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Portrait ofVeronika Kovács

Veronika Kovács

Senior Counsel
Co-ordinator of the CEE Public Procurement Practice, CMNO

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Hungarian Branch Office
YBL Palace
Károlyi utca 12
1053 Budapest
Hungary
Languages Hungarian, English, German
Commercial

Veronika Kovács is senior counsel in the Commercial Team at CMS who focuses on the life sciences & healthcare, consumer products and manufacturing sectors.

She has in-depth experience in commercial law, including general commercial agreements, advertising, procurement, distribution and manufacturing agreements, as well as various commercial regulatory matters. Veronika regularly coordinates commercial and compliance review and managed legal services projects across borders.

Veronika has extensively advised companies on sanctions and trade compliance law matters, and on export/import restrictions. 

She also has in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in green public procurement, especially on how to make procurements more sustainable and enhance ESG factors throughout the entire tender process. She is also experienced in ESG in supply chain related topics. 

She is experienced in advising clients from the Life Sciences and Healthcare sector, and also supports the work of the CMS German Practice.  

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Relevant experience

  • A leading international life sciences and healthcare sector company on day-to-day ongoing matters and strong collaboration with the diagnostics branch in all kinds of commercial work, including various public procurement procedures, and drafting and reviewing template agreements and delivering compliance training.
  • A global IT services company in multiple multi-jurisdictional contract review projects.
  • A global manufacturer and distributor of industrial fastenings – coordinating hub for managed legal services for commercial contracts.
  • A German-based manufacturer of electric motors on the implementation of its general terms and conditions into the Hungarian legal environment, and providing legal advice in various commercial law matters.
  • A German confectionery company on a wide range of commercial and compliance matters relating to its operations in Hungary.
  • A major tyre manufacturing company on drafting a memorandum regarding the applicability of EU sanctions to certain banking transactions.
  • One of the largest retailers in Europe on issues concerning the application of international sanctions.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Budapest Bar Association
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Publications

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Lectures list

  • 1st CEE Procurement & Supply Forum, Budapest, Hungary (16 October 2014)
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Education

  • 2012 - Public procurement specialist, Hungary
  • 2011 - Qualified lawyer, Budapest, Hungary
  • 2009 - English and European Union Law, University of Cambridge, UK
  • 2007 - Doctor of Law, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
  • 2006 - International business law, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Germany
  • 2004 - EU-funds and programme management, Corvinus University, Hungary 
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Life Sciences & Healthcare

Veronika Kovács is senior counsel in the Commercial Team at CMS Budapest. Veronika specialises in Life Sciences & Healthcare. 

Veronika has in-depth experience in drafting wholesale distribution agreements, assisting life sciences and healthcare clients with tenders with public healthcare institutions, and supporting them in sensitive cases such as liability and product recall procedures. She has also been involved in a wide range of life sciences regulatory matters, including clinical trials, medical devices and medical aids, as well as matters on the distribution, marketing and advertising of medicinal products. She is also experienced in sanctions and trade compliance related matters for international LFHS companies.

She is experienced in other areas of commercial and public procurement law and supports the work of the CMS German Practice.

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Relevant experience

  • A leading international life sciences sector company on reviewing its template agreements, including promotional and distribution agreements, advising on Hungarian regulations on a daily basis, and delivering legal&compliance training. 
  • Providing a multinational pharmaceutical company with ongoing support with its regulatory matters as well as with its cooperation with wholesalers.
  • A leading health care and pharmacy sector company on the placement of medical devices in hospitals, interactions with health care professionals, and the distribution, marketing and advertisement of OTC products. Drafting wholesale distribution agreements, assisting the client in several promotional activities on a daily basis, and giving regular legal training to the client’s staff on applicable laws (including the rules on promotional activities with medicinal products).
  • An American global pharmaceutical company in various upcoming pharma regulatory matters, and drafting template and individual agreements on promotional activities and on the donation of pharmaceutical products to hospitals.
  • A global immunology company on various pharmaceutical law queries, such as promotional activities and interaction with HCPs.
  • A global provider of blood and plasma supplies on reviewing distribution agreements and on sanctions and trade compliance related questions.  
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Publications

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Lectures list

  • 1st CEE Procurement & Supply Forum, Budapest, Hungary (16 October 2014)
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Education

  • 2012 - Public procurement specialist, Hungary
  • 2011 - Qualified lawyer, Budapest, Hungary
  • 2009 - English and European Union Law, University of Cambridge, UK
  • 2007 - Doctor of Law, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
  • 2006 - International business law, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Germany
  • 2004 - EU-funds and programme management, Corvinus University, Hungary 
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Public Procurement

Veronika Kovács is senior counsel in the Commercial Team at CMS Budapest. She is a public procurement specialist and co ordinator of the CEE Public Procurement Practice.

She has extensive experience in providing legal advice on public procurement projects mostly on the bidder side, from the pre-tender engagement phase to remedy procedures. She has an in-depth understanding of centralised procurements. She also provides public tender expertise on M&A transactions and in legal disputes. Veronika works with an extensive range of clients on a daily basis in this area and successfully deals with the challenges of the constantly changing legal environment. 

Veronika is a confident and well-prepared speaker at conferences, training seminars and events.

She is experienced in other areas of commercial and pharmaceuticals law and supports the work of the CMS German Practice.

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Relevant experience

  • A leading health care and pharmacy sector company on the planned restructuring of the company group at the international level, including public procurement as well as commercial supply related issues, and successful representation in remedy procedures before the Public Procurement Dispute Board.
  • A global telecommunications company on a legal dispute related to a complex amendment to a public procurement agreement, including representation before the European Court of Justice. 
  • An international mining company on a public procurement procedure related to its planned entry into the Hungarian mining market.
  • A leading international Life Sciences company on several public tenders in the medical devices sector and successful representation of the client before the Public Procurement Dispute Board in multiple review procedures; CMS provided daily tender support acting as the outsourced tender department of the Hungarian affiliate.
  • A leading international broadcasting company on successfully representing it in a EUR 10m public procurement dispute and related international arbitration against a globally broadcasted Hungarian state television network. This landmark case served as a precedent for future disputes of this nature.
  • A leading supplier of innovative communication, information and security systems on successfully representing it before the Public Procurement Dispute Board, as a result of which the client was able to tender in a high value public procurement, after its application had been deemed unlawfully invalid.
  • A global solutions provider on a complex amendment to a contract concluded as a result of a public procurement procedure, and successful representation of the client in negotiations with the contracting authority.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Budapest Bar Association
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Publications

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Lectures list

  • 1st CEE Procurement & Supply Forum, Budapest, Hungary (16 October 2014)
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Education

  • 2012 - Public procurement specialist, Hungary
  • 2011 - Qualified lawyer, Budapest, Hungary
  • 2009 - English and European Union Law, University of Cambridge, UK
  • 2007 - Doctor of Law, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
  • 2006 - International business law, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Germany
  • 2004 - EU-funds and programme management, Corvinus University, Hungary 
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