The Legal 500

Attorneys at Law BDO Zelmenis & Liberte ‘clearly compares to other distinguished tax advisers’, and is one of the few firms to staff a team with multiple full-time tax advisers. Marina Bickovska is director of tax and finance, and the team also includes the firm’s co-heads Vita Liberte and Janis Zelmenis. Recent projects include advising Latvijas Gaze on the tax consequences of its activities in Latvia, including the impact of the proposed double tax treaty between Latvia and Russia.

Attorneys at Law Borenius is providing Latvian tax advice to Citigroup Global Markets and Credit Suisse Securities in the state’s $500m Eurobond issue. The team also acted for Abbott Laboratories on tax issues concerning the integration of Solvay Pharmaceuticals with Abbott’s Latvian operations. Senior associate Zane Krecere is recommended.

Tax is a core practice at Gencs Valters Law Firm, and Valters Gencs has many years’ experience. The firm is acting for the Swedish textiles company Hultafors Group in corporate and income tax litigation, and representing Alstom Power in an ECJ case concerning VAT refunds.

Lawin provides ‘high quality’, ‘prompt’ advice to some major international clients such as Johnson & Johnson and GE Capital, as well as DNB, which the firm is advising on tax optimisation of its structure in Denmark, Poland and the Baltics. Practice head Zinta Jansons is ‘responsive and practical’.

Raidla Lejins & Norcous’ ‘highly professional’ group acted for Stora Enso Latvia in successfully overturning a decision of the State Revenue Service, which was required to repay illegally charged taxes to the company. Senior associate Sandija Novicka is recommended.

Sorainen’s leading group is one of the market’s few full-time tax teams. It acted for Austria’s Heidelberg Balticum on tax optimisation of the four-way merger of its subsidiaries in the Baltics and Finland. Janis Taukacs heads the pan-Baltic tax and customs team.

Eversheds Bitans’ Maris Vainovskis advised British American Tobacco Latvia on the successful recovery of excise tax illegally applied to certain products, and the ‘competent and loyal’ Ilze Kramina won a considerable tax rebate for Energo Wind. Ginta Sniedzite heads the practice.

Kronbergs & Cukste has strong links to the tax industry and is able to advise on complex and high-value matters. The practice’s ‘biggest strength is the breadth of experience, both on the strictly legal side of the project and the practicalities, including negotiation strategy’. Vineta Cukste heads the team.

Inguna Abele continues to build LetLaw’s tax practice, which is representing the Latvian subsidiary of AS Liepajas Metalurgs in a €28m dispute with the tax authorities concerning import VAT, one of the largest tax disputes in the country. UniCredit Bank and DNB are also clients.

Varul’s standalone tax practice is ‘perfect, in terms of response time and knowledge’. Its extensive portfolio of instructions includes international tax planning advice to SK Media Group and VAT litigation for Airo Catering Services Latvia. Experienced tax specialist Edgars Koškins heads the practice.

bnt Klauberg Krauklis Attorneys-at-law is ‘very co-operative and knows the customer’s needs’. Arturs Krauklis and associate Elizabete Krivcova are acting for a major construction company in a dispute with the Latvian tax authority.

Tark Grunte Sutkiene is providing cross-border tax advice to Microsoft in relation to the transfer of employees from Estonia to Latvia, and acting for Cronimet Latvia in a significant VAT claim as well as an audit. Andra Rubene has ‘a good knowledge of many industries’, and is the key tax contact.