EnglishSlovenia

+386 (0) 8 20 59 630

tajnistvo@cukrov.eu

Law firm Cukrov

Tivolska cesta 48, 1000 Ljubljana

Co-authors of the Chambers Global Practice Guides 2026.
In 2025 alone, we achieved four landmark victories at the Constitutional Court of Slovenia.

News

Law Firm Cukrov Contributes to the Chambers Global Practice Guide – International Arbitration 2026

Read the full chapter here ➡️ Chambers Global Practice Guides 2026 – International Arbitration: Slovenia, Trends and Developments

We are proud to announce that Law Firm Cukrov is the exclusive contributor for Slovenia to the Chambers Global Practice Guide – International Arbitration 2026, authored by Vesna Cukrov and Veronika Cukrov.

In the Trends and Developments chapter, we examine where Slovenian arbitration practice is heading: the growing role of arbitration in high-value commercial disputes, particularly in the energy, construction and investment sectors, the interplay between domestic institutional arbitration and investment treaty proceedings, and the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards under the New York Convention.

For international clients and their counsel, the guide offers a practical roadmap to arbitrating in and with Slovenia. If your contracts, joint ventures or infrastructure projects touch this jurisdiction, our team advises on arbitration clauses, represents parties before arbitral tribunals and handles recognition and enforcement of awards before Slovenian courts.

Thank you to Chambers for the trust on the matter!

Chambers Global Practice Guide – International Arbitration 2026, Trends and Developments: Vesna Cukrov and Veronika Cukrov

Veronika Cukrov Named AI Expert of the Year in Slovenia & the EU

At a time when companies across Europe are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence, regulation is becoming one of the most critical business priorities.

This underscores the significance of the accolade presented to Veronika Cukrov at the Leaders in Law Global Awards 2026. She has been named AI Expert of the Year in Slovenia & the EU for her outstanding work in implementing European artificial intelligence regulations.

“The greatest risk today is not that a company doesn’t use AI. The risk is using it without rules, oversight, and clear accountability,” emphasizes Veronika Cukrov.

This issue is becoming increasingly critical with the enforcement of the EU AI Act, Europe’s first comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence. While certain obligations are already in effect, a substantial portion of the requirements for high-risk AI systems will become mandatory on August 2, 2026. Non-compliance carries severe penalties, with fines reaching up to €35 million or 7% of a company’s global annual turnover.

According to Veronika Cukrov, the most successful organizations in the long run will be those that deploy AI responsibly—backed by clear internal policies, proper oversight, and strict regulatory compliance.

This award recognizes her years of expertise in AI law, European regulation, data protection, and technology risk management, as well as her vital contribution to shaping responsible AI practices within the business sector.

Veronika Cukrov – AI Expert of the Year in Slovenia & the EU, Leaders in Law Global Awards 2026

Participation at the 2nd Conference on Public Procurement in Practice: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Public Procurement

At the recent 2nd Conference on Public Procurement in Practice, organized by Tax-Fin-Lex and held on May 11 and 12, 2026, in Portorož, our law firm actively participated with a specialized presentation. In the lecture titled Artificial Intelligence in Public Procurement: Where We Are Today and Where We Are Going, we addressed a highly topical and pressing issue that is rapidly reshaping the modern legal and business environment. The integration of advanced technologies poses numerous complex questions, which we already deal with extensively and in depth within our daily legal practice, ensuring our clients receive expert guidance through all contemporary challenges in the field of public procurement.

YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED TO A NEW, ENTIRELY PRACTICAL MODULAR WORKSHOP SERIES: How to successfully win public tenders as a supplier — domestic and EU calls (through practical examples) 🇪🇺📈🚀

The workshops will take place on April 14 and 15 online. Registration is available via the link provided: https://lnkd.in/dfUXq58d

At the training, participants will receive concrete guidance on how suppliers can minimize risks and protect themselves as much as possible against potential accusations of violations, and secure the best possible chances of winning a tender.

The content will be supported by practical examples drawn from the extensive experience of lecturers Vesna Cukrov and Veronika Cukrov from the Cukrov Law Firm, which will help clarify the most common questions and dilemmas suppliers encounter when preparing bids.

Workshop topic — April 14, 2026, 9:00 to 12:00

  • How to successfully apply for tenders (from start to finish)?
  • How to avoid risks for suppliers (disqualification, accusations of violations under the ZJN-3 Public Procurement Act)?
  • Training based on practical examples in collaboration with participants

Workshop topic — April 15, 2026, 9:00 to 12:00

At the second workshop, you will learn how to apply most effectively for EU tenders, what to pay particular attention to, which documents to submit, which conditions must be met, and how to avoid accusations of fraud — all through practical examples.

In Slovenia, the Criminal Code includes a specific criminal offence of fraud against the European Union. If this offence is committed, it carries a prison sentence of up to three years, and in cases where a large financial gain is obtained or significant financial damage is caused, imprisonment of up to eight years.

This workshop builds on the knowledge gained the previous day and offers a broader, European perspective on proper conduct when applying for and implementing projects.

  • How to successfully apply for an EU funding call?
  • How to avoid the risk of accusations of fraud against EU funds?
  • Training based on practical examples in collaboration with participants

You are warmly welcome! Thank you to the organiser, Forum Media Slovenija!

A Year of Victories, Achievements and Professional Excellence – The Truth About the Legal Profession That Films Don’t Show

In 2025, we as a law firm achieved a great deal:

  • four victories before the Constitutional Court in the field of real estate,
  • several wins in multimillion-euro compensation disputes,
  • victories before the National Review Commission for Public Procurement,
  • and successes that cannot be measured solely by court decisions.

The legal profession is not a contest of strength. Victories are won by the mind.
A mind that sees wider.
A mind that stays calm when everyone else doubts.
A mind that protects, guides, and never gives up.

I am proud of our team — not only for the results, but also because with unseen dedication they carry the weight of other people’s stories and turn them into solutions.
And I am grateful to our clients for their trust, for sharing their hardest moments with us.

The year 2025 proved that the greatest battles are not won loudly.
They are won with the mind, with heart and with unwavering persistence.

As we enter 2026, we do so with a clear goal: to continue delivering results that speak for themselves.

Vesna Cukrov, attorney and director of Cukrov Law Firm

Vesna Cukrov, Law Firm Cukrov

Veronika Cukrov, Law Firm Cukrov

 

 

CUKROV ACADEMY – LEARN. GROW. LEAD.

𝐋𝐀𝐖 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌 𝐂𝐔𝐊𝐑𝐎𝐕

Multiple-time winner before the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia and in the most complex commercial disputes. With personal experience from supervisory boards, chairing the National Review Commission, managing companies, acting as a court expert, and other key functions – opens doors to the selected within the CUKROV ACADEMY.

𝐖𝐇𝐘?

✅ 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒.

✅ 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌𝐒, 𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒.

𝐂𝐔𝐊𝐑𝐎𝐕 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐘
An exclusive, personalized knowledge platform for leaders seeking strategic protection and sustainable competitive advantage.

👩‍💼 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒, who want to grow faster, lead braver, and win smarter.

👨‍💼 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 who lead or prepare leadership teams for new strategic roles.

𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇:

Our investment in your knowledge is not generic seminars.

These are strategic programs designed exclusively to fit:

⮕ you,
⮕ your company,
⮕ your strategy (which we can also co-develop with you).

🔗 More about CUKROV ACADEMY: https://lnkd.in/e4TmUr9z

#CukrovLawFirm
#CukrovAcademy
#Business

Today, August 11, at Cukrov Law Firm we celebrate the birthday of our founder and managing partner, attorney Vesna Cukrov

Vesna Cukrov guides her practice and leadership of the law firm through the core principles of loyalty, precision, and professional perseverance, firmly believing that close attention to detail and dedicated advocacy are what shape legal outcomes and build lasting trust. This commitment to exceptional standards and results drives her approach both in courtrooms and at the negotiating table, where success is never a matter of chance, but the direct result of hard work and expertise.

Furthermore, August 11th serves as an important historical reminder, marking exactly 80 years since Slovenian women gained the right to vote. This milestone remains a lasting testament to the importance of courage and equality, values that we actively uphold and champion every day, both in society and within the legal profession.

The Team of Cukrov Law Firm

#VesnaCukrov #Vesna #Cukrov

FOUR GROUNDBREAKING VICTORIES AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT! 🏛️

With immense pride, we announce that the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia has sided with the Law Firm Cukrov and annulled the provisions of spatial plans that unlawfully changed the designated use of land from building to agricultural.

With this decision, on behalf of SDH, d.d., Mercator, d.o.o., Rovanova, d.o.o., and Roltek, d.o.o., we have secured the protection of legal certainty, proportionality, and private property, as the municipality had altered land use without an adequate professional basis.

📽️ Watch the video in which Vesna Cukrov, founder of the Law Firm Cukrov, court expert in law, and former president of the National Review Commission, explains the significance of these decisions and their impact on future cases!

European Commission Launches Infringement Procedure Against Slovenia Over Amendments to the Pharmacy Services Act

The European Commission has initiated an infringement procedure against the Republic of Slovenia under case number INFR(2025)4011. The procedure concerns the alleged non-compliance of provisions in the Pharmacy Services Act with Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement.

The amendments to the Pharmacy Services Act reportedly allow public pharmacy institutions to procure medicines without using public procurement procedures. The European Commission considers such regulation a breach of fundamental EU law principles, particularly the principles of transparency, competition, and efficiency in the use of public funds.

As part of the initiated procedure, Slovenia has received a formal notice and must respond within two months. If the Commission is not satisfied with the response, it may issue a reasoned opinion as the next step in the preliminary procedure before a potential lawsuit before the Court of Justice of the EU.

CHARITY EVENT “KRESNA NOČ”

Yesterday, we attended the charity event organized by the Lions Club Ljubljana Ilirija at Križanke as donors. Once again this year, the event was carried out with great dedication and warmth, under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar, who emphasized the importance of human connection and helping those in greatest need.

This year’s focus was on the mental distress of young people – an increasingly pressing issue that is still too often overlooked.

Sincere thanks to the Lions Club Ljubljana Ilirija for your annual efforts and for your continued commitment to bringing people together and helping others.

 

 

EnglishSlovenia

Constitutional law

Here, more is decided than the individual case. The ruling sets the standard by which all later cases will be judged.

We represent clients in precedent-setting constitutional matters that influence the development of the standards of legal judgment.

This is a field of rare cases with the widest reach, where a decision extends beyond the client and shapes the law going forward.

In 2025, the Constitutional Court published four landmark decisions in our clients' favour, finding municipal spatial plans unconstitutional and significantly strengthening the protection of private property against arbitrary interference by municipalities and the state, in the cases of SDH (U-I-265/22), Mercator (U-I-218/22), Roltek (U-I-268/22) and Rovanova (U-I-269/22).

Four decisions in a single year – at the highest level of judicial review.

EU law

More and more of the rules that matter to Slovenian companies are made not in Ljubljana, but in Brussels and Luxembourg. And we know how to act there.

We advise and represent clients in matters with an EU-law dimension, from the interpretation of directives and regulations to proceedings before the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

For us, European law is not a distant framework but the working environment in which we actually operate.

The field is led by Veronika Cukrov, who pursued further studies in European law at the Academy of European Law (ERA) and, as part of a wider team, took part in an action before the Court of Justice of the EU.

An understanding of EU law connects all our practice areas, from public procurement and competition to artificial intelligence.

Regulation and the Competition Protection Agency (AVK)

The market has its own rules and its own guardian. Those who understand both are never caught off guard when it matters most.

We conduct regulatory proceedings across various fields and advise on competition law and on matters with an impact on the market, including allegations of cartel conduct and questions of exposure to competition.

Our track record speaks for itself.

In the matter of alleged cartel conduct in the construction of UKC Maribor, we secured the annulment of the AVK's decision before the Administrative Court, after which the Agency discontinued the proceedings.

For Slovenske železnice – Tovorni promet we successfully conducted a procedure in which the AVK found that rail freight transport in Slovenia is directly exposed to competition.

We pursued the matter all the way to the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the EU.

Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the most heavily regulated systems in the country, and one in which legal decisions have a direct impact on people.

We address systemic questions of healthcare, regulation and the organisation of health services, including relations with the sector's regulators and agencies.

We work on matters involving the sector's key regulators, including JAZMP, the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices.

We understand healthcare as a system, not as a series of separate cases.

Energy

Energy is not merely an industry. It is critical infrastructure on which the functioning of the state depends.

We advise on regulation, energy systems and critical infrastructure, where legal questions intertwine with the public interest, security of supply and long-term investment cycles.

We know the sector from the inside: Vesna Cukrov served on the supervisory board of Holding Slovenske elektrarne, one of the largest companies in the country – as a member, deputy chair and chair.

Veronika Cukrov is also a PhD candidate in energy law.

We do not advise the energy sector from the outside, but with an understanding of how such a system actually works and makes decisions.

Vesna Cukrov, public procurement lawyer and former President of the National Review Commission (DKOM)

Infrastructure and investment

Projects of national importance leave no room for improvisation. Every mistake costs years and millions.

We specialise in infrastructure, investment delivery and construction, acting for both contracting authorities and bidders.

We advise contracting authorities at every stage of investment preparation: from land acquisition, building permits and project documentation to contract drafting, with one aim: to prevent disputes before they arise.

We help bidders win contracts, prepare and review contracts, and protect their interests.

Where a dispute cannot be prevented, we represent clients in court proceedings and in claims for damages.

We have been involved in most major infrastructure investments in Slovenia, including projects of national importance on the largest scale.

These are environments where law, economics and the public interest are interwoven.

Advising supervisory and management boards

Decisions at the top cannot be undone.

We provide management and supervisory boards with dedicated strategic legal advice on decisions involving significant responsibility and long-term consequences for the company.

We understand board members' responsibility, risk assessment and the weight of a resolution from first-hand experience, not only from the law that governs them.

This field is led by Vesna Cukrov, who served a full term on the supervisory board of Holding Slovenske elektrarne – as a member, deputy chair and chair – and who holds a certificate of qualification for members of management and supervisory boards.

The advice you receive comes from someone who has sat in that chair, not from theory.

Vesna Cukrov, public procurement lawyer and former President of the National Review Commission (DKOM)

AI and European regulation

Artificial intelligence does not wait for the law to catch up. We anticipate where the law is heading.

We lay the legal foundations for the responsible and compliant adoption of artificial intelligence within the framework of European regulation, from risk assessment and AI governance to the implementation of the AI Act in everyday business practice.

The field is led by Veronika Cukrov, recognised by Leaders in Law in 2026 as AI Expert of the Year in Slovenia & the EU, for her work at exactly this intersection of artificial intelligence, its governance and European regulation.

She speaks regularly on these questions at home and across Europe, in the forums where European law is still being shaped.

We do not just help clients comply with yesterday’s rules. We show them where regulation is heading.

Veronika Cukrov, public procurement and artificial intelligence (AI) legal expert, Law Firm Cukrov
AI Expert of the Year in Slovenia & the EU

National Review Commission (DKOM), public procurement and concessions

Public procurement is a discipline in which every detail can be decisive, and successful representation in minor-offence proceedings calls for highly specialised expertise.

Vesna Cukrov chaired the National Review Commission, is the co-author of the commentary on the Public Procurement Act (ZJN-3), published in 2016 by Tax-Fin-Lex, and is a court-appointed expert in law and public procurement.

For this field, Odvetniška družba Cukrov received recognition from the international organisation Leaders in Law in 2021 and 2025: "Global Awards winner" and "Public Procurement Expert of the Year in Slovenia".

We represent both bidders and contracting authorities at every stage of public procurement and concession-award procedures: in preparing tender documentation and bids, in negotiations and the conclusion of contracts, in requests for review and legal opinions in complex cases, and in proceedings before the National Review Commission.

We are particularly successful in minor-offence proceedings in this field and in defending against allegations of criminal fraud affecting the EU's financial interests.

We do not just read the commentaries on public procurement law. We helped write them.

Vesna Cukrov, public procurement lawyer and former President of the National Review Commission (DKOM)