Alex Cook is an experienced corporate, private equity and joint venture lawyer with a particular focus on M&A across a range of sectors (including energy and infrastructure, TMT, pharmaceutical and financial institutions). He is the Managing Partner in Prague as well as being the head of the CEE corporate practice.
After over 20 years based in CEE, Alex has acted on transactions in most jurisdictions in the CEE/SEE region. He is highly regarded for his English law expertise on cross-border transactions.
- Citibank on the structuring and sale of its retail banking and credit card businesses in the Czech Republic to Raiffeisenbank
- Telefónica S.A. on the nearly EUR€2.5 billion sale of a 65.9% stake in the capital of Telefónica Czech Republic to PPF Group N.V.
- Automotive Industries S.à.r.l. on the EUR€220 million sale to Abris Capital Partners of a majority stake in AAA Auto Group N.V., the largest used car dealer in Central and Eastern Europe and operator of 34 branches of used car dealerships in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia and Hungary
- Riverside on the cross-border acquisition of a majority stake in Bohemia Interactive Simulations, the market leading developer and provider of games for training technology and interactive simulation systems
- Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund in connection with the EUR€574 million acquisition of České Radiokomunikace, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the Czech Republic
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Prague
- +420222555222
- Email me
- Follow me on LinkedIn
- Speaks English, German, French and Russian
- Practice area M&A corporate, Antitrust, EU & trade
- Sector Energy & resources, Healthcare, life sciences & chemicals, Private equity
Career and qualifications
- Merton College, Oxford (BA) 1992
- Admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales 1996
- Joined Clifford Chance 2005
- Partner since 2007
- Managing Partner since 2014
Professional bodies
- The Law Society
- Registered with the Czech Bar Association as a settled European attorney
Awards and citations
- Managing partner Alex Cook is highly respected for his work on cross-border transactions, most notably across CEE. One client enthuses: "He has very good technical knowledge and is an excellent listener. He is capable of translating client wishes into robust and well-drafted legal documentation very quickly. To sum up, he is an absolute pleasure to work with."
Chambers Global 2019 - Alex Cook is English-qualified and managing partner of the firm's Prague office. He is a prominent figure in the market and is widely experienced in all aspects of international corporate law including energy, TMT and banking mandates. One client states: "He is a true professional, always willing to listen, and has a commercial way of thinking."
Chambers Europe 2018
- Managing partner and corporate practice head Alex Cook is "a highly skilled and well-educated lawyer," according to market sources. He has vast experience in M&As, private equity and joint ventures with particular strength on mandates spanning the CEE region.
Chambers Global 2016 - Alex Cook is a highly regarded English-qualified lawyer who often plays a key role in regional M&A transactions. Clients describe him as "a very impressive lawyer, who has a structured approach to his work, and is a good negotiator."
Chambers Europe 2015