Leading Individuals

EU and competition in Lithuania

Cobalt

Cobalt fields one of the largest teams in the market and acts for both regional and multinational clients from a wide array of industries, including shipping, transport, banking and sports. Practice head Rasa Zaščiurinskaitė has over 16 years’ experience in the EU and competition law field, working on merger clearance, abuse of dominance complaints and state aid matters, with private enforcement being a particular strength. Managing partner Irmantas Norkus and head of corporate law Elijus Burgis are also involved in competition matters. Senior associates Justinas Šileika and Laura Ryzgelyte are recommended by the firm’s clients, noted for their ‘expertise, quality and efficiency’.

Practice head(s):

Rasa Zaščiurinskaitė


Other key lawyers:

Marius Inta; Justinas Šileika; Laura Ryzgelytė; Elijus Burgis; Irmantas Norkus; Simona Liuimiene


Testimonials

‘This practice has a good leader and a strong team.’

‘They are on top of their specialisation and efficient in providing this service’.

‘Rasa Zasciurinskaite and Marius Inta are perfect experts, quickly respond to inquires, provide detailed consultations.’

Key clients

Wolt


Kalnapilio-Tauro grupė (RoyalUnibrew Group)


Brink’s Lithuania


Lego Group


Birštono mineraliniai vandenys


Graina


Merko statyba


Atea


Air Baltic Corporation


Moller Auto


G4S


Rituals Cosmetics Enterprise


Estrella Baltics


Lietuvos geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways)


Riga International Airport


Avitela


KJK Management


ARX


Kesko Senukai Lithuania


Media bitės


Lords LB Asset Management


Medipresa


Huqsvarna


Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry Association (IFPA)


Kauno grūdai


Bayer


Baltcap


Vilniaus energija


Mediterranean Shipping Company


ORLEN Lithuania


Lyra Group


European Investment Bank


Lithuanian Business Support Agency


Apranga


Cgates


Lietuvos paštas (Lithuanian Post)


Biržų ranga


Consolis


Benu, Tamro (Phoenix group)


Tolimojo keleivinio transporto kompanija


Lithuanian basketball league


AkzoNobel Baltics


Concretus Group


Rokiškio pienas


Pieno žvaigždės


Novian Technologies


AS REPHARM


Work highlights


  • Acted in a major cross-border private enforcement case for AirBaltic.
  • Successfully defended the Lithuanian Basketball League and one of the basketball clubs in an investigation and subsequent litigation with the Lithuanian Competition Authority.
  • Represented MediCa Group and its shareholders Repharm in a complex Phase II merger clearance procedure with five affected markets.

Ellex

Clients recommend Ellex for its merger clearance capabilities and ‘pan-Baltic reach‘. The firm offers support to government bodies and banking associations as well as a number of private regional companies in several industries. The competition team is led by vastly experienced litigator Marius Juonys, ‘an outstanding professional in the field‘, and state aid specialist Karolis Kačerauskas. Ilona Janciauskaite advises on merger control and vertical and horizontal agreements. She is experienced in cross-border deals and has previously worked in Finland. Some of the standout work done by the firm in the competition space has included dawn raids and retroactive Competition Council reviews.

Practice head(s):

Marius Juonys; Karolis Kačerauskas


Other key lawyers:

Ilona Jančiauskaitė; Linas Petronaitis


Testimonials

‘High expertise with a proven track record and highly strategic approach on matters. A noteworthy quality – ability to explain complex legal aspects in business-friendly approach and manner. Marius Juonys is an outstanding professional in the field.’

‘The Ellex Team we do not cease to admire. We confidently entrust them with solving the most important and complicated issues our Company is facing. The Team’s legal expertise combined with business insights form a solid background of our experience and we can firmly state that the results of Ellex’s services exceed expectations.’

‘Marius Juonys stands out particularly owing to his expertise, experience and track record in competition cases, as well as ability to convey legal nuances in business-friendly style.’

Key clients

Association of Lithuanian Banks


Kaunas City Municipality


Gren Lietuva, UAB


Nordic Tyre Group AB


Piletilevi AS


The Republic of Lithuania


UAB Diginet LTU


AB Telia Lietuva


Klaipedos Nafta AB


Linas Agro Group


Latvijas Tilti, AS


Baltic Ticket Holdings OÜ


UAB TOKSIKA


Kesko Senukai Lithuania, UAB


UAB Rivona


UAB Norfos Mažmena


Veolia Group


The Association of Online Media & All Media Lithuania


UAB Mano Būsto Priežiūra and UAB Būsto Aplinka


RIMI Lietuva, UAB


VšĮ Užstato Sistemos Administratorius


Orlen Lietuva, AB


The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania


Association Lietuvos Keliai


The Lithuanian branch of Ergo Insurance SE


Work highlights


  • Representing Piletilevi before the Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania (LCC), which initiated an ex-post (retroactive) review of the transaction whereby Piletilevi acquired a competitor.
  • Representing Veolia Group (in particular, its subsidiary UAB Vilniaus Energija) before the LCC, which imposed a €19m fine on VE for entering into an exclusive biofuel purchase agreement with Bionovus.
  • Represented UAB Mano Būsto Priežiura and UAB Būsto Aplinka – two Lithuanian subsidiaries of City Service SE – before the courts regarding the imposition of liability arising from employees’ conduct during a dawn raid.

Sorainen

As well as covering merger control and general competition compliance, Sorainen has a reputation for more niche work. Daivis Švirinas, for example, is particularly skilled in investigations surrounding price fixing and bribery, while co-head of practice Monika Mališauskaitė-Vaupšienė has a specialism in construction cartel investigations-related work. The team is also notable for its representation of Žalgiris Kaunas, a EuroLeague basketball team and of one Lithuania’s most successful sports clubs. Experienced associate Edita Daukšienė is an important member of the team, having previously worked at the Lithuanian Competition Council as Chief Expert in the Dominant Undertakings and Mergers Supervision Division.

Practice head(s):

Daivis Švirinas; Monika Mališauskaitė-Vaupšienė


Other key lawyers:

Edita Daukšienė


Testimonials

‘We have been working with Sorainen for many years. This is by far the most experienced law firm in Lithuania and probably in Baltics. Always excellent, prompt, transparent communication. Sorainen meets the deadlines as agreed and even faster. Excellent quality of the work.’

‘Highly competent team, clear advice, and impressive commitment to deliver what is needed in a tight time-frame.’

‘Ability to work on complex issues, knowledge about the business area and regulatory environment (EU and national).’

‘The team are extremely knowledgeable and pragmatic about business matters. They use simple language for the client to help understand complex issues or solutions. Their advice is always well considered, clearly and concisely presented and practical, covering all the points needed to implement their advice.’

‘The team is characterized by its perfect knowledge of competition law and local practice. The team is diverse in its experience, since its experts have both private and public sector experience, including previous work in the Lithuanian Competition Council.’

‘Competence in all areas of activity provides an opportunity not to be distracted and to work only with lawyers of one law firm.’

‘Knowledgeable, commercially good and quick in with feedback when necessary.’

‘Great communication and support explaining the outcomes/results. Great knowledge of the matter.’

Key clients

BMGS


Bitė, Mezon, TV Play All Media


AMC, Forum Cinemas


Blue Bridge


Gjensidige


Eco Baltia


INVL Asset Management


UAB Valstybės Investicijų Valdymo Agentūra


Palink


MT Group


Work highlights


  • Represented Bitė in first instance court proceedings on matters related to the €30m acquisition of Mezon.
  • Advised Gjensidige on competition aspects of its €136m acquisition of Falck.
  • Represented EuroLeague basketball club club Žalgiris Kaunas in first-instance court proceedings regarding an alleged unlawful agreement.

Motieka & Audzevicius

Motieka & Audzevicius is highly recommended by clients for its ‘out of the box solutions’, ‘new ideas‘ and ‘pro-business‘ approach. Co-heads of practice Henrikas Stelmokaitis and Laurynas Ramonas respectively cover antitrust litigation and merger control matters, with Valentas Mitrauskas handling public procurement-related work. The practice also has a strong record in cartel investigations. The team caters to a varied client base including private equity firms, banks, airlines and construction companies, with its lawyers regularly involved in precedent-setting litigation before the Supreme Court.

Practice head(s):

Henrikas Stelmokaitis; Laurynas Ramonas


Other key lawyers:

Valentas Mitrauskas


Testimonials

‘Fast, out of the box solutions, no drawbacks.’

‘Laurynas Ramonas is a top-tier advisor who has explicit legal knowledge in merger control procedures and competition laws as well as having an incredibly economically focused legal mindset while advising on competition peculiarities.’

‘Henrikas Stelmokaitis demonstrates the quite rare skill of adapting to the client’s industry peculiarities. When Mr Stelmokaitis handles a matter, every nuance is covered and thought through. Henrikas is straightforward and always acts on his word. These characteristics build trust in working with Mr Stelmokaitis.’

Key clients

AAA Capital, UAB


City Service SE


Būsto aplinka, UAB


Mano būsto priežiūra, UAB


BaltCap, UAB


City Service Engineering, UAB


Linas Agro Group, AB


Ambrela, UAB


FlyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines


Avia Solutions Group PLC


Bertona Holdings Limited


Mailerlite


ITEMA Ventures, UAB


Orbio World, UAB


Ecoservice Klaipėda, UAB


Autokausta, UAB


Work highlights


  • Represented AAA Capital and its owner investor Marius Jakulis Jason in the acquisition of all shares of Lithuanian commercial bank Medicinos bankas, including advice on the competition aspects.
  • Represented City Service SE, Būsto aplinka, Mano būsto priežiūra in a single economic entity case; the Supreme Court fully annulled parental liability regarding a cartel.
  • Represented BaltCap in merger control procedures and assured merger clearance for the client’s strategic investment in Vet Venture group of companies.

TGS Baltic

TGS Baltic specialises in state aid and sanctions-related work, as well as continuing to advise on large-scale M&A transactions, most notably in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Associate partner Rita Paukšte, who specialises in heavily regulated sectors such as aviation and financial services, heads the team, with Paulius Zapolskis, head of the firm’s energy practice group, supporting. Lauras Butkevičius and Lina Darulienė left the firm. However, the practice brought in senior associate Jonas Šalna, who specialises in disputes with the national competition authority, from Ellex.

Practice head(s):

Rita Paukštė; Paulius Zapolskis


Other key lawyers:

Jonas Šalna


Testimonials

‘They use a very practical approach and provide advice in an understandable way.’

‘Rita Paukšte and her team provided very good and insightful training and consultations on competition law topics.’

‘Great dynamics with the modular (cross-competence) structure of teams available at TGS. The adaptability of departments and their members allow for a highly flexible approach to broad-encompassing projects in terms of teamwork through in-depth discussions to reach a common understanding on all levels.’

‘The receptiveness to divergent opinions enables the ability to communicate and spot potential internal roadblocks, which otherwise would have been overlooked with a more narrow set of skills and understanding.’

‘The individuals at TGS share some unifying qualities, such as availability and ownership of the topics. Individually, many of the people foster an inner drive to aspire for more than is required to achieve set goals, leading to excellent results in consideration of the combined efforts of like-minded people.’

‘Rita Paukšte – very good, timely and clear communication, fast reaction to any additional needs arising during the process.’

‘We have worked with Rita Paukšte. We liked that she goes out of her way to get to the bottom of the situation and provide advice that is actually helpful in solving a specific problem.’

Key clients

INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund (INVL Asset Management)


State Aid Fund for Business


EPSO-G, UAB


Phillip Morris, UAB


Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Republic of Lithuania


Vilnius City Municipality


Lithuanian Post, AB


Euroapotheca, UAB


SME Bank, UAB


AUGA Group, AB


State enterprise Lithuanian Airports


Trobos, UAB


Work highlights


  • Advised INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund in acquiring joint control of InMedica and MediCA group clinics, a highly complex merger of the two main private chains of healthcare providers in Lithuania.
  • Consulted State Aid Fund for Business, managed by the State Investment Management Agency (VIVA), on the compliance with the EU Temporary Framework providing financing of €216m in small and medium size enterprises impacted by Covid-19.
  • Represented the largest Lithuanian railway cargo company in disputes with one of the world’s largest producers of potash fertiliser regarding the implementation of the relevant EU sanctions to Belarus.

WALLESS

WALLESS is renowned for its specialism in state aid, assisting the Lithuanian government, Vilnius Municipality and the national radio broadcaster in achieving state aid clearances and defending against allegations of illegal state aid. Darius Miniotas is a state aid expert and leads on many of the key matters in this area. Laura Ziferman is highly experienced in public procurement related matters, while Andrius Ivanauskas, who joined from GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners in April 2022, handles cartel investigations work. The team is highlighted by clients for its ‘truly exceptional, tailor-made client service‘.

Practice head(s):

Laura Ziferman; Darius Miniotas


Other key lawyers:

Andrius Ivanauskas; Marius Dobilas


Testimonials

‘Trustworthy, all work is done in a timely manner.’

‘WALLESS was able to provide quick, efficient and practical advice on numerous matters related to the application of EU sanctions. Once we switched to WALLESS, we never looked back. We value their team for their practical approach, quick responses and availability.’

‘Laura Ziferman is simply an amazing human being and also very competent lawyer always keeping her sight on the target. She has multiple areas of expertise and is a true partner.’

‘Darius Miniotas is a top professional in the field of EU and competition law. He is very responsive, quickly grasps complex situations, offers immediate answers and solutions, and achieves the desired results. A great lawyer.’

‘People always come first with walless, they value relationship building and truly exceptional, tailor-made client service.’

‘We get strong support from the WALLESS competition team in Competition Council dawn raids and investigations. The team comes with non-traditional solutions, observes issues widely and proposes “out of box” solutions.’

‘We appreciate the urgency, professionalism, availability and engagement of the WALLESS team members, especially Darius Miniotas.’

‘I’d highlight Laura Ziferman and Marius Dobilas.’

Key clients

Mandatum Life Insurance Company Ltd


Vinted


HISK


Green Genius


Scandagra Group


Energy Cells


Medical SPA Eglės sanatorija


LitCapital


Iron Wolf Capital


Lidl


Lithuanian Radio and Television


Multikino Lithuania


Panevėžio statybos trestas


Capital Realty


REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG


Voodoo SAS


Lithuanian Cable Television Association


Antano Rinkevičiaus valymo įrenginiai


Northway Group


Rimi (ICA Gruppen)


Tamro


Siemens


Kautra


Omniva


Biotechpharma


ACME Film


Vilnius City Municipality Administration


Kaunas City Municipality Administration


Elecnor


Palink (REWE Group)


Orivas


OP Financial Group


Affidea Group


Topo Centras


Baltic Horizon Fund


Thermo Fisher Scientific


Orlen Lietuva


Work highlights


  • Assisted Vilnius City Municipality in clearing state aid for the National Stadium with the EC.
  • Advised the Lithuanian Ministry of Energy and UAB Energy Cells during state aid clearance procedures regarding a €100m investment into energy storage facilities.
  • Representing Lithuania’s national public broadcaster (Lithuanian Radio and Television) in defending against allegations of illegal state aid in the European Commission and the General Court.

GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners

Advising a stellar range of clients, including household name companies, GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners assists with cartel investigations, merger clearance and general regulatory queries. Feliksas Miliutis is an energy-sector specialist, while Liudas Šiukšteris has acted for a number of major regional clients in the media industry; both are senior associates and together they co-head the EU and competition practice. Corporate and M&A lawyer Jurgita Zakarauskienė also assists in merger clearance work. Andrius Ivanauskas left the firm in March 2022.

Practice head(s):

Feliksas Miliutis; Liudas Šiukšteris


Other key lawyers:

Jurgita Zakarauskiene


Testimonials

‘The team is cooperative, clarifies the matters in detail, the legal tasks are complete in due time. The team has good knowledge in competition legislation and is able to provide full analysis regarding it.’

‘Liudas Šiukšteris and Jurgita Zakarauskiene are very friendly and cooperative.’

Key clients

Tele2


GE Capital Global Energy Investments


Schneider Electric


European Energy Efficiency Fund


Walgreens Boots Alliance


Generali


Sanitex


Litcapital Asset Management


Apollo Group


Grigeo


Theatrical Film Distribution


Invest Lithuania


Mastercard


Klaipėdos nafta


AL holdingas


Work highlights


  • Advised Mastercard on various legal queries regarding its new products and regulatory matters.
  • Represented Theatrical Film Distribution in a cartel investigation before the Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania and the national courts challenging an infringement decision.
  • Advised AL Holdingas on the sale of the shares of publishing company UAB Šviesa and assisted the client in the merger clearance procedure.

Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)

Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland) chiefly advises on merger control and represents clients from several industries, including energy, entertainment and pharmaceuticals. Joint practice heads Tomas Rymeikis and Rimtis Puišys are experienced competition lawyers with expertise in cross-border M&A and antitrust regulatory compliance. Privatisation transactions are a particular niche of Rymeikis’s practice. Associates Regina Vasiliauskė and Monika Jankauskienė are also integral to the team.

Practice head(s):

Rimtis Puišys; Tomas Rymeikis


Other key lawyers:

Regina Vasiliauskė; Monika Jankauskienė


Testimonials

‘Excellent team. Highly regarded in the market. Very credible for all competition law matters. The team advised on highly complex competition law and pricing aspects. The team handles international and cross-border competition work too. Highly recommended. The legal services are offered for good value for money.’

‘Rimtis Puisys and Tomas Rymeikis work for competition matters. They both are very well assisted by Monika Jankauske and Regina Vasiliauske.’

Key clients

Magnum AS


LMT (Latvijas Mobilais Telefons)


MM Grupp


Gren Klaipėda


Sofa Brands


Work highlights


  • Successfully represented Magnum in a merger clearance procedure and secured permission from the Competition Council for a major acquisition in the pharmacy sector.
  • Represented Latvian telecoms operator LMT in obtaining unconditional clearance from the Competition Council in relation to its recent acquisition of Santa Monica Networks.
  • Provided advice to MM Grupp on competition law in relation to the acquisition of Forum Cinemas.

LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas

LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas has a specialist competition litigation practice with a strong track record in abuse of dominance matters and cartel investigations. The team is jointly led by former Lithuanian Minister of Justice Gintaras Balciunas, an experienced commercial arbitrator with particular expertise in state aid matters, and associate partner Vaidas Radvila, who works with clients across a number of sectors, including energy and transport.

Practice head(s):

Gintaras Balčiūnas; Vaidas Radvila


Key clients

AB “Achema”


“Roche Lietuva“, UAB


UAB koncernas “ACHEMOS GRUPĖ”


UAB “Achema Gas Trade”


“Unifiedpost”, UAB


“Transachema”, UAB


“LIT-INVEST”, UAB


“Renerga”, UAB


“Smeltės Vėjų Jėgainės”, UAB


“Samus”, UAB


Work highlights


  • Representing AB “Achema” in multiple European and national cases and investigations regarding state aid in the electricity and liquidated natural gas sectors.
  • Advised Roche Lietuva UAB, the Lithuanian branch of the pharmaceutical giant Roche, on distribution matters.
  • Representing major competitors of postal service provider AB Lietuvos Pastas in an abuse of dominant position complaint.

Magnusson

Magnusson is a popular choice for public procurement matters and also offers representation in customs disputes. Managing partner Ligita Ramanauskaite leads the corporate, commercial and M&A team as well as being involved in EU and competition matters. Procurement specialist Marius Endzinas and disputes resolution team head Evaldas Rapolas both operate from Kaunas. ‘Highly experienced and meticulous‘ senior associate Lina Daruliene previously worked for the Competition Council and provides expert advice on merger clearance.

Practice head(s):

Ligita Ramanauskaitė; Marius Endzinas


Other key lawyers:

Evaldas Rapolas; Lina Darulienė


Testimonials

‘Magnusson Lithuania is deeply experienced both in public procurement and competition matters. They are very professional in terms of keeping to promises (budget-wise, deadline-wise, etc.) and are very fast in responding.’

‘Lina Daruliene is highly experienced and meticulous, so we are sure her advice is well thought-out and precise, making us feel safe and secure.’

‘The EU and Competition team of Magnusson Lithuania has been handling various issues for us throughout several years, ranging from unfair competition to public procurement. What we value most is the feeling that their primary aim is creating value for us in whatever they do.’

‘Marius Endzinas is Magnusson’s expert for public procurement issues. He has a client-oriented approach, which, together with his deep experience in the field, allows him to provide us with evaluations and solutions for each situation we are in.’

‘Evaldas Rapolas, who heads the Kaunas office of Magnusson Lithuania, is our main expert for unfair competition issues. He has exceptional strategic planning skills.

‘We have been consulting Magnusson Lithuania with regard to public procurement and competition matters. Their team is devoted to not just providing advice or representation services, but creating actual added value for our business. They try to really learn and understand what we do, why we do it, and what is important for us in our decision-making. Thus, understanding our processes, they are able to pinpoint decisions that are actually beneficial to us.’

‘Marius Endzinas stands out as an independent advisor, giving his straightforward opinion about all pros and cons of the issues we face. This is especially important for us when making decisions. Instead of giving promises, he gives us results.’

Key clients

Kauno autobusai


Vytautas Magnus University


ARV-Auto


Eikos statyba


Plungės lagūna


Bruneros


Kaišiadorys District Municipality


ERCO Technologies


Kautra


Romega


Ekoenergas


Tetas


Work highlights


  • Acted for Romega, a meat importer, in a dispute regarding the bacterial safety of imported raw poultry; the dispute was referred to the European Court of Justice.
  • Represented Eikos statyba, a construction company, in a dispute involving liability of a tenderer for its refusal to sign a public procurement contract due to a material change in market conditions.
  • Represented Kautra, a bus passenger service provider, in a complex dispute regarding the results of a Druskininkai Municipality public procurement tender for obtaining passenger transport services to be provided by electric buses.

Noewe

Providing regulatory compliance advice and representation in competition disputes, Noewe‘ competition team represents clients from several Baltic, Nordic and CEE nations. Practice head Giedrė Dailidėnaitė is a specialist in the technology and financial services sectors, with a good deal of experience in merger clearance matters. Tomas Venckus works on public procurement and has specific expertise in food supplement regulations. Associate Šarūnė Prankonytė-Segen is a further name to note.

Practice head(s):

Giedrė Dailidėnaitė


Other key lawyers:

Šarūnė Prankonytė-Segen; Tomas Venckus


Key clients

Vestas Central Europe A/S (Denmark)


PP6, UAB


DOBELES DZIRNAVNIEKS AS (Latvia)


Goswift OÜ (Estonia)


PKP Energetyka SA (Poland)


Work highlights


  • Provided advice to Vestas Central Europe on the applicable Lithuanian regulatory requirements related to competition law, licensing, operation, subcontracting and compliance of a new Vestas business operation in Lithuania.
  • Representing real estate development and management company PP6, UAB in a dispute related to receipt of a pandemic-related state aid measure.
  • Assisted DOBELES DZIRNAVNIEKS in the preparation of tender proposal documentation for the open procedure conducted by viešoji įstaiga Europos socialinio fondo agentūra (European Social Fund Agency).