ABOUT USBASICS
We not only offer legal advice but a solution that is personalized, and reflects business thinking. Our team consists of 20 domestic experts. The entire Hungarian Cathay Associates team has a broad international perspective due to work experience gained abroad. In addition to Hungarian, the working languages are English, German, French, Romanian, Russian, and Chinese Mandarin. We are members of numerous domestic and international professional organizations, and we regularly publish and give lectures.
Our work performance reaches the highest international standards allowing us to be on the same level as international law firms while working at domestic prices. We provide proactive services; quick and understandable answers with flexible availability. We strive for complete coverage both professionally and geographically: with our strategic partners, we help our clients not only in legal matters but also in the fields of taxation, accounting, public procurement, and tender consulting in Hungary, in the CEE region, and almost everywhere in the EU. As a result of our international presence, we are able to provide our services in more than 60 countries. We work as an office with the members of our network. Accordingly, we offer efficient and innovative solutions to our clients. We support them in entering foreign markets or carrying out international transactions, setting up individual structures, planning, and problem-solving.
Our office is the founder of the international legal platform Cathay Associates and serves as the European headquarters of the organization. Playing a central role allows us to serve the needs of our clients in the entire Central and Eastern European region directly from Hungary. Cathay Associates represents itself on all continents and all significant markets, primarily focusing on Europe and Asia (especially China).
There are 5-5 areas of legal practice and industries in which all CA offices are equally strong worldwide, such as corporate law, including M&A and company due diligence, public procurement, media law, dispute resolution, and international trade. Our key specialties are tax planning, banking, financial services, energy, innovation, and healthcare at the industry level.
Our primary focus is China and Asia, and we aim to help Hungarian companies to enter the complex market of those regions.
LEGAL SERVICES
FINANCIAL SERVICES
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
FIELDS OF EXPERTISE AND INDUSTRIES
OUR TEAM
Our team consists of 20 domestic experts. The entire Hungarian Cathay Associates team has a broad international perspective due to gaining work experience abroad. In addition to Hungarian, the working languages are English, German, French, and Chinese Mandarin. We are members of many domestic and international professional organizations. Moreover, we regularly publish and give lectures.
DR. RUPERT VÁRNAI
international company structures, economic law, advertising and media law
Until 2014, he was a Global Partner coordinating the international expansion of the largest law firm in Asia. He is one of the founders of the Cathay Associates global network of lawyers. He is Advisor to several Hungarian and international companies on investment, cross-border cooperations, trade, and other projects. Furthermore, he is regularly working on business development and strategic issues.
DR. GÁBOR MÁRTON
advertising and media law, commercial law, financial law, public procurement law and tender management
Gabor started his career in the banking sector. He has been working as a legal advisor for one of Hungary’s leading banks for several years, gained some valuable experience in the media and advertisement industry, and counseled one of the top holdings of the sector. In addition to his responsibilities regarding the business development of Cathay Associates, he contributes to the global law firm network as head of its international application management division.
DR. ATTILA MÁRTON
claim management, insolvency, real estate law
Attila has more than 20 years of experience. He founded Várnai and Partners in 2007 with Dr. Rupert Várnai.
He is an expert in corporate law, debt management, employment, and real estate law and has comprehensive litigation experience. International real estate developers and financial institutions are amongst his major clients.
DR. KATALIN CSÁSZÁR
economic law, company law, real estate law
She is a corporate law specialist, legal advisor of a multinational holding company of several divisions, and a property development group of companies. She also handles litigation cases in the Cathay Associates team.
DR. ÁKOS VARGA
litigation and non-litigation (civil, criminal and employment), real estate law, company law
He specializes in corporate law and real estate law, in addition to auditing the contracts of several Hungarian real estate management companies, and is also responsible for the legal affairs of a multinational service provider. He has decades of experience in litigating and litigating various disputes and claims that arise in the course of everyday business. He also regularly provides legal advice and advocacy on economic crimes.
DR. TAMÁS ÉRSEK
ICT, data protection, competition law
He is responsible for info-communication and data protection issues at one of Hungary’s leading telecommunications companies and trade banks. His other areas of expertise include competition law, consumer protection, and economic law. He is a member of the Hungarian Competition Law Association and its international umbrella agency, LIDC, and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA).
DR. PASCAL DEMKÓ
real estate, business law, M&A, international law
He has acquired his Master’s Degree in International Business Law in France, Paris I Panthéon–Sorbonne University, then started his career as an international lawyer. He advises numerous international clients on investments, real estate development, and trade. He is one of the founders of the global Cathay Associates network.
DR. MARTINA LUGOSI
company law and civil law
Martina has already been working for the law firm while attending university, which helped her to become well-versed in the world of international and multinational cases. During her work, she primarily assists the operation of the office in corporate, civil law, and immigration matters.
DR. HENRIETTA PAUER
economic law, media, and advertising law
Her specialties are commercial law, corporate law, real estate law, media, and advertising law. In her work, she strives for a customer-centric solution in compliance with the law, considering the business goals of the customers.
DR. IMOLA SZIGETI
real estate law, company law, criminal law
She graduated from Pázmány Péter Catholic University in 2016, and since then, she has gained experience primarily in real estate law and company law.
She teaches criminal substantive and procedural law as a fourth-year Ph.D. student. She speaks English and German.
BETTINA BULLA
International affairs
In addition to Hungarian, Bettina speaks English and German at a native level and has significant experience in regulatory and licensing matters. She represents our office through her skills with outstanding efficiency in international transactions and administrations.
DR. TOMORI PÉTER
European business lawyer
Professional career since 1993, specializing in international and domestic investments, financial law, commercial real estate investments and developments, and related areas of law such as corporate, competition and labor law, and pharmaceutical law.
MOLNÁR MIHÁLY
COO
Business consultant with a degree in economics. He has more than 10 years of professional experience, his main profile being international marketing, business development, and building cross-border collaborations. He is fluent in English.
JUSTIN QIN
COO, China Desk
Justin graduated as an economist in China and then began his career in Hong Kong and the Netherlands as a business consultant, gaining professional experience. He is currently the COO of Cathay’s Shanghai office. Justin is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. He primarily coordinates collaboration from our Shanghai headquarters with our staff and strategic partners and one of China’s first and largest IP agencies, Sinofaith, which assists us with more than 700 colleagues in 5 other Chinese cities.
