The Legal 500

Depth of resources and a premium caseload give Lawin the edge. Clients note a genuine level of specialism at the firm that is ‘lacking elsewhere’, while practice head Vilija Vaitkute Pavan ‘knows all the legal issues almost immediately’. The firm is advising a major energy client in a €39m arbitration, and acted for a local branch of Danske Bank in the Supreme Court in a test case for the banking sector.

Baltic Legal Solutions Lithuania has a strong reputation for contentious work, being a core area of practice. Valentinas Mikelenas heads a large team on a diverse caseload, from shareholder disputes to major international arbitration. The firm successfully represented the State Patient Fund in a compensation claim, and is advising SEB bank in various disputes.

Gediminas Dominas is an active arbitrator at Law Firm Bernotas & Dominas Glimstedt and ‘one of the best arbitration lawyers in Lithuania’. He acts as both party-appointed arbitrator and chairman in domestic and international arbitrations. The firm successfully represented Western Shipyard before the Supreme Court in a complex dispute concerning the rebuilding of a vessel.

Dispute resolution is the main area of focus at Motieka & Audzevicius, where Ramunas Audzevicius is noted for being ‘excellent in litigation and arbitration’ and ‘very efficient in negotiations with difficult clients’; colleague Henrikas Celencevicius is ‘creative and intelligent’. A bulging caseload includes acting for the former domestic airline flyLAL against Air Baltic and Riga International Airport in the country’s first private enforcement of competition law.

A regular in high-level arbitration is Raidla Lejins & Norcous. The firm is advising on a number of matters for foreign entities, including an international arbitration at the LCIA concerning the oil industry. Specialists from across the firm, such as real estate head Aušra Mudenaite, lead on appropriate matters under the guidance of disputes head Rimantas Simaitis. Simaitis ‘is excellent in resolving disputes’ and ‘able to deal with the most complex problems’.

Sorainen has been expanding the team at senior associate level under the leadership of experienced litigator and arbitrator Renata Beržanskiene. A busy caseload included acting for a domestic mobile phone operator in numerous actions in courts of all levels, and continued advice to Air Baltic in the ongoing class action concerning passenger compensation. The firm is ‘proactive yet cost-conscious’.

An impressive résumé at Tark Grunte Sutkiene included acting for Philip Morris Baltic in four separate court matters challenging decisions of the State Tobacco and Alcohol Control Agency, and representing duty-free chain Travel Retail Vilnius in a dispute with Vilnius International Airport concerning lease agreements. Lina Daruliene leads the practice, which ‘presents realistic advice and the reaction time is outstanding’.

VARUL name partner Andrius Smaliukas is an experienced litigator and arbitrator and leads a team rated ‘nine or ten out of ten’. Inga Martinkute is worthy of mention, leading much of the firm’s significant caseload. Highlights included representing Lietuvos, the state-owned rail company, in the country’s largest-ever national arbitration, and acting for claimants in Lithuania’s first class action in a dispute over maternity allowance.

Clients of bnt Heemann Klauberg Krauklis APB highlight the ‘clear, methodical explanations and feasible proposals’ of managing partner Frank Heemann who is supported by a small team of associates. Recent cases include acting for Latvian industrial fibres manufacturer Nexis Fibres in civil and criminal proceedings against a Lithuanian transport company.

The banking and finance expertise at Balciunas & Grajauskas extends contentious work, where Marius Grajauskas acted for SEB in recovering funds to the value of €10m against a group of companies, and represented Danske Bank in several disputes, including one against the largest food supply company in the Baltics. ‘The firm is distinguished by exceptional professionalism’

Vaidas Mackonis at Attorneys at Law Borenius is able to ‘look at a question from many sides and propose the best possible solution’. He joins Dalia Foigt and Zygimantas Pacevicius following the recent firm merger, where a varied caseload included representing Red Bull in a trade mark dispute and a €17m arbitration in Warsaw on behalf of Baltisches Haus.

With unrivalled international scope, Eversheds Saladžius again attracts big-name multinationals with disputes in the region, such as British American Tobacco, which it is advising before the administrative court concerning advertising issues. Volvo and Statoil are also clients of the ‘very professional’ practice led by Alvydas Ginetis.

Law firm J. Judickiene and Partners Jurex is a litigation boutique founded by Jurgita Judickiene, who enjoys a high media profile. The firm ‘gives professional solutions on time’ and is handling a number of bankruptcy disputes against some major banks, such as Nordea Bank Finland. It is also defending advertising agency Tarela in cartel allegations before the Supreme Administrative Court.

Typical clients at Juridicon Law Firm include SMEs and business individuals. The firm is acting for shareholders and managers in a number of cases regarding the responsibility of warrantors against commercial banks. Andrzej Czajkowski leads the contentious work at the firm.

Sarka, Sabaliauskas, Jankauskas has a focused and busy disputes practice led by Adomas Kuncius, advising on some heavyweight cases for international companies. The firm is advising German rail services company DB International in court proceedings against a Lithuanian company in a potentially precedent-setting case.

Dalius Vaitekunas steers a varied caseload at Vadapalas, Vaitekunas and Partners Eurolex supported by a small team of associates. In 2010, the firm advised on a steady flow of shareholder disputes and debt collection matters.