Sorainen

Dispute Resolution & Risk Management, Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), Real Estate & Construction

Counsel

Britta Retel' primary focus is on environmental, building and planning law, in the role of both advising and representing clients in court disputes. She has been advising clients on environmental matters since 2007, currently specialising in ESG topics.

𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Britta received a MA degree (cum laude) in landscape protection and management from the Estonian University of Life Sciences and has long worked with environmental projects mainly related to evaluating the environmental impact of projects and planning, applications of environmental permits and drafting waste management plans.

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰, 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Britta has worked with environmental law in the public, private and non-governmental sectors. For over five years she was employed by a private company offering environmental consultations. After that she worked for the planning department at the Ministry of the Interior. As the ministry advisor, Britta dealt with questions regarding planning law and was also involved in drafting legislation. Additionally, she has interned at the NGO Estonian Environmental Law Centre, which primarily advises private persons and third sector groups.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. Britta Retel represented a client in a court dispute regarding maritime spatial planning, which the Estonian Supreme Court has acknowledged to have been one of the most complex environmental cases in the country’s history. The case concerned maritime spatial planning in areas bordering on Hiiu and Pärnu counties, and resulted in the Supreme Court declaring that plans for wind energy production areas were void.

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀. Britta has participated in environmental disputes primarily involving manufacturing companies (eg, hydroelectric plants, water companies) , and also advised companies applying for environmental permits and in need of advice on environmental tax and environmental liability matters.

𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲. She is called upon to collaborate with all the Sorainen teams who encounter environmental issues in their work, be it real estate, energy, M&A or public procurement practices.

Estonian, English

Estonian Bar Association

University of Tartu, Estonia (MA in Law)

University of Tartu, Estonia (BA in Law)

Estonian University of Life Sciences (MA in landscape protection and management, cum laude)

Estonian University of Life Sciences (BA in landscape protection and management)