employment legal advice ranging from the terms of employment contracts, employee rights and also the rights of the employer as provided for within the Albanian employment law. Also further advising on social security, health insurance, tax obligations of the employer and all other connected matters.

Again given the firm’s recognition and experience of representing foreign entities within and outside of Albania, the firm is able to give effective tailored advice to international organizations based in Albania and also to many foreign embassies employing Albanian staff, ensuring that they comply with the employment laws and regulations of Albania.

Intellectual Property The firm has developed a well recognized and reputable IP service representing, as IP agents, numerous world trademarks, trade names and patents owned by Albanian, European, American and Asian proprietors. This team assists in the commercialization of IP rights, securing IP rights, Brand Protection and enforcing IP rights. Also acting as trademark and patent agents for several patents created within the fields of banks, building construction material, chemicals, clothing and fashion, cosmetics, health care, nourishment and beverages, telecommunications, etc., owned by western firms or private individuals.

More specifically, we act as attorney for Amita ▪ Bake Rolls ▪ Chipita ▪ Coca Cola ▪ Danone ▪ Geox ▪ Krafts ▪ Lussile ▪ Moskovskaja ▪ Philip Morris ▪ Praktiker ▪ Sidenor ▪ Stolicnaja ▪ Underberg ▪ Toi & moi ▪ Molto ▪ 7 Days ▪ Croissant.

Synchronized With The Globalization Trend

International Collaboration

Kalo & Associates has been collaborating with various law firms and other professional organizations in Austria, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, Holland, UK and USA and has liaised, and frequently acted as the primary and often exclusive contact national law firm in Albania, for Allen & Overy ▪ Baker & McKenzie
▪ Clifford Chance ▪ CMS Cameron McKenna ▪ Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
▪ Gide Loyrette Nouel ▪ Hunton & Williams ▪ Linklaters ▪ Lovells ▪ Norton Rose
▪ PriceWaterhouseCoopers ▪ Slaughter & May ▪ White & Case.

SEE LEGAL

Kalo & Associates is one of the co-founders of the SEE Legal Group, which is a group of premier national law firms from the region of South East Europe, established to provide exceptional quality legal services in each jurisdiction of the region (www.seelegal.org). This group was created as a necessary move to keep up with the rapid growth and development of this region as it approaches European integration.

Regional Focus…

Kalo & Associates have worked on projects, PPP-s and privatization projects, some of which were carried out in our neighboring country, Kosovo, for which we rendered our legal services. More specifically, the firm has been involved in acquisitions of insurance companies, hotels and also anti-money laundering training for the banking sector in Kosovo and Albania on money laundering issues and measures of its prevention.

< return to the members list