Ionescu Miron, a new two partner firm, has formed in Bucharest with a focus on finance, corporate and tax advice
Corina Ionescu, a financial and corporate partner from Bulboaca & Asociaţii and Ana-Maria Miron, co-head of Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen's tax department have left their respective firms to form the new outfit.
The two partners know each other from their time at Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (Ionescu had practised at the firm before joining Bulboaca) and in an interview with the IFLR1000 Ionescu said that the idea of forming a new firm had always been an ambition.
"It was just the right time for both of us, we've proved what we wanted to prove, so right now we decided to do something we like doing," she said.
"With Ana-Maria we always said that we were going to do something together. It was not a special event, it was just a good time for both of us. It was not that we were dissatisfied with the places we were before."
Initially the firm will focus on finance, corporate and M&A, employment and tax matters and will sell itself on the track record of its two partners and the promise of more partner time for clients.
"We have done work from privitisations to big loans, we are going to be involved in the transactions, so it's not going to be hard for the clients to speak with us," said Ionescu. "At larger firms this can be more difficult."
The firm also has ambitions to expand with a target headcount of between 10 and 12 lawyers by the end of the first year, with disputes an area of particular focus. Speaking on the last point Ionescu said: "First of all it'll be a litigation department and then we are looking at white collar criminal law issues."
In the financial and corporate space the firm is expecting to see most of its initial mandates relating to general corporate advice, M&A and refinancing.
The new firm is one of a number of smaller outfits setting up in Romanian market. In the past 12 months similar moves have been made by the named partners of legacy firm Vilau & Mitel and a team of lawyers from Gide Loyrette Nouel who founded Leroy & Asociaţii.