COBALT

Firm Details:

Managing Partners: Dace Silava-Tomsone (Latvia), Lauris Liepa (Latvia), Jaanus Mody (Estonia), Irmantas Norkus (Lithuania) Number of partners: 41 in the Baltics (Latvia - 9)
Number of lawyers: 203 in the Baltics (Latvia - 47)
Languages: Lithuanian, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Russian

Firm Overview:
COBALT is a closely integrated alliance of top-tier law offices across the Baltics, uniting more than 240 attorneys and support staff. We advise top international and regional businesses, financial institutions, state and local governments, and the region’s most promising start-ups.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Banking & Finance
2 partners, 8 fee earners based in Riga
■ Acted as a legal advisor in connection to the issuance of EUR 100 million green bond by Augstsprieguma tīkls AS.
■ Advised European Investment Bank and Nordic Investment Bank on signing a 21-year loan agreement of EUR 122.2 million for the Kekava Bypass road project, the first major private-public partnership (PPP) project in Latvia and the first large-scale PPP in the Baltics.
Key Clients: American Express Group, Barclays, Citadele banka, Credit Agricole, Erste Group, European Investment Bank, HSBC, IPF Digital, Luminor Bank, Nets, OP Corporate Bank, SEB Group
Contact: Edgars Lodziņš, Partner
Email: [email protected]

Competition/Antitrust:
2 partners, 4 fee earners based in Riga
■ Represented Linas Agro Group before the Competition Council of Latvia in merger control procedure concerning the acquisition of the Kauno grūdai group. The transaction led to the creation of the largest agri–food conglomerate in the Baltics, with annual sales of 1.3 billion EUR.
■ Advised Latvian banks on agreement to ensure accessibility of cash throughout Latvia. Under the auspices of the Finance Latvia Association, COBALT assisted in the drafting of the cooperation memorandum, ensured competition law compliance in the meetings among the parties, and helped obtain a comfort letter from the Latvian competition authority.
Key Clients: BaltCap, Eco Baltia Vide, K SENUKAI, Moller Baltic Import, Partnership of Latvian Construction Companies, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Riga International Airport
Contact: Uģis Zeltiņš, Partner
Email: [email protected]

Corporate/Commercial:
6 partners, 12 fee earners based in Riga
■ Advised IBM on reorganization for separation of Kyndryl regarding Baltic jurisdictions
■ Advised European Lingerie Group on raising a 27-million-euro loan and investment.
Key Clients: BaltCap, Entain, GlaxoSmithKline, Kartesia, Luminor Bank, Marguerite Adviser S.A, Moller Baltic Import, Neste, Pfizer, Roche
Contact: Guntars Zīle, Partner
Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution:
3 partners, 14 fee earners based in Riga
■ Successfully represented a client before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to accessibility of state financed medical care to an economically inactive national of a Member State residing legally in the territory of another Member State.
■ Successfully represented Swiss industrial company in one of the largest by value cases regarding confiscation of proceeds of allegedly illicit funds in the newly-established Commercial Court of Latvia.
Key Clients: Amber Distribution, Central Election Commission of Latvia, Gaso, LGBT Association Mozaīka, Konekesko, Latvian Television and Latvian Radio, Olympic Entertainment Group, Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, Riga International Airport
Contact: Lauris Liepa, Managing Partner
Email: [email protected]

Employment:
1 partner, 4 fee earners based in Riga
■ Advice to a leading Latvian food manufacturer in a court dispute with the former employee who claims unfair dismissal
■ Employment law advice to Hugo Boss in relation to operations in the Latvian market
Key Clients: Cabot, Evolution Latvia, Fragomen LLP, Goodyear, Hugo Boss, Johnson & Johnson, Nutricia, Pfizer, Prezi, Kone, Solvay, Verifone Latvia, Volvo Truck Latvia
Contact: Toms Šulmanis, Partner
Email: [email protected]

Energy:
1 partner, 3 fee earners based in Riga
■ Advised BaltCap Infrastructure Fund (BInF) in the sale of a biomass combined heat and power plant (CHP) in the Riga region, to Gren - the Northern European green energy company (held by Partners Group).
■ Representation of Eolus in court proceedings before the Supreme Court in a landmark case for the approval of the environmental impact assessment of a wind farm. The wind farm is one of the largest privately financed renewable energy projects in Latvia.
Key Clients: BaltCap Infrastructure Fund, Conexus Baltic Grid, Eolus, Latvenergo, Latvian Wind Energy Association, Marguerite Adviser S.A., Ministry of Economics, Neste, ORLEN Latvija
Contact: Gatis Flinters, Partner
Email: [email protected]

Intellectual Property:
3 partners, 7 fee earners based in Riga
■ Acting for Bayer in Sorafenib patent regulatory protection and related litigation
■ Representation of Stihl AG & Co KG in a dispute before the Latvian Customs Authority and the court regarding the enforcement of colour trademarks
Key Clients: Abbott, AbbVie, Andreas Stihl AG, Bayer, Biogen, Ferrero, H&M, Joom, Maus Freres, Pfizer, Latvian Television and Latvian Radio, Roche, Salesforce.com, Sandoz, Supreme
Contact: Indriķis Liepa, Partner
Email: [email protected]

Real Estate:
4 partners, 5 fee earners based in Riga
■ Represented Lidl group entities in acquisition and development of multiple retail locations and the regional logistics center
■ Advised SEB Group’s business services centre in Riga negotiating a long-term lease agreement for the custom-built, BREEAM certified office premises to host 1,000 employees
Key Clients: AFI Investments, AirBaltic Corporation, Astor Group, Consolis Latvija, Corum Asset Management, Decathlon, Kapitel, Latvenergo, Lidl Latvia, Linstow group, Riga International Airport, SEB Group, Swietelsky AG, VPH group, Workland Group
Contact: Dace Silava-Tomsone, Managing Partner
Email: [email protected]

Tax:
2 partners, 4 fee earners based in Riga
■ Representation of Finance Latvia Association in the Ministry of Finance regarding direct and indirect tax aspects related to drafting of Covered Bond Law in Latvia. The introduction of covered bond legislation in Latvia is a cornerstone of further development of a capital market.
■ Advised Roche on various corporate income tax and payroll tax aspects related to implementation and maintenance of Employee Equity Incentive Plan in Latvia.
Key Clients: Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Finance Latvia Association, Hugo Boss, Lidl Latvia, Linas Agro, Linstow, MAI Insurance, Olympic Entertainment Group AS, Printify
Contact: Sandija Novicka, Partner
Email: [email protected]