EU and competition in Lithuania

Cobalt

Cobalt‘s EU and competition law practice group is regularly engaged in a range of matters across the market. The firm represents a variety of clients, therefore dealing with a diverse selection of EU and competition law services from various businesses in differing sectors, stretching from banking and finance to heavy industry, energy, and infrastructure. The team handles complicated merger control procedures, competition law issues, and state aid matters. The team is led by the experienced Rasa Zaščiurinskaitė, who regularly advises clients on EU law and all aspects of competition law, from abuse of dominance, to state aid and merger control, as well as private enforcement.

Practice head(s):

Rasa Zasciurinskaite


Key clients

Pro Bro Group


Roche


Kautra


SEB


Coca-Cola Hellenic


Orlen Baltics Retail


Hanner


Taba Invest


Alma Littera Group


Parkdema


Green Factory Baltic


Practice Venture Capital


Kotryna


Jumbo Transport


Valentis Baltic


Star Cloud LLC


Merck Sharp & Dohme


Tailwind Airlines


Scandagra


Gitana


Compensa Life


Wolt


Karcher


Eugesta


Danone


Daisena


Alter Domus


Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania


Tele2


Tetas


Tece Baltikum


Johnson & Johnson


Woodline


Hollister Lietuva


Kalnapilio-Tauro grupė


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


Riga International Airport


Avitela


KJK Management


ARX


Kesko Senukai Lithuania


Media bitės


Lords LB Asset Management


Medipresa


Huqsvarna


Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry Association


Kauno grūdai


Bayer


Baltcap


Vilniaus energija


Mediterranean Shipping Company


ORLEN Lithuania


Lyra Group


European Investment Bank


Lithuanian Business Support Agency


Lietuvos paštas


Biržų ranga


Consolis


Benu, Tamro


Tolimojo keleivinio transporto kompanija


Lithuanian basketball league


AkzoNobel Baltics


Concretus Group


Rokiškio pienas


Pieno žvaigždės


Novian Technologies


AS REPHARM


Elektrum


Work highlights


  • Represented three real estate brokerage companies, Citus, Resolution, and Lendor Estate, in an investigation by the Competition Council regarding alleged market sharing of clients and employees.
  • Representing Lithuanian Railways in an action against the European Commission before the General Court to annul the Commission’s decision to refuse default interest payment and to order the Commission to pay the default interest.
  • Represented Coca-Cola Hellenic in preparing and submitting a national merger filing in Lithuania for the acquisition of the Finlandia vodka brand.

Ellex

Ellex‘s competition practice handles a unique portfolio of cases throughout the market. The team engages in high-profile abuse of dominance cases, including those investigated by the Lithuanian Competition Council. Furthermore, the group represents clients in merger control cases (including ex-post merger review cases), competition law matters in anti-competitive agreements, and cartel investigations, and has specific expertise in state aid matters. The team is jointly led by Marius Juonys, who has particular experience handling abuse of dominance cases, and Lauras Butkevičius, who brings specific experience advising companies in the trade, pharmaceuticals, and TMT sectors on competition and state regulatory issues.

Practice head(s):

Marius Juonys; Lauras Butkevičius


Testimonials

‘Excellent qualifications, individualised approach, innovative proposals.’

‘Team stands out as a market leader due to its unmatched expertise, extensive experience, and strong track record in handling complex competition law matters. The team offers comprehensive services across key areas such as mergers, anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and cartel investigations, both locally and in EU-wide contexts.’

‘Marius Juonys is a clear market leader, able to lead any competition matter from any business field.’ 

‘Over our decade-long collaboration, we’ve come to fully appreciate the quality of Ellex’s services and their team’s ability to handle a diverse range of needs. Ellex has consistently shown impressive expertise in these specialized areas, which are subject to very technical legal regulation.’

‘Ellex distinguishes itself through its commitment to excellence and a client-centric approach that goes beyond standard expectations. Their team ensures the highest quality of legal services, whether it is navigating complex litigation or compliance issues, we have found them to be exceptionally thorough, responsive, and dedicated.’

‘Their unique strengths lie in their deep industry knowledge and the ability to handle niche legal areas with expertise that is hard to find elsewhere. In our experience, Ellex’s capability to integrate specialized knowledge with a practical understanding of our business needs sets them apart in the Lithuanian legal market.’

‘The practice is consistently involved in the most complex competition cases handled by the Lithuanian Competition Council and Courts in Lithuania.’

‘Marius Juonys is one of the thought-leaders in Lithuania’s competition law scene who dares to take on ever more sophisticated competition assessments.’

Key clients

OÜ Aktiva Finance Group


UAB Vikonda Grupė


UAB Urban hub


Lithuanian Pharmacies Association


Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries


Lithuanian Association of Real Estate Agencies


Mantinga Group, UAB


Cgates, UAB


MV Group, UAB


Ermitažas, UAB


ACME Group, UAB


AVAD Baltic, UAB


MAXIMA LT, UAB


AS Express Grupp


Kauno liftai, UAB


Baltijos liftai, UAB


AS Dobeles dzirnavnieks


Eurovaistinė, UAB


EVRC, UAB


Siromed pharma, UAB


EVD, UAB


Association of Lithuanian Banks


LIT EGG, UAB


Gren Lietuva, UAB


Snowball.xyz, UAB


Piletilevi AS


The Republic of Lithuania


AB „Lietuvos paštas“


UAB Diginet LTU


Telia Lietuva, AB


Klaipedos Nafta AB


Creditinfo, UAB


UAB JTI Baltic


Baltic Ticket Holdings OÜ


Kesko Senukai Lithuania, UAB


UAB Rivona


UAB Norfos Mažmena


Veolia Group


The Association of Online Media


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 the pharmacy retailer Eurovaistinė, UAB and its related group companies (Siromed Pharma, UAB, EVRC, UAB and EVD, UAB), as well as Lithuanian Pharmacies Association, in a cartel case that challenges the legality of collective lobbying activities.
  • Representing the leading elevator maintenance company Kauno Liftai, UAB in obtaining conditional merger clearance in the ex-post merger review procedure.
  • Representing the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries and its members of Presidium in the cartel case with substantial effect on the regulatory approach towards this profession in Lithuania.

Sorainen

Sorainen‘s competition and regulatory team is regularly tasked with handling a range of matters, and the firm is well-positioned, with pan-Baltic roots, to assess the risks of unlawful agreements and abuse of dominant positions in all three Baltic states, whilst assisting in pan-Baltic merger proceedings. Further, the firm is involved in antitrust investigations, fast merger clearances, and state aid matters. The team benefits from the joint leadership of Daivis Švirinas and Monika Mališauskaite-Vaupšiene, who bring experience operating in competition and antitrust, state aid, and EU law fields to the team.

Practice head(s):

Daivis Švirinas; Monika Mališauskaitė-Vaupšienė


Testimonials

‘Clarity of the consultation and deepening of the client’s problem.’

‘Always active and reactive! Tried to work with other law firms but returned to Sorainen.’

‘Daivis Švirinas is the best competition lawyer in the market. Has a great understanding of our industry. Monika Mališauskaitė-Vaupšienė provides clear advice that is business-oriented. A stand-out lawyer.’

‘We would recommend Daivis Švirinas highly. He always sees the big picture and offers several possible approaches. Monika Mališauskaitė-Vaupšienė is attentive to detail and responsive.’

‘Monika Mališauskaitė-Vaupšienė and Daivis Švirinas are very professional and know market conditions.’

‘Skills and knowledge.’

‘Sorainen’s main strength is their deep experience with our sector. Each member of the team is familiar with how the business works.’

‘The team covers all relevant areas of competition law. Among their key strengths are a large team and specific sector knowledge. In terms of innovations, Sorainen is the leading competition team when it comes to using digital tools.’

Key clients

Limedika, Gintarinė Vaistinė


Google


IKI Lietuva


Bitė


Mezon


TV Play


All Media


Gjensidige Forsikring ASA


AS BMGS


Forum Cinemas


State Enterprise Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority


Aktsiaselts Auto 100 Lietuvos filialas


Bolt Food


Danske Bank


Enefit, UAB


Sandoz


Intrum AB


Straumann Group


Technopolis


Heidelberg Materials Lietuva Betonas


Nissan Nordic Europe Oy


Topo Grupė


Entafarma


Volfas Engelman


Biovela Mėsa


SAPI S.p.a.


Novo Nordisk UAB


VšĮ Vilniaus tarptautinė mokykla


Work highlights


  • Representing the pharmaceutical wholesaler Limedika and the pharmaceutical retailer Gintarinė Vaistinė in court proceedings regarding a decision of the Lithuanian Competition Council.
  • Advised Intrum AB on the sale of their business in the Baltic countries to Aktiva Finance Group.
  • Representing VšĮ Vilniaus tarptautinė mokykla in proceedings in the European Court of Justice related to local language requirements for employees.

WALLESS

WALLESS‘s competition and regulatory practice group handles a diverse range of matters, and the practice has exceptional experience in state aid matters, including assisting clients in securing and properly implementing financing from various EU structural funds. The team benefits from the joint leadership of co-heads Laura Ziferman and Darius Miniotas. Darius’ work is focussed on competition matters, engaging in various competition, state aid, and EU funding projects, as well a variety of proceedings before the competition authorities and courts. Ziferman has a wealth of experience, with specific expertise in advising clients with public procurement matters.

Practice head(s):

Laura Ziferman; Darius Miniotas


Testimonials

‘WALLESS has a unique combination of top-class professionals – very engaged partners, who are always present for strategic advice and collaboration, as well as very bright seniors who very swiftly and efficiently, in close cooperation with our team, implement the defined objectives. WALLESS’ flexibility, availability and efficiency make them stand out from other law firms. We are very satisfied in working with them.’

‘I mostly work with Partner Laura Ziferman. Laura is extremely proficient in providing strategic advice, grasping the essence of the issue very quickly and finding the right solution to resolve it.’ 

‘WALLESS’s Competition and Regulatory (EU and competition) team has been advising us on various EU State aid matters, consistently delivering quick, efficient, and practical advice. Their in-depth knowledge, rigorous attention to detail, and strong client orientation stand out. The team offers concrete, actionable solutions while thoroughly engaging with complex legal issues and market dynamics.’

‘Their guidance is always professional, timely, and business-oriented, making them a reliable partner.’

‘WALLESS partner Darius Miniotas stands out as a professional in EU and competition law, particularly in State aid matters, where we have faced complex challenges. He is highly responsive, offering immediate, professional advice and solutions that are relevant and concrete. Darius is directly involved in every case, and his deep understanding of regulatory issues, combined with business insights, ensures his advice is consistently strategic and effective.’

‘Darius Miniotas stays up to date with the latest legal developments and practices, providing creative and effective solutions. It’s a pleasure to work with him.’

‘Experienced team.’

‘Darius Miniotas stands out as competent and business-minded expert in the field.’

Key clients

Carlsberg Group


ŠVYTURYS-UTENOS ALUS


REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG


Rimi


Tamro


Affidea Group


Topo centras


Lidl


Lithuanian National Radio and Television


AB Šiaulių bankas


Lithuanian Airports


Bolt


Modus Group


SANITEX


HISK


Aljansas Aibė, UAB


Work highlights


  • Representing Vilnius City Municipality before the European Commission during the notification procedure for the modification of state aid granted to a large project in Lithuania.
  • Representing Lithuania’s leading beverage producer and supplier – Švyturys-Utenos alus (part of the world’s leading Carlsberg Group), in several major investigations conducted by the Lithuanian Competition Council.
  • Representing the national broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television, in defending against allegations of unlawful state aid before the European General Court.

Motieka & Audzevicius

Motieka & Audzevicius‘s competition team handles a variety of different matters relevant to this practice area. The team is jointly led by Henrikas Stelmokaitis and Laurynas Ramonas. Stelmokaitis leads the competition litigation and is the lead lawyer for a large real estate broker involved in the cartel investigation into the real estate brokers’ agencies association. Laurynas leads the merger control cases, and advises corporate clients on their competition issues, often including compliance risks. Further support in this area is provided by Valentas Mitrauskas, who heads the public procurement disputes practice.

Practice head(s):

Henrikas Stelmokaitis; Laurynas Ramonas


Other key lawyers:

Valentas Mitrauska


Testimonials

‘High competence, exceptional understanding of client’s situation and interests, exceptional responsiveness.’

‘Highly loyal to the client, reasonable billing policies, exceptional knowledge of current legal practices and tendencies.’

Key clients

Ekonovus, UAB


Žabolis Partners


OBER-HAUS nekilnojamas turtas


Virtualių galimybių institutas


Akola Group, AB


Somlita, UAB


City Service Engineering, UAB


Transtira Transport, UAB


Autojuta, UAB


All Media Group, UAB


Work highlights


  • Representing Econovus, UAB before the Regional Administrative Court regarding the lawfulness of the amendments to the law that resulted in the annulment of part of the Competition Council’s competence to conduct investigations.
  • Advised Žabolis Partners portfolio company, UAB C Company, on its strategic acquisition of a controlling stake in UAB Tolimojo keleivinio transporto kompanija.
  • Assisted Žabolis Partners with obtaining merger clearance to acquire a controlling share interest in EKSMA Optics, UAB, a manufacturer and global supplier of precision optical components, optical systems, laser and nonlinear frequency conversion crystals, opto-mechanics, and electro-optical Pockels cells with drivers used in lasers and other optical instruments.

Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)

Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)‘s EU and competition team offers a broad spectrum of advice on competition and antitrust matters. The team is regularly engaged in providing competition advice on M&A transactions. Led by co-heads Rimtis Puišys and Tomas Rymeikis, the team benefits from extensive experience across the competition law, data protection and antitrust markets, with 'great industry knowledge'.

Practice head(s):

Rimtis Puišys; Tomas Rymeikis


Testimonials

‘Great business understanding.’

‘Diverse and highly accessible.’ 

‘Great size with many quality lawyers.’ 

Key clients

Apotheca Pharma


MM Grupp


Work highlights


  • Represented Apotheca Pharma, an operator of one of the biggest pharmaceutical chains in Lithuania, in competition-related matters related to the supply of cosmetics products.
  • Representing MM Grupp in competition matters related to cinema operations.
  • Provided Nestle Baltics, one of the biggest food and beverages companies in the world, with extensive training on competition law matters.

GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners

GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners‘s competition and EU law team handles a diverse range of issues relevant to the practice area. The firm evidences particular strength in handling state aid matters. The group is led by practice head Feliksas Miliutis, who has a focus on abuse of dominance cases, regulatory matters, cartel investigations, and the aforementioned state aid matters, with work in numerous sectors, including telecommunications, energy, and utilities.

Practice head(s):

Feliksas Miliutis


Key clients

Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania


Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania and EIB


VšĮ “Investuok Lietuvoje”


AB Lietuvos oro uostai


VĮ “Registrų centras”


Telšių rajono savivaldybės administracija


UAB “Telšių regiono atliekų tvarkymo centras”


UAB “Zarasų būstas”


Klaipėdos rajono savivaldybės administracija


UAB “Klaipėdos paslaugos”


Work highlights


LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas

LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas‘s competition practice group handles a range of matters, demonstrating a particular focus on handling cases related to state aid investigations. The team is led by co-heads Gintaras Balčiūnas and Vaidas Radvila, and both frequently engage with EU competition law issues in a range of sectors.

Practice head(s):

Gintaras Balčiūnas; Vaidas Radvila


Testimonials

‘One of the main strengths of the team is its people, whose competence and integrity have not been questioned.’

‘The team uses all acceptable and common technologies when working in the field. As a result, communication is flexible without any misunderstandings.’

‘Direct communication with specific specialists, competence, dedication to finding solutions and honesty, easy to talk to and variety of proposed solutions.’

Key clients

“Roche Lietuva“, UAB


AB “Achema”


UAB koncernas “ACHEMOS GRUPĖ”


UAB “Achema Gas Trade”


“Unifiedpost”, UAB


“Transachema”, UAB


“LIT-INVEST”, UAB


“Renerga”, UAB


“Eoltas”, UAB


“LT energija”, UAB


“Samus”, UAB


Work highlights


  • Representing AB “Achema” in a series of cases and investigations concerning state aid in the electricity and liquidated natural gas sectors.
  • Advising one of the biggest company groups (AB koncernas “Achemos grupė”) and its shareholders on a share transfer deal.
  • Advising “Roche Lietuva”, UAB on matters related to distribution.

Magnusson

The public procurement and EU team at Magnusson is well-known for having distinguished public procurement experience, particularly within contentious matters. The team also assists clients in M&A deals involving merger clearance issues and advises clients on the implementation of GDPR. The team is led by co-heads Marius Endzinas and Ligita Ramanauskaitė.

Practice head(s):

Marius Endzinas; Ligita Ramanauskaitė


Testimonials

‘The EU and Competition team, led by partner Marius Endzinas, is very competent. They are inventive and creative. They also are proactive and responsive.’

‘Marius Endzinas is our primary contact for EU and Competition matters. He specializes in public procurement, where his experience stands out. Marius always evaluates the pros and cons of every situation and provides very balanced and down-to-earth advice which we can be sure is tailored to ensure maximum benefit for us.’

‘A responsible and professional team has been assembled, which sets itself only the highest goals. The situation with possible solutions and potential risks is always clearly and comprehensibly explained to the client. After the explanation, the client can decide for himself what to do next. Very professional approach to work.’

‘Each specialist is responsible for specific areas of law. Such a model allows you to receive only the highest quality services. We mainly work with lawyer Marius Endzinas, who is a professional in the field of public procurement law.’

‘I believe it is not primarily the size of the team or the law firm, but the expertise and ability to handle difficult cases is what matters, and Magnusson showed they had just the right skills to handle my public procurement cases.’ 

‘They have deep knowledge and experience in the field and were able to provide me with good advice and forecasts of the projects they were handling. Although the cases they handled during the past year were complicated and not easy to win, Magnusson handled both cases very well, not only having a deep understanding of the legal aspects but also from the project management side.’ 

‘Partner Marius Endzinas heads the EU and Competition practice at Magnusson, and he has a good reputation for his public procurement skills. This proved to be true. I am very happy with his project handling, level of service, and responsiveness.’

‘Marius Endzinas had a very strong understanding of the commercial aspects of the matters he was handling. He sought to understand my goals and succeeded in reaching them.’

Key clients

Eikos statyba


Plungės lagūna


Sateba Lithuania


Narbutas Lietuva


Baumista


Milsa


Hospitex Diagnostics Kaunas


MD Impex Service Center


Kautra


Vytautas Magnus University


Telšių keliai


Work highlights


  • Advising a major construction company on a public procurement matter, which involved defending its tender offer from being held as containing false statements.
  • Representing a company operating in medical services in a merger clearance procedure.
  • Represented a client in a matter regarding a data breach case.