Cobalt handles tax structuring, transfer pricing and the tax aspects of M&A for clients. Practice head Rokas Daugėla is ‘a very experienced lawyer with in-depth understanding of complex international and local tax topics‘ and is particularly skilled in transfer pricing. He is supported by senior associate Nerijus Jurkus, who specialises in tax and customs, and advises on both tax due diligence and disputes.
Tax in Lithuania
Cobalt
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘They have a number of qualified lawyers who have their areas of expertise and know those areas very well. Our private banking clients appreciate that they can receive expert consultations on the most complex matters and in many cases very specific situations. The team also has a very positive and attentive attitude and are always very quick to react.’
‘Rokas Daugela is a very experienced lawyer with in-depth understanding of complex international and local tax topics, yet he has a gift of communicating the most difficult and technical aspects in a very straightforward and easy to understand manner. He also has loads of experience that he relies on when advising or simply speaking to our clients and I know that the clients appreciate that.’
‘The team responds promptly and provides qualified assistance.’
Key clients
Devbridge
Practica Capital
Linas Agro Group
Lidl Lietuva
Bennet Distributors
Skonis ir kvapas
G4S Lietuva
NEPI Rockcastle
East West Agro
Komfovent
Amazon
Kauno Grūdai
Citus
Corum
Omberg
Bolt
Work highlights
- Advised 7-Industries on all tax matters related to the acquisition of 25% shares of UAB Light Conversion.
- Advised the shareholders of AB Kauno grūdai group companies on selling shares to AB Linas Agro Group.
- Represented Lithuanian residential property development fund in a tax dispute with the Lithuanian tax authorities relating to tax exemptions applied by the fund.
Ellex
Ellex‘s tax team is led by Gintaras Balcius, who has almost 30 years of experience in the market, advising on a range of issues including tax planning, indirect tax, transfer pricing and tax structuring in corporate transactions. The team also features Robertas Čiočys, who focuses on tax structuring and due diligence, and Ramunas Petravicius, who is skilled in tax litigation. Associate tax consultant Rūta Švedarauskienė and senior associate Antanas Butrimas are also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Robertas Čiočys; Ramunas Petravicius; Antanas Butrimas; Rūta Švedarauskienė
Testimonials
‘I believe that Ellex’s tax team is an experienced, highly qualified, open minded and reliable tax adviser that you can always count on. They closely follow changes in tax practice, including court precedents and tax discussions held at global level. They really stand out from other firms because they are able to provide wide scope of tax compliance and accounting services.’
‘Gintaras Balcius (partner) is indeed sharp minded and flexible in finding innovative business solutions based on his diverse experience.’
‘Very practical and pragmatic attitude which is a great value for the client, easy to understand and communicate about difficult to understand issues.’
‘Open and easy connection. Never declining the questions addressed to them even if these questions goes for their second opinion. Fast and easy to reach whenever necessary.’
‘In my view, Ellex’s tax team is unique in its exceptional orientation to the client’s business needs, providing prompt and very clear advice (they make sophisticated things easily understandable), offering innovative and business orientated solutions, and flexibility in service and pricing. I should also mention exceptional positivity and very warm, always prompt and professional communication that I receive from Ellex’s tax people.’
‘I find it very convenient and value adding when engaging all services from one firm. Ellex tax team certainly should be considered as the top leader in providing professional tax services in the Lithuanian market.’
‘Antanas Butrimas proved to be a real tax professional in VAT and business restructuring field that we have recently engaged in.’
Key clients
Windfarm Akmene One, UAB
Windfarm Akmene Two, UAB
Curve OS Limited
Best Finance, UAB
Witty Global
Arquivio Arquitectura
Brink’s Holding AS
VOLVO
Baltic Classifieds Group
Sanofi
Smurfit Kappa Baltic, UAB
Modus Group
Baltic Sea Properties SA
Seduva Jewish Memorial Fund
ORBIS S.A.
Laurus Properties
TEVA
Lords LB Asset Management
Danske Bank
Pfizer
Kavita Group
Lietuvos Paštas, AB (Post of Lithuania)
AbbVie Inc.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltic, UAB
Biogen Inc.
Accession Capital Partners,AMC Capital IV
Bolt Technology
Lithuanian Basketball Federation
Sicor Biotech
Work highlights
- Advised Baltic Classifieds Group on a landmark IPO and listing on London Stock Exchange, the first Baltic business to debut in this premium category.
- Advised AMC Capital IV on the acquisition of a significant minority stake in AB PLASTA, a major recycled plastic processing and manufacturing company in Europe.
- Advised Lords LB Asset Management on the tax aspects of a major reak estate transaction.
Sorainen
Sorainen’s workload includes advice to clients on tax structuring and pricing agreements, as well as handling issues with tax authorities. Tax specialist Saulė Dagilytė leads the team and is particularly strong in tax structuring cornering major transactions and financings. Recently-promoted partner Indrė Ščeponienė is a key name for the firm’s disputes work and is also highly skilled in advising on non-contentious matters with the tax administrator. Senior associate Rasa Mikutienė is another name to note.
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Key clients
ERGO Insurance SE
Nordcurrent Group
Lords LB Asset Management
Shift4 Payments Inc.
Ignitis Group
CGTrader
Enerstena
REInvest Asset Management
TC Investicija
SBA Group
Mr. Mindaugas Marcinkevičius – a shareholder of VP Group
ETEA LT (ETEA Group)
Work highlights
- Advising Ignitis Group on the initial public offering (IPO) and dual listing on the Nasdaq Vilnius (shares) and London (GDRs) stock exchanges.
- Advising ETEA Group on developing and implementing a modern ethyl alcohol plant in Panevėžys industrial district.
- Advised CGTrader regarding all Lithuanian corporate ant tax issues in attracting USD 9.5 million in investment. This investment is one the largest venture capital transaction in Lithuania this year so far
WALLESS
WALLESS
‘s tax team is led by Aiste Medeliene , who formerly worked for the Commission on Tax Disputes under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and is highly skilled in tax litigation, wealth management and general compliance. She is supported by Mindaugas Lukas, who similarly has experience working in the public sector and previously worked for the Lithuanian tax authorities and Ministry of Finance. This deep sector insight means that the team covers a broad range of areas across tax, customs and transfer pricing.
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Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Client oriented, result driven, truly expert.’
‘Aiste Medeliene – looking deep into legal problem and finding new ways to move forward.’
‘Very responsive firm and professional.’
‘Mindaugas Lukas has very deep knowledge and he is very responsive.’
‘We feel like we have our team member inside and there is no distinction or line separating client and the legal team of Walless. Creative attitude and solutions is the real strength of the Walless team.’
‘Availability, team player attitude and creativeness.’
‘The team maintained a close relationship with the client, caring that he is fully informed and takes part in the process, while providing an adequate advice.’
Key clients
Eastnine
BNP Paribas
J.P. Morgan
Luminor
SBA Group
Bank of America
Morgan Stanley
Swedbank
UBS
Girteka Group
UAB Sprusas
AB BE group
SumUp Payments Limited
The Lithuanian Chamber of Insurance Brokers
UAB Thermofisher Scientific Baltics
Veolia Group
Telia Lietuva AB
Work highlights
- Advised the joint bookrunners for the IPO of the AB Ignitis grupė, Lithuanian state-owned energy company
- Represented Enteco Baltic in a multi-million tax dispute on import VAT matters in Lithuanian courts and the CJEU, creating European level precedent
- Provided tax advice to BNP Paribas and J.P. Morgan, as Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners, and Luminor, as Joint Bookrunner, on the debut Eurobond offering of Akropolis Group.
LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas
LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas is notably strong in contentious matters, particularly VAT disputes and state tax investigations. On the non-contentious side, the team acts for clients on the tax aspects of global restructurings and transfer pricing matters. Managing partner Marius Grajauskas leads the practice and is supported by renowned litigator Gintaras Balčiūnas.
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Testimonials
‘Marius Grajauskas is an outstanding tax practitioner and is one of the founders of the Lithuanian Tax Advisors Association.’
Key clients
UAB „Roche Lietuva“ Diabetes Division
UAB „Roche Lietuva“ Pharmaceutical Division
UAB “Lit-Invest”
Unifiedpost, UAB
Infobalt Association
UAB koncernas “ACHEMOS GRUPĖ”
UAB “Itree Lietuva”
Info S, UAB
UAB Leksinova
Work highlights
- Provided assistance to ACHEMOS GRUPĖ who decided to review its applicable transfer pricing internal regulation after State TaxI nspectorate submitted a request to the Client asking to explain current transfer pricing documentation.
- Represented LIT-INVEST in a case against the State Tax Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter – STI) which carried out the tax inspection of the client.
Motieka & Audzevicius
Motieka & Audzevicius regularly acts for clients in customs and trade disputes against the local authorities. The team is also known to handle tax issues arising from corporate transactions. The team is led by senior associates Mantas Juozaitis, who specialises in tax and customs disputes, and Edvinas Lenkauskas, who specialises in tax litigation and structuring.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Motieka & Audzevicius’s tax team has a strong reputation in Lithuania for consulting clients on tax matters related to corporate and M&A transactions. In our situation, they were well acquainted with the recent development of our industry, so they could deliver practical and clear solutions to the tax issues that we faced. The firm is very flexible to provide fixed budgets which allowed us to plan our spending.’
‘We worked with a co-head of the tax team Edvinas Lenkauskas. We were impressed how he had found a possibility to structure our transactions in such a way that we would not lose tax incentive of capital gains, while tax consultants in the other firm, who also worked on our transaction, did not find such solutions.’
‘We engaged them in respect of litigation and have found the individual we deal with to be first rate and to have in-depth knowledge of the matter at hand’
‘The Motieka Tax team excels in dedication and vast amount of accumulated knowledge. While other firms limit their advice to the questions asked by us, Motieka team goes beyond that and provides alternative solutions that impact our business decision making. That’s a quality that is very rare in the market and that is why we value our cooperation with the team.’
‘Juozaitis is a seasoned veteran in the field and this is felt in both his demeanour and the amount of knowledge accumulated throughout the years. We appreciate that time and again his tax advice comes from already having dealt with similar issues in the past, meaning that we can get our advice swiftly and efficiently.
‘Lenkauskas excels in creativity and being able to look at legal issues from different perspectives. This is very welcoming as it allows us to reevaluate our decisions and see the added value of the lawyer to our business.’
Key clients
Linas Agro, AB
Turing College, Inc.
Akola ApS
Hostinger, UAB
Eneba Holdings Limited
Ekomlita, UAB
YNOT Media, UAB
Orion Securities FMĮ, UAB
Rikusta, UAB
Žabolis ir partneriai, UAB
Work highlights
- Represented AB Linas Agro at the CJEU which ruled that the client is on the right path and has a possibility to continue fighting Lithuanian Customs authorities in a dispute about the anti-dumping duties of fertilizers imported into the EU.
- Advised shareholders on the sale of a 31% stake in Hostinger, mainly in relation to structuring the transaction and advising on reorganizations tax matters.
- Advised on tax matters for the founders of Eneba Holdings Limited and Helis Play on raising series A investment round by well-known venture capital investors.
TGS Baltic
TGS Baltic is highly experienced in advising on the tax aspects of major corporate transactions, restructurings and bond issuances. Robertas Degesys specialises in both corporate and tax law, and is well-placed to advise on tax issues emanating from corporate transactions. The team also draws upon the expertise of tax consultant Loreta Antanaitienė.
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Testimonials
‘The team is extremely focused to find commercially sensible solutions for the client.’
‘Robertas Degesys is a top choice for tax structuring in Lithuania and delivers clear advice also on very short notice.’
Key clients
The Bank of Lithuania
The European Investment Bank
The Bank of New York Mellon
European Diversified Infrastructure Fund III
The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania
GlaxoSmithKline
Klaipėdos nafta
Avia Solutions Group
Medicinos bankas
Ignitis Group
Šiaulių bankas
Akropolis Group
Pigu LT
Revolut Payments UAB
The Lithuanian National Radio and Television
The European Merchant Bank
Work highlights
- Advised BNY Mellon on the tax aspects of the IPO of Baltic energy group Ignitis.
- Advised on the establishment of the Lithuanian Aid Fund for Business aimed to provide liquidity and capital support to Lithuanian companies affected by context of COVID-19.
- Advised Akropolis Group, the leading shopping and entertainment centre development and management company in the Baltic States, on a multi-million Eurobond issue.
WINT Law Firm
WINT Law Firm‘s tax team is active in tax matters involving sectors such as retail, energy and retail, among others, with it mostly working on tax planning, restructuring and disputes. Dainius Daugirda spent over 10 years working for the State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. He leads the team alongside managing partner and litigator Daiva Ušinskaitė-Filonovienė.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Leksita, UAB
XXT, UAB
Mockavos terminalas, UAB
CV Group, UAB
Work highlights
- Advised CV Group on a business structure which included a limited partnership company.
ECOVIS ProventusLaw
ECOVIS ProventusLaw benefits from being tied to an international tax consultancy and advises on a range of issues including tax relief, VAT, transfer pricing and disputes. Loreta Andziulytė leads the team and has been very active in advising foreign investors in Lithuania in relation to taxation matters, particularly with clients from Europe and the USA.
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Testimonials
‘EcovisProventus team is known for its innovative approach to clients’ needs in area of tax law. They combine down-to-earth approach with sophisticated knowledge and expertise. The clients are aware of the tax risk involved in their activities and EcovisProventus delivers best possible combination of tax and commercial law knowledge.’
‘It is always a pleasure to work with Ecovis. Deep knowledge, reliability, trust, loyalty, attention to detail, team management, and time management are just a few of this firm’s strengths. Ecovis has helped solve and avoid many legal issues for us; we are more than thankful to be working with this incredible team of professionals.’
‘The team has expertise across all fields of tax affairs, including tax advice, planning, disputes, accounting law, and tax-related white-collar crimes. This law firm is one that I trust, and I have the greatest respect for their commitment and leadership. Moreover, it is a huge advantage that they are part of the international network, so in case of need international legal advice, I know that we will get it on time and very comprehensively.’
‘Loreta Andziulytė is an excellent lawyer, attorney-at-law. Time after time, she never fails to impress our company with her attitude, dedication, and exceptional knowledge of our legal system. Her professionalism, respect for clients, great competence, and amazing work ethic are some of the strengths worth mentioning.’
Key clients
Sezzle Lithuania, UAB
MAAS Aviation, UAB
MTTC, UAB
Orca Crew Services B.V.
Softeta, UAB
Rebellion Fintech Services, UAB
TBF Finance, UAB
Binance, UAB
Atviro kodo fondas, UAB
Largitas, UAB
Travel Union, UAB
Okeo payments, UAB
KAL ATM Software GmbH
Valcoin, UAB
Work highlights
- Advised MAAS on double taxation agreements with Germany and Netherlands.
- Advised Sezzle Group on employment and taxation matters, including share options related to the expansion of Sezzle to Lithuania and the Netherlands.
- Advised air up GmbH on the application of VAT rate to client’s product in Lithuania in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature and issues regarding registration procedures in Lithuania as VAT payer.
Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)
Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland) is the only international law firm in the market and assists clients with their dealings with tax authorities, the tax aspects of employee remuneration and corporate transactions, as well as general tax advisory issues. Tomas Rymeikis and Rimtis Puišys co-head the team.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Gren Lietuva
Gren Klaipėda
Work highlights
- Advising Gren Lietuva on taxation issues related to complex CO2.matters.
- Advised Gren Lietuva on profit tax and real estate taxation matters in Lithuania.