New international partner at Baker McKenzie

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 30. 11:29

Baker McKenzie has appointed Benedek Kovács, Head of the Real Estate and Investment Projects Practice in the Budapest office, as an international partner effective July 1, 2025. At the same time, Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi will continue his career as senior counsel, and the law firm will be renamed Fehérváry Horányi Kovács Baker & McKenzie Law Firm.

Benedek Kovács is a real estate law specialist who represents his clients in all areas of the real estate sector. He also has outstanding experience in legal support for greenfield investments and in the implementation of brownfield investments. His expertise extends to the coordination of large-scale real estate development projects, legal support for industrial and related foreign direct investment, construction and licensing, and negotiation of office leases and other commercial lease agreements.

His broad experience ranges from logistics centers to hotel and office building developments, retail and shopping mall projects, and industrial and manufacturing plant investments.

Benedek Kovács joined Baker McKenzie’s Budapest office in 2004 as a trainee lawyer. He worked as a lawyer from 2006, as a local partner from 2010, and as the head of the real estate and investment projects practice from 2016.

“Benedek is not only a recognized expert and an excellent lawyer, but also a colleague who inspires those around him with his personality and professional approach. His appointment as an international partner is clear proof that Baker McKenzie offers truly exceptional career opportunities for young talents,”

emphasized Ákos Fehérváry, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie’s Budapest office.

As part of the organizational changes, Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi will continue his career in the competition law practice as a senior counsel. Zoltán has been a key figure at Baker McKenzie for over three decades: he started as a trainee lawyer in 1994, became an international partner in 2001, and then managed the firm’s domestic operations as head of the firm between 2013 and 2022.

Zoltán Hegymegi-Barakonyi remains an indispensable pillar of the competition law group, serving his clients with unwavering professional commitment. Márton Horányi took over the operational management of the practice last year, with whom Zoltán continues to work in close professional collaboration – this partnership ensures a smooth transition between generations.