The Legal 500

Part of the Baltic-wide AAA IP network, AAA Baltic Service Company provides an ‘excellent service’, and advises some of the best-known international brands in the region. Recent instructions include acting for distillery AB Stumbras to successfully register the words ‘Lithuanian vodka’ as a trade mark, a move opposed by the State Patent Bureau. Senior partner Marius Jakulis Jason heads a team of ten IP professionals.

Lawin’s ‘very efficient and insightful’ IP department grew significantly this year via aggressive hiring at associate level. It is a regular in leading IP disputes, and its clients include Sanofi-Aventis and Pfizer Luxembourg. Mindaugas Kiskis is a leader in the field and is advising science and technology clusters Sunrise Valley and Santara Valley on the establishment of R&D centres.

Metida law firm of Reda Zaboliene is an IP boutique fielding a dozen experts. The firm defended trade marks for Aston Martin, Porsche, Jaguar and General Motors, among others, following a recent customs seizure at Klaipeda seaport of perfume bottles displaying these brand names. Name partner Reda Zaboliene is widely regarded as a leading practitioner.

Baltic Legal Solutions Lithuania’s team is appreciated for its ‘strong academic background’. Vytautas Mizaras is increasingly prominent; he acted for Starbucks in its first trade mark enforcement in Lithuania and represented Snoras Bank in a novel dispute over alleged infringement of non trade mark signs.

Eversheds Saladžius advises on the full range of IP issues under team head Rimtis Puišys, who has the ‘ability to consistently defend the interests of the customer’. It advises a global pharmaceuticals company on patent matters, and also acts for Samsung and BAT.

Raidla Lejins & Norcous has expertise in the full range of IP work, and has a strong following among global pharmaceuticals companies. It advised Merck & Co regarding a customs seizure and suspected patent infringement and is handling a trade mark dispute for Bayer Schering Pharma. Žilvinas Kvietkus is ‘able to defend our company’s interests well in written and verbal discussions’.

Sorainen’s busy practice provides ‘a top level of service’. It is advising Google in several domain name and trade mark disputes, and also acts for Apple. It worked alongside the UK’s Bird & Bird to advise the International Basketball Federation on the IP issues relating to Lithuania’s hosting of EuroBasket 2011, the European Basketball Championships. Renata Beržanskiene heads the practice.

Tark Grunte Sutkiene’s IP team advised Biotech Pharmaceutical Centre Biotechpharma on contractual agreements with significant IP elements, and represented a private equity investor in IP due diligence of a leading Lithuanian alcohol producer. Neringa Gražinyte is the main partner.

IP is an area of focus at Triniti, and clients report the service ‘gives security and peace of mind so that we can concentrate on our core functions’. Vilija Viesunaite leads this compact team, which advises clients such as Société BIC, makers of BIC pens and shaving razors, for which it won several trade mark infringement cases.

bnt Heemann Klauberg Krauklis APB is assisting Bird & Bird in representing a leading German fashion company regarding a trade mark dispute with a local competitor, and acting for a well-known drinks manufacturer in a labelling dispute.

Balciunas & Grajauskas has a following in the print media sector, handling IP issues for a domestic media company concerning the right to publish global trade marks, and advising a weekly magazine on brand name protection. Jonas Platelis shows ‘creativity in solving problems’.

Law Firm Bernotas & Dominas Glimstedt’s ‘loyal’ and ‘disciplined’ Giedre Rimkunaite heads the IP practice, and recently succeeded in the Supreme Court on behalf of Zino Davidoff in overturning rulings of trade mark infringement against the State Tobacco Control Service.

Attorneys at Law Borenius is working with its network to represent Hungarian pharmaceuticals company Gedeon Richter in one of Lithuania’s rare instances of a patent infringement case. Stasys Drazdauskas is ‘professional, independent and down-to-earth’.

Litigator Andžej Caikovski leads IP advice at Juridicon Law Firm, and represented news website Delfi in a trade mark dispute concerning a sign used in headlines that allegedly resembled a registered trade mark.

Varul is representing textile manufacturer Utenos Trikotažas in a copyright dispute with a model regarding image rights. Robert Juodka heads the practice.