Statement of Law Firm soukeník - štrpka: Dispute Prevention Is the Best Protection for Investments

“We are not so wealthy that we can afford to economise on high-quality preparation and high-quality lawyers. Every euro invested in legal certainty yields manifold returns—in litigation costs avoided, deadlines not missed, and projects protected.”

Peter Štrpka, partner of soukeník — štrpka

Legal Certainty as a Means of Preventing the Most Costly Disputes

Law firm soukeník — štrpka s. r. o., as a reputable Slovak law firm with the largest number of lawyers (currently 67), has long provided legal support in strategic investment projects in the areas of:

• transport
• the environment
• energy
• healthcare
• public investment

Our experience from dozens of major projects—from the successful representation of the state in connection with the takeover of the Gabčíkovo Hydroelectric Power Plant and in the dispute with Interblue, through the resolution of legal issues relating to the construction of motorway sections such as D4/R7, the Ružomberok bypass and the Višňové tunnel, together with the related arbitration proceedings, to the project for the construction of the new university hospital in Martin—confirms that the most costly dispute is the one that could have been prevented.

Projects Financed from the Recovery Plan and European Funds

In projects financed from the Recovery Plan or European funds, legal certainty is absolutely essential. Any inadequately prepared contractual relationship, ambiguously structured process, or missing legal opinion may result in:

1. project delays,
2. suspension of funding disbursement,
3. judicial disputes, the consequences of which far exceed the costs of legal prevention.

In our work, we focus on risk prevention, precise contractual structuring and the ongoing resolution of legal issues, so that projects may proceed in compliance with the law and with the maximum legal protection for the investor—including the state and public institutions.

Transparency and Verifiability of the Services Provided

We consider it important to emphasise that the scope of the legal services provided by us always corresponds to the work actually performed for the client. Our activities are demonstrably substantiated by records of the services rendered and are carried out in compliance with the Act on Advocacy and the contractually agreed terms and conditions.

Position on Unsubstantiated Allegations

In this context, in relation to our law firm, we firmly reject any unsubstantiated speculative allegations concerning “overpriced” or “fictitious” legal services made by Martina Antošová, former head of the project team for the new hospital in Martin, in the article:

“Martin Hospital Paid a Quarter of a Million for Lawyers in Nine Months. They Advise on a Construction Project Which, According to Šaško, Has No Complications”

(Denník N, 10 October 2025)

Such untrue interpretations interfere with the good reputation of our law firm and fail to reflect the reality of legal work on projects of such complexity, which require daily coordination with multiple entities, supervisory authorities, and European institutions.

At the same time, they may in the eyes of the public perpetuate the myth of lawyers as “parasites” or an “unnecessary expense”, which ultimately harms the professional reputation of the legal profession as a whole and makes the high-quality management of projects more difficult.

Legal Support Is Not a Cost, but an Investment

Our role is not to increase project costs, but to reduce risks, protect public finances and ensure that strategic projects are implemented on time, lawfully and with a minimum of disputes.

At a time when Slovakia is facing the consolidation of public finances while at the same time implementing projects involving a high degree of responsibility towards the European Union, it is all the more important to perceive legal support not as a cost, but as an investment in stability, predictability and transparency.

In our view, a lawyer should not be a firefighter who arrives when the fire has already broken out. Rather, they should be the architect of the project’s legal certainty from the very outset.