Mia Kalajdžić and Saša Sodja promoted to partner; Irena Šik Bukovnik promoted to counsel

Effective immediately, CMS Croatia and CMS Slovenia are each promoting one senior associate to partner, and CMS Slovenia is also promoting one to counsel. Mia Kalajdžić, formerly senior associate in the employment as well as the real estate and construction teams in Croatia, will now head the Croatian Employment Practice Area Group. Saša Sodja, formerly senior associate in the corporate and M&A team in Slovenia, will now head the Slovenian Corporate and M&A Practice. Irena Šik Bukovnik from Slovenia has been promoted to counsel and will continue to focus on banking and finance and restructuring matters.

Mia Kalajdžić has close to a total of 10 years’ experience and six years of post-qualification experience, mostly in employment law matters, advising international groups and companies on the full scope of employment and labour matters, whether they arise from daily work or from transactional and restructuring matters. Mia’s assistance to the management board members and HR departments is often strategic, including high level of implementational and operational support. CMS Croatia is Mia’s first law firm.

Saša Sodja is a legal professional with more than 15 years of hands-on experience advising international and local clients in the legal sector. She has played an active role in most of the local and cross-border capital market transactions as well as mergers and acquisitions engagements handled by the Slovenian team. Saša provides all-round support and advice to clients from various industries all the way from organising and managing an M&A deal team to post-merger integrations. On top of regular legal engagements, Saša is also involved in activities that are shaping the future development of our firm such as sustainable business, a mentorship programme and last but not least digitalisation.

CMS Slovenia has also promoted Irena Šik Bukovnik to the position of counsel for the firm in its Banking & Finance practice. Irena is a long-serving lawyer with CMS. She has more than 10 years of working experience in the legal branch, is a holder of an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law and is a member of the New York State Bar. Irena has expertise in banking & finance, insolvency & restructuring.

Commenting on the appointments, Gregor Famira, Managing Partner of both CMS Croatia and CMS Slovenia, said: “With these promotions we are acknowledging high motivation, exemplary know-how, team spirit, innovative mindsets and a client-focused approach—the qualities CMS is looking for in their future leaders. Congratulations to all three of them.”

Mia Kalajdžić commented: “I see my promotion to the position of partner as an honour and a responsibility, both towards our clients and my CMS team. I very much look forward to my future path in the firm and am excited about the challenges ahead.”

Saša Sodja said: “I see my appointment as partner not just as an honour but also as recognition that I have the trust both of my team as well as my superiors and the wider CMS network. I'm ready for the future: I expect to see changes in the way law firms operate and, having become a partner, I am delighted that I will be able to play an even greater part in this.”