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Portrait ofIvan Gazdic

Ivan Gazdić

Partner

Petrikić & Partneri AOD
in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz
Krunska 73
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
Languages Serbian, English
Real Estate

Ivan Gazdić is an attorney-at-law for Real Estate with 14 years of experience in assisting clients with the development of commercial real estate projects in Serbia and in Montenegro. 

He has notable experience in advising on various real estate transactions in both development projects and acquisitions. Ivan heads the Real Estate and Infrastructure & Projects practices in the Belgrade office and assists clients with regard to project finance, construction matters, strategic partnership and other aspects of projects.

In the construction sector, Ivan Gazdić advises clients in the process of obtaining building permits and relevant licenses, on urban-planning matters as well as on the FIDIC suite of contracts and other forms of construction contracts.

Relying on his vast experience in acting for both tenants and landlords, Ivan Gazdić helps clients in the negotiations of NNN leases and complex leaseback transactions with investment element.

He advises in all major commercial real estate segments: retail, office, industrial, and hotel.

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“He is always willing to go the extra mile to help meet objectives, and is a pleasure to work with.”

The Legal500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić is extremely professional, and provides timely, focused and pragmatic advice.”

The Legal 500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić is a senior expert with notable experience in various real estate projects.”

The Legal 500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić assists clients with project development and project finance. He is also well placed to advise on regulatory issues and transactional mandates.”

Chambers Europe, 2023

Relevant experience

  • Advising a Belgium-based renewable energy company on M&A, real estate and construction and energy matters.
  • Legal support to a UK-based investment company and a Belgium-based investment fund regarding six real estate projects in Serbia, including the largest retail park in Belgrade, advising on acquisitions, construction, building permits, project finance (LMA-based), land conversion procedures, leases and M&A transactions.
  • Acting for a group of banks regarding the financing of one of the largest real estate projects of all times in Montenegro.
  • Advising one of the world's largest food retail groups on leaseback agreements for their exclusive real estate portfolio in Serbia.
  • Advising one of the world’s leading manufacturers of faucets and showers on their investment into opening a new manufacturing plant in Serbia, which includes advice on land acquisition and construction contract preparation. 
  • Assistance to a UK-based company in the sale of two shopping malls in Serbia and in Montenegro. 
  • Advising lenders on financing of the reconstruction of the largest congress centre in Serbia. 
  • Advising a lender on the real estate financing of the development of the largest shopping mall in Niš, Serbia.
  • Advisory services to a consortium of banks concerning the refinancing of the largest onshore wind farm in Serbia.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Representative of CMS Belgrade in Foreign Investors Council’s Real Estate Committee
  • Serbian Bar Association 
  • President of the Foreign Investors Council’s Real Estate Committee (2016-2022)
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Awards & Rankings

Ranked by all relevant global legal directories:

  • Chambers and Partners
  • The Legal 500
  • Who’s Who Legal  
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Publications

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Lectures list

  • RICS SEE Real Estate Conference, lecture on real estate financing to licensed appraisers, June 2019, Belgrade.
  • Legal Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions, lecture on due diligence process, Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, December 2019.
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Education

  • 2012 – Bar exam
  • 2005 to 2009 – LL.B., Law, University of Belgrade
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Infrastructure & Projects

Ivan Gazdić heads the Infrastructure & Projects practice in the CMS Belgrade office. 

He has extensive experience in providing legal advice on the development of commercial, real estate and energy projects in Serbia and in Montenegro.

In particular, Ivan Gazdić assists clients with regard to joint ventures, project development agreements, project finance, EPC contracts, PPP and other aspects of various projects. He has sound experience in structuring complex project development transactions. His wide mix of knowledge in the real estate, energy and finance areas allows him to tailor his advice to any project, examining the overall transaction from multiple angles to identify issues and risks in various spheres.

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“He is always willing to go the extra mile to help meet objectives, and is a pleasure to work with.”

The Legal500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić is extremely professional, and provides timely, focused and pragmatic advice.”

The Legal 500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić is a senior expert with notable experience in various real estate projects.”

The Legal 500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić assists clients with project development and project finance. He is also well placed to advise on regulatory issues and transactional mandates.”

Chambers Europe, 2023

Relevant experience

  • Advising a Belgium-based renewable energy company on M&A, real estate and construction and energy matters.
  • Legal support to a UK-based investment company and a Belgium-based investment fund regarding six real estate projects in Serbia, including the largest retail park in Belgrade, advising on acquisitions, construction, building permits, project finance (LMA-based), land conversion procedures, leases and M&A transactions.
  • Acting for a group of banks regarding the financing of one of the largest real estate projects of all times in Montenegro.
  • Advising one of the world's largest food retail groups on leaseback agreements for their exclusive real estate portfolio in Serbia.
  • Advising one of the world’s leading manufacturers of faucets and showers on their investment into opening a new manufacturing plant in Serbia, which includes advice on land acquisition and construction contract preparation. 
  • Assistance to a UK-based company in the sale of two shopping malls in Serbia and in Montenegro. 
  • Advising lenders on financing of the reconstruction of the largest congress centre in Serbia. 
  • Advising a lender on the real estate financing of the development of the largest shopping mall in Niš, Serbia.
  • Advisory services to a consortium of banks concerning the refinancing of the largest onshore wind farm in Serbia.
more less

Memberships & Roles

  • Representative of CMS Belgrade in Foreign Investors Council’s Real Estate Committee
  • Serbian Bar Association 
  • President of the Foreign Investors Council’s Real Estate Committee (2016-2022)
more less

Awards & Rankings

Ranked by all relevant global legal directories:

  • Chambers and Partners
  • The Legal 500
  • Who’s Who Legal  
more less

Publications

more less

Lectures list

  • RICS SEE Real Estate Conference, lecture on real estate financing to licensed appraisers, June 2019, Belgrade.
  • Legal Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions, lecture on due diligence process, Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, December 2019.
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Education

  • 2012 – Bar exam
  • 2005 to 2009 – LL.B., Law, University of Belgrade
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Energy & Climate Change

Ivan Gazdić has expertise in Energy law and infrastructure, including the development and financing of wind farms, solar power plants and other energy facilities, waste disposal plants, and energy efficiency projects.

He is experienced in providing legal advice in the energy sector, particularly in relation to renewable energy projects (e.g. development of wind farm and PV projects), mining and geological exploration, WtE projects, PPP, energy efficiency (ESCO related projects), licensing matters, feed-in-tariffs, CfD, etc.

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“He is always willing to go the extra mile to help meet objectives, and is a pleasure to work with.”

The Legal500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić is extremely professional, and provides timely, focused and pragmatic advice.”

The Legal 500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić is a senior expert with notable experience in various real estate projects.”

The Legal 500, 2023

“Ivan Gazdić assists clients with project development and project finance. He is also well placed to advise on regulatory issues and transactional mandates.”

Chambers Europe, 2023

Relevant experience

  • Advising a Belgium-based renewable energy company on M&A, real estate and construction and energy matters.
  • Legal support to a UK-based investment company and a Belgium-based investment fund regarding six real estate projects in Serbia, including the largest retail park in Belgrade, advising on acquisitions, construction, building permits, project finance (LMA-based), land conversion procedures, leases and M&A transactions.
  • Acting for a group of banks regarding the financing of one of the largest real estate projects of all times in Montenegro.
  • Advising one of the world's largest food retail groups on leaseback agreements for their exclusive real estate portfolio in Serbia.
  • Advising one of the world’s leading manufacturers of faucets and showers on their investment into opening a new manufacturing plant in Serbia, which includes advice on land acquisition and construction contract preparation. 
  • Assistance to a UK-based company in the sale of two shopping malls in Serbia and in Montenegro. 
  • Advising lenders on financing of the reconstruction of the largest congress centre in Serbia. 
  • Advising a lender on the real estate financing of the development of the largest shopping mall in Niš, Serbia.
  • Advisory services to a consortium of banks concerning the refinancing of the largest onshore wind farm in Serbia.
more less

Memberships & Roles

  • Representative of CMS Belgrade in Foreign Investors Council’s Real Estate Committee
  • Serbian Bar Association 
  • President of the Foreign Investors Council’s Real Estate Committee (2016-2022)
more less

Awards & Rankings

Ranked by all relevant global legal directories:

  • Chambers and Partners
  • The Legal 500
  • Who’s Who Legal  
more less

Publications

more less

Lectures list

  • RICS SEE Real Estate Conference, lecture on real estate financing to licensed appraisers, June 2019, Belgrade.
  • Legal Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions, lecture on due diligence process, Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, December 2019.
more less

Education

  • 2012 – Bar exam
  • 2005 to 2009 – LL.B., Law, University of Belgrade
more less

Feed

29/06/2023
Unlocking value and increasing liquidity: the rise of sale-and-lease­back...
In their pursuit of optimising capital structure and enhancing liquidity, companies in the Southeast European (SEE) region are embracing sale-and-lease­back transactions. These transactions offer companies...
26/06/2023
CMS Belgrade assists A1 Serbia
Published on 26 June 2023CMS Belgrade real estate lawyers Ivan Gazdić and Marija Marošan, as well as competition law expert Srđan Janković, have assisted A1 Serbia, the local subsidiary of A1 Telekom Austria Group, in agreeing to acquire a part of the infrastructure of Serbian provider Conexio.A1 Group CEO Thomas Arnoldner: “With this asset deal, we are able to successfully pursue our growth strategy. A1 Serbia positions itself as a serious player in the region, providing strong support for local traffic needed for mobile backhauling and for the provision of other local services. The continuous connectivity is also a great asset for enterprise customers that need overall solutions and long-distance con­nectiv­ity.”A total of approx. 850 kilometers of piping to be acquired will close the gap between the A1 markets in Croatia and Bulgaria, while also providing routes to Hungary and North Macedonia. After the completion of the transaction, A1 Group will be able to lay fiber in the pipes and close the existing network infrastructure gap.“With this deal we take our international connectivity to a new level. A1 Group will be able to offer state-of-the-art technology and with a total of 850 km of connecting pipes across Serbia will be able to offer fiber along this track to our national and international customers”, says Alejandro Plater, COO A1 Group. “We will be able to offer services running on our own managed infrastructure from the Bosporus to Austria”. The completion of the transaction is, inter alia, subject to the applicable merger control clearance. As agreed between the parties, details regarding the transaction will not be released. CMS has been providing legal support to A1 Telekom Austria Group for a number of years, addressing their legal requirements across the countries of their operation. We congratulate our long-standing client on this transaction and look forward to future accomplishments.
23/05/2023
CMS Belgrade supports Delhaize Serbia
Published on 23 May 2023CMS Belgrade real estate lawyers Ivan Gazdić and Sandra Miljanić have provided expert legal support and assistance to our long-standing client Delhaize Serbia, the biggest food retail chain in Serbia, a member of Ahold Delhaize, one of the world's largest food retail groups, in negotiation of a lease agreement with VGP, a developer of logistics and semi-industrial real estate, for the lease of Delhaize Serbia’s second distribution centre in Serbia covering more than 41,000 square meters. The future VGP Park Belgrade will be the largest industrial park in Serbia and the region, covering an area of more than one million square meters. It is located next to the M-70 and M-75 highways and the Belgrade Ring Road, in close proximity to the Nikola Tesla International Airport. Jan-Willem Dockheer, CEO of Delhaize Serbia, commented: “Our Company remains consistent with the strategy of expanding the retail network and we are very pleased that our second distribution centre will be built in such an important and sustainable location. In the next ten years, we will further expand our spatial capacities, employ a large number of new colleagues, and we will continue to invest in the development of the local market. I believe in success and wish the VGP Serbia team many great years of work.”We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Delhaize team for entrusting us with their legal needs over the years. We look forward to continuing our partnership and providing them with the highest level of legal support.
15/05/2023
CMS advises NLB Group
Published on 15 May 2023CMS has advised NLB Komercijalna banka a.d. Beograd and NLB d.d. Ljubljana, both members of the largest banking and financial group in Slovenia, NLB Group, on the financing of the reconstruction of Sava Center, the largest congress venue in Southeast Europe. This iconic Belgrade landmark, officially opened in 1977 and host to numerous large-scale events and performances, has recently been acquired by Delta Holding and is embarking on a new era with the start of its reconstruction in 2021. The CMS Belgrade team, led by partners Ivan Gazdić and Milica Popović and including senior attorneys Ksenija Boreta, Jovana Bingulac and Sandra Miljanić, as well as members of the CMS International Finance team based in Bucharest, led by partner Ana Radnev, have provided full legal support in the preparation of finance documents for the EUR 55 million loan. The reconstruction of the 100,000 square meter building is taking place in two parallel phases, with the first expected to be completed by November 2023 and the second in the first half of 2024. The investment will amount to over EUR 100 million, a part of which is financed through the loan granted by NLB Group. This loan continues to strengthen NLB Group’s position as a leading financial institution in the SEE region. We extend our congratulations to all parties involved in this significant project for Serbia!
04/04/2023
CMS Belgrade advises Hansgrohe on the development of its new factory in...
Published on 05/04/2023Hans­grohe, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of faucets and showers, is investing EUR 85 million in its state-of-the-art production facility in Valjevo, Serbia, with a planned start of operations in mid-2023. This new production facility, covering an area of 35,000 square meters, will be the largest investment in the 120-year-long history of Hansgrohe. The new production facility in Serbia is planned as one of the most modern manufacturing sites in Europe. Hansgrohe owns five other production facilities: two in Germany, one each in France, the United States and China. Our team of expert lawyers, led by Maja Stepanović, Corporate/M&A Law Partner, and Ivan Gazdić, Partner and Head of Infrastructure & Projects and Real Estate & Construction, has provided Hansgrohe with full legal support throughout the entire process related to this foreign direct investment, including state aid application and agreement, incorporation process, land acquisition, construction contract preparation, management contracts, health and safety matters, and other related matters. We congratulate Hansgrohe on this significant investment in Serbia and our team of dedicated lawyers who will continue to provide the highest level of legal support for the project in Serbia.
24/01/2023
CMS Belgrade assists Delhaize Serbia in the sale and leaseback of Novi...
25/1/2023CMS Belgrade has assisted Delhaize Serbia in the preparation of the transaction documents for the sale-and-lease­back of its Tempo hypermarket store in Novi Sad and further reconstruction and adaptation of the building to include a new Emmezeta store at the location. The new Tempo hypermarket and Emmezeta stores should be opened later this year, upon completion of the reconstruction works. Delhaize Serbia is a member of Ahold Delhaize, one of the world's largest food retail groups, based in The Netherlands. Delhaize Serbia is the biggest Serbian retail chain with more than 500 stores throughout the country. Emmezeta is the Polish home furnishings retailer, offering a wide selection of furnishings, household appliances and home décor in its stores. Ivan Gazdić, Partner for the real estate & construction matters at CMS Belgrade, has led the team providing full-scope legal support to our long-standing client Delhaize Serbia.
03/11/2022
CMS advises a syndicate of banks on the refinancing onshore wind farm in...
Published on 3 November 2022CMS has advised a consortium of banks consisting of UniCredit, Credit Suisse, Eurobank and OTP Bank on the €205 million refinancing of Čibuk, a 158 MW onshore wind farm located in Serbia. The Čibuk wind farm is owned by the Taaleri SolarWind I Fund and its co-investors, Finnfund, Masdar and DEG, the German development finance institution. With 57 turbines, it is the largest wind farm in Serbia and produces enough electricity to supply around 87 thousand households. It offsets the equivalent of around 380,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide during each year of operation. CMS acted as legal advisors to the lenders in respect of the loan financing package. The English law CMS team was led by Rafal Zakrzewski and Przemysław Karolak, with support from Marcin Krzemien, Michał Horelik and Jakub Smiałek (Banking & Finance).  The Serbian law CMS team was led by Milica Popovic, with support from Ksenija Boreta, Jovana Bingulac (Banking & Finance), Ivan Gazdic and Marija Marosan (Real Estate & Energy). 
02/03/2022
CMS Belgrade and CMS Podgorica support Hystead Limited in the sale of Delta...
Following the successful sale of Delta City shopping mall in Belgrade Serbia, Hystead Limited, a London-based company and investor in the Western Balkans, has signed an agreement to sell Delta City Mall in Podgorica, Montenegro to Israeli company BIG Shopping Centres. Delta City Podgorica is the largest shopping mall in Podgorica and one of the most developed commercial facilities in Montenegro. The transaction value is EUR 95 million. Having advised Hystead Limited in the sale of Delta City Belgrade, CMS Belgrade has been engaged again, together with CMS Podgorica, to provide legal assistance in the divestment of Delta City Podgorica. Full legal support in negotiations and structuring of the transaction and signing of the sales agreement has been provided by the team of CMS experts led by partners Maja Stepanović (Corporate/M&A) and Milica Popović (Banking & Finance). Other team members included partner Ivan Gazdić (Real Estate & Construction) and attorney Tamara Samardžija (Corporate/M&A).
25/02/2022
CMS participates in the Balkan Green Energy News Conference on the Changing...
The conference "Serbian Companies on the Changing Power Market" organised by Balkan Green Energy News gathered together numerous players in the renewable energy market. An industry meeting of regional importance On 22 February 2022, leading electricity market experts from Serbia and abroad met in Belgrade to discuss key issues in the Serbian energy sector. The topics were relevant for the entire region. The experts provided insights into both the way the Serbian electricity market would likely develop in the coming years and the opportunities available to various market participants. The conference offered an analysis of the most important challenges facing companies in the course of the energy transition. CMS also relies on innovative advisory products to help its clients benefit from the energy transition. The conference was opened by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlović and Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Artur Lorkowski. CMS was a sponsor and participant of this crucial event for the energy sector and was delighted to be represented onsite by its lawyers Ivan Gazdić, partner CMS Serbia, Georg Gutfleisch, lawyer CMS Austria, and Tamara Kosi, lawyer CMS Slovenia, and Maja Živanović, Business Development Country Head, CMS Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia.  One step ahead in the energy crisis The 2021 energy crisis has continued into 2022 causing unprecedented increases in electricity prices across Europe. The Serbian government has put up a rescue parachute for companies and capped the electricity price at EUR 75 per MWh for the period until June 2022. However, it remains to be seen how electricity prices will develop in the medium and long term. In the coming years, the Serbian electricity market will – like the entire region – be affected by other important changes too: decarbonisation and the need to align its business with the Green Agenda; the projected growth in solar and wind capacity; the increasing attractiveness of customers producing their own energy onsite; and the carbon cap tax on exports to the EU. The conclusion was: “The event ‘Serbian Companies on the Changing Power Market’ provided an excellent opportunity for the exchange of information and ideas that are urgently needed to better understand trends in the power market and to remain competitive". The CMS Energy and Climate Change Sector Group provides leading advice products on all aspects of innovative energy, climate change and ESG.
24/02/2022
Prospects for installation and utilization of rooftop solar photovoltaics...
CMS Guide
07/12/2021
CMS Belgrade supports Hystead Limited in the divestment of Delta City Belgrade
UK-based Hystead Limited, majority-owned by South African Hyprop Investments, has successfully closed the sale of Delta City shopping mall in Belgrade, Serbia. Delta City Belgrade, one of the most visited shopping malls in Serbia, has been acquired by MPC Properties, one of the leaders in construction and real estate management in the region. CMS Belgrade has been selected to provide full legal support to Hystead Limited in this EUR 115 million transaction. The team of CMS Belgrade experts headed by partners Maja Stepanović (Corporate/M&A) and Milica Popović (Banking & Finance) assisted the client throughout the transaction, providing support in negotiations, closing activities and tax structuring. Other team members whose engagement has been invaluable are Real Estate and Construction co-heads Ivan Gazdić and Marija Marošan.
25/11/2021
CMS Belgrade provides full support to UniCredit Bank Serbia in the refinancing...
UniCredit Bank Serbia and Elicio Ali VE, a 100% subsidiary of Elicio NV, successfully closed the refinancing transaction of the 42 MW Alibunar wind farm in Q3 2021. CMS Belgrade has been selected to prepare the full set of finance documents for UniCredit Bank Serbia as the sole lender in the EUR 53 million re­fin­an­cing.  Com­ment­ing on the transaction, Nikola Vuletić, Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Serbia, said: “We are proud that Elicio once again recognised our bank as a reliable partner for the first refinancing of an operational wind farm conducted in Serbia. This is a clear example of how banks and the renewables sector can contribute to improving overall energy security and consumption of renewable energy in Ser­bia.”  Alain Janssens, CEO of Elicio, added: “This refinancing represents an important milestone for the Serbian renewables market as it affirms the strong fundamentals of the project and the bankable regulatory environment for renewable energy production in Serbia. The transaction also confirms the funding available in the Serbian market to locally finance well-structured projects and to do so on longer tenors. These are crucial conditions for realizing Serbia’s considerable ambitions in terms of an increased contribution of wind energy to the energy mix, an area in which Elicio will continue to actively par­ti­cip­ate.” The team of CMS Belgrade experts headed by partners Ivan Gazdić and Milica Popović provided full legal support in every phase of this landmark refinancing, from the legal due diligence review to full-scope advice on multiple regulatory, real estate, corporate, project finance and other legal issues and drafting of the finance documents. Other team members include Ksenija Boreta, Marija Marošan, Igor Đorđević, and Teodora Vujošević.