Key experts
Filip Drnec
executive director
He oversees the firm’s strategic development and, alongside the equity partners, leads a team of over 120 lawyers and several dozen professionals from related fields.
He has served as executive director since 2018. He specialises primarily in European law, with a particular focus on the European legislative process, and is a registered lobbyist in the EU Transparency Register.
“We help open the door to Europe for our clients.”
Filip Drnec
While enrolled at the Faculty of Law at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň, he undertook a placement in Brussels that deepened his interest in European affairs and EU legislation. Alongside his role at Portos, he has long been involved in projects centred on EU law, policy, and public affairs.
As executive director of Portos, he initiated the creation of the Lawyers’ AI Association, an open platform dedicated to developing the responsible use of AI and machine learning within legal practice and beyond.
Topic
Europe with PORTOS
In the Czech Republic, lobbying is often viewed with suspicion. Yet within EU structures, it is a legitimate practice that enables companies to advocate for their interests in the legislative process. It is a practical tool that allows businesses to articulate their needs and draw attention to the risks they face.
Filip Drnec
topic lead
Brussels is home to tens of thousands of officials with expertise across a wide range of specialised areas. For their decisions to reflect the realities of the business world, they must engage with real-world practice. Lobbying ensures this connection and gives companies a say in the creation of legislation.
Filip Drnec
We support our clients in these efforts. Through our partnership with consultancies with long-standing experience of European funding and public affairs, our clients gain access to up-to-date information and insight into legislative developments still being discussed behind closed doors. This is particularly important in relation to major European initiatives such as the Green Deal.
While large industrial enterprises typically have the resources and capacity to adapt to regulatory change, SMEs may struggle to respond effectively. That is why it remains essential for their voice to be heard in Brussels.
Some of these small and medium-sized businesses once maintained their own offices in the Belgian capital, but in recent years many have since scaled back due to the high costs involved. The benefits of lobbying, however, remain widely recognised, as reflected in the growing number of lobbyists registered in the EU Transparency Register, established in 2012. A report by the European Court of Auditors from May 2024 indicates that the number of registered lobbyists has risen from 5,500 to approximately 12,500 over the past decade.