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Petr Beneš
Counsel

Petr Beneš

Languages
  • Czech
  • English
Social media

Petr Beneš is a counsel and core member of the Commercial, Regulatory & Disputes team at CMS Prague. Petr’s main fields of practice are litigation, (re)insurance and commercial law. Petr specialises in technical and complex litigation. Along with Tomas Matejovsky, Petr has been the main executive in the highest profile and big-ticket cases handled by CMS Prague, often leading and supervising junior members of the dispute resolution team. After 13 years at CMS, Petr remains the most experienced dispute resolution associate with a remarkable background and skillset. Petr’s other main specialties are contracts as well as insurance and reinsurance, which he often employs in complex (re)insurance disputes, including assistance to the London Insurance Market in various matters in the Czech Republic.

Petr’s portfolio comprises disputes from various sectors such as international trade, public procurement, competition, telecommunication, aviation, capital markets, automotive, energy, financial services (mainly insurance and reinsurance), construction, cybernetic security, patents and many others. Petr regularly speaks and delivers presentations at various events, including seminars, webinars and workshops. Petr also delivered presentations to London Insurance Market or law students at Charles University, Faculty of Law. Petr also regularly contributes to various publications, including 10 Things Every insurer should know, the CMS Arbitration Guide and the CMS Class Action guide.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    "Very talented and committed with outstanding customer orientation and distinguished legal skills."
    Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • The Austrian and Slovak subsidiaries of Siemens in a major cross-border dispute over alleged pre-tender contractual liabilities linked to an important bidding process for railway security equipment. 
  • A German commercial bank on a claim against a European credit insurance group regarding the insurance of promissory notes in international maritime transport and in a related criminal law matter. 
  • A German luxury car maker on a commercial and competition with Czech distributor.
  • A leading global manufacturer of planes and trains on the software implementation of ETCS security systems in its locomotives.
  • A global IT company in several court proceedings, mostly related to breach of contractual obligations by its business partners, including entering into settlement agreements and other out-of-court negotiations.
  • A major real estate investment fund on a dispute involving construction work defects and a consequent draw down request under a bank guarantee.
  • Representing a Czech nuclear energy engineering company, as the defendant, in highly complex court proceedings regarding damages for allegedly defective repair and maintenance services.
  • Vodafone in the first stand-alone competition dispute with a competitor regarding a margin squeeze concerning the provision and access to broadband xDSL internet.     
  • Representing an aircraft manufacturer as one of three defendants in a dispute for damages sought by a Russian insurance company for an alleged breach of legal obligations.

Education

  • 2008 – Master degree, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of law, Prague, Czech Republic 

Petr Beneš is a counsel and core member of the Commercial, Regulatory & Disputes team at CMS Prague. Petr’s main fields of practice are litigation, (re)insurance and commercial law. Petr has considerable experience advising clients in the insurance and insurance distribution sector, including assisting foreign insurers on the Czech market in day-to-day insurance regulatory matters, product and policy advice, client-facing documents and high-profile insurance litigation matters. Petr is active on the London insurance market (pre- and post-Brexit) and advises insurers, cover-holders and loss adjustors in various matters related to the Czech market. At CMS, Petr closely cooperates with top insurance experts in the very active CEE Insurance sector group. 

Petr regularly speaks and delivers presentations at various events, including seminars, webinars and workshops. Petr also delivers presentations to the London Insurance Market and law students at Charles University, Faculty of Law. Petr regularly contributes to various publications including 10 Things Every insurer should know, the CMS Arbitration Guide and the CMS Class Action guide.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    "Very talented and committed with outstanding customer orientation and distinguished legal skills."
    Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • Siemens (Czech Republic) and its insurers in major multimillion euro damage claims regarding the delivery and use of faulty electrical devices. The devices caused a fire in one of Prague’s main shopping galleries and damaged office space in the city centre.
  • Fidelity National Financial in an insurance dispute regarding USD 150m title to the Radio Free HQ building in Prague.
  • An aircraft manufacturer, as one of three defendants, in a dispute for damages sought by a Russian insurance company for an alleged breach of legal obligations.
  • Allianz/Daimler on a car warranty and insurance plan.
  • MetLife on various matters, including policy drafting and the MetLife/Amcico restructuring project.
  • Prudential on corporate and regulatory issues related to running an insurance business in the Czech Republic.
  • AXA/luxury car manufacturer on its distribution strategy and insurance of assistance services.
  • ACE/Chubb on various distribution and regulatory issues, and a cyber insurance incident response facility.
  • AIG/Colonnade on day-to-day support and a cyber insurance incident response facility.
  • FM Global on large industrial damage.
  • London retrocessionaires on retrocession treaties and Covid claim aggregation disputes.

Education

  • 2008 – Master degree, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of law, Prague, Czech Republic