Lithuania > EU and competition
EU and competition
Lawin’s comprehensive service and large team of specialists is hard to beat. The ‘very impressive’ Jaunius Gumbis heads the practice supported by associate partner Marius Juonys, who is ‘empathetic and strategic’. Gumbis is leading the advice to fixed-line telecoms company TEO in an investigation of margin-squeezing practices by the Competition Authority, while Juonys is representing JCDecaux Lithuania in a dispute against Vilnius City and Clear Channel Lithuania.
Raidla Lejins & Norcous excels in this field, the result of the strong leadership and experience of the ‘deep thinking’ Irmantas Norkus and Elijus Burgis, who has ‘really deep knowledge’ and ‘a very practical approach’. Active clients include Lithuanian Railways, the local operations of Bayer and Lukoil, and security company G4S, advising the latter in an investigation by the Competition Authority into alleged anticompetitive vertical arrangements with banks.
A top-drawer client list at Baltic Legal Solutions Lithuania includes GlaxoSmithKline, which the firm is advising on alleged vertical price-fixing, and state aid issues for Vilnius International Airport. Iraida Zogaite is an experienced competition professional and leads the practice.
Law Firm Bernotas & Dominas Glimstedt boosted its competition practice in 2010 with the hire of Rimantas Stanikunas, former chairman of the Competition Council, in a real coup for the firm. The practice handles high-level merger filings, investigations and significant disputes.
Clients of Motieka & Audzevicius rate the firm’s competition practice highly. The ‘sharp and very bright-minded lawyer’ Giedrius Kolesnikovas led advice to Concept Events & Media in cartel allegations made against the Lithuanian Association of Events Managers, while ‘very good in strategy’ Ramunasn Audzevicius advises flyLAL in a dispute with Air Baltic concerning predatory pricing.
Specialist counsel Paulius Koverovas at Sorainen leads one of the largest teams in the market. Senior associate Lauras Butkevicius is singled out for his experience; he ‘not only understands the needs of the client but also offers different approaches to managing risk’. Alongside high-value merger control, the firm acted for Air Baltic before the Supreme Administrative Court concerning internet advising.
Tark Grunte Sutkiene is advising satellite TV operator Viasat in an investigation by the Competition Council into alleged abuse of dominant position in pay-TV channels’ wholesale supply. Lina Daruliene and her team also advised on the competition aspects of the acquisition of Fermentas by Thermo Fisher Scientific. ‘The specialists working at the firm are experts in their fields’, note clients.
Daivis Svirinas at Attorneys at Law Borenius is highly praised for his competition law expertise, and the field is a core area of practice at the firm. In particular, Svirinas ‘always thinks globally’ and is ‘undisputedly a competition law professional’ and acted for Limedika Sandoz, a branch of the Novartis Group, in a case concerning vertical agreements. He is joined by Tomas Rymeikis, who led advice to Rezidor Hotel Group on the competition issues of a recent acquisition.
Rimtis Puišys leads a comprehensive competition practice at Eversheds Saladžius, advising the country’s largest pharmaceutical company, Berlin-Chemie Menarini on various competition matters before the Competition Council. The firm also acts for Vilnius International Airport on state aid issues.
Yvonne Goldammer has a steady competition practice at VARUL, attracting significant international and domestic clients. They include the state railway, advising on issues of abuse of dominant position, and representing Baltic coach network Eurolines on unfair competition and cartel allegations.
Juridicon Law Firm advises its hefty client base on everyday competition matters, including public procurement issues. Andrzej Czajkowski at the firm leads the practice.
The regional resources of MAQS Law Firm lends itself well to competition and EU matters, advising Scandinavian clients with competition needs across the Baltics. Deividas Soloveicik handles a range of matters, from co-operation agreements to EU block exemptions.
Sarka, Sabaliauskas, Jankauskas handles both corporate support and competition disputes, including the competition aspects of the merger of media and advertising companies Adcom and Mediapool, and successfully defending public company Pirmoji kava in a cartel investigation against the Association of Events Organisation.