LAWIN Ranked as the 1st Tier Law Firm in the Baltic States for Corporate and Financial law by IFLR 1000
International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR 1000) has announced its 2011 ranking results. LAWIN in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is recommended as No. 1 law firm in corporate and financial law in each of the respective countries.
LAWIN Vilnius office is ranked as sole No 1 tier law firm for banking and finance law in Lithuania.
LAWIN professionals working in Tallinn, Ermo Kosk, and Martin Simovart are singled out as leading lawyers in Estonia. LAWIN Tallinn office helped break the drought at the Tallinn Stock Exchange, advising on the country's first IPO in four years. Its client, Premia Foods, floated in May 2010 raising €13.4 million to fund its expansion throughout the Baltics, Russia and Scandinavia. The other highlight was advice to electronics manufacturer Elcoteq on its €30 million asset sale to Ericsson Eesti.
LAWIN Riga office partners Filip Klavins, Egons Pikelis and Raymond Slaidins are noted as leading lawyers in Latvian market. “When you're dealing with non-western jurisdictions you can get some different types of legal service, but these guys are the best,” says one international client. “They set themselves up as a magic-circle firm of the region, and you get the equivalent of magic-circle work from them.”, - points out IFLR 1000.
LAWIN Riga office was at the forefront of sales in the media sector, advising News Corporation on the MBO of two of its local networks. In the energy sector, the firm led advice to Vitol Group on the sale of its 50% stake in global petroleum operator VTTI. The shares were sold to shipping company MISC Berhad for $735 million.
While, LAWIN Vilnius office partners Gediminas Reciunas and Giedrius Stasevicius are triumphant as sole first-tier professionals noted in Banking and Finance law in Lithuania. According to IFLR 1000, “An international client which engages a number of listed firms considers Stasevicius “the most experienced capital markets lawyers in the Lithuanian market”, while Reciunas is seen by competitors as “definitely the most prominent of the Lawin people.”
For capital markets work the firm advised the government on three tranches of Eurobond issues. One of these was worth $2 billion, making it the biggest securities issue in Lithuania's history, and the first placed in a US regulated market since 1997. On the corporate side it advised General Motors Corporation on its $28 billion local exchange offers and consent solicitations as part of its Chapter 11 reorganisation in the US.
The team typically acts on the lender's side, representing the bulk of the country's most active banks. One recent deal sees LAWIN advise a syndicate of five of them on a €81.4 million loan to Lietuvos Elektrine. The deal is significant for the country, with the power company using the funds to construct a generation block which will become Lithuania's largest electricity source.
For Corporate and M&A, LAWIN Vilnius office partners Dovilė Burgienė, Rolandas Valiūnas, and Žilvinas Zinkevičius are praised by the peers admitting “It would be fair to say [LAWIN] are the leaders in this respect".
LAWIN Vilnius office closed the demerger of Leo LT. The €190 million deal was led by Rolandas Valiunas and fellow partner Ramunas Petravicius. Elsewhere LAWIN Vilnius office corporate team worked on some joint ventures, the most notable being advice to the government on a multifaceted €11 billion energy development consisting of a nuclear power plant, electricity seabed connection with Sweden, and a power bridge with Poland.
About IFLR 1000
The IFLR 1000 is one of the world's most influential guides in the spheres of corporate finance and banking whose independent rankings are relied upon by the industry specialists of various countries. Published in London by the Legal Media Group, the guide annually announces the best law firms and individuals advising on corporate finance, which are determined on the basis of qualitative research results. For more information refer to www.iflr1000.com
