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Ivan S. Males

Counsel
Ivan Males' stand-out characteristics are excellent knowledge and the ability to recommend solutions that were not immediately obvious.
— Client, Legal 500 2025
Vienna
About

Ivan is a finance and projects lawyer with a strong focus on financing transactions and the infrastructure sector. He has deep experience advising on cross-border corporate and M&A matters, particularly in Central and Southeast Europe (CEE/SEE).

He regularly represents borrowers, sponsors, and lenders in a broad range of banking, project finance, and debt restructuring transactions. His practice spans corporate and commercial law, regulatory compliance, and complex cross-border structuring.

Qualified in Austria, Croatia, and England & Wales, Ivan brings a multi-jurisdictional perspective to complex international matters. His international education and diverse legal background allow him to bridge legal systems and deliver commercially attuned advice across varied regulatory environments.

He frequently advises international clients on banking and financial regulation, with a special focus on compliance frameworks and risk management.

Ivan is also an LMA-certified practitioner.

Areas of FocusFinanceCorporateRestructuringReal EstateRegulatory and Government AffairsLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsEnergy and Natural ResourcesFinancial ServicesIndustrialsInsuranceLife SciencesTechnology
Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and WalesOdvjetnik / Niedergelassener europäischer Rechtsanwalt registered with Rechtsanwaltskammer WienOdvjetnik registered with Hrvatska odvjetnička komora (Croatian Bar Association)

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising international institutions on several infrastructure projects, notably in the airport sector, including on-going advice regarding concession and PPP tender procedures. Such work included in-depth due diligence procedures, transaction structuring advice, drafting of the transactional documentation and overall legal support to the client up until the closing.
  • Advising a French multinational automobile manufacturer on the sale of the whole retail network in the SEE region. Advice included an in-depth due diligence phase as well as drafting of the corporate and transactional documentation.
  • Advising a Belgian buyer on an acquisition of leading SEE company providing services in an international port.
  • Advice to major construction companies, global energetic and transportation conglomerate and other corporations on cross-border M&A transactions, corporate reorganizations and establishing a presence specifically in the countries of the CEE region.
  • Advising various European funds on financing projects in the energy sector, including performing in-depth due diligence of several projects, drafting of the transactional documentation and creation/registration of the securities.
  • Advising various major international banks, sovereign lenders and other financial institutions on LMA based loan facility agreements regarding cross-border financing together with drafting the accompanying collateral package and the legal opinions.
  • Advising private corporations and governmental entities with regard to proceedings before various international commercial arbitration tribunals.
  • Continuously advising numerous international corporations on a vast range of data privacy, cyber security, satellite networks and other regulatory matters in CEE.
Languages
  • Croatian
  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • German

Awards

  • Clients state that "Ivan Males' stand-out characteristics are excellent knowledge and the ability to recommend solutions that were not immediately obvious" Legal 500, 2025
  • Recommended for Projects and Energy as well as Real Estate, Legal 500 EMEA, 2025
  • Recommended for Projects and Energy as well as Real Estate, Legal 500 EMEA, 2024
  • Ivan's work was recognised by his clients, describing him as “hardworking and eager” and he was ranked as tier one for commercial, corporate and M&A in 2018 and 2019 in Croatia by Legal 500 EMEA.
Education
  • Université Paris Descartes, Masters of Law, 2012
  • University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Mag.iur., 2012

Prior Experience

Before cooperation with DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach, Ivan worked in several of the top-tier law firms in Croatia with a focus on cross-border transactions.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

  • LMA Certification- Loan Market Association, 2024

Memberships

  • Law Society of England and Wales
  • The Loan Market Association
  • Croatian Bar Association
  • Vienna Bar Association
  • Europäischer Rechtsanwalt (European attorney-at-law) registered with Rechtsanwaltskammer Wien

My latest insights

News

DLA Piper advises IFC and Government of Iraq on Baghdad International Airport's landmark...

18 November 2025

News

DLA Piper wins "Wirtschaft hilft-Award 2025" for Outstanding Pro Bono Work

4 June 2025 .3 minute read

Publication

Application of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA): Key considerations

28 February 2025 .12 minute read

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Phone

+43 1 531 78 1925
(Work, Vienna)