• Karin Madisson elected member of supervisory board of Enefit Green

    News / Karin Madisson

    Our partner Karin Madisson was elected an independent member of the Supervisory Board of Enefit Green, a leading renewable energy company in the Baltic Sea region. Along with Karin, the General Meeting appointed Erkki Raasuke as an independent Supervisory Board member in addition to three representatives of Eesti Energia . Karin’s mandate lasts for three years. “Karin Madisson is known for her professionalism and extensive knowledge, making her an excellent addition to the Supervisory Board of Enefit Green. We are confident that her contribution will support the company’s further development,” said Juhan Aguraiuja, Chairman of the Management Board of Enefit […]

  • Bringing christmas joy to foster children again with Naerata Ometi NGO

    News / Iris Magnus

    “Christmas is a time when we all deserve warmth, love, and joy. However, for many children across Estonia, Christmas is just another ordinary day in hospital, in a foster home, or due to their family’s financial difficulties. You can change that,” writes Naerata Ometi, urging donors to bring Christmas joy to children in need. “Many companies, such as Sorainen, have been helping us fulfil children’s Christmas wishes for years. If your company has the opportunity to support a good cause, we ask you to consider collaborating with us. Together, we can bring a smile to many children’s faces,” states Naerata […]

  • Norman Aas takes on a new, significant role in the Ukrainian legal system

    News / Norman Aas

    Our partner Norman Aas has been elected as a legal expert for the Public Council of International Experts (PCIE). The PCIE’s mission is to assist the Commission in selecting judges for the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC). It is composed of international experts: judges and prosecutors with experience in Estonia, the USA, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Canada. The Commission’s work takes place in sessions on the ground in Ukraine. Due to the current state of war, its work may also take place in a bomb shelter, where this photo of the commission members was taken. World-class expert This represents significant recognition […]

  • Sorainen tops Chambers FinTech 2025 rankings

    News / Kätlin Krisak, Augustas Klezys, Tomas Kontautas

    In the recently released Chambers FinTech rankings, our team has not only maintained its Band 1 position in Lithuania for the sixth consecutive year, but has also reached new milestones in Estonia, with the team moving up to Band 1 as well. As a client highlighted during the research process, “Sorainen has long and valuable experience in the Baltic markets that differentiates them from other market players.” Leading experts across the Baltics Our team leaders have also been recognised as top experts in the sector. In Estonia, partner Kätlin Krisak has improved her individual ranking to Band 1, solidifying her […]

  • Carri Ginter elected to prestigious arbitrators’ panel

    News / Dr Carri Ginter

    Our partner, Dr Carri Ginter, has been elected to the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) arbitrators’ panel. DIAC arbitrators are independent and impartial specialists with extensive international experience and high regard in their field. The decisions of the arbitrators are binding. “I am excited to be part of this dynamic community and look forward to contributing to DIAC’s continued success in promoting fair and efficient dispute resolution,” commented Carri Ginter on his inclusion in the list. Why Dubai? Dubai has become one of the world’s most important commercial hubs thanks to its strategic location, supportive legislation, and modern infrastructure. Complex […]

  • Dr. iur Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte has been appointed as a member of the European Commision Expert Group on EU Criminal Policy

    News / Dr Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte

    The EU Commission selects twenty experts from scientific and research organisations and legal practitioners every three years to ensure a high level of expertise and, as far as possible, an adequate balance in terms of a range of competencies, geographical origin, and gender, taking into account the specific tasks of the Group and the type of expertise required. We are happy to inform you that our Head of Corporate Crime Investigations and Compliance, Dr. iur Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte has been appointed as one of the members of the Expert Group on EU Criminal Policy in a personal capacity for a mandate of […]

  • IFLR1000 rankings: Sorainen remains the only Tier 1 law firm in the Baltics

    Yesterday, the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) released its latest rankings, and Sorainen once again secured a place as the only firm in the Baltics rated as top-tier across all practice areas. This recognition underscores our commitment to delivering excellence in providing legal services to our clients. Our team was recognised as the best in the market in the following areas: Lithuania – Banking and finance, Capital markets, Financial services regulatory, M&A, and Project development Latvia – Financial and corporate Estonia – Financial and corporate, and Project development. These accolades highlight the expertise and dedication of our lawyers, who consistently […]

  • At the forefront of innovation: Sorainen launched an in-house developed AI tool

    As the legal industry embraces technological transformation, law firms increasingly turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and enhance client services. While incorporating AI tools is becoming a strategic move for many law firms, Sorainen has embarked on an ambitious journey to develop its own. Meet AiVar: Sorainen’s very own AI tool Whether automating routine tasks, enhancing content creation, or supporting strategic planning, Sorainen’s custom-made AI tool, AiVar, offers a versatile solution for all challenges. AiVar was launched for Sorainen’s employees this autumn, and already, in its first month in use, it has proven highly efficient. Its integration into […]

  • Baltic family business owners eager to hand the business to next generation

    Yesterday, Sorainen and Baltic Family Firm Institute (BFFI) presented the results of the first pan-Baltic survey of family businesses. The survey has revealed that Baltic family firm owners are eager to hand over their businesses to the next generation. Nine out of ten Lithuanians and almost as many Latvians, and eight out of ten Estonians who took the survey would like to pass their business to “NextGen” family members. While the desire to hand over the business to younger family members is clear, the preparedness to do so in an organised manner varies. When asked if the business has a […]

  • Sorainen Tax team got recognised with EMEA ITR Tax Award and top rankings in ITR Tax

    Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year Award Yesterday, Sorainen was named the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year by the International Tax Review (ITR), the leading publication for tax professionals. It is the eleventh time our Tax team has received this recognition since ITR established the Baltic category in its European awards in 2010. The award honours the most innovative and impactful tax and transfer pricing work, reflecting our ability to support our clients in complex projects in the Baltic market. Indrė Ščeponienė, co-head of our regional Tax team, said: “The tax landscape is becoming more complex, with new […]

  • The Financial Times names Sorainen one of the most innovative law firms in Europe

    News / Irina Seniut, Lise-Lotte Lääne

    In The Financial Times Awards Sorainen was ranked No. 28 in the list of the Top 30 firms to have have significantly impacted the transformation of their clients’ operations. “I am happy to announce that Sorainen has risen yet another step closer to the top in the Financial Times Innovative Law Firms Europe ranking,” Irina Seniut, head of Sorainen Knowledge Management and Innovation team, shared proudly. Where do we stand out? Sorainen was recognised for launching and adopting a variety of innovative practices: building and launching an in-house generative AI model preparing and adopting our first-ever technology strategy integrating TIQ […]

  • Sorainen publishes Sustainability Report 2024

    News / Eva Berlaus, Kertu Ruus, Olga Solovyanchik

    We have released this year’s edition of our third annual Sustainability Report, outlining the efforts made by Sorainen during the year 2023. “These efforts are not just about compliance but about making a real difference for our people, communities and region,” Managing Partner Eva Berlaus noted in the report’s opening comments. She noted that the firm remains committed to improving environmental performance, strengthening social responsibility through pro bono work and education, promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, and supporting our clients on their ESG journey. Our Sustainability Officer Olga Solovyanchik noted that rather than being just a disclosure measure, releasing […]

  • Sorainen earns two nominations from The Financial Times

    News / Lise-Lotte Lääne, Irina Seniut

    Sorainen counsel Lise-Lotte Lääne has been shortlisted for the prestigious “Innovative Lawyers in Deals and Financing” award. As a firm, Sorainen has been nominated for the “Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe (HQ outside the UK)” award. The Financial Times Awards recognise law firms and in-house teams that excel in digital innovation and employ creative strategies to provide outstanding value to both business and society. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 12 September 2024 and will take place in London. Leading innovation in the healthcare sector Counsel Lise-Lotte Lääne, regional co-head of the Life Sciences & Healthcare sector group, has […]

  • Clients: Sorainen’s legal competence is the best in the market

    News / Kertu Ruus

    According to the 2024 Baltic Kantar Prospera client survey of top-tier Baltic law firms, Sorainen ranks first in the “Best legal competence” category, as it has done for the past three years.  Sorainen Estonia ranked as #1 law firm in Estonia according to overall rankings. Strongest legal fields according to clients Sorainen placed first in five out of 14 legal competence categories, including: Banking & Finance Competition & EU Employment Tax Real Estate We positioned second in the following fields: Mergers & Acquisitions Dispute Resolution Public Procurement Intellectual Property IT & Telecom, Media and Entertainment Private Equity Energy Corporate Advisory […]

  • Sorainen receives gold label from the Responsible Business Forum

    News / Karin Madisson, Elina Lumiste, Maarika Maripuu

    We are pleased to announce that we have received the gold-level quality label from the Estonian Responsible Business Forum (VEF). This award recognises our efforts to promote responsible entrepreneurship in Estonia. Responsible entrepreneurship involves the seamless and voluntary integration of economic, environmental and social dimensions into a company’s daily activities, management and business strategy. “We have been systematically working on responsible business objectives and activities for a long time, and we applied for the VEF index for the first time in 2019. We support clients in addressing climate change and we make sure we choose partners who align with our values. […]

  • Spreading misleading information about competing drugs can be an infringement of competition law

    On 22 July 2024, the European Commission (EC) announced that it will be imposing certain commitments on Vifor, a manufacturer of intravenous iron medicines. Vifor is a dominant player in this market and had spread misleading information about the safety of a competing drug, Monofer, to healthcare professionals. The EC had opened an investigation, suspecting a potential competition law infringement. However, after concluding its investigation, instead of imposing fines, the EC imposed a set of legally binding commitments. Among other things, Vifor will have to launch a “comprehensive” communication campaign that will clarify that Monofer is safe to use, including on Vifor’s […]

  • Marcus Niin was appointed as the insurance conciliator of the Estonian Insurance Association

    News / Marcus Niin

    The Estonian Insurance Association appointed our senior associate Marcus Niin as the conciliator of the insurance conciliation body. His term begins on October 1, 2024, and lasts five years. “An insurance conciliator is an independent and impartial expert in insurance disputes. The conciliator aims to help resolve disputes between the insurer and the insured. The conciliation body resolves a significant portion of insurance disputes in Estonia,” Niin explains the work of the conciliation body. Reaching out to the conciliator is free of charge and it offers a much quicker resolution than court proceedings.

  • Who’s Who Legal commends our energy expert Andrius Šimkus

    News / Andrius Šimkus

    Who’s Who Legal: Energy 2024 includes our energy expert, counsel Andrius Šimkus, in its recently published list featuring market-leading lawyers and experts working in the field of energy across all major jurisdictions. Andrius Šimkus is listed as the go-to expert in both “Energy – Oil & Gas” and “Energy – Power/Electricity”, being the only expert recommended in both categories in Lithuania. Andrius is an expert in energy law, regulation, policy, strategy and management. He has practised in the energy sector since 2005, specialising in electricity, gas (including LNG), renewable energy sources, nuclear energy, energy efficiency, energy markets, climate change management, […]

  • Sorainen once again recognised by Chambers as having the leading private client team in the Baltics

    In the recently released Chambers 2024 High Net Worth rankings, Sorainen stands out as the leading law firm in the Baltics, the only one with the highest Band 1 rankings across the region in private wealth law. This recognition highlights the proven experience and market standing of the Sorainen Private Client team. Sorainen also consolidated its position as the leader in the region, with the highest ranking of any law firm in the Baltics in all Chambers guide rankings in 2024. Currently, our teams have a total of 18 Band 1 rankings in this legal directory. Strongest Band 1 team […]

  • Sorainen selects 9 defence projects to receive free legal and tax advice

    News

    Sorainen has selected nine projects for our pro bono legal and tax advice in the Shared Mission programme. The selected projects will receive free legal and tax advice on various issues, from establishing an entity and employment arrangements to data protection and fundraising. Annually, we allocate over EUR 100,000 to the Shared Mission and other pro bono initiatives. Focus on supporting defence and national security projects This year, we invited innovative projects focusing on defence and national security to participate in the Shared Mission programme. To maximise the positive impact of our collaboration, we decided to focus our efforts on […]

  • Share your innovative ideas for improving the Estonian healthcare system

    News / Lise-Lotte Lääne

    The discussion surrounding the lack of funding in Estonian healthcare and its deterioration is intensifying, with potential solutions being cautiously presented. We are partnering with AstraZeneca and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) to find new, cross-sector solutions to Estonian healthcare funding challenges. Through our new healthcare platform, we are specifically looking for ideas that will truly transform and refine our healthcare system to one that can withstand the challenges ahead. However, this requires clever approaches and securing (or sometimes reallocating) additional resources. Our regional head of the Life Sciences and Healthcare sector group, counsel Lise-Lotte Lääne, will participate in […]

  • Edgars Hercenbergs will participate at ITR Global Transfer Pricing Forum Europe 2024

    News / Edgars Hercenbergs

    You will have a chance to meet Sorainen Latvia team member, Senior Associate, tax and transfer pricing expert Edgars Hercenbergs at the annual ITR Global Transfer Pricing Forum Europe in Amsterdam, September 11-12 this year. One more year, WTS Global is the lead sponsor of the conference defining the agenda for the first day, jointly with ITR, making sure that we cover the most relevant topics of the Transfer Pricing landscape. The agenda details will be shared soon. You will also have the opportunity to discuss your topics of interest in one to one meetings with WTS Global experts from […]

  • Ramona Miglāne’s joining strengthens Sorainen Finance and Insurance practice group

    News / Rūdolfs Eņģelis, Ramona Miglāne

    On 9 May this year, Ramona Miglāne, a recognised expert in the field of financial technology, joined Sorainen law firm, and will be leading the Finance and Insurance practice group together with partner Rūdolfs Enģelis. The expansion of the management group is being done with the aim of developing the fields of financial technology and financial startups, and providing more comprehensive services to clients in these industries. So far during her professional career Ramona has held leading positions in financial practices at a number of law firms, as well as  gained hands-on experience at a leading commercial bank in Latvia. […]

  • M&A market participants: Things are looking up and geopolitical risk is falling

    News / Kertu Ruus

    A general consensus emerged at the annual Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum that the transaction market is recovering and investors are becoming increasingly confident about investing in the Baltics. The Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2024 was organised by Sorainen on 16 April in Vilnius, in cooperation with leading Lithuanian business media Verslo žinios. As every year, the event gathered 250 participants representing private equity, venture capital funds and investment banking, consultants, lawyers, as well as business executives and owners from the Baltics and beyond. Join us next year on 23 April 2025 in Tallinn. Morgan Stanley analyst: M&A […]

  • Defence Workshop IV

    News / Andris Tauriņš, Robin Teever

    This April, 16 law firms gathered in Denmark to share their experience of central aspects of the regulatory framework in each jurisdiction and to discuss major tenders and cases related to the defence industry. The Danish full-service law firm Horten hosted the event. Partner Andris Tauriņš and senior associate Robin Teever presented opportunities in the Latvian and Estonian defence industries, and shared information on legislative developments in the two countries.

  • We’ve got “National law firm of the year: Baltics” recognition at the IFLR Europe Award 2024

    News

    Yesterday Sorainen was proclaimed “National law firm of the year: Baltics” by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR). This award highlights our work in the fields of finance and corporate law, which included the most  challenging and innovative cross-border deals that we advised on in 2023. This is the ninth time we have received this recognition. Some of the complex cross-border projects our team have been working on in the Baltic market include: Japan-based Roland DG and Lithuanian Veika established a joint venture – a rare case of investment from Japan in Lithuania, highlighting the increasing recognition of Lithuania’s potential in the global […]

  • Maag, Skeleton and PVcase announced as Baltic deals of the year 2024

    News / Kertu Ruus, Indrė Norvaišaitė-Volkė

    Today, the Baltic deals of the year were announced at the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2024 in Vilnius. The winners of the title are Maag Grupp and Skeleton Technologies of Estonia and PVcase of Lithuania. Award winners 2024 The Baltic M&A Deal of the Year is Maag Grupp’s acquisition of HKScan‘s Baltic businesses for EUR 90 million. The Estonian food company bought the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian subsidiaries of Finnish HKScan. The subsidiaries produce and sell meat and poultry products under consumer brands like Rakvere, Tallegg, Rigas Miesnieks, Jelgava and Klaipėdos maistas. Other nominees in the Baltic M&A […]

  • Our International Arbitration team among the best in the world

    News

    Our International Arbitration practice has been included in the GAR 100, Global Arbitration Review’s guide to the top specialist arbitration firms worldwide. Our team has now achieved this recognition for five years in a row, reflecting our solid experience and excellence in the practice. Experts with established track record The first seeds of our arbitration practice were sown in 2011. Since then, our arbitration team has a track record of successful high-profiles disputes involving major claims, state and investor representation, and highly complex landmark cases. During commercial arbitration cases, we have represented clients before such leading arbitration institutions as the […]

  • Maria Pihlak was voted AmCham Estonia board member

    News / Maria Pihlak

    Our partner Maria Pihlak was voted American Chamber of Commerce Estonia (AmCham Estonia) board member at the AmCham Estonia Annual General Meeting on April 9, 2024, at Nordic Forum Hotel Tallinn. Four new board members were elected for the 2024-2026 term. “My mission with AmCham is simple: utilise my skills and knowledge as a dual-qualified lawyer to help advance the goals of the Estonian-American business community,” says Maria Pihlak. Maria heads the Sorainen International Arbitration subgroup. She is a highly recognised arbitration expert internationally, listed in the prestigious Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2024. The analysis features market-leading arbitrators, counsels, expert […]

  • The FORT partner Jānis Līkops joins Sorainen Latvia with team of experts

    In April this year, Jānis Līkops joined the Sorainen partnership. Jānis will be complementing the Corporate and M&A management teams, as well as the Real Estate & Construction practice groups at the Sorainen Latvian office. Both of the aforementioned practice groups at Sorainen Latvia showed an excellent increase in turnover indicators last year (between 20% and 25%) and saw an expansion of their teams. This kind of growth creates a consequent need to strengthen the management of the teams by attracting an experienced manager and recognised expert in the field. During his career, Jānis has advised clients on many notable […]

  • The Legal 500: Sorainen remains the strongest law firm in the Baltics

    In the recently released The Legal 500 2024 rankings, Sorainen remains the strongest law firm in the Baltics, with the most top-tier rankings across the region. The total number of Tier 1 positions this year increased to 29 out of 31 as our Intellectual property team in Lithuania receiving the highest ranking. The Legal 500 reports: „The IP team at Sorainen represents clients in high-stakes disputes regarding trademarks, domain names, and patents and advises on compliance with local and EU IP law. Assisting a range of large and small companies and startups, the ‘professional and responsible’ team is also noted […]

  • Exclusive interview of Sorainen Head of ESG Practice in Lithuania Vitalija Impolevičienė

    News / Vitalija Impolevičienė

    In the rapidly changing world of law, one area has surfaced as both a challenge and an opportunity: sustainability. Our Head of ESG Practice at Sorainen Lithuania Vitalija Impolevičienė, whose journey from finance and insurance law to pioneering sustainability initiatives has been very inspiring, has shared with the global legal directory Legal500 her professional way and the ESG insights. Here is the full interview. How did you become involved in sustainability issues? I have been practising finance and insurance law for over 15 years. Throughout this time, I’ve observed the financial sector emerge as a pioneer in adopting mandatory sustainability […]

  • MP Eva Berlaus predicts growth for several sectors in Legal 500 interview

    News / Eva Berlaus

    In an interview granted to the global legal directory Legal 500, our Managing Partner Eva Berlaus has predicted healthy growth in several economic sectors, including Defence, Energy and Private Clients. Emphasising the attractiveness of the Baltic countries as a place for investment, Eva Berlaus notes: “The efficiency of our business ecosystem has not gone unnoticed by our international clients.” Here is the full interview. What do you see as the main points that differentiate Sorainen from your competitors? Sorainen was the first and only top law firm in the Baltics that was created as a truly one-team firm, as opposed […]

  • Chambers Europe: Sorainen solidifies its leading position in the Baltics with all teams highly ranked

    News

    In the recently released Chambers Europe 2024 rankings, Sorainen improved its rankings in two categories and secured top-category rankings for all our teams in the Baltics. As a law firm, we are praised by clients for our client-focused approach, top-notch expertise, and excellent teamwork. Says a client: “The team has exceptional know-how in the specific field, offering unique and jaw-dropping solutions in the most complex matters while keeping the client calm and confident during the whole process.” Another client adds “Every team member that we have worked with has strong expertise in the field and we are always confident in […]

  • Second time The Legal500 has recognised us as an ESG-focused firm in the Green Guide 2024 edition

    News

    The EMEA Green Guide by The Legal500 has just been released, marking the second time Sorainen has been recognised as an ESG-focused firm. This recognition underscores that we are a leading ESG practice in the Baltic region as well as our commitment to sustainability. According to The Legal500, Sorainen brings expertise in high-value and landmark renewable energy projects and possesses deep knowledge in providing regulatory and project development advice to support the green ambitions of leading corporate clients and sustainability-focused organisations. Over the last year we have experienced steady growth in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) related services we […]

  • Sorainen becomes the official legal partner in the Latvian Blockchain Association

    News

    Representatives of the crypto asset industry have announced themselves as serious players in the financial sector with the adoption of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. Blockchain technology has untapped potential beyond financial services. These industries in Latvia have come together in the Latvian Blockchain Association, with Sorainen as its official legal partner, with the aim of helping the industry to develop even stronger. About the LBAA The Latvian Blockchain Association (LBAA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the adoption of blockchain technology and facilitates collaboration between market participants and stakeholders.

  • Baltic business advised to prepare for new data laws

    The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in force for six years, but the area of data protection legislation keeps evolving. “We have just started to live with GDPR when a new package of legal acts is knocking on the door,” Mihkel Miidla, head of our Data Protection team, noted at a webinar held in February.  Since 2020 the European Union has been implementing the European data strategy, and new measures are gradually adopted to regulate data-related matters. It is no longer limited to personal data – new legislation also regulates the reuse, sharing, and movement of industrial and […]

  • Sorainen joins Fintech Latvia Association membership

    News

    Sorainen sees significant development potential in Latvia’s FinTech sector. To this end, we have become members of the Fintech Latvia Association. We believe that the joint effort of private sector representatives, financial sector supervisors, public authorities and other stakeholders can lead to real results. Latvia is currently in a perfect starting position where new companies can be built and existing ones strengthened in a clean and transparent financial sector. We’re ready to put our hand to that effort. About Fintech Latvia Association The aim of the Fintech Latvia Association is to unite the providers of financial services of the fintech […]

  • Carri Ginter was awarded an Estonian state decoration

    News / Dr Carri Ginter

    The Republic of Estonia recognises Carri Ginter, our partner, arbitrator, and longtime lecturer at the University of Tartu, with the Order of Merit of the White Star. Leading up to Estonia’s Independence Day, the Republic of Estonia will bestow on people whose daily activity keeps adding new bricks of caring, noticing, and protecting to the wall that are Estonian state decorations, wrote President Alar Karis in the foreword of the decision. 151 people from Estonia and abroad will receive national honors. „What they all have in common is loyalty to the principles on which we want to see Estonia lean: […]

  • 2023: Year in review

    News / Viktorija Anna Graudiņa

    Welcome to our year in review for 2023. It’s been quite a meaningful chapter in our Sorainen story. As we reflect on the past year, we are proud to share the great strides we’ve made in the areas that define our identity and purpose. From championing sustainability to fortifying our defense initiatives, achieving significant awards, and celebrating the heart of our success – our people – this review encapsulates the essence of who we are. Sustainability Over the last year we’ve made great progress when it comes to sustainability at Sorainen. Our firm was recognised in the second edition of […]

  • Carri Ginter designated to the Panel of Arbitrators of ICSID

    News / Dr Carri Ginter

    The Republic of Estonia has appointed our partner, Carri Ginter, as a member of the prestigious ICSID Panel of Arbitrators. ICSID is one of the five organisations of the World Bank Group and is located in Washington, USA. ICSID’s list of arbitrators includes the most sought-after and highly qualified arbitrators in the world, and each member state has the right to appoint up to four arbitrators for a six-year term. Investment treaty arbitration provides an opportunity to resolve international investment disputes through arbitration rather than traditional legal proceedings, and protects investments from various risks and political changes. ICSID arbitral awards are the […]

  • Aija Lasmane joins the regional Sorainen partnership

    News / Aija Lasmane, Jānis Taukačs, Dr Kadri Härginen

    On 1 January 2024, Aija Lasmane joined the Sorainen partnership and, together with long-serving tax leader Jānis Taukačs, will head the Sorainen Latvia Tax practice, specialising in direct and international tax law and structuring M&A transactions. She has extensive experience in managing transfer pricing projects in collaboration with our international tax network’s WTS Transfer Pricing Centre in the Philippines. Aija Lasmane joined the Sorainen Latvia Tax team in 2013. Her professional experience in the field of tax consulting and finance goes back as far as 1996, having worked at the tax departments of two of the “big four” and at […]

  • Sorainen announces Eva Berlaus as new firm managing partner and Ieva Andersone as country managing partner of Latvian office

    News / Eva Berlaus, Laimonas Skibarka, Ieva Andersone

    On 1 January, Eva Berlaus, currently country managing partner of our Latvian office, will become the managing partner of Sorainen, taking over the role from Laimonas Skibarka. Ieva Andersone, head of our Commercial and Regulatory practice in Latvia, has been appointed as the new country managing partner in Latvia. Both leaders have played a vital part in the development of Sorainen and risen to top leadership positions from within the firm. Eva joined Sorainen as a lawyer in 2000, and in 2010 became the first female country managing partner among the leading Baltic law firms, having built her reputation as […]

  • Sorainen Lithuania joins UN Global Compact initiative

    News / Olga Solovyanchik

    Sorainen is pleased to announce that Sorainen Lithuania has oficially joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative. The initiative is a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices. This makes us the first law firm not only in Lithuania, but in the Baltic region to join the UN Global Compact. We’re proud to join thousands of other companies globally committed to taking responsible business action to create the world we all want. The UN Global Compact is a call for companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles. These […]

  • Sorainen donates Christmas funds towards Ukraine aid

    News / Andrius Šimkus, Simonas Šlitas

    As has become a tradition, this holiday season Sorainen once again donated Christmas funds toward aid in Ukraine. As a firm, we want to use our Christmas funds in a way that makes the biggest difference. Vehicle sent to Ukraine to help children Just as a year ago, this season we supported the “Tryzub” Charity and Support Fund with their invaluable work by granting a pre-Christmas donation of EUR 10,000. Tryzub used these funds to acquire a minibus that will serve the Ukrainian foundation “Z Bogom u Serdsi”. Our counsel Andrius Šimkus helps run “Tryzub”. Along with associate Simonas Šlitas […]

  • Who’s Who Legal recommends our arbitration expert

    News / Maria Pihlak

    Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2024 lists our arbitration expert, partner Maria Pihlak, in its recently published list featuring market-leading arbitrators, counsels, expert witnesses, and Future Leaders aged 45 and under. Maria Pihlak is recommended on the list of Future Leaders — Partners category in Estonia. Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Harnessing more than 130,000 data points augmented by hundreds of in-person interviews, Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration is an extensive analysis of the international arbitration market, featuring more than 2000 lawyers from 96 countries. For the eighth year, the guide also identifies future leaders among both lawyers and experts, with nearly 800 […]

  • Partner Jānis Taukačs was again recognised for his support to Ukraine

    News / Jānis Taukačs

    The commander of the 109th brigade of the Ukrainian army, Ruslan Trigubenko, expresses his appreciation to Sorainen partner Jānis Taukačs. Together with his Ukrainian colleague Ilya Sverdlov and the organisation Entrepreneurs for Peace, Jānis has helped with the organisation of donations and the purchase of necessary items for the brigade. You can learn more about the business and tax situation in Ukraine, as well as the support necessary, by listening to the Tax Stories podcast of Jānis and Ilya’s conversations (episode 25 and episode 26).

  • Jānis Taukačs – new Member of the Supervisory Board at WTS Global

    News / Jānis Taukačs

    After years of cooperation, in 2019 Sorainen became a global member firm of the WTS Global – a tax professionals’ network in 100+ countries, representing Europe. Now we are happy that this cooperation has only flourished through these years and become even stronger and our tax partner Jānis Taukačs became a Member of the Supervisory Board at WTS Global. Broader expertise toolset: new resources available Through its network firms WTS Global delivers practical and tailored solutions in all areas of tax: Corporate Customs Global expatriate services Indirect tax International tax and permanent establishments Transfer pricing Tax technology Transactions and real […]

  • A scholarship for research is awarded to the bachelor students of the Faculty of Law

    News / Ieva Andersone, Elīna Lūse

    Since 2004, the Foundation of the University of Latvia has provided an opportunity for patrons and cooperation partners to invest in the future of Latvia, supporting both the University of Latvia and other leading Latvian universities. The priorities of the University of Latvia Foundation are to support the most outstanding students and researchers and the projects and research they lead, to promote a modern learning environment, and to provide for the construction and renovation of university buildings.   Within the framework of this project, our office awarded a scholarship for bachelor students (starting from the second year) and master’s students […]

  • Sorainen strengthens its position in the Chambers FinTech rankings for Lithuania and Estonia

    News / Tomas Kontautas, Augustas Klezys, Liutauras Vasiliauskas, Kätlin Krisak

    In the recently released Chambers FinTech rankings, our Fintech team has maintained the top position in Lithuania for the fifth consecutive year. Sorainen has also earned new individual rankings in both Lithuania and Estonia. Well-rounded team with top experts Partners Tomas Kontautas and Augustas Klezys, who lead the team, both retained their positions among the leading fintech experts in Lithuania. Moreover, senior associate Liutauras Vasiliauskas has entered the individual rankings as an “associate to watch“. One of our clients praised him, stating “Liutauras Vasiliauskas is a strong professional, with a high level of responsiveness. He is able to approach complex […]

  • Carri Ginter was recognised with the University of Tartu medal

    News / Dr Carri Ginter

    The University of Tartu (Estonia) recognised our partner Carri Ginter with a medal for his long-term significant contribution to the university’s development. Carri’s service at the university dates back to 2003, and currently, he is an associate professor of European Law. He has twice been named Lecturer of the Year by his students. Carri has been a great supporter of law students & studies beyond his work at the university. He is the founding father of the Sorainen ThinkTank – a team uniting law students working in the firm – and the Sorainen Student Academy program. Thank you, Carri, for […]

  • Laimonas Skibarka recognised among the top managing partners in Europe at The Lawyer European Awards

    News / Laimonas Skibarka

    The Lawyer recognised Sorainen managing partner Laimonas Skibarka with the distinction “Highly Commended” (second place) in the “European Managing Partner of the Year 2023” category, announced at the annual awards ceremony in London last Thursday. Laimonas was the only law firm leader from the Baltic and Nordic region in this final round of the awards. The winner of the European Managing Partner of the Year title is Inês Sequeira Mendes of the Lisbon-headquartered Abreu Advogados. As a firm, Sorainen was also shortlisted in the “Northern Europe Law Firm of the Year” category. Source: The Lawyer  “This recognition goes to Team […]

  • Sorainen and AmCham work toward mutually beneficial economic relations

    Sorainen has been collaborating with local American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) organisations for several years, and this year has been full of events. Our Sorainen experts join AmCham in their aim to develop mutually beneficial economic relations between the United States of America and all three of the Baltic republics. Our Sorainen experts from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have been actively participating in AmCham events throughout 2023. Lithuanian colleagues have been active participants at many AmCham Lithuania events this year, sharing about our pan-Baltic legal knowledge and expertise. Focus on procurement in Latvia Katrīne Pļaviņa-Mika, our senior associate from Riga, […]

  • Embracing AI in the legal profession

    News

    Almost no profession has remained unimpacted by the ever-evolving technological landscape – and that includes the legal profession. At Sorainen we are aware that the integration of artificial intelligence, or AI in the legal profession, has already become a crucial part of staying ahead in the legal industry. As we step into the realm of AI, questions arise about its impact on the role of lawyers, billing structures, and the future of legal education. Our colleagues recently shared the Sorainen experience as we explore the potential transformations and challenges that lie ahead. Mārtiņš Stamguts presented at the YPO Baltic North […]

  • Copyrights: BSH Book Scandal

    News / Olivia Kranich

    Estonian media has been buzzing with recent news about alleged copyright infringements by local socialite and influencer Brigitte Susanne Hunt (BSH). In a nutshell, BSH used a photo resembling one of Kim Kardashian’s photos for the cover of her newly released biography. Additionally, BSH included some photos in her book for which Delfi Meedia AS holds the copyrights, without obtaining prior consent. There are some hot takes on whether BHS has infringed copyrights in one or the other case. Here are Senior associate Olivia Kranich‘s two cents on the topic. (1) Cover photo – Kim Kardashian / Jean-Paul Goude vs BSH […]

  • Sorainen regional team events highlights

    News

    August and September have been busy, but also fun at Sorainen. Our practise groups and business services teams gathered to discuss, engage, and spend quality time together during our Sorainen regional team events. The REC team was first to open the season of regional meetings and visited Munich this spring. Other workcations were held in Munich, Rome, Vienna, Budapest, and Vilnius. Meeting in person as a regional team fosters innovation, cross-cultural understanding, and team cohesion. Visiting other countries enables our teams to explore new cultures, cuisines, and gain new experiences.   Tax, Marketing & Communications, and Business & Development Teams […]

  • Five Sorainen partners recognised as prominent female leaders

    Leading international legal directory IFLR1000 has recognised five of our partners – Piret Jesse, Karin Madisson, Eva Berlaus, Lelde Laviņa and Aušra Mudėnaitė as prominent female leaders in its 2023 Women Leaders guide. Our experts have been recognised by the guide since 2020. Leading female lawyers All five are among the most experienced practitioners active in their markets. They have impressive track records and are consistently commended by clients and peers for the quality of their advice and services. Having over 20 years of experience in their field, all five have led numerous landmark mergers and acquisitions over the years. […]

  • The Financial Times ranks Sorainen among top 30 innovative law firms in Europe

    News / Laimonas Skibarka, Matas Mačiulaitis, Irina Seniut

    Sorainen is the only law firm from Baltic and Nordic region ranked in this year’s FT Innovative Lawyers Index — Europe 2023. The index provides a ranking and a holistic assessment of law firm success in innovation. It features fifty of the most innovative European law firms, evaluated according to innovation, digital, people, and social responsibility criteria. The Sorainen team maintained a ranking in the top thirty by placing 29th. “The FT Innovative Lawyers ranking highlights the names of the forward-thinking law firms and acknowledges their efforts in modernising legal services,” says Irina Seniut, head of Knowledge Management and Innovation […]

  • IFLR1000: Sorainen is the only Tier 1 law firm in the Baltics

    News

    According to the 2023 rankings of the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), Sorainen remains the strongest law firm in the Baltics, being the only firm with the highest Tier 1 rankings across all practice areas. 38 of our lawyers were recognised by the guide as leading legal specialists. Top tier in all fields Similarly to previous years, Sorainen has retained its position as the leading law firm in the region, earning only the highest Tier 1 rankings in all practice areas. Our team was recognised as the best in the market in the following areas: Estonia – Financial and corporate […]

  • Sorainen is the most attractive private-sector employer in the legal field

    News / Laura Kiigemägi, Kristiina Härms / Personaliuudised

    In the survey conducted by Instar, an employer branding agency, law students chose Sorainen as the most attractive private-sector employer in the legal field. More than 6,000 respondents took part in the survey this year, out of whom 2,647 were students. The 5 most attractive employers for law students in 2023 (out of 264): Estonian Ministry of Justice Estonian Prosecutor’s Office Estonian Supreme Court Sorainen Lextal The survey revealed that students want to work part-time with a certain employer (45% of respondents considered it important), they prefer a home office and work-from-anywhere option. The most important factor influencing career choice […]

  • Sorainen is the strongest law firm in the Baltics

    News

    According to the 2023 rankings of four major international legal directories (Legal 500, Chambers, IFLR and ITR), Sorainen stands out as the strongest law firm on a pan-Baltic level. Furthermore, Sorainen is the only one from key market players to have improved its position in 2023 and now has the most Tier 1 rankings across the region, further solidifying Sorainen as a top-tier law firm and the clear market leader. Client-centric approach This summer, Sorainen became the most recommended law firm on a pan-Baltic level, being ranked by four international directories as the top-tier team in a total of 64 […]

  • Capital markets expert Dr Lina Aleknaitė-van der Molen joins Sorainen

    Our team welcomes a new member – attorney-at-law Dr Lina Aleknaitė-van der Molen, an expert in the fields of finance and capital markets, joins the firm as a counsel. She will advise clients on financing transactions and securities, as well as investment fund formation and asset management.   “Lithuanian capital markets have recently been breaking the ice for change, both through government initiatives and legislative amendments. I am excited to be joining law firm Sorainen at this time. I am confident that with this team, we will be able to offer the highest level of service to both Lithuanian businesses […]

  • Latvia Implements New Music Tariffs for Hotels

    The Competition Council (CC) in Latvia recently conducted an in-depth investigation into the public performance tariffs applicable to playing music in hotel rooms. The investigation focused on the criteria set by the Latvian Performers and Producers Association (LaIPA) for calculating these tariffs. After careful evaluation, the CC found that some of the criteria used by LaIPA in their calculation procedure were unreasonable. These criteria included factors such as the GDP of the hotel, hotel category (e.g. star ratings), and traveller expenditures, which were not directly related to the cost of creating or playing music in hotel rooms. In response to […]

  • Sorainen tops Chambers’ rankings as the leading private client team in the Baltics

    In the recently released Chambers 2023 High Net Worth rankings, Sorainen stands out as the strongest law firm in the Baltics, being the only one with the highest Band 1 rankings across the region in Private Wealth Law. This makes the Sorainen private client team the only one in the region with proven experience and market acknowledgement. ’’We are humbled to receive such positive feedback from our clients and major researchers like Chambers and Partners. As the legal issues get increasingly complex in our region, so do the sophisticated legal and tax needs of high-net-worth individuals and families. We have […]

  • Sorainen’s Estonian office certified as European Green Office

    News / Elina Lumiste, Getter Orav, Maarika Maripuu

    Sorainen’s Estonian office was certified as a European Green Office. The review took place in mid-May, during which areas related to environmental activities were discussed, criteria were verified based on the European Green Office control questionnaire, and a tour of the office was carried out. The certificate is valid for three years and is a major development in recognising our commitment and efforts in the field of environmental sustainability. What is a green office? The objective of an environmentally friendly or green office is to constantly monitor and reduce the environmental impact of the office’s activities, which entails cost savings, […]

  • Associate’s development programme at London law firm Addleshaw Goddard

    News / Krista Niklase, Simonas Šlitas

    In the middle of June, our colleagues, associate Krista Niklase and associate Simonas Šlitas, participated in the Global Connect Associate Development Programme organized by the international law firm Addleshaw Goddard in London, with the participation of associates from international law firms from the Addleshaw Goddard global connect network from Europe and outside. The programme is based on the associate’s professional growth, developing leaders, communication, client-shaped and personal branding skills, and learning about innovation in a lawyer’s work. In addition to the training sessions and activities, the programme participants, including our colleagues, had an excellent opportunity to exchange experience and build […]

  • Startup legal tips from Sorainen experts

    News / Mirell Prosa, Jūlija Terjuhana, Matas Mačiulaitis, Oliver Kuusk, Vladislav Leiri, Agneta Rumpa, Raminta Matulytė

    Whether you’re an experienced businessperson or a first-time entrepreneur, the startup world is filled with legal land mines. There are many support organisations – incubators, accelerators, associations – specifically created to help startups grow and scale. However, nothing will quite protect your business like a legal expert. This is why our startup legal team has held several pan-Baltic free startup legal clinics. If you’re a bootstrapping startup, you may be used to applying the do-it-yourself attitude to various business aspects. When it comes to legal matters, we strongly advise you to ditch ChatGPT and internet searches. Instead, consult a legal […]

  • Revolutionary crypto asset regulation announced

    The Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCAR) was finally published in the European Official Journal on 9 June 2023. When it enters into force on 29 June 2023, the European Union will finally have a uniform, directly applicable regulation on crypto assets. MiCAR is the first regulation of its kind in the world. Its framework provides: Key legal definitions, including distributed ledger technology (DLT), crypto asset, utility token, asset-reference token, e-money token, crypto asset service (including a definition of each crypto asset service), crypto asset service provider, issuer, and offeror (of crypto asset), etc. Uniform authorisation requirements and procedures for […]

  • Sorainen supports national defenders

    News / Aku Sorainen, Kaupo Lepasepp, Karin Madisson / ERR

    For the first time in history, Estonian companies and organisations – 50 in total –  have received recognition for their contribution to the security of our country, granted by the Estonian Ministry of Defence. We were among the companies to accept the award at the Estonian War Museum, and were represented by Aku Sorainen. The purpose of the award is to highlight the employers that not only support our national security by exempting reserve soldiers from their work duties but also consciously support them. Our contribution Notably, of our 120 employees, approximately 30 are reservists, members of the Estonian Defence […]

  • Edgaras Markevičius to lead the firm‘s Public Procurement practice in Lithuania

    News / Edgaras Markevičius

    Edgaras Markevičius, a public procurement expert, has joined Sorainen. He will lead our Public Procurement & Public Projects practice in Lithuania. Edgaras is one of the leading experts in this field in Lithuania, having led the public procurement departments of the largest contracting authorities in the country. Before joining Sorainen, he worked as the Head of Public Procurement at Vilnius University for six years. Before that, he was the Head of Public Procurement at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. He holds a PhD in Law from Mykolas Romeris University. Kęstutis Švirinas, partner and head of the Dispute Resolution & Risk […]

  • Ober-Haus: Baltic real estate market sluggish, yet steady

    Ober-Haus presented its annual real estate market report 2023 on the Baltic States capitals, confirming slow, but steady growth in Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. The overview covers office, commercial, storage and residential markets, as well as plots of land in each of the capital cities. Legal notes for the report were prepared by our Baltic-wide team of real estate legal experts. Slow and steady growth The Baltic capitals experienced various geopolitical challenges presented by being located between Russia and Belarus, along with record high inflation in the previous year. Despite bleak predictions for 2022, the worst forecasts never materialised. “We […]

  • Fundamental and long-awaited changes make patent protection easier

    The European Commission launched a new system for regulating patent protections, establishing a new Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court. The changes will benefit companies and inventors in the European Union by facilitating the process for obtaining patents and enforcing their protection. What is a Unitary Patent? The new system provides for the establishment of a Unitary Patent, which will be regulated under the Unified Patent Court. Europe’s Unitary Patent is a new additional option for companies and inventors seeking to obtain patent protection in Europe. The European Commission has stated that the Unitary Patent is a legal title providing […]

  • Nasdaq Welcomes Sorainen as a Certified Adviser on the First North market

    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) announces that Sorainen ZAB SIA has been granted the status of First North Certified Adviser on the Riga market as of 30 May, 2023. First North is a growth market designed for ambitious small and medium-sized companies in the Baltics. Being a Certified Adviser permits Sorainen to guide growth companies in Latvia through the Firth North application process and ensure they meet all the market’s requirements on a continuous basis. “Latvian companies are interested in raising capital on the stock exchange, therefore, the  experience and knowledge of certified consultants is an essential support for these companies on […]

  • Anti-money laundering expert Eimantas Vytuvis joins Sorainen

    News / Eimantas Vytuvis

    Eimantas Vytuvis, former director of the Centre of Excellence in Anti-Money Laundering, has joined our Finance & Insurance team. For the last two years, Eimantas headed the Centre of Excellence in Anti-Money Laundering, prior to that he was in charge of anti-money laundering at Nordea and Luminor banks, where he led the Customer Risk Management Unit of Luminor Group. Eimantas is an anti-money laundering expert certified by ACAMS, a global organisation of anti-financial crime professionals. Augustas Klezys, partner with Sorainen and head of the Finance & Insurance team, says that the geopolitical environment, evolving technology, and a tightening regulatory environment […]

  • Sorainen named Baltic-wide Law Firm of the Year by Chambers and Partners

    News

    Sorainen was named Baltic-wide Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Europe Awards 2023. The award recognises our law firm pre-eminence in key jurisdictions in the region. The honour is awarded based on research for the latest edition of the Chambers Europe Guide. “Our Baltic-wide team has been consistently improving in all practice areas. We’re incredibly pleased to receive this acknowledgement from Chambers. I believe that the two key reasons for this success include our integrated approach across the region, and focus on client satisfaction,” says managing partner Laimonas Skibarka. Biggest projects in the Baltics The Chambers awards reflect […]

  • Eglė Venskūnienė joins Sorainen as new COO

    News / Eglė Venskūnienė

    On 1 May 2023, Eglė Venskūnienė was appointed the new chief operating officer (COO) at Sorainen. She is taking overall charge of Sorainen operations and will work together with the firm’s managing partner Laimonas Skibarka. Eglė, who joined Sorainen from Danske Bank Lithuania, is based at Sorainen Lithuanian office. Responsible for firmwide business services and regional integration, she will also be a member of the Sorainen management team. Laimonas says: “We are very happy that Eglė has joined our team. With a positive and energetic personality and extensive experience in leadership, technologies, development of services and project management, she will help […]

  • Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum: expect an upturn after regional underinvestment

    News / Eva Berlaus, Sergej Butov, Kertu Ruus, Viktorija Anna Graudiņa

    The Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2023 was organised by Sorainen in cooperation with leading Latvian business media house Dienas Bizness. The forum, hosted by Sorainen Parner Eva Berlaus, gathered over two hundred participants representing private equity, venture capital funds and investment banking, consultants, lawyers, as well as business executives and owners from the Baltics and beyond. McKinsey & Company Partner Jussi Hiltunen presented the Global Private Markets Review during the forum, and several sectors were examined by keynote speakers and panels. After the conference, Baltic Deals of the Year received honours. The most notable transactions were carried out […]

  • Sorainen team receives CEELM award

    News / Eva Berlaus, Jānis Bite

    On April 25, CEE Legal Matters presented Sorainen with the 2022 Latvia Deal of the Year award for its work on the Renta Group’s acquisition of Uprent Group from BaltCap. The pan-Baltic Sorainen team was led by counsel Jānis Bite and supported by country managing partner Eva Berlaus. In close cooperation with the lead legal counsel, we provided full legal support on the Baltic aspects of the transaction, including legal due diligence and transaction negotiations, as well as closing the transaction. The winners of this year’s Deal of the Year Awards were announced on April 25 in Istanbul, during the CEE Legal Matters Deals […]

  • Baltic Deals of the Year 2023: Milrem, Nord Security, Oxylabs and Sunly

    News / Eva Berlaus

    Last night, the Baltic deals of the year received honours at the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2023 in Riga. The most notable transactions were carried out by Milrem Robotics and Sunly of Estonia, and Nord Security and Oxylabs of Lithuania. Nord Security Group CFO Laurynas Zabulis with the award for Baltic Private Equity Deal of the Year and partner Oxylabs award for Baltic Outbound Deal of the Year, Milrem Robotics CEO and Founder Kuldar Väärsi with the award for Baltic M&A Deal of the Year, Sunly Chairman of the Supervisory Board Martin Kruus with the award for Baltic […]

  • Legal500: Sorainen is the strongest law firm in the Baltics

    News

    In the recently released Legal500 2023 rankings, Sorainen has further solidified its position as a top-tier law firm and stands out as the strongest law firm in the Baltics, having the most Tier 1 rankings across the region. Market-leading expertise Across the Baltics, we received the highest Tier 1 rankings in 28 legal fields out of 31. Our Estonian Real Estate & Construction (REC) team earned the highly coveted Tier 1 ranking this year, joining our Latvian and Lithuanian REC teams as go-to advisors in the field. According to Legal500, ‘’Sorainen is a leading firm in real estate and construction […]

  • Sorainen partner Jānis Taukačs awarded the Order of the Three Stars

    News / Jānis Taukačs

    As we approach the 33rd anniversary of the restoration of Latvia’s independence, on 4 April the highest Latvian state award – the Order of the Three Stars – is awarded by decision of the President and the Chapter of Orders. This time, the Order of the Three Stars has been awarded to the organisers of civic initiatives who have selflessly provided assistance to Ukraine, its soldiers and civilians, as well as to Ukrainian war refugees in Latvia. The award highlights the merits and contributions made by many well-known Latvian musicians, businessmen, and figures in the fields of culture and education. […]

  • Sorainen spin-off Crespect received an innovative legal-tech product development grant and closed a seed investment round

    News / Aku Sorainen

    Crespect is a cutting-edge technology spin-off from Sorainen. It is developing an intelligent cloud-based legal practice management system for law firms globally. The system will simplify and streamline lawyers’ daily tasks, as well as providing business insights to enable them to manage client and international partner relationships with ease. Crespect has achieved two major milestones recently: the tech spin-off received a grant EUR 227,000 from the European Regional Development Fund for innovative product development. Crespect also closed a seed round in which it received the first part of investment of EUR 605,000. A solution built by lawyers, for lawyers Crespect […]

  • Sorainen recognised by the Legal500 as the only pan-Baltic ESG-focused firm

    News

    Sorainen has been recognised in the second edition of The Legal 500’s EMEA Green Guide.  We are the only firm in our region to earn recognition for our work in the field of ESG in all Baltic countries. Projects with a significant impact According to Legal500, our clients benefit from the firm’s cross-disciplinary approach to green work. ‘’The firmwide ESG team is dedicated to facilitating the green transition for clients and has become a go-to in the region for renewables projects. The team is comprised of multidisciplinary lawyers across Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania who collaborate closely on ESG matters.’’ Recent […]

  • Kęstutis Švirinas has been appointed to the working group for ECtHR judge selection

    News / Kęstutis Švirinas

    Lithuanian Ministry of Justice has announced the start of the selection process for applicants to the position of judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).To initiate the national procedure, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Ingrida Šimonytė, has formed a working group to carry out this selection. The working group comprises the best legal experts in the country, including Sorainen partner Kęstutis Švirinas. The working group‘s task is to evaluate the applicants‘ documents and conduct selection interviews, in order to be able to present the candidacies of the three best-rated ECtHR judge candidates to the prime […]

  • Sorainen arbitration specialists deemed the gold standard

    News / Dr Carri Ginter, Allar Jõks, Maria Pihlak, Valts Nerets, Kęstutis Švirinas, Laurynas Lukošiūnas

    Our arbitration specialists have been recognized as the gold standard by the recently released Legal 500 Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist 2023. This esteemed list showcases leading arbitration practitioners from a broad range of countries, spanning from Austria and Poland to the Baltics and down to Serbia and North Macedonia. The six Sorainen lawyers featured on the powerlist exhibit an impressive depth of experience across various sectors. Established track record With a proven track record of successfully handling high-profile disputes involving major claims, state and investor representation, and highly complex landmark cases, our arbitration team comprises specialists with established reputations, in-depth […]

  • Fourth season of Shared Mission programme launched: focus on sustainable energy

    News

    For the fourth year in a row, we are inviting organisations developing innovative solutions to current environmental and social problems to participate in the Shared Mission programme. This year, the programme is focusing on innovative and sustainable energy projects. We will provide free legal and tax services in our jurisdictions to selected projects that are in line with our core purpose – increasing prosperity in the region – and that have a strong element of innovation. The application period is open from 27 March to 16 April. You can find out more about the programme and submit your application here. […]

  • Chambers’ research reveals respondents’ happiness with our client-focused approach

    News

    In the recently released Chambers Europe 2023 rankings, Sorainen has improved its rankings in two categories and stands out as the most client-focused law firm in the Baltic market. “Sorainen has a comprehensive team of experts in the field with in-depth, sector-specific knowledge and extensive experience. The firm is fully focused on achieving the client’s goals.” shares one client. Another adds: “Sorainen has a strong understanding of the business of clients and their needs.” Our team is praised for in-depth knowledge and market-leading expertise: “We love working with the Sorainen team because they can cover any topic at a high […]

  • New milestone for us! We are celebrating our 100th team member in Sorainen Latvia!

    News / Aku Sorainen, Eva Berlaus, Egija Linda Nežborte

    In 1995, Aku Sorainen established our law firm with the first office in Tallinn, Estonia. In 1997, we started our journey in Latvia, establishing Sorainen Latvian office with only three people. Over the past 3 years, we have onboarded more than 40 new team members in Latvia. Today, we can announce that Sorainen Latvia has welcomed our 100th member! We have reached the magic 100 and we are so proud of it! “This milestone proves that we are unstoppable on our way of continuous development, innovation and collaboration to find yet better ways to help our clients to succeed and […]

  • CEE Deals of the Year Awards: Country Selection Committee participation

    News / Eva Berlaus, Aku Sorainen

    Senior partner of Sorainen Aku Sorainen and country managing partner of the Latvian office Eva Berlaus have been selected to join the Country Selection Committee for the 2022 CEE Deals of the Year Awards — the most prestigious peer-selected awards for the legal industry in Central and Eastern Europe. The CEE Deal of the Year Awards have been granted since 2017 by CEE Legal Matters — the leading source of news and information about the lawyers and legal industry in Central and Eastern Europe — to celebrate the transactions, financings, IPOs, and other deals that underpin growth throughout the region, […]

  • Riga Graduate School of Law library continues cooperation with Sorainen

    News / Valts Nerets

    Cooperation between Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) library and Sorainen law firm, which successfully started more than 20 years ago, is continuing. Thanks to Sorainen’s support, the library collection is regularly supplemented with valuable books useful to legal professionals. Sorainen partner and graduate of RGSL – Valts Nerets emphasises: “This long-term cooperation has been very valuable both for the Sorainen law firm and for the Riga Graduate School of Law. We have made our contribution to the improvement of the university’s collection of law sciences and raising the quality of student education. We look forward to future collaborative projects […]

  • Estonia will start screening foreign investments from September 2023

    News / Piibe Lehtsaar, Vladislav Leiri, Jürgen Adamson

    The Estonian Parliament adopted the Foreign Investment Reliability Assessment Act on 25 January 2023. The Act is set to enter into force on 1 September 2023. The primary objective of the Act is to screen both direct and indirect investments made by non-EU investors in strategically important and sensitive areas in Estonia.

  • Sorainen Tartu HUB opens doors

    News

    Sorainen now has remote working spaces in Tartu – we opened our Tartu HUB on 10 February. The hub has two office rooms with workspaces and a larger meeting room. The hub has everything necessary for a comfortable working environment – a kitchen, IT solutions and fun artwork. Great teamwork environment The hub enables Tallinn and Tartu colleagues, the latter of whom are primarily students, to have more contact with each other, which in turn promotes the multifaceted development of young lawyers. The spaces support learning and are a community for students living in Tartu. In addition, the hub provides […]

  • Sorainen becomes a member of FSDI Latvia

    News

    On 25 January this year, the 70th Council meeting of the Federation of Security and Defence Industries of Latvia (FSDI Latvia) took place, during which, after a vote, Sorainen was accepted as a member. FSDI Latvia was founded in 2013. It unites a wide range of economic sectors and is the only national-level organisation that represents companies and universities working in the security and defence sector. FSDI Latvia has been recognised as a cooperation partner by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As our office considers it necessary to contribute to […]

  • Protecting the security and competitiveness of the Baltic high-tech sector at the Innovators Next Door Project

    News / Auksė Trapnauskaitė, Danas Šniutė, Sidas Sokolovas, Vaiva Mašidlauskienė, Katrīne Pļaviņa-Mika, Edvīns Draba, Jūlija Terjuhana, Katrīna Bičevska, Sofia Kurochka

    With an increased risk of malicious use of innovative dual-use technologies from the Baltics, the Innovators Next Door tech security initiative brings together industry, civil society and government stakeholders to strengthen the policy, practice, and cross-sector networks that protect the Baltic high-tech sector. The Project is coordinated by Motive International, a US social enterprise, with the support of the U.S. Department of State and the Latvian and Lithuanian Ministries of Foreign Affairs. Participating experts at Project events have included representatives from NATO, the European Defense Fund, FedTech, the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and the West Point Robotics Center. On October 5 and 6 […]

  • Saulė Dagilytė becomes the new country managing partner of the Sorainen Lithuanian office

    News / Saulė Dagilytė, Tomas Kontautas

    As of 1 January 2023, partner Saulė Dagilytė, currently head of the Sorainen Tax team in Lithuania, is the country managing partner of the Sorainen Lithuanian office. She has taken over this position from Tomas Kontautas, who held it since 2017. Outgoing country managing partner Tomas Kontautas comments: “Sorainen’s partnership agreement provides for a two-year term as office managing partner. I thank the partners for their trust and the opportunity to lead the Lithuanian office for three terms, and I am glad that Saulė, who has developed the largest tax law practice in Lithuania, is taking over this position. I […]

  • Sorainen expands circle of owners, promoting renowned arbitration expert Maria Pihlak to partner

    News / Maria Pihlak

    Sorainen promoted sworn advocate Maria Pihlak, who heads the firm’s International Arbitration sub-practice in Estonia, to partner. Maria becomes the fourth partner on the Sorainen Estonian office’s Dispute Resolution and Risk Management team, alongside partners Carri Ginter, Allar Jõks and Norman Aas. Sorainen currently has 350 employees across four countries, including 45 partners, 13 of whom are women. Maria is the first female partner on Sorainen’s international Dispute Resolution and Risk Management practice. The firm’s Estonian office has a staff of 123, including 13 partners, four of whom are women. Maria helps clients to solve highly complex and resource-heavy disputes […]

  • Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023 lists our arbitration experts

    News / Dr Carri Ginter, Maria Pihlak

    Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2023 lists our arbitration experts in its recently published list featuring market-leading arbitrators, counsel, expert witnesses and Future Leaders aged 45 and under. Our highly regarded arbitrators are: Carri Ginter (recommended on the list of Future Leaders – Partner category in Estonia) Maria Pihlak (recommended on the list of Future Leaders – Non-Partner category in Estonia) Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Harnessing tens of thousands of data points augmented by hundreds of in-person interviews, this is an extensive analysis of the international arbitration market. The report features more than 1,250 lawyers from 93 jurisdictions. In addition, over 300 expert witnesses […]

  • Sorainen acclaimed by Mergermarket as Baltic M&A Legal Adviser of the Year 2022

    News / Toomas Prangli

    Mergermarket has once again named Sorainen “Baltic M&A Legal Adviser of the Year”. This is the seventh time already that Sorainen has received this prestigious award for creative advisory work on complex transactions. Last year, in addition to winning the “Baltics M&A Legal Adviser of the Year” award, Sorainen also became the first Baltic law firm to win the title of “Central and Eastern Europe M&A Legal Adviser of the Year”. Toomas Prangli, head of our regional Corporate and M&A team, comments: “The tech startup sector has dominated the Baltic M&A market in 2022. Even though activity in the sector […]

  • Sorainen remains top fintech legal advisors in Lithuania in the Chambers FinTech rankings

    News / Tomas Kontautas, Augustas Klezys, Lina Ragainytė-Mezenė, Liutauras Vasiliauskas, Goda Drąsutė, Ieva Dagytė, Auksė Trapnauskaitė, Akvilė Jurkaitytė

    In the recently released Chambers FinTech rankings, our Fintech team has retained the top position in Lithuania for the fourth year in a row. Partners Tomas Kontautas and Augustas Klezys, who lead the team, are also both ranked among the leading fintech experts in Lithuania. According to Chambers, “Sorainen is a go-to choice for Fintech work”. Well-rounded team contributing to the development of fintech sector Our fintech team assists with the development of e-money and payment institutions, and help blockchain and cryptocurrency companies with a range of legal issues. Our dedication to helping clients succeed is also highlighted. The client […]

  • Ieva Rimavičienė appointed as a Lithuanian delegate to the International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Arbitration and ADR

    News / Ieva Rimavičienė

    The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has announced the renewed membership composition for the 2022-2024 ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, the ICC’s leading think tank for international dispute resolution. Sorainen senior associate Ieva Rimavičienė, who has significant experience in arbitration and the ADR field, has been appointed by the National Committee as an ICC Lithuania delegate. “I am thrilled to join this new and diverse group of more than 1,300 expert members from over 100 countries, comprising lawyers, in-house counsel, arbitrators, mediators, law professors and experts in various dispute resolution fields. I look forward to contributing to the important work […]

  • Sorainen publishes sustainability report

    News / Kertu Ruus, Olga Solovyanchik, Elina Lumiste, Laimonas Skibarka, Vitalija Impolevičienė, Leda Iržikevičienė

    We have published the first sustainability report of Sorainen, covering the procedures we have introduced and the initiatives we have undertaken to make the firm act in a more sustainable way in 2021-2022. The areas covered in the report are business and clients, people, society, and environment, introducing the conscious steps Sorainen has taken in all of those areas. “I hope that this report will not only shed light on our sustainability and ESG initiatives, but will also encourage other businesses in our region to promote a sustainability mindset, forge partnerships, and build sustainable businesses,” says Laimonas Skibarka, Managing Partner […]

  • Sorainen raises to 22nd position on FT’s most innovative European law firms list

    News / Aku Sorainen, Leda Iržikevičienė

    Sorainen raised to the 22nd position on the list published yesterday by Financial Times that ranks the most innovative law firms in Europe. The ranking (found on the link, at the end of the article) is based on a sum of scores for innovation, people, digital, client mentions and financial growth. Sorainen is the highest ranked Baltic firm, with most firms positioning ahead of us being UK, US or global firms. Aku nominated as Individual Leader This year, Sorainen was shortlisted in five categories. As a firm, we were nominated for the title of the “Most innovative law firm in […]

  • Gunta Bambāne receives a Fulbright scholarship to study in the US

    News / Gunta Bambāne

    The US government’s Fulbright Program annually awards scholarships to outstanding students from around the world, including from Latvia. The Fulbright Program in 1946 was founded by former Senator J. William Fulbright in order “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries”. As part of the programme, more than 300,000 participants have participated in an exchange, studying in the USA or elsewhere in the world. In Latvia, Fulbright scholarships are organised by the US Embassy. There’s already a tradition of Fulbright scholarships at Sorainen. In 2005, a Fulbright scholarship was awarded to our […]

  • ITR recognises Sorainen as the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year for the tenth time

    News / Jānis Taukačs

    On 15 September, International Tax Review (ITR) presented Sorainen with the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year award. Our team received this recognition now for the tenth time since ITR established the Baltic category in its European awards in 2010. Says Jānis Taukačs, head of our regional Tax team: “There are amazingly strong tax teams in the Baltics and it made me think – what is the main reason for clients to keep coming back to us with their most complex tax issues. It is clearly a team effort of around thirty tax professionals across the region. But it is also a […]

  • Sorainen Summer Days: Become more in client experience topic

    News / Aku Sorainen, Leda Iržikevičienė, Kristiina Härms, Eva Berlaus

    Learning and development is an important part of the experience of Sorainen’s people in everyday life, as well as at major firm events. Summer Days is a special event where people from all our offices gather to connect, learn and have a great time together. On the way to superior client experience This year, our training focused on the topic of client experience and people from all our teams engaged in interactive sessions. Client experience is created not only by our legal experts, but by every department of business services too – participants in the training had a chance to […]

  • Sorainen is ranked first in the Baltic client satisfaction survey

    News

    Sorainen ranks first among Baltic top tier law firms, according to the annual Kantar Prospera client satisfaction survey. We also hold the top position in Estonia and Lithuania, and second position in Latvia. Sorainen has received the highest regional ranking in the following service criteria: Strong reputation Lawyers’ skills Client understanding Business mindedness Strategic speaking partner Personal contacts Availability and service Large projects Project management Project staffing Quality across the Baltic region International competence Usage of digital tools Clients have placed Sorainen in the top position for willingness to recommend. Moreover, Sorainen also tops the leaders’ list for best legal […]

  • The Financial Times recognises Sorainen for its innovations: nominated for awards in four categories

    News / Leda Iržikevičienė, Aku Sorainen

    Sorainen was shortlisted in four categories in The Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe 2022, this being the highest number of nominations of any law firm from the Baltic or Nordic regions. Leda Iržikevičienė, COO of Sorainen, comments: “Innovation is a part of our firm’s DNA and our understanding of it is much broader than only applying innovative technology in our work. We constantly look for new approaches in everything we do and aim to increase the value we create for our clients through innovation. We appreciate that our multiple efforts in this direction have also been recognised by The […]

  • Rūdolfs Eņģelis atop Latvian Banking & Finance leaderboard

    News / Rūdolfs Eņģelis

    This month, CEE Legal Matters, a print and online publication for and about lawyers interested and working in Europe’s emerging legal markets, has published an overview of the most active dealmakers in the CEE region. CEE Legal Matters follows local markets and publishes the most prominent transactions in each country. According to the publication’s statistics, Sorainen partner and head of the Finance & Insurance practice group Rūdolfs Eņģelis has led 16 reported Latvian financial and bank sector deals since 2013. He is also the only practitioner in Latvia who has reached double digits in this category.

  • IFLR recognises Sorainen as the only pan-Baltic Tier 1 law firm

    According to the recently released IFLR1000 rankings, Sorainen is the only law firm in the region holding only the highest, Tier 1 rankings, in all categories in the Baltics. Furthermore, 27 lawyers have earned an individual ranking by the guide, highlighting them as the utmost experts in the region. Leading finance-focused publication IFLR1000 is the market-leading law publication for capital markets, and corporate and finance lawyers. The field of project development, including energy, infrastructure, mining, power, PPP, telecommunications networks, and transport is also researched. The research categories include: Estonia: Project Development and Financial & Corporate Latvia: Project Development and Financial […]

  • International competence in data protection

    News / Jūlija Terjuhana

    We are proud to announce that our associate Jūlija Terjuhana has received the CIPP/E (Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe) certificate, having successfully passed the examination. The certificate is issued by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource. This certificate complements Jūlija’s experience in data protection and confirms her international competence.

  • Sorainen selects 15 projects to receive free legal and tax advice

    News

    Sorainen has selected 15 projects that will receive pro bono legal and tax advice from us in the Shared Mission programme. The selected candidates will receive free legal and tax advice on various issues they face, from establishing an entity and employment arrangements to data protection and fundraising. Great pool of participants in the environmental field One of the ways we, as a firm, can support climate action goal is by assisting environmentally-focused projects by doing something we do best – providing legal and tax services. The successful applicants are involved in a wide range of environmental innovative projects such […]

  • Carri Ginter appointed by the European Commission as arbitrator for bilateral TSD disputes

    News / Dr Carri Ginter

    Stepping up trade agreements enforcement, the European Commission published a pool of almost 400 individuals eligible for appointment as arbitrators and TSD experts in bilateral disputes under trade agreements with third countries. Our partner Carri Ginter has been selected as one of the few individuals from the Baltic region. “Once again, we are punching above our weight,” says Ginter, referring to the extremely tough competition for such posts. Eminent experts seek to serve on high-level arbitration panels such as this one for the valuable contacts and experience they bring, which in turn translates into added value for clients. A diverse […]

  • Sorainen Shared Mission programme application period is now closed

    News

    Applications for participation in the third season of Sorainen Shared Mission programme are now closed. This year we focused on companies, NGOs, startups and initiatives aiming to do good in local and global communities by innovating in the environmental field. We received more than 20 applications from projects working on innovative waste management solutions, developing renewables and enhancing energy efficiency, advocating and educating on various environmental issues, and many others. We will carefully assess all the applications we received and contact the selected candidates. We aim to release the results by 1 July. The selected candidates will receive free legal […]

  • Kekava Bypass PPP won European PPP Deal of the Year award

    The energy and infrastructure news and analysis service Proximo has awarded the European PPP Deal of the Year award for 2022 to the Kekava Bypass PPP project closed in Latvia in July 2021. We together with lead counsel Loyens & Loeff (Brussels) advised the Kekava ABT, formed by A.C.B., Binders, and TIIC (Portugal), on the 3+20 year Design – Build – Finance – Maintain contract with the Latvian state for the 17.5 km Kekava bypass on the Via Baltica route, with financing from the European Investment Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank. The total gross availability payments are slightly above […]

  • The third season of Sorainen Shared Mission programme launches: focus on environmental projects

    News / Leda Iržikevičienė

    To contribute to society and make the world a better place, for the third year in a row, Sorainen is inviting organisations to participate in the Shared Mission programme. The goal of this year’ is to support innovative projects in the environmental field. The selected candidates will be provided free legal and tax advice. Annually we allocate over EUR 100,000 for Shared Mission and other pro bono initiatives. Applications for the 2022 programme are open from 1 June and will be accepted until 19 June. You can submit your application on the Sorainen website. Creating a healthy environment through innovation […]

  • WTS Tax and Investment Facts: Estonia

    News / Verner Silm, Kärt Anna Maire Kelder

    Our team of taxation experts contributed to a WTS report on taxes and investments in Estonia. The document serves as a helpful textbook for investors and entrepreneurs. It has been designed with the purpose of having the most accurate overview of the tax situation in Estonia. What topics are covered in the report? The document is divided into eleven chapters: Ways of doing business and legal forms of companies Corporate taxation Double Taxation Agreements Transfer Pricing Anti-Avoidance Measures Taxation of individuals and social security contributions Indirect taxes Inheritance and gift tax Wealth tax Land Tax Other taxes one should know […]

  • Estonian startups raise EUR 1 billion of capital with 4 months

    News

    Estonian startups have started 2022 with a bang, raising a total of EUR 1 billion in capital within the first four months of the year. Sorainen, the go-to law firm for startups, has advised on more than 3/4 of the total capital raised in 2022. Mirell Prosa, head of our startup’s team, advising unicorns Bolt and Veriff, as well as unicorn-hopefuls Montonio, Aurelia and Reiterate, believes that the sector will continue to grow despite the war in Ukraine. “Record months follow an outstanding year for the sector – if in 2020 EUR 464 million was raised for a whole year, […]

  • International energy expert Andrius Šimkus strengthens Sorainen team

    News

    Andrius Šimkus, an experienced expert in energy law, regulation and policy, joins the Sorainen team. Andrius has over 16 years of experience in the energy sector – he has worked at Lithuanian energy sector companies (Litgrid, LEO LT and Lietuvos Energija) and at the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna, as well as working at another leading law firm and developing a private energy law practice. “We are happy to welcome Andrius to our team. His joining is a strategically important step for the Sorainen Energy sector group. The energy market in Lithuania and the entire region has been increasingly active […]

  • Aspects of Confiscation of Property at the ECBA Criminal Law Conference

    News / Dr Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte, Krista Niklase

    On April 22 and 23 of 2022, an international conference of the European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) took place in Riga with the support of the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates, bringing together more than a hundred defence lawyers from different European countries. Dr.iur. Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte, attorney-at-law, a member of the ECBA and Head of White Collar & Compliance Practice at Sorainen in Latvia, participated in a panel discussion on confiscation and seizure of assets in criminal proceedings with the topic “Confiscation of criminally acquired property – one of the tools to combat money laundering. Reflections from attorney’s-at-law practice”. The […]

  • Willem C. Vis Moot team of University of Latvia Team makes it to the finals of the Budapest Pre-Moot

    News / Katrīna Bičevska, Elvis Grinbergs

    We are extremely happy and proud that our colleague Katrīna Bičevska, together with this year’s VisMoot team, managed an excellent performance at the XII Budapest Pre-Moot. In this competition of 78 different universities from all around the world Willem C. Vis Moot Team University of Latvia made it to the finals. In a very exciting final the team from the University of Gottingen prevailed. Budapest Pre-Moot is widely known as one of the biggest pre-moots before the main rounds in Vienna. This year was no exception, as it gathered participants from the USA, China, France, Germany and many other countries. […]

  • Sorainen strengthens position as top-tier legal advisor in Legal500 rankings

    News

    In the recently released Legal 500 rankings, we have strengthened our position in Lithuania in the areas of EU & Competition and Transport & Shipping, and considerably boosted our team’s personal rankings. We thank our clients and cooperation partners for their confidence. Our success is the outcome of hard work by our team, whose primary goal has always been, and continues to be, Client success. Focused on client success In total, we received 26 Tier 1 rankings in the Baltics with over 56 individual recognitions for our lawyers, including three lawyers who successfully improved their personal rankings and nine who […]

  • Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum: hopeful outlook, cool deals, search for impact  

    News / Kertu Ruus

    The war in Ukraine will have repercussions but will not harm the Baltic investment and transaction climate in the long run, market participants seemed to agree at the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum held on 7 April and co-organised by Sorainen, Äripäev and EstVCA. “There is going to be an extended period of reorientation,” noted William Wells, Managing Director at Rothschild. “Still, disruption of the supply chain will be sorted out, as substitution and reorganisation will happen.” The war will certainly affect the valuations and increase inflation pressures, market experts predicted. Deals revisited: Linas Agro and Fortum M&A forum […]

  • Baltic deal top winners announced: Bolt, Fortum, Livonia and Wise

    News

    Last night, the most outstanding transactions carried out in the Baltics during the period 1 January 2021 – 31 March 2022 were awarded at the annual Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum in Tallinn. The award winners are Livonia selling Santa Monica Networks and acquiring CSUB, Wise’s debut on London Stock Exchange, Bolt’s impressive fundraising rounds as well as Fortum’s sale of its Baltic business.   Here is an overview of the winning deals: Baltic M&A Deal of the Year – Partners Group Holding’s acquisition of Fortum’s Baltic district heating business. A global private markets firm Partners Group Holding acquired […]

  • Sorainen takes pan-Baltic win at CEE Deal of the Year award gala

    News

    As the only truly pan-Baltic law firm, last night, Sorainen was presented with the 2021 Baltic Deal of the Year award, as well as the Deal of the Year Estonia and Lithuania awards by CEE Legal Matters. The recognition follows a successful year for the firm, also named CEE M&A Legal Adviser of the Year by Mergermarket last week, being the first Baltic law firm to win the title. Deal of the Year Baltics – largest M&A transaction in 2021 The pan-Baltic Deal of the Year award was awarded to Sorainen for advising Fortum, a European energy company with activities […]

  • Jorens Jaunozols becomes Sorainen Latvia partner

    News / Jorens Jaunozols

    The Sorainen partnership continues expanding as, this April, Jorens Jaunozols becomes the ninth partner at the Latvian office. Jorens joined the Sorainen Real Estate & Construction group exactly eight years ago from a private sector company. Jorens is an attorney-at-law and head of the Real Estate sector group in Latvia, and as of January 2022 co-heads the Latvian Real Estate & Construction group together with partner Lelde Laviņa. Jorens has been involved in and advised clients on several notable projects – to name a few: numerous acquisition and sales transactions by real estate developer Linstow – most recently, the development […]

  • Five Sorainen partners among most prominent women lawyers across the world

    The IFLR1000 recognized five of our partners – Piret Jesse, Karin Madisson, Eva Berlaus, Lelde Laviņa and Aušra Mudėnaitė in its Women Leaders Guide for 2022. This year’s guide – the fifth edition – is by far the most comprehensive yet, featuring around 1000 lawyers globally, a 33% increase from the number of lawyers recognized last year. Our experts have been recognized by the guide since 2020 with the list expanding every year. This year, Lelde Laviņa, head of the firm’s Real Estate and Construction practice in Latvia and Aušra Mudėnaitė co-head of the firm’s Real Estate and Construction team […]

  • Sorainen named “CEE M&A Legal Adviser of the Year” at the Mergermarket Europe M&A Awards

    News

    Last night Sorainen became the first Baltic law firm to win the title of “Central and Eastern Europe M&A Legal Adviser of the Year” at the prestigious Mergermarket Europe M&A Awards. At the award ceremony, Sorainen was also named “Baltics M&A Legal Adviser of the Year”. “This win is a significant recognition for the entire Baltic region, which has grown much faster than other European regions in recent years, with the transaction market going up as well. We are truly grateful to our clients for entrusting us with their strategic business development and sales transactions, the number of which doubled […]

  • Sorainen supports Ukraine

    News

    Sorainen supports Ukraine and hopes that they will stand strong. We believe in democracy and freedom and will support them in the form of financial aid and pro bono advice. Aiming to offer immediate help to the people of Ukraine, Sorainen is donating 50,000 EUR to the Red Cross. We also offer pro bono legal and tax services to Ukrainian companies and people in need due to current events. We believe that by acting together we can make a difference for the people of Ukraine and also call others to support the nation during this difficult time. Please contact us at […]

  • Partner Nauris Grigals joins Sorainen Latvian office

    News / Nauris Grigals

    This February, Nauris Grigals joins the Sorainen partnership. As a result, the total number of Sorainen Latvian office partners reaches eight. Nauris will take on the role of co-head of the Corporate and M&A practice group of the Latvian office, together with the country managing partner of the Latvian office, Eva Berlaus. The Corporate and M&A group is among the fastest growing units in the office. In the Latvian office, its turnover increased by 20% last year alone. This increase in the size of the team shows development, but naturally the need to increase the management capacity of the practice […]

  • Sorainen introduces employee e-learning platform called iKnow

    News / Gabrielė Navickaitė

    A comprehensive e-learning platform iKnow was introduced to all our employees, allowing for efficient and personalised learning and access to world-class courses. Personalised and efficient It enables all newcomers to go through a four-week onboarding program at their own pace, and also offers an extensive range of courses to lawyers and business service teams at various levels of seniority, so they can develop professional skills at their own convenience. Each Sorainen team member is assigned with a personalised Learning Journey, which contains short interactive courses used by major law firms worldwide on topics such as communication, networking, and working with […]

  • Clients advise: to run successful projects, onboard advisors early

    News / Kertu Ruus, Kaupo Lepasepp

    Timely involvement of relevant external advisors and good project management are key to a project’s success, Sorainen clients told at a webinar on Monday. When major companies like Bite, Fortum and Sunly launch a project, they attempt to include external advisors, including law firms, as soon as possible. “Timely involvement of all the external advisers is crucial, so we book a large room with everybody represented,” describes Sigita Kravale, Fortum’s senior legal adviser who, as former head of legal of Fortum’s business in the Baltics, was instrumental in Fortum’s sales of its district heating business in the Baltics. Equally important […]

  • Sorainen strengthens team with nine new partners

    Nine partners from three different countries joined the Sorainen partnership at the beginning of the year. This new wave of leaders will strengthen six of our international teams: Dispute Resolution & Risk Management, Corporate and M&A, Finance & Insurance, Tax, Real Estate & Construction, and Competition & Regulatory. The new partners include five Lithuanians, two Estonians and two Belarusians, bringing the total number of Sorainen partners from 33 to 42. The new wave of leaders is made up of four women and five men. Remarkably, one new partner has just started their parental leave, refuting the ”old-school” notion that becoming […]

  • Sorainen once again recognised as top fintech legal advisor by Chambers

    News / Augustas Klezys, Tomas Kontautas, Liutauras Vasiliauskas

    In the latest Chambers FinTech rankings our Fintech team has been ranked in the top tier once again in Lithuania and Estonia. This is the third year in a row in Lithuania and second year in a row in Estonia that our teams have been named the top advisers in the fintech sector. According to Chambers, “whether assisting the development of e-money and payment institutions or helping blockchain and cryptocurrency companies with a range of legal issues, Sorainen is a go-to choice for fintech work“. The international directory, released on 10 December, also ranked Sorainen partners Augustas Klezys and Tomas Kontautas among the leading […]

  • Senior associate Katrīne Pļaviņa joins the Sorainen team

    News / Katrīne Pļaviņa-Mika

    At the beginning of December this year, the sworn advocate Katrīne Pļaviņa joined law firm Sorainen to develop the Public Administration Relations practice group in Latvia. Her knowledge and experience of public law disputes and regulated sectors will strengthen the office’s expertise in dispute resolution and risk management. Katrīne Pļaviņa has more than 10 years of experience of public law disputes, especially in the areas of public procurement, data protection and regulated industries. Her competence covers the entire procedural framework of national regulation, from the regulations of the World Trade Organization and the European Union to the technical regulations of […]

  • New legal platform for startups launched

    News / Matas Mačiulaitis

    To help Lithuanian startups during the early stages of running a business, we have created a free, publicly available platform together with Startup Lithuania, Unicorns LT and LT VCA, offering a package of legal documents relevant to startups and the entire startup ecosystem. Startup founders will be able to easily download the legal document template they need from this platform. You can find the new legal documents platform here. “This year has been record-breaking for Baltics startups. They have attracted significant investments, completed lucrative acquisitions deals and established themselves among top 10 deals in the M&A market. These trends set […]

  • Ginter on the digital transformation of Estonian courts before the ECHR

    News / Dr Carri Ginter

    Our partner Carri Ginter spoke about the digital transformation of Estonian courts at the European Court of Human Rights. Carri participated in the panel focusing on information technologies as means of communication and remote access to case-file at the meeting with national bar associations as a representative of the Estonian Bar Association. The full meeting schedule is available here.

  • High client satisfaction in Baltic legal market, Sorainen tops competence ranking

    News / Kertu Ruus

    The annual Prospera survey, which measures clients’ satisfaction with Baltic law firms, has revealed there is a tight race between the top-tier providers in the Baltics and a high overall level of client satisfaction. Sorainen received the highest regional ranking among the competitors for “Best legal competence – all legal areas”. Clients ranked us the Baltic law firm with the highest competence in the following eight legal and tax areas, out of a total of 14 surveyed: M&A Banking and finance Competition and EU Employment Tax Real estate Private equity Corporate advisory Sorainen was placed joint third in the overall […]

  • Prospera Tier 1 Law Firm Review results 2021

    News

    The research results indicate that we have the best legal competences in the areas researched. Clients placed us in the first positions for the following areas: M&A, banking and finance, dispute resolution, competition and the EU, public procurement, employment, tax, real estate, private equity, energy, corporate advisory, and government relations. The overall performance trends shows that all of the law firms researched in Latvia have improved their individual results. In the overall performance standing Sorainen is placed fourth, and the results suggest areas for future development. The market standing review shows Sorainen Latvia in first position for brand awareness, and […]

  • The Financial Times ranks Sorainen among the top 30 most innovative law firms in Europe

    News

    The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business, financial, economic and political dailies, has named Sorainen, the only pan-Baltic and Nordic law firm, among the 30 most innovative law firms in Europe. This is the first time that a pan-Baltic firm has received such a high accolade for innovation in the legal services sector. Ranked alongside global market leaders According to Sorainen’s Chief Operating Officer, Leda Iržikevičienė, being included in the list shows recognition for all the Baltic states, which continue to promote our region as a world leader in innovation. It also disproves the stereotype that the legal […]

  • Sorainen Latvia: new details

    News

    We would like to inform you that as a result of the changes to the Advocacy Law of the Republic of Latvia of 16 March 2021, which obliged law firms in the commercial register to re-register as a partnership or limited liability company, ZAB Sorainen has been registered in the commercial register and the new office accounting details are: Sorainen ZAB SIA Registration number: 50203349641 Kr.Valdemāra iela 21-11, Riga, Latvija VAT number: LV50203349641 Bank: Swedbank AS, BIC/S.W.I.F.T.: HABALV22 Bank’s address: Balasta dambis 1a, LV-1048 Rīga, Latvija IBAN: LV53HABA0551020796445 In accordance with the law, Sorainen ZAB SIA is the successor to […]

  • M&A market heavyweights trust Sorainen

    News

    In Bloomberg’s latest rankings of Eastern European M&A deal advisors, Sorainen holds the first position among Baltic and Belarusian law firms by volume of deals advised, and the second overall place by deal count. Sorainen advised announced deals with a total volume of USD 1.7 billion and was one of the three law firms to close more than 30 deals. The rankings table covers all Eastern European announced deals of the first three quarters of 2021. Record market activity According to Piret Jesse, partner, and co-head of our Estonian M&A team, the M&A market continues to thrive with a number […]

  • Changes to Sorainen Latvia registration

    News

    We would like to inform you that as a result of the changes to the Advocacy Law of the Republic of Latvia of 16 March, law firms had to obtain permission from the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates for registration in the commercial register as a partnership or limited liability company by 16 September. ZAB Sorainen has been registered in the commercial register with registration number 50203349641. Sorainen ZAB SIA has taken over all the rights and liabilities of ZAB Sorainen, and consequently all existing contracts remain valid and don’t need to be concluded again. Invoices with the new details […]

  • Financial Times shortlists Sorainen for the “Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe (non-UK)” award

    News

    Sorainen has been shortlisted for the “Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe (non-UK)” award in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2021. We are the only law firm from the Baltics and Belarus nominated for this prestigious award. Additionally, we were nominated in the “Innovation in Social Justice” category for our Shared Mission programme. The awards, established by the Financial Times, highlight law firms and in‐house teams which are digitally advanced and use innovative approaches to deliver exceptional value to business and society. The awards ceremony will take place on 14 October 2021. The only Baltic and Belarusian firm in […]

  • Sorainen is the most attractive employer out of Estonian law firms

    News

    In the survey of student job expectations and employer reputation conducted by Instar, an employer branding agency, law students chose Sorainen as the most attractive private-sector employer in the legal field. The 3 most attractive employers for law students in 2021 (out of 242): Estonian Ministry of Justice Estonian Supreme Court Sorainen We thank the students for the recognition and invite everyone to apply for the tenth season of the Sorainen Student Academy! Expectations of 9000 students Estonian students once again found the most attractive employer in Estonia to be Microsoft Estonia. According to a nationwide survey of university students, […]

  • Sorainen’s international arbitration team among the best in the world

    News

    We are pleased to announce that Global Arbitration Review (GAR) has included our international arbitration practice in GAR 100, the guide to the top specialist arbitration firms worldwide. 10 years of arbitration The first seeds of our arbitration practice were sown in 2011. This was thanks to Estonia adopting legislation that had a retroactive effect on foreign investors, who were interested in the possibility of bringing claims against the state. In the ensuing years, we started receiving more work from parties seeking to enforce arbitral awards in Estonia and further afield, leading the firm to develop a specialisation in the area. Throughout […]

  • Sorainen tops Chambers Private Wealth Law rankings for Lithuania for second year in a row

    News / Sergej Butov, Saulė Dagilytė

    Chambers has once again recognised our Private Client team as the top advisors in the field of Private Wealth Law in Lithuania. This is the second year this field has been assessed in Lithuania, and for the second time our team has been ranked in Tier 1. Chambers reveals some of the client feedback about our team: “Every aspect of their team has been very good for us within every different department,” says a source, who also describes the firm’s lawyers as “very knowledgeable and competent professionals.” Saulė Dagilytė and Sergej Butov ranked among the leading experts in the field Partners […]

  • Sorainen at EUIPO Trade Mark and Design Education Programme

    News / Linda Sarāne-Reneslāce

    We are proud to announce that our senior associate Linda Reneslāce from Sorainen Latvia office has successfully completed the EUIPO Trade Mark and Design Education Programme (ETMD EP). About ETMD EP The ETMD EP was established as an Education Programme within the EUIPO, the objective of which is to increase the knowledge of the legal framework of European Union trademarks and Community designs, in particular the proceedings and practices of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) within the community of intellectual property professionals currently practising. ETMD EP lecturers include representatives of the EUIPO, including members of the Board of Appeals, university lecturers […]

  • Sorainen Estonian office in Tallinn moves to Rotermanni Quarter

    News

    Dear clients and cooperation partners As of 28 June we have moved out of the Kawe Plaza office building, which was the location of our office in Tallinn for 23 years. Our temporary home until the end of October this year will be Rotermanni 8. How to find us? The entrance to our office building at Rotermanni 8 is located next to the Stradivarius shop (see photo below). Press key number 3 on the door phone. Our reception desk assistant will open the door for you. Our office is located on the 3rd floor. If you have questions, please call […]

  • CEE Deal of the Year award for Lithuania goes to Sorainen

    News

    CEE Legal Matters presented our team with the 2020 CEE Deal of the Year award for Lithuania for our work on the initial public offering (IPO) of state-owned energy company Ignitis Group. During the largest ever IPO in the Baltic States, the group raised EUR 450 million. The company’s shares were listed on the Nasdaq Vilnius and London stock exchanges. David Stukey, CEE Legal Matters Executive Editor, says: “This year’s award-winning deals are particularly significant for taking place against the backdrop of the (at the time rapidly expanding) COVID-19 pandemic, and many of them were arranged, at least in part, […]

  • The winners of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards 2021 announced

    News

    Yesterday evening, the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards 2021 were presented for the most significant deals closed in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia last year. The virtual awards ceremony closed the eleventh Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum. The winning deals Baltic M&A Deal of the Year – Boku’s acquisition of Fortumo Boku, a leading global mobile payment and mobile identity company, acquired Estonian fintech Fortumo for a maximum consideration of USD 41 million. The acquisition brings together the two most profitable platforms in the DCB market. Baltic Private Equity/Venture Capital Deal of the Year  – Skeleton Technologies completes a […]

  • Sorainen selects 22 projects to receive pro bono advice

    News

    Sorainen has selected 22 projects that will receive pro bono legal and tax advice from us in the Shared Mission programme. These include 11 organisations from Estonia, four from both Latvia and Lithuania, and three from Belarus. The legal needs of the organisations that we will assist with include various regulatory, corporate, data protection, employment and commercial contracts issues. The successful applicants include NGOs working with refugees and homeless people, and dealing with mental health and waste reduction issues, as well as several health start-ups, including companies operating online platforms for health workers or offering services for cancer risks screening. […]

  • Recognised criminal-law expert Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte joins Sorainen

    News / Dr Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte

    At the end of April this year, Dr. iur. Violeta Zeppa-Priedīte joined Sorainen Dispute Resolution and Risk Management team. Violeta’s knowledge and experience in criminal law – in money laundering, corruption and fraud, to name just a few areas – will be a high-value addition to the services the firm provides. Violeta will head the Latvian risk management, compliance and corporate crime investigation practice group of Sorainen’s Dispute Resolution and Risk Management practice. Partner Andris Tauriņš, head of Sorainen’s Dispute Resolution & Risk Management practice in Latvia, notes “The relation between corporate law and criminal-law risks is rock-solid. Violeta’s experience […]

  • AML expert Auksė Trapnauskaitė joins the Sorainen team

    News / Auksė Trapnauskaitė

    Auksė Trapnauskaitė, one of the top experts in prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing in Lithuania, has joined our Finance & Insurance team. Augustas Klezys, partner, and head of the firm’s Finance & Insurance sector group, comments: “We have been looking for a highly qualified AML expert for some time, so we are very happy that Auksė is joining our team. We believe that her professionalism and personal qualities will significantly strengthen Sorainen’s Finance & Insurance practice, and that the duo of Auksė and Goda Drąsutė will successfully meet our clients’ needs for top-quality legal services in the area […]

  • Piret Jesse, Eva Berlaus and Karin Madisson among leading female transactional experts

    News / Piret Jesse, Eva Berlaus, Karin Madisson

    We are proud to announce that the IFLR1000 recognised our partners Piret Jesse, Karin Madisson and Eva Berlaus, in its Women Leaders Guide for 2021. This year’s guide – the fourth edition – is by far the most comprehensive yet, featuring more than 750 lawyers globally, almost double the number of lawyers ranked last year. Piret Jesse, a co-head of our Corporate and M&A practice in Estonia and Eva Berlaus, the country managing partner of our Latvian office and head of our Corporate and M&A practice group in Latvia were recognised by the guide for the second time this year. Karin […]

  • Sorainen recognised as the Baltic law firm of the year at the IFLR Europe Awards

    News

    International Financial Law Review (IFLR) has once again named Sorainen the Baltic firm of the year. IFLR recognised our strong track record in advising on innovative international finance transactions last year. It is the eighth time we have received this award. Our firm’s integration in the Baltics and Belarus enables us to support our clients in transactions that break new legal ground and set new legal high-water marks in the region. Among these transactions are: State-owned energy company Ignitis Grupė going public on the Nasdaq Vilnius and London stock exchanges The largest bond issue by a Baltic private company to […]

  • Sorainen offers Friday afternoons off, increases focus on wellbeing of the staff

    News

    Appreciating that heavy workload combined with challenges of remote working is affecting its people, Sorainen has adopted a string of measures to help employees cope, from shortened workdays to free counselling. No strings attached on Friday afternoons this Summer “We have decided to offer all colleagues the opportunity to take half Fridays off this Summer – June, July and August,” commented managing partner Laimonas Skibarka. He added that the need rose from the fact that almost all legal and tax teams are showing record activity which in turn means a soaring number of working hours for lawyers and other staff. […]

  • Sorainen receives 29 top-tier rankings in The Legal 500

    News

    In the recently released The Legal 500 rankings, we have strengthened our positions in Latvia in the area of banking, finance and capital markets and considerably boosted our team’s personal rankings. In total, we received 29 Tier 1 rankings in the Baltics and Belarus and 56 lawyers were named as outstanding professionals in their fields, including ten lawyers who successfully improved their personal rankings or were ranked for the first time. Finance & Insurance team in Latvia moved up to top tier Our Finance & Insurance team in Latvia improved its position and is now ranked in Tier 1. According […]

  • Sorainen is offering EUR 100,000 worth of free legal and tax advice for innovative projects

    News

    Applications for Sorainen’s Shared Mission programme 2021, which will provide EUR 100,000 worth of free legal and tax advice to innovative projects, are now open. At Sorainen, we are committed to making the world a better place. In order to make a difference, we support initiatives that we believe in. After the success of the Shared Mission Programme 2020, we decided to make it a part of our sustainability strategy and run it again this year. We can help your innovative projects become a reality. And legally protected The projects we support are expected to contribute to our core purpose, […]

  • Vitalija Impolevičienė further strengthens Sorainen’s Finance & Insurance team

    News / Vitalija Impolevičienė

    Vitalija Impolevičienė, a well-known expert in the fields of finance and insurance, has joined our team in Lithuania. She will advise clients on regulation of the financial and insurance sectors, product development, distribution and related disputes. Augustas Klezys, partner, and head of the Finance & Insurance sector group, comments: “We are delighted to have Vitalija on our team. She has extensive experience in both banking and insurance sectors – during her professional career Vitalija has worked at law firms advising banking and insurance sector companies; she also worked as an in-house lawyer and headed the legal department. We are confident […]

  • Greentech startups from over 40 countries seek collaboration with Latvian market-leading companies

    News

    The first sustainability co-creation accelerator in the Baltics, Future Hub, has closed its application process, attracting over 160 GreenTech startups from 40 countries. Fifteen selected startups, together with enterprises joining the program, Swedbank Latvija, Latvenergo, Rimi Baltic, Orkla, and Rigas Namu Parvaldnieks, will kick-off the two-month-long co-creation program on March 8. Swedbank Latvia and Helve created Future Hub to foster the development of innovations that offer sustainable solutions and aim for a better future. While similar programs are common over Europe, this is the first co-creation accelerator in the Baltics. During the program from March 8 to May 2021, startups […]

  • Recognised dispute resolution and lobbying specialist Viktorija Soņeca joins Sorainen

    News / Viktorija Soņeca

    In mid-March this year, Viktorija Soņeca, a PhD student at the Faculty of Law at the University of Latvia, EU Court of Justice Department Director from the Ministry of Justice, joined Sorainen’s Dispute Resolution & Risk Management team. Viktorija’s knowledge will be a superior addition to the firm’s services. She has invaluable expertise in the following areas: the litigation procedures of the EU Court of Justice, European Union law, advancing initiatives of the European Union and national legislation, and development of national policies and guidelines. Partner Andris Tauriņš, the head of the Dispute Resolution & Risk Management practice in Latvia, […]

  • Sorainen demonstrates strong performance in Chambers Global 2021 rankings

    In the recently released Chambers Global 2021 rankings, Sorainen has solidified its position as a top law firm in the Baltics and Belarus. Heavyweight corporate practice In the field of Corporate/Commercial practice area we received three out of four Tier 1 rankings in the region and thirteen of our lawyers are recommended as notable practitioners across the Baltics and Belarus: In Estonia: partners Aku Sorainen, Toomas Prangli, Paul Künnap and Piret Jesse In Latvia: partner Eva Berlaus and senior associate Jānis Bite In Lithuania: partners Laimonas Skibarka, Sergej Butov, Algirdas Pekšys and Mantas Petkevičius In Belarus: partners Kiryl Apanasevich, Alexey […]

  • Sorainen lawyers listed as arbitrators of the international arbitration court Chamber of Arbitrators at the Union of Lawyers

    News / Valts Nerets, Valeria Dubeshka, Aliaksei Vashkevich, Dr Carri Ginter, Kiryl Apanasevich

    The international arbitration court Chamber of Arbitrators at the Union of Lawyers in Belarus (Chamber of Arbitrators, arbchamber.by) has included associates Valeria Dubeshka and Aliaksei Vashkevich in its list of recommended arbitrators. Valeria focuses on complex international disputes in the fields of international trade and construction. Aliaksei has experience in resolving corporate and M&A disputes and is also a coordinator of the Young Alternative Dispute Resolution Belarus project in the area of private international law. Among the recommended arbitrators are also Dispute Resolution & Risk Management partners Valts Nerets from Latvia and Carri Ginter from Estonia as well as country […]

  • Taxes in a Nutshell 2021

    News / Jānis Taukačs, Saulė Dagilytė, Allar Jõks, Alexey Anischenko, Aija Lasmane, Anzhelika Lozinskaya, Povilas Užkuraitis

    Main comparative corporate tax principles for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus. Available here: TAXES IN A NUTSHELL 2021

  • Experienced public procurement expert Neringa Virbickaitė joins the Sorainen team

    News / Neringa Virbickaitė

    Our Public Procurement & Public Projects team welcomes experienced professional Neringa Virbickaitė. She will be advising clients on public procurement matters and related disputes, as well as representing clients in disputes arising from the implementation or administration of EU-funded projects. Laurynas Lukošiūnas, Sorainen partner and head of the Public Procurement & Public Projects team in Lithuania, comments: “Neringa is a well-known expert adhering to the highest professional standards. Specialising in the fields of public procurement, EU funding and related legal areas, she has led a number of complex projects, and represented the interests of institutions and the Lithuanian state in […]

  • Sorainen joins the Green Tiger

    News / Karin Madisson

    Sorainen’s Estonian team has joined the Green Tiger (Rohetiiger), a new collaboration platform of Estonian companies launched yesterday, which is designed to boost environmental awareness and create a basis for a green economy. “It’s good to work with organisations that share the same values,” explained our partner Karin Madisson. She added that the Green Tiger’s objectives fully align with how Sorainen team is thinking, so joining forces seemed a logical step towards greener entrepreneurship. Sorainen is about to move to new premises and aims to implement the concept of green office when it does. Already today we aim to act […]

  • Aku Sorainen awarded medal of service by Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    News / Aku Sorainen

    Today the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Urmas Reinsalu, awarded individuals who have shown continuous and outstanding contribution to ensuring Estonia’s independence and worked on promoting the nation’s interests abroad, with a service medal from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our founding partner Aku Sorainen was one of the few to receive such recognition. Aku, who moved to Estonia during the 90’s, has always been passionate about developing relations between Estonia and Finland and supporting Finnish businesses in the Baltics and Belarus. For his work over two decades, Aku was awarded the Knight’s Cross, First Class, of the […]

  • Piret Jesse appointed chairwoman of the Commercial Law Committee of the Estonian Bar Association

    News / Piret Jesse

    We are pleased to share that our partner Piret Jesse has been chosen to serve as the chairwoman of the Commercial Law Committee of the Estonian Bar Association. Piret also serves on the board of the Estonian Bar Association and acts as an expert on the Corporate Law Audit Committee of the Ministry of Justice. Sorainen’s long term contribution Our specialists have been contributing to the work of the Commercial Law Committee of the Estonian Bar Association since it’s creation in 2013. For the past 7 years our partner Karin Madisson has served as it’s chairwoman, now handing the position […]

  • Asta Augutytė-Rapkevičienė and Norman Aas become Sorainen partners

    News / Asta Augutytė-Rapkevičienė, Norman Aas

    We welcome two seasoned professionals to our partnership – Asta Augutytė-Rapkevičienė, well-known adviser to the largest players on the Lithuanian real estate market, and Norman Aas, a prominent former civil servant now focusing on corporate crime cases and anti-corruption strategies. Asta Augutytė-Rapkevičienė specialises in real estate, construction and environmental matters, advising major real estate market players on all development-related issues. “My aim is to focus on creating the strongest real estate practice group in the market, with an eye on new areas such as renewable energy development projects and growing interest in the logistics, warehousing and industrial sector,” Asta Augutytė-Rapkevičienė […]

  • We launch Private Client services

    News / Kärt Anna Maire Kelder

    We have launched Private Client services to assist high-net-worth individuals and families in areas such as wealth structuring, succession planning, philanthropic giving and art investments. Kärt Anna Maire Kelder, head of our Private Client team in the Baltics and Belarus, has outlined in more detail why you should consult a lawyer when managing your wealth and private affairs. Trusted by clients Sorainen has already been trusted by many high-net-worth individuals, company founders and CEOs. For example, we advised a Lithuanian living in the USA on estate planning, real estate and taxation matters and the client’s personal investments in Lithuania. We […]

  • Who’s Who Legal recognises Sorainen arbitration experts

    News / Maria Pihlak, Dr Carri Ginter, Kirill Laptev, Alexey Anischenko

    We are pleased to announce that Who’s Who Legal (WWL) included our integrated arbitration team in its WWL: Arbitration 2021 guide featuring the world’s elite global arbitration experts. Seasoned arbitration experts Who’s Who Legal named four of our arbitration experts among the leading lawyers in this field: Alexey Anischenko (Recommended for arbitration by WWL) Carri Ginter (Arbitration Future Leaders – Partners category) Maria Pihlak Arbitration Future Leaders – Non-Partners category) Kirill Laptev (Arbitration Future Leaders – Non-Partners category) Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration Now in its fifth year, WWL: Arbitration – Future Leaders showcases partners and non-partners aged 45 or under who are considered to […]

  • Sorainen tops Chambers fintech rankings for Lithuania and Estonia

    News / Augustas Klezys, Tomas Kontautas, Laura Matukaitytė, Kätlin Krisak

    In its latest rankings Chambers FinTech has ranked Sorainen Fintech team in top tier in Lithuania and Estonia. It is the second year in the row that our team in Lithuania has been awarded the highest ranking. The international directory also named Augustas Klezys, Tomas Kontautas, Laura Matukaitytė and Kätlin Krisak among the top fintech experts in the region. According to Chambers, “the firm receives exceptional feedback from peers and clients alike. Whether assisting the development of e-money and payment institutions or helping blockchain and cryptocurrency companies with a range of legal issues, Sorainen is a go-to choice within the […]

  • Our experts appointed to the expert committees of the Estonian Bar Association

    News / Allar Jõks, Mihkel Miidla, Piret Jesse, Karin Madisson

    We are delighted to announce that four of our Estonian partners have been selected to continue working in the expert committees of the Estonian Bar Association. Contributing in several fields Our specialists have been appointed to serve on three committees of the Bar Association – Mihkel Miidla in the IP and IT Law Committee, Karin Madisson and Piret Jesse in the Commercial Law Committee and Allar Jõks in the Fundamental Rights Committee. In total 8 lawyers from our Estonian office are participating in the work of 7 expert committees of the local bar association. Previously appointed specialists include partner Kaupo […]

  • Annual Prospera survey: Sorainen no.1 Baltic law firm in clients’ eyes

    News / Aku Sorainen, Laimonas Skibarka

    Sorainen has received the highest ranking among top Baltic law firms, the coveted Gold medal of the Prospera client survey.           Source: Kantar Sifo In clients’ eyes, Sorainen has the overall best legal competence and the best known brand in the Baltic market.     Sorainen’s strengths are our lawyers’ skills, client understanding, large projects and international competence. We also rank highest for our ethical standards and reputation. We could improve advisory, project staffing, service availability and project management. Clients value skills and ethics Looking at what law firm clients expect from their legal service providers, […]

  • Alexey Anischenko has been included in the Legal 500’s “Arbitration Powerlist: CIS and Caucasus”

    News / Alexey Anischenko

    Sorainen Belarus partner Alexey Anischenko has been included in the Legal 500’s “Arbitration Powerlist: CIS and Caucasus” as one of the leading practitioners working in the region. The powerlist is based on the expertise of its research team and the opinions of leading arbitrators, arbitral institutions and general counsel. Read more about Alexey’s arbitration practice, his toughest challenges and his path to becoming a recognized expert in his interview with the publication (page 58).

  • Sorainen among TOP2 M&A legal advisors in CEE region

    News

    While globally the total number of M&A (mergers and acquisitions) deals continues to fall in 3Q of 2020, the number of the largest and most complex deals (with disclosed values of USD 5 billion or more) have skyrocketed. Not since 4Q of 2015 have so many large deals been announced, writes Mergermarket, the leading provider of M&A data and intelligence in its recently published report. In the meanwhile, dealmakers in Europe have started to see a recovery in the M&A market with a number of high-profile deals announced in 3Q of 2020 after several months of low activity. While higher-valued […]

  • Sorainen awarded highest rankings in the Baltics and Belarus by IFLR1000

    News

    According to the recently released IFLR1000 rankings, Sorainen is the highest ranking law firm in the Baltics and Belarus. We are also the only law firm that has earned the highest ratings in all ranked areas in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Additionally, as many as 30 Sorainen lawyers have been ranked by the legal directory. IFLR1000 evaluates the work of law firms in the following practice areas: financial and corporate, project development, banking and finance, and M&A. At the IFLR European Awards held earlier this year Sorainen was also recognised as the Baltic Law Firm of the Year. About IFLR1000 […]

  • Kaupo Lepasepp appointed to the Administrative Law Committee of the Estonian Bar Association

    News / Kaupo Lepasepp

    We are pleased to announce that our partner, Kaupo Lepasepp, has been chosen to be a member of the Administrative Law Committee of the Estonian Bar Association. Advisory role in administrative law issues The Administrative Law Committee is a committee formed on the basis of § 6 (1) of the Code of Procedure of the Estonian Bar Association with the aim of assisting and advising the organisations and members of the Bar Association in law-making and practical issues relating administrative law, the analysis of the relevant legislation and legal practices, and the drafting of amendments. Contributing in several fields Other […]

  • We are launching an ‘interim lawyer’ service ‒ starting with Lithuania

    News / Laimonas Skibarka

    Responding to increasing business needs for greater flexibility, Sorainen is launching an innovative ‘interim lawyer’ service designed to support in-house legal departments and growing companies that need to set up or strengthen their legal function. Sorainen is one of the first major law firms in Lithuania to offer this service, which in recent years has been gaining increasing popularity worldwide. Research conducted by Sorainen has revealed the need for flexible solutions that would help companies handle a temporary increase in their legal workload. Interim lawyers (also internationally known as ‘on-demand lawyers’) can be used as a service when companies are […]

  • Sorainen continues partnership with Startup Wise Guys

    News / Augustas Klezys, Laura Matukaitytė, Vytautas Sabalys, Irma Kunickė, Sidas Sokolovas

    We are continuing our collaboration that started in 2019 with Startup Wise Guys, an accelerator for new business in the Baltic States. As legal industry partner we will participate in the Wise Guys Fintech 4 programme, due to start in October. The same as last year, the programme will be hosted by ROCKIT and supported by other partners such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Swedbank, Google, SEB, and Oracle. Mentorship, investments, offices and other perks for startups Startups accepted on the programme will have access to high level mentors from these companies, as well as potential […]

  • Intelligent Energy Lab – significant step towards sustainable energetics in Vilnius

    News

    On 20 August 2020 Vilnius City Municipality together with Lithuanian and international companies as well as leading Lithuanian universities established the Intelligent Energy Lab platform. Sorainen joined the Intelligent Energy Lab as the legal partner. This open platform will be responsible for generating and implementing sustainable energy ideas in Vilnius. Says Tomas Kontautas, country managing partner at Sorainen Lithuanian office: “Our core purpose is to increase prosperity in the Baltic States and Belarus by helping clients succeed in business. We believe that sustainable energy is an important condition for prosperity. Being the legal partner of Intelligent Energy Lab platform will […]

  • Update on our office in Belarus

    News

    Dear clients and cooperation partners, You may already have heard that a wave of protests is sweeping Belarus and the internet connection here has been nearly non-existent. The employees of Sorainen Belarus thank you for your support and understanding and are back on track, continuing work on your current and new projects. At the moment we are available through all communication channels. For urgent questions, please write or call your lawyer directly, or send an e-mail to belarus@sorainen.com. Also, our IT team is working on a solution that will help us stay in touch in case of possible technical problems in […]

  • Sorainen recognised as top tier firm in the Private Wealth Law area by Chambers and Partners

    News / Sergej Butov

    According to the recently released Chambers and Partners legal rankings, our firm is ranked in Band 1 in the Private Wealth Law area in Lithuania. The legal directory states: “Sorainen’s private wealth expertise is drawn from across this pan-Baltic firm’s departments, including its highly regarded tax, corporate and disputes teams.” Researched in Lithuania for the first time It was only recently that Chambers and Partners started researching Private Wealth Law in the Lithuanian market for the first time. This area is a part of Chambers’ High Net Worth guide which ranks the top lawyers and law firms for international private […]

  • Aušra Mudėnaitė becomes third-time board member of the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association

    News / Aušra Mudėnaitė

    Sorainen partner Aušra Mudėnaitė continues her activity as a member of the board of the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA). Aušra, who co-heads the firm’s Real Estate and Construction team in Lithuania, has been selected as a member of the board of the association for the third time. Comments Aušra: “I am grateful to LNTPA members for their trust and for the opportunity to be a member of the board of the association for one more term. Reform of state land lease, which is highly expected by all developers, improvement of territorial planning, and regulation of the construction sector […]

  • IFLR 1000 recognises Piret Jesse and Eva Berlaus in Women Leaders Guide

    News / Piret Jesse, Eva Berlaus

    We are proud to announce that IFLR1000 recognises our partner Piret Jesse, a co-head of our Corporate and M&A practice in Estonia and Eva Berlaus, the country managing partner of our Latvian office and head of our Corporate and M&A practice group in Latvia, as leading practitioners in its Women Leaders Guide for 2020. Highlighting the quality of advice The IFLR1000 Women Leaders Guide, an elite ranking of the 300 leading female transactional experts in local markets globally, recognises female practitioners who have led on some of the most significant and complex transactions in their practice areas, and are consistently […]

  • Mykolas Romeris University offers first fintech-focused study programme in Lithuania

    News / Liutauras Vasiliauskas

    We are partnering with Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) School of Law in creating and introducing a new bachelor study programme titled “Law and Fintech” – the first fintech sector-focused study programme in Lithuania. Our Fintech team has been working with fintech sector participants in the Baltic States and other EU countries as well as Belarus for quite a while. With the rapid growth of this up-and-coming sector and changing legal relations and legal regulation, the need is increasing for specialists who know not only traditional law but also the specifics of financial technologies. We are happy to become an official […]

  • Sorainen receives Gold Mark from Responsible Business Forum of Estonia

    News

    We are deeply honoured to announce that the Responsible Business Forum Estonia (VEF) awarded Sorainen its gold quality label. The label is a testament to our activities in developing socially responsible entrepreneurship in Estonia. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the natural and voluntary integration of the economic, environmental and social dimension of a company with the company’s day-to-day operations, management and business strategy. The VEF index questionnaire provides an overview of whether and to what extent a company takes into account in its activities the basic principles of CSR, ISO26000 key CSR topics, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) global standards, and […]

  • Sorainen acclaimed by Euromoney’s ITR as Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year

    News

    We are honoured to have received the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year award at the ITR European Tax Awards 2020. The award, recognising the firm’s remarkable achievements and developments in the tax field, went to Sorainen for the ninth time. Says Jānis Taukačs, head of our Tax practice in the Baltics and Belarus: “Receiving this recognition year after year highlights that operating as a unified legal and tax ecosystem across the Baltics and Belarus enables us to provide exceptional value to our clients.” Major projects in the Baltics in 2019 Some of our projects that we believe really […]

  • Sorainen ranked among the finest international arbitration law firms

    News / Dr Carri Ginter, Reimo Hammerberg, Kęstutis Švirinas, Alexey Anischenko, Maria Pihlak

    We are pleased to announce that The Global Arbitration Review (GAR) included our integrated arbitration team in its GAR 100 list featuring the world’s elite global arbitration firms. We thank our clients and cooperation partners for their confidence. Our success is the outcome of hard work by our team, whose primary goal has always been, and continues to be, Client success. Leading arbitration specialists GAR100 highlights our partners Carri Ginter, Kęstutis Švirinas, Alexey Anischenko and Reimo Hammerberg along with senior associate Maria Pihlak. GAR 100 – a major guide in the arbitration world GAR is the leading resource on international arbitration […]

  • Sorainen launches Shared Mission Programme

    News / Karin Madisson

    To support faster recovery of our region from the health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have launched the “Shared Mission” programme. The programme is dedicated to supporting projects set up in the Baltics and Belarus to help solve COVID-19 related issues. EUR 100 000 worth of support for projects fighting the crisis We invite organisations offering products or services designed to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic or mitigate its impact on society and the economy. We offer pro bono legal and tax services to these organisations, thus effectively distributing EUR 100 000 worth of support. “Our core […]

  • IFLR recognises Sorainen as Baltic firm of the year

    News

    Sorainen was proclaimed “Baltic firm of the year” by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR). Innovative cross-border transactions we advised on in 2019 brought this award to our team ‒ now for the seventh time. The award speaks of our ability to support our clients in complex cross-border projects in the Baltic market such as: Report on introduction of pan-Baltic covered bond legal and regulatory framework – a significant step towards creating unified Baltic covered bond regulation. Sale of 60% shares in Luminor Group to a consortium led by private equity funds managed by Blackstone. Three private placements of fund […]

  • Legal 500 ranks Sorainen as top legal and tax adviser in the Baltics and Belarus

    News

    Our team’s work to provide exact solutions for our clients’ business needs was recognised by the Legal 500 who ranked 29 of our practices in Tier 1. The legal directory rated our performance as the strongest in the Baltic and Belarus market. Furthermore, 50 of our practitioners were individually recognised. The Legal 500 quotes comments by our clients: “Wide range of different legal specialisations among the team’s members; focusing on client’s result (always take priority to practical solutions).” “Able, despite being in a small market, to deliver services at an international level. They do excellent work on complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions.” […]

  • Listen to our podcast on COVID-19 business-critical issues

    News / Katri-Helen Wojtkowiak

    Responding to the challenges that businesses are facing during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are introducing a Sorainen podcast. In the podcast our lawyers and tax experts cover business-critical issues and share their advice on adapting to this unprecedented situation. Listen to the podcast on Spotify and iTunes. “After launching an international COVID-19 Task Force we were looking for additional ways to distribute valuable content created by our team to help both our clients and the overall business community in our region to find relevant answers to their everyday issues,” says Katri-Helen Wojtkowiak, head of Business Development & Marketing. Covering key […]

  • Sorainen team grows in order to advise clients even better

    News

    Now more than ever, entrepreneurs need fast and experienced advice, so that they can survive the crisis, restructure their business if needed, open up new products and services, take care of their employees and make the right business decisions at a critical time. Sorainen’s Corporate and M&A practice welcomes two renowned experts, Pirkko-Liis Harkmaa and Lauri Liivat, making our services even faster, broader and more efficient for our clients. Before joining Sorainen, Pirkko-Liis Harkmaa worked at her own law firm and before that for 20 years in one of the top three law firms in the Baltics where she worked her […]

  • Organising work at Sorainen during the coronavirus outbreak

    News

    Due to the coronavirus outbreak, we have reorganised our work to make sure that we serve our clients around the clock while guaranteeing the safety of our employees. The measures we have taken: Ensuring uninterrupted provision of full legal and tax service to clients, our employees in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are working remotely from home. In Belarus we recommend our employees to consider the same option. We have established an international COVID-19 Task Force, which is at your disposal should you need advice on any legal or tax issues you are facing. Our office reception in all four countries […]

  • First Minsk Pre-Moot event held

    News / Aliaksei Vashkevich

    Sorainen Belarus associate Aliaksei Vashkevich took part in organising the first Minsk Pre-Moot – a preliminary event for the Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. Pre-Moots are held around the world to give participants the opportunity to practice and prepare for the final stage of the event. Other organisers of the Minsk Pre-Moot were the Belarusian State University, the Belarusian Bar Association, Centre for Resolution of Business Conflict “MOST” and Young Alternative Dispute Resolution – Belarus project. Sorainen and other law firms supported the event as partners. The event was hosted by the BSU Law Faculty and BSU […]

  • Covid-19 – a checklist of the ways you can protect your employees

    News

    Outlined below is a checklist of the measures we are taking to keep our people safe while maintaining to support our clients. With the situation unfolding we encourage our clients and others to also implement these protective measures. Invoke remote work possibilities for all staff members, even without Covid-19 cases in the firm; Encourage employees to hold meetings via telephone or video; Organise a Q&A session (via video) for your employees, inform them of the measures you are taking and the overall course of action; Create a task force inside your organisation for managing Covid-19 related questions and problems; Implement […]

  • Partner Valts Nerets listed as arbitrator of LCCI Court of Arbitration

    News

    The Court of Arbitration of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has included Dispute Resolution & Risk Management partner Valts Nerets in its closed list of arbitrators. Under the Arbitration Law of Latvia, the parties may appoint arbitrators only from the closed list managed by the founder of the arbitration court. With this appointment Valts is listed among 22 top arbitration practitioners who the parties may appoint as arbitrators for their case at the LCCI Court of Arbitration. Valts mostly handles cases involving cross-border elements, international trade issues, as well as transport and maritime law. The LCCI Court […]

  • Chambers Global: Sorainen has excellent practice with significant strength representing large domestic clients and foreign investors operating at a pan-Baltic level

    Chambers Global 2020 released its law firms rankings where Sorainen is ranked as Tier 1 law firm in Estonia. In the field of Corporate and M&A, our Estonian office partners Toomas Prangli, Paul Künnap, Piret Jesse and Aku Sorainen are recommended as notable practitioners. “Excellent practice with significant strength representing large domestic clients and foreign investors operating at a pan-Baltic level. Active on both sides of M&A transactions, as well as assisting with funding rounds and investments. Acts for blue-chip international corporates from the financial services industry, in addition to start-ups in the technology and media sectors. Often assists with transactions in the retail […]

  • Chambers and Partners recognises Sorainen’s Dispute Resolution and Corporate and M&A teams as the strongest in Lithuania

    News / Kęstutis Švirinas, Laurynas Lukošiūnas, Žygimantas Pacevičius, Laimonas Skibarka, Sergej Butov, Mantas Petkevičius, Algirdas Pekšys

    This year, we are the only law firm in Lithuania ranked in Tier 1 for both Dispute Resolution and Corporate/Commercial practice areas in Chambers and Partners Global Rankings. This recognition is due to our regional connectedness as well as our in-depth knowledge of the local market. According to Chambers and Partners, our Corporate and M&A practice is known for being “a top-notch team advising on major pan-Baltic mandates as well as significant local transactions”, while our Dispute Resolution team is described as a “market-leading practice which is a popular choice for a broad range of civil and administrative cases and […]

  • Biggest Baltic business festival sTARTUp Day gathers over 4400 visitors from 60 countries

    News / Kaupo Lepasepp, Mirell Prosa, Jūlija Terjuhana, Toomas Prangli, Paul Künnap

    Estonian startup companies raised over EUR 250 million in investment, employed over 5000 people, and paid over EUR 600 million to the state in payroll taxes last year, writes Estonian daily newspaper Ärileht . Members, friends, and stakeholders of Estonia’s fastest growing sector gathered last week at sTARTUp Day, which brought together some 4400 visitors from 60 countries, 158 speakers on 4 stages, 160 investors, 350 startups and 85 demo area companies. Mirell Prosa, head of the Sorainen Startups Sector in Estonia, has taken an active part in the organising team for the biggest Baltic business festival since its inception 4 years ago. Dedicated […]

  • Lithuania takes steps to becoming regional centre for green and sustainable finance

    News / Tomas Kontautas, Rimantas Bendorius, Dalia Augaitė

    Positive developments in the Lithuanian legal framework and capital markets are preparing the ground for Lithuania to become a pioneer in green and sustainable finance among the Baltic and Nordic states. In order to achieve that goal and to develop an effective sustainable finance strategy, a Lithuanian Green and Sustainable Finance Strategy Workshop will take place in London on 27 January. The workshop, jointly organised by the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Commission, will gather leading participants in the field of green and sustainable finance. Key questions to be answered […]

  • Sorainen recognised as top fintech legal advisor in Lithuania by Chambers and Partners

    News / Tomas Kontautas, Augustas Klezys, Laura Matukaitytė

    Our Fintech team is ranked in Band 1 in Lithuania, according to the recently released Chambers and Partners legal rankings. The legal directory states: “Whether assisting the development of e-money and payment institutions or helping blockchain and cryptocurrency companies with a range of legal issues, Sorainen is a go-to choice within the country’s fintech ecosystem”. Chambers and Partners also acknowledges three of our Fintech team members – partners Augustas Klezys and Tomas Kontautas plus senior associate Laura Matukaitytė – among the top fintech experts in the country. Lithuania striving to become global fintech hub Lithuania, with its regulatory and environmental […]

  • Sorainen promotes new partners at its Latvian office

    News

    On 17 January 2020, Sorainen increased its number of partners by inviting Andris Tauriņš and Valts Nerets to join the firm’s partnership. Latvian office management and client relations are now in the hands of seven partners, while the total number of Sorainen partners has reached 33. Laimonas Skibarka, Sorainen managing partner, comments: “We strongly believe that this addition to our partnership will help us rapidly grow the dispute resolution practice in Latvia as well as develop our Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Transport & Logistics sector groups. This increase in the number of partners means that our clients in Latvia […]

  • Sorainen supports innovation

    News

    We care about the startup climate in our region. And because we care, our specialists are ready with their support. For example, we mentor startups, collaborate with accelerators, angel investors and venture capital associations and help connect startups with investors. Impact on the regional future In recent years a significant number of fintech companies have launched their activities in the region. We are confident that these initiatives will further boost the innovation ecosystem in the Baltics and Belarus. And that is why we have started cooperation with sTARTUp Day and the Wise Guys Fintech 3 accelerator programme. sTARTUp Day is […]

  • Sorainen lawyers recognised as arbitration experts

    News / Alexey Anischenko, Dr Carri Ginter, Maria Pihlak, Kirill Laptev

    We are pleased to announce that four of our integrated arbitration team’s practitioners are featured in the Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration guide. Connectedness and collaboration helped our regional international arbitration practice become one of the first teams from the Baltics and Belarus to join these prestigious ranks. Who’s Who Legal named the following four of our arbitration experts among the leading lawyers in this field: Alexey Anischenko (Recommended for arbitration by WWL) Carri Ginter (Arbitration Future Leaders – Partners category) Maria Pihlak Arbitration Future Leaders – Non-Partners category) Kirill Laptev (Arbitration Future Leaders – Non-Partners category) Now in its fourth […]

  • Main notes & quotes from the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2019

    This autumn a record number – 279 – of leading representatives from private equity and venture capital funds, investment banking, consultants, lawyers, business executives and owners from the Baltic region gathered in Riga for the 10th Baltic-scope forum. The Forum programme proved a great platform for establishing contacts and spending time with peers; it also offered a variety of insights from industry experts, discussion rounds, battlefield experiences, as well as a broader perspective on the impact of tech developments and emotional leadership on the transaction environment. Check out the Forum highlights! Baltic Innovation Fund 2 by European Investment Funds offers […]

  • Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards 2019: winners announced

    News

    On 6 November, the winners of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards were announced as part of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2019. This is now the sixth year that we will be celebrating the achievements of the Baltic M&A industry. The M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions of the year are selected by a committee consisting of market professionals and experts. The committee selects the winning deals according to criteria such as deal value and strategic importance to the Baltic region, complexity, innovation, financing structure, and involvement of regional representatives. All eligible transactions should have been completed within […]

  • Sorainen contributes to international arbitration guide

    News / Dr Carri Ginter, Maria Pihlak

    We are pleased to announce that the International Comparative Legal Guide to Investor-State Arbitration 2020 has been published and is now available for downloading for all interested parties for free. Within the Estonian chapter our partner Carri Ginter and senior associate Maria Pihlak explore key cases in recent years relating to treaty interpretation in Estonia, including the Achmea case. The ICLG to: Investor-State Arbitration Laws and Regulations covers common issues in investor-state arbitration laws and regulations – including treaties, legal frameworks, case trends, funding, international tribunals, domestic courts, recognition and enforcement – in 24 jurisdictions. Estonian chapter is available for […]

  • Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards 2019: nominees announced

    News

    On 6 November, the winners of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards will be announced as part of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2019. This is now the sixth year that we will be celebrating the achievements of the Baltic M&A industry. The M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions of the year are selected by a committee consisting of market professionals and experts. The committee selects the winning deals according to criteria such as deal value and strategic importance to the Baltic region, complexity, innovation, financing structure, and involvement of regional representatives. All eligible transactions should have been completed […]

  • Wise Guys Fintech 3 acceleration program starts in Vilnius

    News / Augustas Klezys, Laura Matukaitytė, Vytautas Sabalys, Irma Kunickė

    Eight international startups have been selected for the Wise Guys Fintech 3 accelerator program that has just started in Vilnius, Lithuania. As a strategic partner of the program we will be mentoring the selected startups during Regulatory Week and providing free-of-charge initial support in fintech licensing. Comments Sorainen partner Augustas Klezys: “We are truly excited to partner with the Wise Guys Fintech 3 accelerator programme and work with the most promising fintech startups. In recent years a significant number of fintech companies have launched their activities in the Baltics and Belarus. Having worked with many of them from the very […]

  • Sorainen automates contracts to clients’ benefit

    News

    Drawing up complex contracts requires time and effort while some of the work can easily be done by the computers so that entrepreneurs and lawyers could focus on negotiating, reaching, signing and closing deals. Document automation reduces the cost of legal services, speeds the process of drawing up and signing contracts and enhances the overall efficiency and flawlessness of the process plus offers clients the possibility to use innovative cross-border online services. First automated share purchase agreement created and used by Sorainen lawyers Our regional Corporate and M&A practice group together with our Knowledge Management and Innovation team, in close […]

  • The joint YADR Belarus – YAAP Conference was held in Minsk

    News / Alexey Anischenko, Aliaksei Vashkevich

    Minsk has hosted the most significant dispute resolution event in our region – the Eastern European Dispute Resolution Forum (EEDRF). Meanwhile the most active young participants in the arbitration community from Belarus (Young Alternative Dispute Resolution Belarus and Austria (Young Austrian Arbitration Practitioners held a joint conference on the topic “Interaction between courts and tribunals in Austria and Belarus”. Speakers and moderators present at the event are practicing lawyers from leading Austrian and Belarusian law firms. Attendees discussed general issues of regulation of arbitration, as well as peculiarities of rules and practices established in the most important arbitration institutions of […]

  • World Cleanup Day comes to life with the help of Sorainen

    News / Karin Madisson

    On this Saturday, for the second time in history, World Cleanup Day will take place. We have supported this great cause via pro bono legal work. Originating from the Let’s Do It! campaign, the World Cleanup Day took place for the first time in 2018 when nearly 18 million people from 157 countries joined hands to collect more than 88 tons of trash together in 24 hours. Sorainen values social responsibility and sustainability Sorainen’s partner, attorney-at-law Karin Madisson, says that sustainability and environmental consciousness are important values ​​in Sorainen’s operations. “We pay increasing attention to social responsibility and environmental friendliness, […]

  • Financial Times recognises Sorainen for innovations

    News

    We were shortlisted for the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2019, held in London last night. These awards celebrate the most innovative law firms in Europe based on independent research, assessing law firms on their innovation both for clients and in their own businesses. Our firm was recognised in the category ‘Innovation in the business of law: Strategy and changing behaviours’ for structuring our management responsibilities in the hands of a chief operating officer (COO) and managing partner, bringing in new management practices, training for lawyers and investment in technology. This year we were the only law firm from our […]

  • We celebrate 20 years in Lithuania

    News

    This year we are celebrating the 20th birthday of the Sorainen Lithuanian office. When it was opened back in 1999 we already had two very small offices in Latvia and Estonia. Launching operations in Lithuania meant that we connected all three Baltic states and became the first pan-Baltic law firm in the region. Having grown from a three-person office in 1999 to a team of 120 today, we have travelled a long journey that has taught us about the importance of continuous evolution and development. So while it is always tempting to celebrate past achievements, we are celebrating our 20th […]

  • Sorainen partners with Wise Guys Fintech 3 accelerator programme

    News / Augustas Klezys, Mantas Petkevičius, Laura Matukaitytė, Vytautas Sabalys

    We became an official partner to the Wise Guys Fintech 3 accelerator programme hosted by ROCKIT and supported by other partners such as Swedbank and Google Developers Launchpad. Mentorship, investments, offices and other perks for startups International startups accepted to the programme will have access to high level mentors from these companies, as well as potential pilots and other perks. The acceleration programme will run from October 2019 to February 2020 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Selected startups will receive up to EUR 50,000 initial investment with follow-on possibility, modern office space and an intense mentorship-driven programme. Comments Sorainen partner Augustas Klezys: […]

  • Sorainen opens new coworking space for students at Vilnius University

    News

    The beginning of the academic year was marked by the opening of a new coworking and leisure space for students at the faculty of Law. The Sorainen Space – the name given to the fully refurbished area where students can relax, socialize, and prepare for seminars or lectures. The premises are equipped with ergonomic rest and work areas, power outlets for smart devices, and cosy interior elements. In search of a motivating environment During the official opening, Tomas Davulis, Dean of the Faculty of Law, welcomed Sorainen’s commitment to creating an environment that meets students’ needs: “Formal studies alone are […]

  • Edvīns Draba contributes to evaluation by the International Monetary Fund

    News / Edvīns Draba

    A report has been published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) evaluating Latvia’s insolvency and restructuring regulation. The IMF evaluation was carried out within the “Justice for Development” project co-funded by the European Social Fund which provides for a range of measures aimed at strengthening the Latvian judicial system. In the course of the evaluation, possibilities were assessed for improving the insolvency and restructuring system, with particular focus on supervision of insolvency administrators, transparency of insolvency and legal protection (restructuring) proceedings, as well as ensuring that the best interests of creditors are followed. The report is expected to provide a […]

  • First International Commercial Arbitration Summer School held in Minsk

    News / Alexey Anischenko, Aliaksei Vashkevich

    The partner Alexey Anischenko took part both as a coach and as a partner of the 1st Summer School in International Commercial Arbitration entitled “Conducting a Case before the International Arbitration Court at the BelCCI” organized by the BelCCI International Arbitration Court, the Belarusian Bar Association, the MOST Centre for Management of Business Conflicts, and Young ADR – Belarus supported by Arzinger, Lex Torre and MBPravo. Alexey Anischenko also authored the idea of the Summer School and the educational case for participants. The project was coordinated by associate Aliaksei Vashkevich. Over four days participants at the Summer School studied aspects […]

  • New Sorainen office in Vilnius

    News / Tomas Kontautas

    On July 1st our Lithuanian team moved to Live Square, the new multifunctional A class business centre located at Gedimino ave 44A. The new office, whose concept was partially influenced by Sorainen personnel, is exceptional in its flexibility, functionality, sustainability, and a unique interior design which helps foster a productive, cooperative environment. Personnel helped conceptualize the premises When choosing the new offices, great emphasis was put on personnel and client convenience, which explains why not only architects but also personnel of all levels and functions were involved in office design. Says our country managing partner for Lithuania, Tomas Kontautas: “Our […]

  • WTS Global tax experts

    News

    On 14 June, after years of cooperation, Sorainen became a global member firm of the WTS Global tax expert network. This brings our partnership to a new higher level and helps us become more efficient advisors for two very important categories of our clients – foreign businesses that need tax advice in the Baltics and Belarus, as well as our local Baltic companies expanding their business beyond the borders of our region. Broader expertise toolset: new resources available Through its network firms WTS Global delivers practical and tailored solutions in all areas of tax: Corporate Customs Global expatriate services Indirect […]

  • Sorainen named Best Baltic Law Firm for Women in Business Law for the third year running

    News / Ieva Andersone

    On 13 June, we were honoured at the Europe Women in Business Law Awards 2019, where Sorainen was recognised as the top employer for women lawyers in the Baltics for the third year in a row. At the award ceremony in London, Sorainen was represented by partner Ieva Andersone, who joined the firm’s partnership at the beginning of 2019. Comments Ieva: “Gender equality has always been part of my personal value system, so I am very happy to see that topics of work-life balance and flexible working approach are under active discussion and are also implemented in our firm’s procedures. […]

  • Information about the Baltics now available on interactive Whistleblower Systems tool

    Our pan-Baltic team of lawyers contributed to the Whistleblower Systems interactive tool prepared by law firm Dentons in collaboration with 28 other law firms from around the world. Tool to look up and compare regulations in 68 countries This innovative comparative online tool allows the user to look up and compare regulations regarding whistleblower systems at a glance, including protection of personal data, the reporting process and language requirements. The platform provides information on 68 countries around the world with further countries to be added in the coming months. The tool is free and available at www.whistleblowerguidelines.com. Our team involved […]

  • Sorainen participates in joint Belarus M&A Deal Point Study project

    News

    Sorainen took part in a major project studying the market and contractual terms of Belarusian M&A transactions – the Belarus M&A Deal Point Study. The Study was jointly organized by 10 leading Belarusian law firms based on information about 59 M&A deals over the last 3 years. The Study utilizes experience from similar projects in other jurisdictions, as well as the results of the previous study conducted in 2010. In the course of the current Study, the participants gathered and analyzed information about the most significant business acquisition deals in Belarus closed between January 2016 and December 2018. To be […]

  • Sorainen receives Silver Mark by Responsible Business Forum of Estonia

    News

    In 2019, we joined the Responsible Business Forum of Estonia (Vastutustundliku Ettevõtluse Foorum or VEF) to become more environment-friendly and socially responsible. We were awarded with a Silver Mark of the Estonian CSR Index, which is given to enterprises who are committed to sustainable development and strategically contribute to improving the human/natural environment. Silver Mark – showing good CSR results The Silver Mark indicates that CSR is integrated in the company’s core activities. The company is knowingly responsible, shows initiative, and has a systematic and consistent approach to guaranteeing socially responsible actions. Companies are awarded in the categories of micro […]

  • Message from clients to lawyers: invest much more time and effort in understanding the client’s business situation

    News

    Client satisfaction is the overarching aim for any business and law firms are no different. Sorainen’s core purpose is to help clients succeed in business, so it is essential to listen to our clients and hear what their needs and demands are. With that in mind, for five years we have been participating in the Prospera survey, which measures client satisfaction among law firms in the Baltic States and in this way helps participating firms to improve their client service. The survey looks at an array of qualities that make law firms appealing, and asks clients about the importance of […]

  • Our Vilnius office will operate in new premises from 1 July

    News

    As of 1 July, 2019 our Vilnius office will relocate to Live Square, the newly built Class A business centre. The new address of Sorainen Lithuania will be 44A Gedimino Ave, Vilnius. Why we decided to relocate Explains country managing partner Tomas Kontautas, “When looking for a new office, we had some particular criteria in mind. First of all, they should be comfortable and help increase team productivity, collaboration, generation of new ideas and professional growth. Another vital criterion was location – our new office must be easily accessible for clients”. New office – greater comfort plus top standards The […]

  • Borderless tax solutions bring one more major tax award to Sorainen

    News

    In 2018, our clients entrusted us with resolving their most complex tax issues. This did not go unnoticed by the International Tax Review (ITR), the leading publication for tax professionals. On 16 May 2019, ITR presented Sorainen with the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year award for the eighth time. Creating added value for our clients We received the award because of the added value that our team’s all-round connectedness enables us to offer to our clients. Comments Jānis Taukačs, head of the Sorainen Tax practice: “Our tax specialists from the three Baltic states and Belarus work as one […]

  • Aku Sorainen among top three leaders in Estonia

    News / Aku Sorainen

    “Always stay curious about the world, remain enthusiastic about what you do, and eagerly teach yourself about the new things you come in contact with,” Aku Sorainen, who was recently elected to the trio of best Estonian top executives, cited the recipe for keeping his mind fresh and growing together with his namesake company. On Friday, 17 May, the Estonian Leader of the Year 2019 will be announced at Pärnu Leadership Conference. The nominees are Aku Sorainen, Coop Estonia’s CEO Jaanus Vihand and Magnetic MRO’s CEO Risto Mäeots, all well-known and highly respected leaders. The winner will be the most […]

  • Cross-border Corporate Mobility in the EU

    News / Karin Madisson, Zane Paeglīte

    Maastricht University is collecting and studying data on company mobility within the EU/EEA in the project “Cross-border Corporate Mobility in the EU”. The project aims to shed light on new areas, such as cross-border seat transfers and cross-border divisions. Partner Karin Madisson from our Estonian office and Senior Associate Zane Paeglīte from our Latvian office are both participating in the project by providing expertise as Estonian and Latvian country experts. This includes explaining and analysing current national legislation as to the possibilities and shortcomings of Estonian and Latvian cross-border mobility regulations.” Read more

  • Arbitrate IT! (ICC YAF – Young ADR Belarus)

    News / Alexey Anischenko, Kirill Laptev, Aliaksei Vashkevich

    On April 23, with the support of Arzinger & Partners and Sorainen, Minsk hosted the ICC YAF and Young ADR – Belarus seminar, dedicated to issues of resolving IT disputes in Belarus. Representatives of the IT community and international law firms, as well as technical specialists gathered in one room to discuss the specifics of technical disputes and exchange the opinions of both parties. We thank all participants for a fruitful discussion, and especially our speakers from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, KPMG, PwC Russia, Vizor Games, White & Case LLP, Willkie Farr & […]

  • Sorainen ranked among the world’s leading international arbitration firms

    News / Agris Repšs, Alexey Anischenko, Dr Carri Ginter, Kirill Laptev, Maria Pihlak

    The Global Arbitration Review (GAR) included our integrated arbitration team in its GAR 100 list featuring the world’s elite global arbitration firms. Additionally, five of the team’s practitioners are featured in the Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration guide. Connectedness and collaboration helped our regional international arbitration practice become the first team from the Baltics and Belarus to join such prestigious ranks. Leading arbitration lawyers Who’s Who Legal named the following five of our arbitration experts among the leading lawyers in this field: Agris Repšs, partner (Latvia) Alexey Anischenko, partner (Belarus) Carri Ginter, partner (Estonia) Kirill Laptev, senior associate (Belarus) Maria Pihlak, […]

  • Sorainen Estonia plans move to innovative Porto Franco office premises in Tallinn

    News

    Sorainen Estonia has concluded a lease contract with real estate developer Porto Franco. The deal ‒ advised by Colliers Estonia ‒ will involve Sorainen renting 1670 square metres in Porto Franco’s innovative office premises from autumn 2020 following completion of the centre. Says Toomas Prangli, Country Managing Partner of Sorainen Estonia, “Every day we advise companies in business law, and as a firm we are characterised by our offices ‒ in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus ‒ working in close collaboration and operating as a team. Also, our lawyers are often involved in the largest deals in the region, which […]

  • Fresh look, same trusted adviser

    News

    On 18 March 2019 we launched an updated Sorainen brand with the aim of communicating our firm’s integration and connectedness more effectively. Although we remain the same trusted legal and tax adviser that our clients have known for over 20 years, this fresh look will make our forward-looking approach more visible. Connectedness brings added value to our clients With our new brand we aim to communicate the added value which we bring to our clients by connecting client issues with exact solutions, regional competence with local service, growing local businesses with international markets and international businesses with local expertise. Comments […]

  • Alexey Anischenko in a conference on ‘Dispute Resolution in CIS-Related Business Transactions’

    News

    Alexey Anischenko, partner with Sorainen Belarus, took part in a conference on ‘Dispute Resolution in CIS-Related Business Transactions’ in Frankfurt, where he spoke about recent tendencies in dispute resolution involving foreign entities. In general, Alexey positively assessed the changes taking place in Belarus in the area of quality of justice and development of alternative methods of business dispute resolution, such as international commercial arbitration and mediation. The conference, organized by the German-Russian Bar Association and the German Arbitration Institute’s under 40 group (DIS40) with the support of the Frankfurt am Main Chamber of Commerce and Industry, brought together experienced practitioners […]

  • We cordially invite you to participate in the ‘lawyer of the year’ contest

    News

    Sorainen together with Lithuanian business news leader Verslo þinios, In-house Counsel Association B.I.T.A and legal news portal Infolex invite you to participate in the Lawyer of the Year contest. Winners will be elected in two categories: In-house Lawyer Of The Year and Public Sector Lawyer Of The Year. The contest is being held for the 3rd year in a row. In 2017 and 2018 contest winners were Giedrë Kaminskaitë-Salters (Telia Lietuva), Jekaterina Govina (Bank of Lithuania), Oksana Kostogriz (Euroapotheca) and Rasa Virvilienë (State Tax Inspectorate). We cordially invite all legal professionals working as in-house lawyers, as well as in the […]

  • Sorainen acts as ambassador for Arbitrator Intelligence in its campaign in the CEE region

    News

    Sorainen is cooperating with Arbitrator Intelligence (AI), a non-profit organisation that aims to collect data about arbitration and arbitrators in the CEE region via a confidential questionnaire with the idea of promoting transparency, accountability and diversity in arbitrator appointments. During the campaign we will be approaching and encouraging our partners, clients and arbitration courts to complete a confidential AI Questionnaire by 3 March to share feedback on the quality of arbitrators and the arbitral proceedings in which they have participated. The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes and relates to such issues as the constitution of the tribunal, the relief granted, […]

  • Sorainen supports Belarusian National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

    News / Alexey Anischenko

    On 25-27 January 2019 student teams from all corners of Belarus took part in the 2019 Belarusian National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The competition ‒ founded in 1959 ‒ is the oldest, largest and probably the most prestigious international moot competition in the world. The competition involves simulating a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice. Every year, more than 2500 students representing over 550 universities and educational institutes from more than 100 states participate in the competition. Traditionally, Sorainen Belarus has supported the Belarusian National Rounds and Alexey Anischenko, […]

  • Ieva Andersone joins Sorainen partners

    News / Ieva Andersone

    By unanimous decision of all Sorainen partners, Ieva Andersone, head of the firm’s Commercial & Regulatory Practice Group in Latvia, is invited to join the firm’s partnership from 1 January 2019. Please see below a brief overview of why this was an easy decision. Helping clients succeed Although “commercial & regulatory” may sound quite abstract, the reality is that Ieva daily assists clients with practical solutions in diverse contractual issues, trade regulations, intellectual property infringements and cases of misuse of creative work, as well as related disputes and competition law cases. The ongoing topicality of data protection must be noted as […]

  • Report: Structured Settlements for Corruption Offences: Towards Global Standards?

    News

    On 8 December 2018, a report entitled “Structured Settlements for Corruption Offences: Towards Global Standards?” edited by the Anti-Corruption Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA) was published. The report was produced as part of an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) project on structured settlement standards in global corruption cases. The objective of the report was to map evolving settlement practices for corruption cases in countries across the globe. The report was prepared with a view to adding to the growing discussion on whether, and to what extent, a need exists for global standards. Production of the OECD […]

  • Sorainen is among the first Baltic firms to deploy artificial intelligence from Luminance

    News

    Sorainen has adopted Luminance’s artificial intelligence technology to streamline the M&A due diligence processes. We trialled ‘Luminance Diligence’ in a live cross-border M&A transaction, testing the technology’s ability to speed up and streamline the time-pressured review. With a data room containing over 600 documents in English, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Spanish, Luminance was able to categorise the data set by document and clause type, regional activity and language, focusing the review from day one. “Using Luminance, we were able to pinpoint areas of concern far more quickly than using manual review alone,” said Toomas Prangli,  co-head of the Corporate and M&A […]

  • Biggest Baltic dealmakers announced: Magnetic MRO, Taxify, Euroapotheca and Port of Tallinn

    News

    Last night the most groundbreaking transactions in the region during the past 12 months were announced at the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2018 gala event in Tallinn. The most outstanding transactions are the acquisition of Magnetic MRO, Taxify’s fundraising, Euroapotheca’s acquisition of Apoteksgruppen and the IPO of the Port of Tallinn. Here is an overview of the winning deals: Baltic M&A Deal of the Year 2018: Acquisition of Estonian Magnetic MRO by Chinese Guangzhou Hangxin Aviation Technology Co. Guangzhou Hangxin Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. acquired Estonia-based aircraft maintenance and repair organisation Magnetic MRO for EUR 43.17 million. This […]

  • International Monetary Fund expert Adolfo Rouillon pays another visit to Latvia

    News

    Sorainen senior associate Edvîns Draba met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) expert Adolfo Rouillon during his visit to Latvia in order to discuss issues related to the field of insolvency and restructuring. The visit to Latvia from 1 to 5 October was the third and final visit in the course of an assessment of the Latvian restructuring and insolvency system. As in the previous two IMF visits, Edvîns Draba participated in the assessment as one of the local experts representing the private sector. The assessment by the IMF is being carried out within the “Justice for Development” project co-funded by […]

  • Clients to lawyers: stop being experts ‒ talk to us

    News

    Lawyers would be wise to talk to clients openly and often, instead of being stuck in their smart expert role, says Swedish researcher Martin Salomon, commenting on the Prospera survey that measures satisfaction with law firms. He adds that, above all, clients expect lawyers to give solid legal advice, while constant communication is also important. The latest Prospera survey, published at the end of May, shows high satisfaction rates among Baltic clients. “Baltic law firms have at least as good client satisfaction rates as do Scandinavian firms, if not higher,” says Salomon, ‎head of legal research and consulting at Kantar Sifo […]

  • Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards 2018: nominees announced

    News

    On 18 October the winners of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Awards will be announced as part of the Baltic M&A and Private Equity Forum 2018. This is already the fifth year that we are celebrating the achievements of the Baltic M&A industry. The awards cover three traditional categories: the Baltic M&A Deal of the Year 2018; the Baltic Private Equity/Venture Capital Deal of the Year 2018; and the Outbound Deal from the Baltics 2018 Award. In addition, this year we are presenting an ad hoc category of ‘Baltic Public Offering of the Year 2018’ to mark an exceptionally […]

  • Baltic M&A market is booming

    News

    The Baltic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market is booming and deals are increasingly becoming truly pan-Baltic, involving targets operating in all three countries, as appears from the recent “Baltic M&A Deal Points Study 2018′. Almost 30% of Baltic M&A deals completed in 2016-2017 involved targets operating in each of the three Baltic states, which is almost double as much as in the period 2014-2015. A typical Baltic M&A deal remains in the EUR 1-5 million bracket, while the number of EUR 5-10 million deals has also increased (from 18% to 27%). The main industries of the target were the IT and technology […]

  • Sorainen structures management responsibilities in the hands of managing partner and COO

    News

    Sorainen is the first law firm in the Baltics and Belarus to appoint a chief operating officer (COO). Newly-appointed Sorainen COO Leda Iržikevičienė is taking overall charge of Sorainen management together with managing partner Laimonas Skibarka. Leda, who joined Sorainen from Nordea Baltics, is based at the firm’s Lithuanian office. Responsible for firm-wide business services and regional integration, she is also a member of the Sorainen board. Laimonas Skibarka has been acting as the firm’s co-managing partner since 2015 and served as country managing partner in Lithuania during 2013-2016. Says senior partner Aku Sorainen: “I believe this structure of a managing […]

  • Sorainen supports launch of the project Young Alternative Dispute Resolution Belarus

    News

    Sorainen is playing an active part in a new joint project promoting alternative dispute resolution among young people in Belarus – Young Alternative Dispute Resolution Belarus (YADR Belarus). The project is being launched by the BILA Association – a non-commercial body contributing to education and research, including in the field of alternative dispute resolution. Sorainen partner Alexey Anischenko, head of Dispute Resolution at our Belarus office says: “We expect that YADR Belarus will bring together young practitioners, scholars and students, as well as creating an effective platform for professional networking, collaboration, sharing best practices and improving legal skills”. Aliaksei Vashkevich, […]

  • Warning of possible fraud

    News

    Beware: We have received information that people in Latvia are receiving telephone calls with offers to become involved in financial transactions with securities and that the project is being organised in cooperation with law firm Sorainen. Note that our firm is not engaged in any project of this kind and our brand may be being used with fraudulent intentions. 

  • Sorainen awards authors of the best master thesis

    News

    On 21 June during the graduation ceremony of Vilnius University Faculty of Law, Sorainen awarded the authors of the best master theses on the topic of criminal law. The best thesis was selected by a five-person commission representing Sorainen and the Law Faculty of Vilnius University. The author of the best master thesis was announced as Monika Naujalë, who was also presented with a scholarship of EUR 800. Karolina Liesytë was awarded as 2nd place winner and Laura Šivickaitë was awarded as 3rd place winner. Kæstutis Švirinas, Sorainen partner and head of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group in Lithuania, notes: […]

  • Darius Rauluðaitis joins Lithuanian Bar Association Committee on criminal law

    News

    On 12 June 2018 Sorainen counsel, attorney-at-law Darius Raulušaitis, was elected to the Lithuanian Bar Association Committee on criminal law and criminal procedural law. The goal of the Committee is to ensure high quality comprehensive solutions to problems arising in applying criminal law and the rules of criminal procedure. The Committee also seeks optimal solutions in terms of improving legislation. One of the Committee’s main areas of activity is participation in law-making by helping the Bar Association shape positions on criminal law and the rules of criminal procedure. Comments Darius Raulušaitis: “I am honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility […]

  • Sorainen awarded for supporting women in the legal profession

    News

    At the Europe Women in Business Law Awards 2018 ceremony on 14 June Sorainen was recognised as the best law firm in the Baltics. This is the second year in a row that we have received this award established by the Euromoney Legal Media Group. Comments Sorainen partner Karin Madisson: “Ethics, respect and encouraging constant personal development are among our core values at Sorainen. We put a lot of effort into ensuring that every team member has equal opportunities to grow in their profession. We are highly honoured to receive this award, celebrating equality and diversity in the legal market.” […]

  • European customs law experts join forces

    News

    Sorainen has joined the informal European Customs Counsel Network (ECCN). The network is dedicated to sharing useful practice and know-how in the field of customs law. Practical aspects include collaborating in projects in particular cases as well as EU customs law policy, and assisting clients across countries to find a customs adviser in different jurisdictions. The network, established in 2017 by law firm Sidley Austin LLP and representatives from several law jurisdictions, currently unites 11 members across the EU countries and Norway. All members of the network have notable experience in customs law as well as in related legal areas, […]

  • International Monetary Fund (IMF) expert Adolfo Rouillon visits Latvia

    News

    Sorainen associate Edvîns Draba met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) expert Adolfo Rouillon during his visit to Latvia in order to discuss issues related to the field of insolvency and restructuring. The IMF visit to Latvia from 14 to 18 May is in the course of an assessment of the Latvian judicial system. Edvîns Draba was chosen as one of the local experts representing the private sector. The assessment is being carried out within the “Justice for Development” project co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) which provides for a range of measures aimed at strengthening the Latvian judicial system. […]

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