The Legal 500

Eversheds Bitans Law Office has a strong presence in the tax arena, advising on complex tax optimisation and structuring as well as disputes. Recent instructions include a tax study on behalf of Volvo Financial Services Europe to facilitate investment decisions in the Baltics, while Samsung, Danone and Reckitt Benckiser are clients.

Valters Gencs at Gencs Valters Law Firm is a full-time tax consultant and well-known adviser, not just in Latvia but across the Baltics via satellite offices in Lithuania and Estonia. Of note is the firm’s work for McDonald’s and shareholder Malta Premier Capital, advising them on the tax implications of new restaurants in all three Baltic countries.

Vineta Cukste at Kronbergs & Cukste has valuable tax capability and is able to service the steady stream of instructions that flow from good connections in this discipline. Typical work includes tax litigation and the tax implications of heavyweight M&A.

Raidla Lejins & Norcous handles complex tax matters with both local and international scope, including acting for leading Latvian timber company Stora Enso Mežš in the appeal court in a dispute against the State Revenue Service. Senior associate Sandija Novicka is ‘very smart and always accurate’.

An exceptionally strong team at Sorainen comprises four full-time specialists including practice head Janis Taukacs. The firm acts for an extensive list of well-known international and domestic companies on complex tax matters, and recently advised shipping company Royal Boskalis Westminster in a landmark case involving negotiations with the Ministry of Finance.

Tax law advice from LAWIN is ‘quick, efficient and helpful’. The practice, led by senior associate Zinta Jansons, is predominantly corporate support in nature and includes headline and complex transactions, such as acting for News Corporation on the sale of Latvian holdings in several media companies. The firm also advised Nasdaq OMX on the tax aspects of a new employee stock option plan and exchange plan.

Fledgling firm LetLaw is building a strong and focused tax practice under Inguna Abele, who ‘already has huge experience’ and is recommended for her knowledge of EU taxation and ‘the ability to professionally analyse tax laws of other EU and EEC countries’. Work includes ongoing tax advice to UniCredit Bank, and mandates on behalf of Swedbank and DnBNord Bank. Abele is taking an active role in the development of Latvia’s tax laws on behalf of the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia (FICIL).

Attorneys at Law Borenius works closely with colleagues in Finland, Lithuania and Estonia in providing comprehensive tax coverage for cross-border mandates. It is acting for a leading Nordic bank on the tax implications of its bad debt restructuring, and advised private equity fund BaltCap on the tax aspects of its acquisition of the Interinfo group of companies, including group reorganisation.

The CEE network of bnt Klauberg Krauklis Attorneys-at-law provides cross-jurisdictional tax advice, which is increasingly in demand. Among the ‘very professional lawyers’ is associate Elizabete Krivcova, who is a tax specialist at the firm and is acting for fund management adviser Staedel Hanseatic on international tax issues for investment vehicles.

Members of a cross-disciplinary team at Tark Grunte Sutkiene, such as Ivars Grunte and Gundars Cers, advise on tax matters. Highlights included tax disputes with the State Revenue Service on behalf of Parex Bank and clothing retailer Apranga, and the tax aspects of bad debt restructuring for Swedbank. The firm provides ‘both complex tax advice and bread-and-butter responses at short notice’.

VARUL hired senior associate Edgars Koskins, formerly of Sorainen’s leading practice, as its new head of tax. Koskins focuses on the tax aspects of both inbound and outbound transactions, such as providing a tax risk analysis of the distribution structure of Puma in Latvia.