The Most Influential Legal Executives in Hungary 2025
Published in 2025 • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Robin Marshall • EDITOR: Levente Hörömpöli-Tóth • CONTRIBUTORS: Mihály Kovács, Csilla Lengyel • LISTS: BBJ Research (research@bbj.hu) • NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES: Should be submitted in English to news@bbj.hu • LAYOUT: Zsolt Pataki • COVER IMAGE: CELTSTUDIO / S hutterstock.com • PUBLISHER: Tamás Botka, Business Publishing Services Kft. • Address: Madách Trade Center, 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 13-14. • Telephone +36 (1) 398-0344 • ADVERTISING: AMS Services Kft. •
Foreword
We are living in turbulent times, and that reality is much reflected in the everyday operation of law firms. The Budapest Business Journal ’s 2025 Edition of Top Legal Executives focuses on the very forces that are at play, and it features select representatives of the local lawyer community to share key insights on the matters that keep stakeholders up at night. Take artificial intelligence that disrupts Legal just like any other walk of life. The EU’s AI Act is a major response to that dramatic transformation, and while it remains to be seen whether it will become the word of the year, it is certain that this is not just about banned practices like facial recognition or surveillance. The AI Act is rather a fundamental shift in how AI is governed in Europe and for all companies doing AI business on the European market.
Its stringent provisions also put more pressure on law firms. They must advise their clientele on compliance and take their practice to the next level by embracing AI-powered solutions. Experimenting with solutions is not only highly recommended; it looks like the only viable option.
Apart from machines, humans remain crucial for the future of law firms; therefore, it is of utmost importance how they can draw and retain talent. Nowadays a strong marketing campaign alone just won’t cut it. What matters more is to assess the needs of the younger generation and provide them with continuous feedback to nurture personal
development. This requires senior leaders to start acting in every situation like a role model to follow − a 24/7 gig.
As far as market trends are concerned, opinions differ to what extent further consolidation is to be expected and what market share boutique firms can carve out for themselves. All in all, as one of the attorneys featuring this publication put it, the “best-positioned firms—big or small—will be those that adopt technology thoughtfully, maintain a clear strategic focus, and continue investing in high-caliber talent capable of offering nuanced, business-focused legal guidance”.
The uncertainty caused by decree-driven legislation is another phenomenon that largely impacts attorneys. Under such circumstances they have no choice but to represent their clients’ interest to the best of their knowledge and find the best solutions for them against the backdrop of unpredictability.
In such challenging times institutions such as the Budapest Bar Association play a bigger role than ever as they stand for continuity, trust and a solid point of reference. An in-depth exclusive interview with its general secretary reveals further details on the state-of-play of the local lawyer’s community on occasion of the Bar’s 150th anniversary. Happy reading!
Levente Hörömpöli-Tóth Editor, Budapest Business Journal
EU AI Act: Prepare you Must and the Time to act is Now
Whether or not “AI Act” will be the word of the year remains yet to be seen. But what’s certain is that compliance with the European Union’s AI Act is becoming a pressing matter for businesses, and many would be actually surprised that their activities fall in the category of banned or high-level risk practices. Hiring an AI chief officer per se won’t cut it, though. Multidisciplinary expertise will be required to avoid eventual hefty fines. EY’s top-notch experts shared key insights on to what extent supply chains are subject to compliance, what European enterprises have to gain from it, and why ensuring AI literacy is not like fire hazard education.
By Levente Hörömpöli-Tóth
It wasn’t that long ago when the GDPR buzz kept CEOs up at night. Following the craze over complying with data protection rules, a similar landmark piece of European legislation is bound to be on the mind of business executives, given the fact that the first important deadline of the AI Act has already passed. Companies were obliged to take inventory of all of their AI tools that are classified as banned practices as well as introduce allstaff AI Literacy trainings before February 2. This is just phase 1, though, of a lot longer process stakeholders are looking at on the road to full AI compliance.
According to EY’s chief AI expert and president of the PHI Institute George Tilesch, the AI Act is more than just another regulatory requirement. "If you agree with me on this very radical statement that pretty soon all technology will be AI technology, then you will understand the significance of this piece of legislation and all other regulations that will hopefully be emerging," he states, stressing that businesses need to recognize the AI regulation as an integral part of their operational and strategic planning.
Accordingly, he is pretty certain that the AI Act has a good chance to make the word of the year. EY’s lead AI Confidence partner Erik Slooten agrees that the current “hype” should propel the regulation to the top of the charts of most used expressions.
CAN FINES WAIT?
The fine table would make any Singaporean lawmaker pale given the city state is famous for its draconian penalties. Banned and high-risk AI systems carry potential fines of EUR 35 million and EUR 15 million, or 7% or 3% of global turnover, respectively – amounts definitely worth some effort.
On the other hand, at this point it is hard to tell how harshly authorities will crack down. "We saw it with GDPR – once banks and telecoms started receiving audit notices and financial threats, the industry scrambled to comply. We expect a similar trajectory with the AI Act," Slooten adds.
A Legacy of Trust: How the Budapest Bar Association Upholds Legal Excellence
It still feels a bit like visiting a construction site, but there are also telling signs that the stage is set for inauguration due in a few days. The newly renovated headquarters of the Budapest Bar Association combines majestic and modern. Auditorium, cigar and community room, open air café area and a cozy library – they all have their place. “The same concept exists in Barcelona to have paintings of previous bar presidents,” general secretary Balázs Gyalog adds during our short tour, pointing to the pieces of artwork depicting the historical Hungarian legal figures. Grandiose works, large-scale plans – in line with a legacy of 150 years. The BBJ was eager to dig deeper on this great occasion.
The Budapest Bar Association celebrates its 150th anniversary by remodeling its headquarters.
AI Adoption in Legal: The Time is now to Jump on the AI Bandwagon
“Were you considering using Copilot for the interview?”, Dóra Petrányi asks before we get started. Now that she mentions, it sounds nice to have the detailed transcript Teams offers of the conversation. Although the in-app speech-to-text function is far from accurate in Hungarian, it serves the purpose: it is good enough for it to list key insights which facilitates structuring the piece (but in my view lacks the sparks that make it flow). All that showcases the current strengths and weaknesses of AI, and we picked the brain of CMS’s CEE Managing Director and Global Co-Head of the TMC Sector Group to find out what those key aspects of the tech look like in the legal environment.
Talent Management in Legal: Reset to Permanent Appeal Mode
In a rapidly evolving legal landscape, attracting and retaining top talent is one of the most pressing challenges for international law firms. As competition intensifies not just locally but on a global scale, firms must rethink their traditional talent strategies. People development expert and knowledge professional of DLA Piper, Gábor Papp shares his perspectives on the shifting expectations of young legal professionals in Hungary, the role of next-level mentorship, the growing importance of business acumen and the ultimate need for continuous adaptation.
