We bring you a Lawyers & Business article about the annual report of our law firm, which we have just published.
The law firm Císař, Češka, Smutný has published its Annual Report on the Practice of Law, just as it did last year. At this time, the report is available exclusively to Lawyers & Business. It reflects on a challenging yet remarkably successful year for the firm in 2020. In terms of transparency, the nearly 30-year-old firm stands out among Czech legal practices—revealing not only its revenues but also the sectoral breakdown of its clients and several key mandates. The report also highlights the firm’s pro bono activities, such as its work with the Bohemian Heritage Fund, which supports the uniqueness of Czech culture—something reflected in the report’s impressive and visually striking design.
According to the report, the firm’s estimated revenue last year reached CZK 239 million—its highest in history, surpassing the CZK 200 million it achieved in its previous best year, 2018.
In 2020, the firm worked for clients such as Správa železnic (Railway Infrastructure Administration), Škoda Auto, ČEZ Group, Apag, Ermewa, the National Museum, the Ostrava Concert Hall project, DIAMO, and the General Financial Directorate.
“In 2020, we dedicated nearly 95,000 hours to our clients and handled almost 500 cases. In litigation, our success rate consistently hovers around 90%, which is not only great for our clients but also for justice as a whole. A significant portion of our work involved helping clients execute strategic projects or successfully navigate public tenders worth tens of billions of crowns. Through these projects, we grew together with our clients,”
says Petr Michal, one of the firm’s three partners, in the report.
Michal also wrote the foreword—an indication of the firm’s generational shift, ongoing in a company known for offering rapid career growth. With a team of over 80 professionals, the firm continued to grow despite the pandemic and its associated challenges.
“Even the greatest crises always bring something good. The year 2020 showed how important it is to be creative. We didn’t hesitate for a moment. We were flexible and adapted to new circumstances. We found new paths—for ourselves and our clients—to walk,”
notes Jaromír Císař.
“There’s no point in clinging to the idea of returning to pre-COVID times. Let’s accept that the world has changed dramatically—and find our new place in it. That’s the only way to succeed,”
adds Pavel Smutný.
Last year, 48% of the firm’s work was for private sector clients, 28% for corporations with public ownership, and 24% for the public sector. In total, the firm served 85 clients, devoting the most time to those in rail, bus, air, and water transport, followed by infrastructure.
Based on its allocation of workforce, the firm is also strong in IT and cybersecurity, energy, banking, trust funds, automotive, real estate and development projects, insurance, and municipal law.
Text by Jan Januš, Lawyersandbusiness.cz, March 4, 2021
