Slovak Government Office head Juraj Gedra and two former colleagues demanded up to 300,000 euros from the state in legal cost reimbursements after winning a lawsuit, prompting a court to conclude they artificially inflated their fees. One of the defendants requested 16,500 euros per hour for his attorney’s work, according to reporting by Aktuality.sk.
Legal Fee Demands And Court Rejections
The dispute stems from a failed 6 million euro damages lawsuit filed by state-owned company MH Manažment against Gedra, Branislav Bačík, and Rudolf Šamaj. The state firm sued the three former managers over a massive payout awarded years prior to lawyer Radomír Bžán regarding the Gabčíkovo hydroelectric plant arbitration. Because MH Manažment filed the lawsuit after the four-year statute of limitations expired, Gedra and his co-defendants won the case in January.
Following the victory, Gedra and his co-defendants sought massive legal expense reimbursements from the state. Gedra demanded a total of nearly 300,000 euros. However, the court rejected these figures in a preliminary ruling, granting Gedra only 121,000 euros. MH Manažment spokesperson Andrea Devánová confirmed that both the three defendants and the company itself filed complaints against the court’s order, leaving the decision unfinalized.
Contradictions Over A Bratislava Villa Purchase
The inflated fee demands directly contradict Gedra’s previous explanations regarding how he financed a luxury villa in Bratislava. Months after winning the court case, the government office head purchased a house estimated at 1 million euros. When questioned about how he could afford the property, Gedra pointed directly to the anticipated legal payout.
“We decided to purchase the house because I expect a payout of nearly 300,000 euros for a legally recognized victory in a commercial lawsuit that was also the subject of media interest and abused in political combat,” Gedra stated previously.
With the court slashing his reimbursement to 121,000 euros and signaling that the demands were artificially inflated, that justification faces significant scrutiny. Aktuality.sk reported that Gedra did not respond to recent requests for comment on the matter.
Tariff Calculations And Disallowed Consultations
Slovak media outlets note that the 300,000 euro figure far exceeds realistic spending on attorney fees for such proceedings. Under Slovak legal frameworks, attorney representation costs scale with the tariff remuneration tied to the total value of the dispute.
Because MH Manažment sued the trio for 6 million euros, the base tariff remuneration just for taking over representation and handling an initial consultation stood at nearly 12,500 euros. However, Gedra, Bačík, and Šamaj demanded full reimbursement for every individual meeting and interaction with their legal counsel.
The court reviewed Gedra’s claim for eight separate lawyer consultations and deemed them unnecessary based on their duration and content. Rather than ordering the state enterprise to pay 12,500 euros for each meeting, the court flagged the claims as an artificial attempt to inflate costs.
Common Questions About The Government Office Legal Fee Dispute
Why did MH Manažment sue Juraj Gedra?
MH Manažment filed a damages lawsuit against Gedra, Branislav Bačík, and Rudolf Šamaj over their past management roles, specifically pointing to a controversial multi-million euro payout made years earlier to lawyer Radomír Bžán regarding the Gabčíkovo power plant arbitration.
Why did the defendants win the lawsuit?
The defendants won the case in January because MH Manažment filed the lawsuit after the expiration of the four-year statute of limitations.
How much did the court actually award Gedra?
While Gedra demanded nearly 300,000 euros in legal cost reimbursements, a preliminary court ruling awarded him 121,000 euros, a decision that both sides are currently challenging with complaints.
Related reading