The Legal 500

Attorneys at Law Borenius’ key clients include SIA Pallink, operator of IKI and CENTO stores in Latvia, and state JSC Valsts nekustamie ipašumi, the body responsible for the development and maintenance of state-owned real estate. Practice head Laine Skopina and Sigita Kravale are ‘professionals in their field’.

Glimstedt & Partneri earned instruction from Ezerparks Offices to advise on the proposed PPP to build offices where tenants will include the State Revenue Authority. Ivars Pommers advised Diksna-Riga Plaza on the launch of Riga’s latest supermarket including tenanting issues and insurance disputes.

Key mandates for Lawin include acting for Storebrand of Norway, the largest holder of forestry land in Latvia, on its ongoing acquisitions of real estate parcels. The US Embassy and Eesti Energy are also clients. ‘Service-minded’ practice head Ilga Gudrenika-Krebs has ‘deep industry knowledge’. Sanda Lace joined Amber Law.

Raidla Lejins & Norcous is ‘well able to serve international clients’, and its experienced team includes the notable figures of Dace Silava-Tomsone and Guntars Zile. Clients include Swedbank and Nokia as well as Stora Enso Latvia, which the group advised on the sale of its forest land portfolio.

Sorainen is advising on key leasing agreements, which have replaced acquisitions as the main transactional business in the prevailing economic climate. For example, the team acted for Regus Management, the global workplace solutions provider, on negotiating a long-term lease for large premises in central Riga. Practice head Girts Ruda provides advice that is ‘very clear without the extraneous academic commentary’.

Ilze Kramina at Eversheds Bitans is ‘very skilled in different areas, very kind and responsive’. The surge in construction disputes following the downturn has benefited this litigation-oriented firm, but the practice is also acting for LLC Energo Wind on the development of a new 90-turbine wind farm. Riga City Council’s City Development Department is also a client.

Kronbergs & Cukste is acting for SIA Biroju Centrs Ezerparks on preparing documentation pertaining to the construction of Riga’s major new office tower. Riga International Airport is also a client. Valters Kronbergs is recommended for ‘complex projects with substantial budgets’.

Tark Grunte Sutkiene’s head of practice Linda Štrause is ‘an experienced and talented strategist and litigator’, and clients say ‘when a matter is in her hands, we are confident that the maximum will be achieved’. The firm is advising Graanul Invest on EU co-funded construction of a new production plant.

‘The overall level of service is excellent’ at Varul, which has ‘a good understanding of the commercial realities of business’ and provides ‘real-life workable solutions’. The firm successfully represented construction companies Per Aarsleff AS (Denmark) and Merko Ehitus AS (Estonia) in a procurement dispute with the Freeport of Riga Authority.

Founded in 2011, Amber Law has already made an impact in this sector, acting for Coca-Cola HBC on the construction of a new non-alcoholic beverages plant in Latvia, including improvement of surrounding infrastructure. Annija Svemberga, who ‘sees the business value of the legal advice’, and Sanda Lace are both formerly of Lawin.

bnt Klauberg Krauklis Attorneys-at-law’s team is staffed by ‘highly professional lawyers with outstanding communication skills’. The group largely focuses on transactions, construction and construction arbitration. The firm is acting for German developer M-Plus Design on the construction of the new Citadele building in Riga, as well as in arbitration.

Blueger & Plaude enjoys a longstanding reputation in the field, acting for international investors, developers and public bodies. Baiba Plaude heads the practice.

Gencs Valters Law Firm acted for Cyprus-based Keycrest on buying 50 plots of land in Riga for one of the largest real estate developments in the Baltics, and is advising Dutch engineering company Witteveen+Bos on the Ministry of Transport’s mobility plan and action programme for Riga and Pieriga.

LetLaw’s clients include Turkish airport operator TAV Airport Holding, which the firm is advising on commercial leases at Riga Airport, and SIA EuroMaint Rail. Managing partner Kristine Gaigule and Laura Zalana lead this ‘very well organised’ practice.

MAQS Law Firm acts for several developers and investors, such as Jurmalas Vilnis and DMJ Development, the latter of which it advised on a €2m sale of real estate in Riga and on the construction of luxury apartments. The experienced Dmitri Kolesnikov leads the practice.