Conference on the establishment and operation of investment funds

Peter Varga

Highgate Group

Peter Varga is a partner at Highgate Group, where he focuses on financial regulation and tax structuring and consulting. Prior to founding Highgate Group, he worked for several years at the international law firm Dentons, where, among other things, he participated in the second historic cross-border IPO of a Slovak issuer. As part of Highgate Group, Peter has helped to establish a number of Slovak or foreign funds. He advises clients on setting up fund or crowdfunding structures, bond issues or various loan schemes and represents clients in proceedings before the NBS and the financial administration. Peter lectures, writes articles and is relatively active in the legislative process. For example, he has been involved in the new more flexible legislation on small funds, some tax changes in the financial market area or the development of a methodological guideline on the definition of collective investment.

Dusan Klimes

He graduated from the University of Economics in Prague and subsequently obtained a degree from Nottingham Trent University. During his 11 years of experience working in banking and financial services, he gained experience in a wide range of investments. He was part of a team that coordinated the investments of approximately 50 financial institutions (insurance companies) in a large part of Central and Eastern Europe. He was a member of groups deciding on the financial positioning and future investment strategy of these financial institutions. Subsequently, he gained broad experience while working for a single Czech reinsurance company, where he worked directly for the Board of Directors. Among other things, he was responsible for the complete outsourcing of activities, communication and reporting to regulatory authorities and the implementation of the Solvency II regulation. For several years he has been working as an advisor and consultant for investments and divisions of Czech managed funds and has been involved in the entire process of investment decision-making, execution and subsequent administration and reporting.

Tomas Demo

Highgate Group

Tomáš Demo is the co-founder of Highgate Group, a consulting group providing comprehensive legal, tax and accounting advice under one roof. Prior to founding Highgate Group, he worked as an associate in the Bratislava office of the international law firm Allen & Overy, where he focused on cross-border M&A transactions and corporate law. Tomas is a specialist advisor on M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions and corporate acquisition structures. Among other things, Tomáš led the advisory team of Highgate Group in the establishment of the first European Venture Capital Fund (EuVECA) in the V4 countries and advised on the establishment of several Slovak AIF funds focused on venture capital and real estate investments.

Milan Gedeon

Highgate Group

Milan is a graduate of the Faculty of Economic Informatics at the University of Economics in Bratislava. During his work experience he worked as an independent accountant at TPA TAX and also as the head of the International Cooperation and Standards Department at the Office for Audit Supervision, which gave him a lot of experience in the field of accounting and auditing. Milan has been with CARPATHIAN since 2021 and is mainly engaged in accounting advisory services for funds and mid-sized clients. In addition, he is engaged in teaching and research activities at the Department of Accounting and Auditing, where he works as an assistant professor.

Roman Branec

Highgate Group

Roman Baranec is an associate at Highgate Law & Tax. Previously, he worked for 6 years as a lawyer for the international property development group HB Reavis, where he was primarily involved in M&A transactions, legal advice to the investment management arm of the group and financing of the group through bond issues on the Bratislava and Prague stock exchanges. Roman's current focus is on financial regulation and capital markets, with an emphasis on advising on the establishment and operation of investment funds and bond financing. Roman also advises clients doing business in the cryptocurrency space on the overlap of their activities into financial regulation.

Marek Joch

Marek Joch graduated from the Faculty of Law of Charles University, majoring in law and legal science and the Faculty of Finance and Accounting of the University of Economics in Prague, majoring in finance. Marek is a member of the Czech Bar Association. Marek is a partner of STRNAD JOCH LOKAJÍČEK advokáti s.r.o. Marek specializes in M&A, transaction structuring, commercial law, securities law, banking and insurance law, financial and capital markets law, energy law and competition law. In the area of capital markets law Marek advises Czech and foreign commercial and investment banks and companies. In the past, Marek has also advised, for example, the Czech National Bank (CNB), and acted as lead lawyer in the largest ever bond issue in Central Europe for Energetický a Průmyslový Holding a.s. (EPH).