Category: Estonia

Sorainen has represented Tallinna Linnatranspordi Aktsiaselts, a company fully owned by the City of Tallinn, in its purchase of compressed gas for natural gas-powered buses.

According to Sorainen, the buses are due to arrive in late summer 2020, and the gas supply will last for ten years. “The procurement also included building and operating two compressed gas stations,” according to the firm.

According to Sorainen, “the cross-practice team of legal and tax experts prepared and conducted the public procurement proceedings, advising TLT and representing them in three public procurement disputes before the Public Procurement Dispute Committee and courts. However, the dispute committee and courts ultimately green-lit the project. The estimated value of the public procurement contract is EUR 80 million.”

The Sorainen team was led by Senior Associate Kadri Harginen and included Senior Associates Kaspar Endrikson, Kaido Kunnapas, and Sandra Mikli, along with Partner Carri Ginter. 

Cobalt’s Tallinn office has successfully represented Starbucks Corporation in a trademark case involving a local entrepreneur’s attempt to register a trademark in Estonia that, according to the firm, was “confusingly similar to Starbucks Corporation’s trademark.”

According to Cobalt, “Starbucks Corporation was successful in the County Court as well as the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court did not accept the claim to further proceedings.”

Cobalt’s team included Senior Associates Liina Jents and Viive Kaur.

Cobalt has advised Baltic Agro Machinery OU on the sale of John Deere’s agricultural and horticultural machinery business in Estonia to Wihuri OU.

Baltic Agro Machinery is a member of the  Danish Agro Group, which has 4,700 employees in 16 countries and is active in the sale of agricultural machinery and provision of after-sales services, as well as in the sale of animal feedstuff mixes, premixes and vitamin mixes, fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and the purchase of crops from farmers. The transaction was part of DAG’s divestment obligation pursuant to its agreement with the European Commission.

Wihuri OU is part of the Finnish international industrial and trade group Wihuri OY, which consists of four business areas operating in 30 different countries in the packaging, daily goods wholesale, technical trade, and aviation sectors.

Cobalt’s team included Partners Peeter Kutman, Karina Paatsi, and Aivar Taro, Specialist Counsel Jesse Kivisaari, Senior Associate Mart Blondal, and Associates Liina Saaremets and Helen Sool.

Cobalt did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

Marko Pilv has been promoted to Partner at Leadell Pilv in Estonia.

Pilv joined Leadell Pilv — led by Aivar Pilv — eight and a half years ago. Prior to joining the firm, Pilv studied at the University of Tartu, where he received a Masters degree in 2011.

According to Leadell Pilv, “Pilv has mostly been practicing dispute resolution in both criminal and civil cases. In addition he also actively practices Law of Obligations, Corporate governance, Employment Law and Bankruptcy law. Over the years Pilv has represented and defended the interest of various clients in substantial civil and criminal cases and has been recognized by the clients for being hard-working, for finding the best solutions and for his performance in court rooms.”

Cobalt has advised Steel Import Finland Oy, a metal products wholesaler, on the acquisition of Estonia’s Osauhing FinEst Metallid.

Osauhing FinEst Metallid, which was founded in 2005, specializes in the processing of reinforcing steel and manufacturing of reinforcement steel products.

Cobalt’s team included Counsel Jesse Kivisaari and Assistant Lawyer Getter Villmann.

Cobalt explained that it was unable to provide more information on the deal, including the identity of the sellers, or their counsel.

Sorainen has advised Auth0 on its acquisition of Apility.io.

Sorainen describes Auth0 as “an identity management platform for application builders which secures more than 100 million logins each day” and Apility.io as “an anti-abuse application programming interface company, that identifies blacklisted IP addresses, domains and email addresses.” According to the firm, “as a result of the acquisition, Auth0 will be able launch new tools that protect against automated cyberattacks, such as credential stuffing and phishing.”

Sorainen’s team consisted of Partner Toomas Prangli and Associate Mirell Prosa.

Sorainen did not reply to our inquiry on the matter.

TGS Baltic has advised AS Framm on the acquisition of AS Lasbet Tootmine from AS Lasbet. Derling Primus reportedly advised AS Lasbet on the deal.

According to TGS Baltic, “AS Framm is a producer of concrete elements and products. Its product portfolio consists of precast concrete products such as concrete wall elements and hollow core slabs, but also ready-mixed concrete and concrete products such as paving stones and masonry units.”

TGS Baltic’s team included Partners Martin Tamme, Sander Karson, Leonid Tolstov, Peeter Viirsalu, Senior Associate Kart Raud, and Lawyer Eva Arume.

Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co Managing Partner Maivi Ots has been designated the reorganization adviser for proceedings related to AS Tallinna Moekombinaat, the owner and administrator of the T1 Mall of Tallinn.

In addition to regular shopping opportunities, the T1 Mall of Tallinn hosts a variety of restaurants, a cinema, a large indoor family entertainment center, and, on the roof of the mall, a Ferris wheel. The mall hosts nearly 180 lessors who employ more than an thousand people. Since its opening, close to 6 million people have visited the shopping center.

According to Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co., on March 31, 2020, AS Tallinna Moekombinaat issued a reorganization application to the County Court in order overcome temporary payment difficulties, reasonably reorganize encumbrances, and increase its profitability. On April 3rd, 2020, the Court issued an order to initiate the reorganization, in the process designating Ots as the reorganization adviser for the proceedings.

According to Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co, “the reorganization will in no way affect the everyday economic activities of the Mall or its lessors and business partners – this means that once the restrictions imposed by the Estonian Government are lifted, the T1 Mall of Tallinn will be reopened and normal activities will resume. The purpose of the reorganization is to ensure the continuation of everyday activities of the mall by protecting the rights and interests of investors, workers, creditors, and business partners.”

Sorainen has advised Tenova India Private, an international innovative solutions provider for metals and mining, in an asset recovery process.

According to Sorainen, “the case involved a cross-border criminal investigation for fraudulently transferred funds in large amounts and money laundering. Tenova India Private was able to obtain official recognition as a victim in the criminal investigation, and all the funds were successfully returned.”

Sorainen’s team was led by Counsel Norman Aas.

PwC Legal has successfully represented Guardtime in a public procurement dispute before the Public Procurement Review Committee and Tallinn Administrative Court, which allowed Guardtime to enter into a public procurement agreement with NATO to develop an automated planning and control platform for the NATO Cyber Range.

According to PwC Legal, “the projects will remarkably reduce the effort required to prepare and execute cyber exercises, trainings, testing, and certification.”

PwC Legal’s team was led by Partner Priit Latt and Attorney Erki Fels.