The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance , Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius fields ‘one of the strongest teams in Latvia’, with the well-known Lauris Liepa and colleagues in demand for restructuring and refinancing for prominent clients. The group acted alongside the UK’s Clifford Chance to advise Citigroup Global Markets and Credit Suisse Securities on the state’s $500m Eurobond issue. The firm also advised American Express on transferring its credit card portfolio from Parex bank to newly formed Bank Citadele.

Within Corporate and M&A, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a second tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius acted for Belgium’s Puratos Group on its acquisition of leading Latvian food processing company Pure Food, and also provides everyday corporate advice to international broadcasting group, Modern Times. Practice head Indrikis Liepa and Gatis Filnters are ‘very good colleagues to work with and clearly hardworking people’.

Within Dispute resolution, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Senior associate Sigita Kravale at Attorneys at Law Borenius wins plaudits for her ‘creative solutions in line with the needs and interests of the client’. She is leading advice to LKB Lizings in a precedent-setting case to establish whether a member of the board is considered an employee under EU law. Practice head Lauris Liepa led a successful claim against the Ministry of Health that resulted in a recent change in legislation.

Within EU and competition, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius advises government bodies on state aid; analyses competitor behaviour for major companies; and is representing Norma-A, the operator of Ecolines buses in Latvia, in the ECJ to establish the legal status of public service transport contracts. It is representing Narvesen Baltija in appealing against a cartel decision. Ieva Azanda has ‘profound theoretical knowledge and rich practical experience’.

Within IP, IT and telecoms, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius has ‘good specialists in every area’, and showcased its IP expertise with two leading cases: defending pharmaceuticals company Gedeon Richter in a patent infringement case brought by Bayer Schering Pharma; and representing KRKA in a patent infringement against Novartis. Media clients include MTG Group, owner of Viasat Broadcasting and TV3 Latvia. Indrikis Liepa has ‘a deep knowledge in the pharmaceuticals markets’.

Within Legal market overview ,

The country’s largest firms have formed single-brand alliances with practices in Estonia, Lithuania and beyond, and are reaping the rewards of that strategy. Attorneys at Law Borenius has done particularly well with a winning formula of leading individuals and strong links to Finland’s top-five firm of the same name. Similarly, Tark Grunte Sutkiene is rejuvenated since last year’s pan-Baltic merger, and relatively young firm Varul continues to make an impact, having opened in Belarus in 2011, a jurisdiction where many firms have failed to expand in the prevailing political climate.

Within Real estate and construction, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius’ key clients include SIA Pallink, operator of IKI and CENTO stores in Latvia, and state JSC Valsts nekustamie ipašumi, the body responsible for the development and maintenance of state-owned real estate. Practice head Laine Skopina and Sigita Kravale are ‘professionals in their field’.

Within Shipping and transport, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius’ clients include leading logistics clients such as TNT, which the firm advises on a variety of matters, and L-eskpresis, the only rail transport company operating from Latvia to Russia. Transport law specialist Gatis Flinters ‘seeks to find a balance between a strong defence for the client and finding an agreement acceptable for all involved parties’.

Within Tax, Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd is a first tier firm,

Attorneys at Law Borenius is providing Latvian tax advice to Citigroup Global Markets and Credit Suisse Securities in the state’s $500m Eurobond issue. The team also acted for Abbott Laboratories on tax issues concerning the integration of Solvay Pharmaceuticals with Abbott’s Latvian operations. Senior associate Zane Krecere is recommended.