Frost & Fire Consulting’s corporate lawyers have participated in many important business and financial transactions in Albania and throughout the world. Our comprehensive legal services span all stages of the journey of a business entity. We have advised and assisted: sellers and buyers with acquisitions, dispositions, or investments; underwriters and issuers with IPOs or bond offerings; corporate clients’ boards on a broad array of corporate governance best practices; international clients on various cross-border transactions; private equity clients with strategic acquisitions and investments; or large public companies in restructuring and multibillion dollar gas transshipment agreements. Our team could help with corporate and business transactions in any of areas set out below.
Our team provides a wide range of professional support across multiple sectors. Learn more about our Legal Services, explore our Financing Services, discover our Organization Development solutions, or see how we assist with Government Relations.
Frost & Fire Consulting’s corporate lawyers provide comprehensive support for complex corporate transactions. For additional guidance on intellectual property matters, clients can refer to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Whether you are considering a new business transaction, or your day-to-day business encounters potential antitrust issues, our team can work with you from the outset to assess antitrust implications and structure transactions to preemptively avoid or address any potential issues. Our diverse expertise provides tailored legal services on antitrust implications.
Members of our team have worked both with borrowers and major financial and international lending institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, World Bank, IMF, EBRD, etc., assisting them with credit agreements, leveraged and investment-grade acquisition financings, asset-based financings, leveraged spin-offs, and other complex international multijurisdictional financings. In addition, we have worked with many of the local banks and other clients to assist them with various credit facilities, project financing and syndicated deals. We have the necessary expertise to assist our clients with all their banking or financing needs.
Although this arena might be in its adolescence in Albania and the region, corporate governance issues are increasingly important. As the market matures, corporate boards face the need for professional advice to handle risk management, disclosure, compliance, fact-finding for potential violations, responses to governmental authorities, and a litany of other difficult governance issues. In assisting our clients with these issues, our team members draw from their experiences in working with the boards of major local and international companies to provide top-tier legal counsel services such as: the supervisory board of the Albanian Power Distribution and Supply Company; the board of the Albanian Transmission System Operator; the supervisory board of Albtelecom; the supervisory board of Albpetrol; the board of directors of the National Natural Resources Agency; and the boards of international giants such as Time Warner, Inc.
Despite the notable increase in quality and professionalism among the ranks of the Albanian judiciary in recent years, judicial proceedings in the Albanian court system can be lengthy, tenuous, cumbersome, and unpredictable. While judicial reform remains a high priority in the domestic legislative agenda, it will take some time for the Albanian court system to become truly sophisticated, professional and independent from any outside influence. Considering the current pitfalls of the domestic judicial system, we advise our clients to consider litigation as a means of last resort and prioritize Alternative Dispute Resolution.This is part of our comprehensive legal services strategy. However, if and when litigation becomes necessary, Frost & Fire aggressively and qualitatively protects and defends our clients' interest at all levels of the dispute resolution hierarchy. We assist in:
MediationArbitrationAdministrative proceedingsCivil litigationLand property rights and related disputesOur team can offer top-quality due diligence services in all the required aspects of business transactions. We have considerable experience with very complex transactions, and members of our team have led large diligence teams for a multitude of national and international clients.
Environmental matters are increasingly intricate, and if they are not handled properly, they may bring financial and reputational havoc on a company. Albania has recently passed legislation on the protection of the environment based on the "polluter pays" principle in line with European Union legislation. Some of the most significant provisions concern environmental impact assessments, the permission regimes for usage of some types of resources, restrictions on the use of natural resources in view of preserving the ecological balance, and Aarhus convention compliance requirements, etc. Drawing from our diverse and complementary experiences in this area of the law, our team can assist clients on a full range of environmental matters and related compliance that arise in business transactions and provide specialized legal services and advice on environmental impact assessments.
EU membership remains a central objective for Albania. Since the European Council’s 2020 decision to open accession negotiations, Albania has been aligning its national laws with the EU Acquis Communautaire a key step toward full membership. For businesses operating or investing in Albania, understanding and complying with EU standards is essential.
Frost & Fire Consulting assists corporations, investors, and institutions in navigating this evolving legal environment. Our team combines deep expertise in legislative drafting, regulatory compliance, and institutional reform. We have supported the approximation of key legal areas, including company law, VAT, and excise regulations.
Our advisory covers:
Guidance on adapting corporate and investment operations to EU-aligned legislation.Legal gap analysis and compliance reviews with the EU acquis.Drafting and implementation of policy and regulatory changes.Navigation among public institutions and regulatory bodies.Preparation for EU technical assistance and funding mechanisms.Whether you are expanding into Albania or strengthening local operations, Frost & Fire Consulting ensures your business aligns with EU standards securely, efficiently, and strategically.
Protecting innovation is vital for every business entering or operating in Albania. Frost & Fire Consulting advises local and international clients on the full spectrum of intellectual property (IP) law, ensuring their brands, technologies, and creative assets are safeguarded under both Albanian and EU standards.
Our expertise covers:
Trademarks, patents, copyrights, industrial designsTrade secrets, data protection, and domain namesLicensing, branding, merchandising, and IP due diligenceWe manage every stage of IP protection from registration and portfolio management to dispute resolution. Our team has secured trademark rights for clients in over fifty jurisdictions through WIPO and national systems. Services include:
Availability research and filing of applicationsOppositions, renewals, ownership changes, and license recordingsPatent filings, renewals, and technology licensing agreementsBeyond protection, we assist with IP transactions and commercialization, drafting and negotiating licensing, software, and proof-of-concept agreements that add tangible value to your assets.
For businesses expanding into Albania or scaling abroad, Frost & Fire Consulting delivers strategic IP solutions that ensure compliance, protection, and competitive advantage.
In an increasingly global economy, our corporate lawyers advise clients on a wide range of international transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity deals, international capital markets, and other cross-border financings, including IPOs, bond offerings, and bank financings. We have particular expertise in public international law, as well as international trade issues pertaining to Southeastern Europe and beyond, involving multiple jurisdictions, including maritime-related issues (e.g., maritime delimitation of the territorial sea or continental shelf in the Adriatic and Ionian seas).
In today’s competitive market, compliance with labor regulations is not only a legal obligation, it’s a safeguard for your reputation and workforce stability. Frost & Fire Consulting provides end-to-end employment law advisory for corporations and investors operating in Albania, ensuring full alignment with the Albanian Labor Code and EU standards.
Our expertise covers:
Contracts & Policies: Drafting and reviewing employment agreements, contractor arrangements, handbooks, and confidentiality clauses. Training managers and staff to implement policies effectively.Compliance & Investigations: External audits of workplace practices for compliance with labor, social security, and health-and-safety laws. Internal investigations into misconduct and whistleblower cases.Litigation & Industrial Relations: Representation in employment disputes, collective bargaining, union relations, strikes, and lockouts.Expatriate & Executive Mobility: Assistance with work and residence permits, tax equalization, and social security arrangements for foreign employees.Compensation & Benefits: Design and implementation of pay grades, incentives, profit-sharing, and equity-based plans.Workforce Restructuring: Legal guidance on downsizing, redundancy planning, and separation agreements.Transactions: Employment due diligence and integration support for mergers, acquisitions, and outsourcing projects.With decades of combined experience, Frost & Fire Consulting delivers practical, compliant, and business-minded labor law solutions that protect your organization and empower your people.
We advise on a full range of merger and acquisition transactions in a wide variety of industries. Members of our team have assisted various clients with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and spin-offs such as the multibillion dollar spin-off of Time Warner Cable from Time Warner Inc. in the United States or the spin-off of three different companies from the Albanian Power Company.
Our team members hold a wealth of experience with a variety of public institutions' procurement and selection processes. We are intimately familiar with preparation and submission of tender documents for various types of procurement procedures, whether in accordance with the Albanian public procurement rules or those of international financial institutions (such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, etc.).
Throughout their career, Frost & Fire Consulting team members have worked with a number of well-established international private equity firms such as Ripplewood Holdings, Apollo Global Management, Lindsay Goldberg, AP Alternative Assets LP, among others, assisting with many aspects of transactional work, including the purchase and sale of their portfolio assets, leveraged buyouts, and novel transactions (such as the reorganization of private equity funds in public companies and their subsequent listing in Euronext, Brussels). We have also helped international funds operating regionally with novel transactions in the local market.
The experience of our members in the real estate sector encompasses a broad range of real estate transactions, including real estate fund offerings, portfolio acquisitions, and joint ventures, as well as more traditional real estate development, purchase, sale, financing, and restructuring transactions. Our partners have worked with local and international clients, such as the Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds and O'Connor Capital Partners. Locally we have worked with Albania’s top developers as well as large land owners, representing them in negotiations for various important developments throughout Albania.
While the capital market in Albania and the region is still in its infancy, established and visionary businesses are increasingly realizing the potential of such transactions. Because of our extensive international experience in the most developed capital markets, assisting issuers and underwriters in all types of global offerings (including initial public offerings, corporate bond offerings, private placements, and offerings of securities collateralized by assets), Frost & Fire Consulting is fully prepared to assist Albanian and regional business as they embark on this path.
Members of our firm have extended experience with all aspects of tax legal analysis from the legislative process to their execution and applicability to business transactions. Our team can help design tax-efficient structures for mergers, spin-offs, joint ventures, private equity acquisitions, or real estate transactions as well as ensure compliance with tax legislation and implementing regulations. We provide ongoing consultancy and advisory services to our clients regarding the impact of fiscal legislative changes and the implementation of treaties for the avoidance of double taxation concluded by Albania. We also aid during tax audits conducted by tax authorities and in preparation of administrative tax appeals, and we also offer advice related to customs procedures and the fiscal regime related to the protection of local and foreign investments as well as interpretation of legal acts related to the taxation of corporations or individuals.
