Agilcon, the largest regional Salesforce consulting partner has ambitious plans for the future and is starting off in the new year with new office in Belgrade, Serbia

After the successful branching out to Croatia beginning of 2020., Agilcon is starting off in 2022 with opening of new office in Belgrade.  
 

Agilcon has been present in Serbia for a number of years, working on Salesforce implementation and Gecko HRM with clients such as Tehnomanija, Milšped, Planeta Sport, A1 as well as many others. As the market needs for CRM solutions are growing, there was a necessity for Agilcon to be locally present. Thus, Agilcon will be able to be closer and provide an even better service to its existing client base as well as work on new projects with new clients. The company is bringing innovative technological and business solutions for companies that are looking to improve their customer processes, sales, marketing and HR. Agilcon’s biggest asset are the company’s employees who bring their expertise and passion into all our successful projects. Guided by this vision, Agilcon is planning to expand its team in the region by employing a large number of IT experts and consultants.
 

“Agilcon’s presence on our market is bringing a wave of innovation an excellence for building solutions for sales, marketing and HR. I am looking forward to expanding our cooperation with existing clients and working with new ones, not only in Serbia but also Montenegro, North Macedonia and beyond.”, says Katarina Vladić, CEO of Agilcon Serbia.
 

Agilcon has more than 150 successful implementations of Salesforce and Gecko and has been present in the region for 12 years. A team of highly skilled experts in Agilcon is working with clients and helping them improve their business processes and be successful. Additionally, Agilcon is providing consulting services after the implementation projects as well.
 
“After the opening of our Zagreb office and successful two years, we are happy to be working on new interesting projects and business challenges in Serbia and the region”, says Marko Perme, CEO of Agilcon.
 

The Serbian office marks a new era for Agilcon, and we expect be even more focused on our strategic goals.

On July 15, 2021 OSLAW managing partner Olga Sipka was appointed the Data Protection Officer for Zentiva, one of the largest manufacturers and wholesalers of medicines and OTC products in the region. This is yet another proof that OSLAW aim to provide services to the highest caliber in the area of personal data protection particularly in the health sector. OSLAW will act as Zentiva’s contact point for data subjects and the local authorities, and will stand ready to assist Zentiva by providing day-to-day advice on matters relevant for personal data protection. OSLAW will endeavor to perform its duties to the highest standards of integrity and expertise.

On April 4, 2021 OSLAW managing partner Olga Sipka was appointed the Data Protection Officer for MediGroup, one of the largest private healthcare systems in Serbia. OSLAW is proud to have the opportunity to assist MediGroup and MediGroup patients in day to day protection of patients’ privacy. OSLAW acts as a contact point in the field of data protection and will endeavor to perform its duties to the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and expertise. 

OSLAW managing partner Olga Sipka is the lead author of the World Bank’s report “Improving Commercial Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Face of COVID-19 Crisis : Phase One Analysis - Crisis Impact Assessment and Options for Rapid Improvements” published in May 2021 (Report). The Report was produced under the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) Commercial Justice Technical Assistance Project financed by the United Kingdom Good Governance and Investment Climate Reform Trust Fund. It analyzes immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial justice in BH and offers short-term recommendations on how to adjust court operations to the crisis, while efficiently managing the health risks posed by the pandemic. The Report is available in English and local language. OSLAW experts Olga Šipka and Tatjana Sofijanić also supported the work on Phase II report “Improving Commercial Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Face of COVID-19 Crisis : Phase II Analysis - Medium to Long-Term Strategies”, which builds on Phase I findings and lays down recommendations for further adjustment of case processing in BH to build resilience and ensure recovery of the BH commercial justice system in the medium to long term. This report is available in English and local language. 

On April 14, 2021 OSLAW Partner Olga Šipka had a pleasure to hold a lecture on the Role of Expert Witnesses in the Serbian Court Procedure. Lecture was held at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law for the senior class of exceptional students of Civil Procedure Law. 

OSLAW thanks the Faculty for the invite and the attending students for this wonderful opportunity to share knowledge and experiences.  

OSLAW expert Tatjana Sofijanic is one of the coauthors of the World Bank’s report “License to Compete: Reforming the Regulation of Professions in Croatia”, published in September 2020. This report is yet another result of the fruitful partnership between the World Bank and OSLAW to support regulatory reforms in Croatia. The report reviews 24 high-impact occupations using the World Bank Group Markets and Competition Policy Assessment Tool (MCPAT), and offers recommendations for removing regulatory barriers to unlock productivity. The professions which were analyzed include attorneys, notaries, auditors, tourist guides etc. The report is available in English and Croatian. 

OSLAW team provides expert analysis and support to the World Bank Group on a project examining the procedural rules and practices which impact the commercial justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH). The work focuses on the key aspects of commercial trials, notably the service of process, scheduling of hearings, role of expert witnesses and bankruptcy trustees, court fees, and use of the case management system in case processing. To read more please go to the World Bank blog webpage here. 

OSLAW managing Partner Olga Šipka together with World Bank’s experts is the Lead Author of the World Bank thematic report on Regulatory Barriers to Competition in Serbia

The report reviews product market regulations to advise on the ways to foster competition and raise productivity to achieve an ambitious new growth strategy for Serbia. 

OSLAW managing Partner Olga Sipka and associate Tatjana Sofijanic together with World Bank experts, coauthored the World Bank report “Leveraging Procedural Reforms to Improve Commercial Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, published in October 2019. The report was prepared under the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) Commercial Justice Technical Assistance Project financed by the UK Good Governance and Investment Climate Reform Trust Fund. 

The report reviews procedural inefficiencies and practices that cause the greatest delays in commercial case processing in BH and offers recommendations on how to ease bottlenecks and minimize inefficiencies through changes to trial processes, laws and policies. To find out more, you can read the full report in English or in Bosnian.

OSLAW team provides expert analysis and support to the World Bank Group on a project examining the role of expert witnesses in the court systems of the Western Balkans. Together with the World Bank we are providing an insight on how the use of expert witnesses can help turn the wheels of justice faster. To find out more please visit the World Bank blog webpage here. 

OSLAW managing Partner Olga Sipka and associate Tatjana Sofijanic together with World Bank justice reform specialists, coauthored the World Bank report “Examining the Experts: A Comparative Analysis of the Role of Expert Witnesses in Court Systems of the Western Balkans”, published in March 2019. The report is part of a broader World Bank initiative to Inform Justice Policy Dialogue in the Western Balkans. 

The report assesses if and how expert witnesses impact the quality and efficiency of justice in the region—Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The report is available here. 

OSLAW experts took part in the conference “Role of Expert Witnesses in Judicial System of the Republic of Serbia” organized by the Serbian Ministry of Justice, World Bank and Multi Donor Trust Fund for Justice Sector Support in Serbia (MTDF-JSS). The conference focused on presenting key findings of the report “Examining the Experts: The Role of Expert Witnesses in Serbia, and How Reform Could Improve Efficiency and Quality of Justice”, which was coauthored by OSLAW managing partner Olga Sipka (link). The conference served as a discussion platform for sharing views and experiences related to expert witness work in Serbia. To find out more, please visit the MTDF-JSS webpage here.

OSLAW managing Partner Olga Sipka and associate Aleksandra Stecuk supported the World Bank expert analysis of the role of expert witnesses in the Serbian justice system. This work was funded by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Justice Sector Support in Serbia (MDTF-JSS), which has been established with generous contributions from the EU Delegation in Serbia, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.

The report “Examining the Experts: The Role of Expert Witnesses in Serbia, and How Reform Could Improve Efficiency and Quality of Justice” is a synthesis of the work done. The report assesses the current framework and practices relevant for the work of expert witnesses in Serbia and outlines options and recommendations to inform Serbia’s ongoing and planned justice reform initiatives towards the EU accession. The report is available in English and Serbian. 

OSLAW team provides expert analysis and support to the World Bank on a project aimed at improving the business climate in Western Balkans. Together with World Bank experts we are blogging on how do courts impact the business climate. To read more please go to the World Bank blog webpage here.

In all selected SEE jurisdictions, competition laws have been enacted fairly recently through the European Union accession process. Introduction of competition laws has incentivised both the newly established national competition authorities and the business community to increase focus on compliance with antitrust rules. 

OSLAW in the Perspectives on International Antitrust, ABA Section of International Law - the International Antitrust Committee analyzes the rules and the practice of antitrust compliance programs in the Western Balkans. The analysis is available at the following link.

As reported on 11 April 2017 AIK Bank took over 100% of Alpha Bank Serbia’s shares by signing an agreement in Alpha Bank’s headquarters. The merger has been cleared by regional and local competition authorities and is one of the largest mergers in the banking sector in Serbia to-date.

AIK Bank is owned by industrial conglomerate MK Group that has more than 30 companies within its holding and performs a variety of services, such as agribusiness, wholesale, real estate and banking.

The transaction marks the exit of Greek investments in the Serbian banking sector and according to AIK CEO Banka, Ms Jelena Galic "The deal is crucial as it represents the first significant transaction that is part of the upcoming consolidation of the domestic banking market". 

OSLAW team has successfully represented AIK Bank before relevant competition authorities and spearheaded the competition aspects of the transaction negotiations.