LAWIN - The Who's Who Legal 100 2013

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

The firm’s M&A practice is held in “high esteem” in the market, and six individuals are selected for inclusion in the corresponding chapter. Four practitioners are based in the firm’s Vilnius office, including the “distinguished” Dovilė Burgienė, who recently acted for TeliaSonera, Europe’s fifth largest telecom operator, in the acquisition of 7.87 per cent of TEO LT shares, increasing its shareholding to 76.16 per cent. Rolandas Valiūnas is managing partner of the Vilnius office and a “talented M&A lawyer”. Riga-based Raimonds Slaidiņš is chairperson of LAWIN’s management board and a “celebrated M&A lawyer”. His expertise covers private equity, public M&A transactions, joint ventures, reorganisations and restructuring as well as corporate governance advice. He is joined by the managing partner of the Riga office, Filips Kļaviņš, who appears in both the oil and gas and M&A chapters for his broad corporate expertise. Sources describe him as “highly knowledgeable” and “a trusted source of advice”.

LAWIN is actively involved in energy projects and initiatives throughout the Baltic region. In 2012, the firm represented Lithuania’s oil company in its 50 per cent sale of shares to Chevron. We select five lawyers for inclusion in our oil and gas chapter. In Vilnius, Jaunius Gumbis heads the Baltic and Lithuania industry and regulatory practice groups and is considered a “go-to guy” for advice on energy matters. In Tallinn, Martin Simovart is praised for his transactional expertise in the sector. Head of the Baltic and Estonia corporate and M&A practice groups, Simovart is “highly sought after”. Dovilė Greblikienė in Vilnius “excels” in energy regulatory matters while Ivars Slokenbergs in Riga is commended for his “prowess” in transactional matters.

Competition is a key practice at the firm and three lawyers are fielded to the corresponding chapter. LAWIN’s competition team has grown steadily over the last decade and is capable of handling the most complex cases. In Riga, Līga Merwin is an “exceptional lawyer” and a “font of knowledge”. She recently successfully represented Novatours in a cartel investigation by the Latvian Competition Council concerned alleged market division by Novatours and Tez Tour, two major tour operators in Latvia. Tallinn-based Elo Tamm advises clients on competition and regulatory issues as well as procurement matters. He is a “great strategist” according to one source. Marius Juonys is based in Vilnius and is “very bright”.

In Latvia, Sarmis Spilbergs is “very highly recommended” for his life sciences practice, particularly in the areas of regulatory and transactional advice. He has an “astounding knowledge” of the sector and is noted for his “sharp intellect”.

The firm’s arbitration practice is represented by Vilija Vaitkutė Pavan in the firm’s Vilnius office. Pavan is head of the Lithuania dispute resolution practice group and enjoys a “high profile” in the field. LAWIN’s notable representations include representing the Republic of Lithuania in an investment arbitration under the UNCITRAL rules, launched by an Italian wine producer alleging violation of the bilateral investment treaty between Lithuania and Italy and claiming €229 million from the state.

The firm achieves additional listings in the private funds, corporate governance and public procurement chapters highlighting the firm’s breadth of expertise.