Mgr. Petr Horáček, LLM
I specialize in strategic litigation, technology, media and startups, and criminal defence. With over 20 years of practice, I help founders, technology companies, and individuals navigate complex legal challenges at the intersection of law and business reality. I have sat in the CEO and CFO chair myself — I understand unit economics, investor pressure, and operational reality.
Advertising, Digital Media, and Marketing Law: I advise on advertising regulation, platform compliance, brand protection, and competitive matters. This includes disputes involving creative intellectual property, design rights, and use of imagery in digital and commercial contexts
Technology, Software, and Digital Services: I represent software companies, SaaS providers, and digital agencies on licensing, contracts, IP protection, and compliance. My experience includes blockchain applications, smart contracts, NIS2 and GDPR-compliant data handling, and API licensing.
Strategic Litigation and Dispute Resolution: I combine legal precision with negotiation strategy to resolve complex disputes without destroying relationships. Whether in shareholder disputes, technology contract conflicts, or IP disputes, my approach is pragmatic: understand what's at stake, protect what matters, maintain options.
Criminal Defence and Financial Crime: I represent individuals facing serious financial crime charges—fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, regulatory violations. My approach combines rigorous evidence analysis with creative defence strategy and pragmatic negotiation.
Extradition Law and International Criminal Proceedings: I represent clients in extradition proceedings and international criminal matters, defending their rights before Czech courts.
Constitutional Law and Higher-Instance Litigation: I have represented clients before the Constitutional Court. One notable matter involved a design infringement case against a major automotive manufacturer—examining the intersection of creative IP rights, advertising law, and commercial regulation. The case proceeded through multiple instance courts to the Constitutional Court.
Safe Space for your Decisions:
Startup businesses:
You want your investors to focus on evaluating your idea. You are capable of implementing your project but you may not know how to best structure your firm or how to provide for your intellectual property and the relations between co-founders.
I will guide you through the process of incorporation, write up the contracts between partners, define your relations with employees or contractors, take care of your intellectual property. We will recommend a suitable financial model for future changes to your equity. We will advise you on all that and we will make sure to facilitate your growth
You need to describe your idea to protect it, make sure you are original, have contracts in order with suppliers and staff , have clear contracts that you can explain to customers.
I guide and mentor startups during their initiial phases, throgh seeding, up to exit. I represent investors who got less than expected returns. I sue CEO's who failed to deliver what they promised.
C-level Experience
As CFO and CEO of substantial IT operations, I managed P&L, capital allocation, and growth strategy. This means:
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In startup advising: I understand business model sustainability, unit economics, and how to structure legal documentation to support operational and financing strategy.
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In commercial negotiations:I recognise leverage, understand cash-flow implications, and know which provisions matter.
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In dispute resolution: I assess settlement value and litigation timing with full awareness of how disputes disrupt operations.
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In criminal defence: I understand the personal, reputational, and financial stakes at risk.
This dual expertise—attorney plus executive—allows me to give advice that is both legally correct and strategically smart.
Startups and Early-Stage Companies: From incorporation and cap table structure to financing and exit planning. I have advised 50+ startup founders. I prepare founder agreements, advise on financing and investor terms, and help teams think strategically about valuation, governance, and exit scenarios. I mentor founders through CzechInvest programmes.
Strategic Litigation and Dispute Resolution: I stand on the side of people at the centre of conflict. I combine legal precision with negotiation strategy and help clients assess all resolution paths—litigation, negotiation, mediation, arbitration. My goal is to resolve disputes in ways that preserve value and allow organisations to refocus.
Criminal Defence - Financial Crime and Extradition: I represent defendants in complex financial crime cases—fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, regulatory violations. My approach combines rigorous evidence analysis with creative defence strategy and pragmatic negotiation. I focus on developing compelling factual narratives and identifying mitigation pathways. I also represent clients in extradition proceedings.
Constitutional Court and Higher-Instance Matters: I have successfully represented clients before the Constitutional Court in IP and regulatory disputes. A notable matter involved a design infringement case against a major automotive manufacturer, examining the intersection of creative IP rights, advertising law, brand protection, and commercial regulation in the automotive sector. The case proceeded through multiple instance courts to the Constitutional Court.
Incorporation & Corporate Structure
As a startup, it's important to focus on developing and implementing your business idea. However, you may not have the expertise to properly structure your company, protect your intellectual property, or manage relations with co-founders and employees. That's where I come in. I can help guide you through the incorporation process, draft contracts, protect your intellectual property, and recommend a suitable financial model. I also offer mentorship and representation for startups and investors, and can assist with legal action if necessary. Let me help you succeed and facilitate your business growth.
Finance & Trust
Businessplan, investment P&L, subsidies and funding We will recommend a suitable financial model for future changes to your equity. We will advise you on all that and we will make sure to facilitate your growth I’m trustee of two family wealth SPVs
Transactions
Exit? Restructuring? Investor? Management Buy-Out? When it comes to Due Diligence, we don't wait for a list of supporting documents. We find problems together proactively and solve them. If we don't find a problem, there is no problem. Are the shareholders willing to sell the prosperous company that you manage? We will advise you on how to arrange for senior / mezzanine financing. We will structure fair shareholders relations.
BRANDBUILDING:
Why? In order to protect your idea, differentiate yourself from competitors and those you might be mistaken for; in order to register domain names. A trademark has its price and may be the most valuable part of a firm’s reputation.
Your brand or the logo under which your services are provided represent a value in and on itself, and that value can be preserved by registering a trade mark. It's an asset that can be sold, among other things.
Why register?
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You may want to avoid any confusion of services on the Czech market, especially when planning to expand abroad.
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You may want to prevent your brand or logo from being registered or used for the same services by someone else.
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The cost of registration is negligible, compared to the risk that another entity registers the trade mark, whether for business or speculatively, or that another entity uses the designation in their business.
License Contracts:
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to instruments (software development kits, open-source software used for your own product)
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to products (territory, transferability, modifications, non-commercial use)
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from and to authors (partners, employees, contractors)
Intellectual Property:
Ad agencies: negotiation with authors and their representatives
ESPORT: specific space
metaverse: get ready
Artists, Creatives: mentoring and representation
