The Serbian Desk is our headquarters – the starting point of everything. It serves as our intelligence centre, where MPartners directs and manages global operations – with operations spanning four continents and plans for further expansion, Serbia remains our strategic hub.
MPartners was established in 2014 but officially became independent from CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang in 2019. At that time, our managing partner, formerly with CMS, had already outgrown the firm. In just a few months, MPartners successfully advised on multi-million dollar deals, securing acquisitions for clients such as Bank of China, General Electric, and Zijin Mining. Recognizing the need for a more dynamic and independent approach, he chose to build one of the most prominent legal brands – not just regionally, but globally.
Today, Serbia serves as our base, with a team of 20 lawyers covering industries including mining, energy, oil & gas, healthcare, aviation, infrastructure, PPPs, banking & finance, security, real estate, employment, corporate law, competition law, and more. MPartners is the first-ever one-stop-shop offering comprehensive legal services across all industries and sectors, alongside accounting, tax planning, and financial advisory services.
History is being made in and from Serbia. Thank you!
Contact: office@mpartners.legal
Mihajlo Matkovic is a globally renowned expert in mining and energy, with over 17 years of experience leading projects across five continents. Based in Belgrade, Serbia, he oversees operations in Freetown (Sierra Leone), Beijing, China (financial, energy, and structuring operations) South America (natural resources and commerce), and Western Australia (mining – exploration operations). As a board member of an ASX-listed company (ASX: LYK), he has extensive industry influence and deep connections in global mining, energy, and financial markets.
Throughout his career, Mihajlo has played a key role in large-scale mining and energy projects. As Managing Director at General Electric (NYSE: GE), he led strategic infrastructure projects focused on sustainable energy solutions across multiple regions. His expertise in mining regulations has been instrumental in aligning projects with OECD and World Bank ESG standards, including structuring mezzanine financing for a major gold mining project in West Africa in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone and private investment funds.
His work in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies has contributed to the development of ESG policies for ASX-listed companies, ensuring compliance with international sustainability frameworks. He has also been involved in shaping energy efficiency policies for the Serbian government, focusing on regulatory improvements and long-term sustainability initiatives.
As a legal and financial consultant, Mihajlo has provided regulatory advisory services to governments and private investors, supporting financial inclusion and sustainable economic development. His analysis of microcredit financing in the Western Balkan for the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) contributed to shaping financial strategies and growth in the region.
His academic and research collaborations include work with an expert group of students of the University of Western Australia, where he provided input on OECD policy, further strengthening international regulatory frameworks. Mihajlo has a vast network across the world, capable of resolving complex challenges on an international scale. With a background as the Head of the Energy and Mining Department at CMS, an international law firm headquartered in London, Mihajlo transitioned into private practice, establishing a globally significant advisory firm that continues to shape mining and energy industries worldwide.
He holds an LLB from the Faculty of Law at the University of Belgrade, an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University, and an LLM in Mining and Energy Law from the University of Western Australia. He has also completed the Leader Project Business Program, focusing on Business/Commerce. His extensive professional experience, combined with a strong academic foundation, enables him to provide comprehensive legal and strategic solutions in the mining, energy, and financial sectors.
We have established an office in China, based in Beijing, designed to provide legal, tax, and business assistance, as well as useful information and resources to better assess the legal and business aspects of investment opportunities, international trade, risk management, and control. We help clients overcome cultural barriers and differences, building bridges of cooperation while promoting business relations between Republic of Serbia and the People’s Republic of China.
Our office consists of an eminent network of lawyers with significant experience in competition law, trade law, foreign direct investments, and regulatory matters.
Ms. Zhang Huawei is the Head of the China and Asia market department at M&P Legal and a lawyer based in Beijing. She is fluent in Chinese and English.
Contact: chinesedesk@mpartners.legal
Ms. Zhang Huawei holds an LL.B and LL.M in International Economic Law from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, China. She has over 12 15 years of experience at the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM, formerly the regulatory agency for corporate mergers; now part of the State Administration for Market Regulation “SAMR”) and has worked at several leading Chinese law firms. She specializes in competition law and has advised 20 of the world’s largest and 500 leading companies in China. Her experience includes working on investigations by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), market dominance abuse, anti-dumping measures, subsidies, safeguards, inbound and outbound investments, and cross-border M&A transactions. She was intensively involved in merger filings with MOFCOM for major corporate transactions, including the acquisitions of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company and Shenyang Brilliance Jinbei Automobile Co., Ltd. by Renault S.A.S.
M&P is the first law firm in Serbia and this part of Europe to establish an African office dedicated to providing comprehensive legal services for investments and the development of African companies and projects, focusing on West African markets, predominantly mining and associated sectors, while maintaining a broad network of associates in other parts/jurisdictions of Africa.
Our African office operates from offices in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Accra, Ghana. It consists of a team of lawyers with extensive experience in a wide range of corporate and commercial knowledge, capable of providing clients with efficient and seamless assistance in reducing risks and increasing success opportunities throughout the entire business operation cycle. From the start of the investment cycle to the commissioning of key infrastructure projects such as gold, copper, uranium, and diamond mines, renewable energy projects with a focus on solar, trade, telecommunications, gaming, and dispute resolution when necessary, we offer advice on all legal and commercial matters, bridging cultural barriers and challenges to successfully realize projects.
Ms. Fatoumata D Diarra is the Head of the African office. She is fluent and works in French and English.
Contact: africandesk@mpartners.legal | fatoumata.diarra@alt-mali.com
Ms. Fatoumata D Diarra holds a Master’s degree in Business Law from the University of Évry Val d’Essonne in France and a Master’s degree in Tax Law and Business Administration from INSEEC Business School in Paris. She is an accredited tax advisor with over fourteen years of work experience. She is the founder and CEO of African Legal and Tax Mali, affiliated with the EXCO Afrique network. She specializes in energy, mining, and geological research explorations sectors in Africa. Her experience includes tax law and advisory, as well as OHADA business law. She provides expert advice on tax and corporate law matters throughout Africa, offering assistance with tax interpretation and resolution, negotiations with tax authorities, transfer pricing, and customs audit cases. Ms. Fatoumata offers a full spectrum of advice to the largest foreign and domestic companies active in Africa, including regulatory and procedural requirements and court disputes when amicable or extrajudicial mechanisms cannot resolve them.
The opening of the office in Montenegro marked the beginning of M&P Law Firm’s expansion into attractive destinations for foreign investors in the region. We are committed to providing comprehensive legal services for the investments and development of both foreign and domestic companies and projects, with a focus on global markets and a vast network of M&P associates across all continents. Our team supports clients in fostering collaboration and strengthening business relationships within a global network of offices. It is composed of lawyers with extensive experience in corporate and commercial law, risk mitigation, efficiency enhancement, support for key infrastructure projects, and dispute resolution. We provide clients with legal, tax, and business support, along with valuable information and resources to evaluate the legal and business aspects related to investments, international trade, and risk management.
Dr. iur. Jovan Kojičić is the head of the Montenegro market department at MP Legal. He also leads the practice-based legal clinic “Logo Vox” and the ESG team in Belgrade. He is fluent in both English and German.
Contact: montenegrodesk@mpartners.legal
Dr. iur. Jovan Kojičić is a professor of European law and human rights, with extensive experience in academia, consultancy, and advocacy across diverse international contexts. He heads the legal clinic Logo Vox, and is recognized as an expert in environmental law, medical law, public administration, and human rights. He holds visiting professorships at several German universities.
Dr. Kojičić earned his Doctor of Law (Dr. iur.) degree from the European University Viadrina in Germany, where he was awarded a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) during his doctoral studies. He also completed his postdoctoral studies in human rights and international law at Lund University in Sweden, under the mentorship of Professor Håkan Hydén, a pioneer of the New Institutional Theory of Norms (Science of Norms).
He is listed as an environmental law expert with GFA Consulting Group, one of Europe’s leading consultancy firms in the field of international development cooperation. Additionally, he is affiliated as a researcher with The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, and serves as the director of the FDES Institute for Public Administration, Human Rights, and the Environment.
His research in the fields of health and health policy was awarded by DAAD in 2023. He is also a peer reviewer by invitation for the renowned academic journal Frontiers in Sociology – Sociology of Law, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Dr. Kojičić is a member of the European Commission on Sexual Orientation Law (ECSOL) and one of the founding members of the DAAD Alumni Network of European Legal Scholars, Lawyers, and Law Professors (DAAD-Alumnifachnetzwerk Rechtswissenschaften).
Our newest office in Perth, Western Australia, is strategically located in the heart of one of the world’s most renowned mining hubs. This location underscores our commitment to providing highly specialized legal services tailored to the unique needs of the global mining and natural resource extraction sector.
Perth, often regarded as a global center for mining and mineral exploration, offers exceptional opportunities for companies engaged in the extraction and processing of precious and strategic raw materials. Our presence in this market reflects our deep understanding of the legal, regulatory, and commercial challenges faced by mining companies.
The Australian Desk is dedicated to delivering comprehensive legal solutions to clients in the mining industry, covering areas such as exploration, licensing, permitting, project finance, and compliance with environmental regulations. We provide strategic advice on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, as well as complex contractual negotiations, ensuring that our clients achieve their business objectives efficiently and sustainably.
Whether you are a multinational corporation, an emerging exploration company, or a service provider in the mining industry, we are your trusted partner in navigating the legal complexities of this key sector.
