Category: Estonia

The Baltic Lextal law firm is representing the cities of Tallinn and Narva in appeals against the Government Office, after it refused to grant approvals for 13 high schools (10 in Talinn and 3 in Narvia) to teach in Russian.

At issue — according to Lextal — is whether the Estonian Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act gives the Government Office the right to interfere with the issue of a municipal school’s study language — and whether that right is in accordance with the local government’s constitutional right to self-organization.

The Tallinn Circuit Court reversed the administrative court’s decision and un-revoked the Government Office’s orders. The Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court accepted the appeal of Tallinn and Narva into process on June 20l 2013 and discussed the matter at a hearing on December 19, 2013. A ruling is expected soon.

Lextal Partner Karl Kask and attorney Margus Reiland represented Talinn and Narva.

Castren & Snellmann has acted as legal adviser for the DT Group – the largest retailer and distributor of building materials in the Nordic region – in the company’s acquisition of Puukeskus, Finland’s leading supplier of timber and building materials to the trade and general public.

Puukeskus employs 400 persons nationwide, and its net sales exceeded EUR 230 million in 2013. The billion-euro acquisition was initially announced in the beginning of February, and LAWIN has now announced that it has now been completed with the approval by the authorities. 

The Castren & Snellman team in the transaction was headed by Partner Jan Kuhlefelt and included, among others, Associates Jonas Hasto, Tuukka Hamalainen, Arimo Leppa, Laura Kotilainen, and Jenni Parviainen 

Lawin Partner Martin Simovart and Associate Kris Tammistu teamed up with Castren & Snellmann to perform legal due diligence on Puukeskus’s Estonian unit and to provide legal advice on pre-closing, transactional and post-closing matters.

Tark Grunte Sutkiene has advised Estonian investors Indrek Prants, Sven Mansberg and Armin Koomagi in their purchase of the Rocca al Mare Sports Centre – one of Estonia’s largest tennis and fitness centers – from the Askembla Growth Fund.

The total area of the Rocca al Mare Sports Centre is 9,800 square meters. The largest tenants are the MyFitness sports club, the Rocca al Mare Tennis Center, Sportland, and AMPS.

The new owners of Coral Arendus are planning to invest in the Rocca al Mare Sports Centre and to further expand the sporting activities in the centre. Indrek Prants commented on their plans concerning the center as follows: “We plan to invest in Coral in the coming years to modernize the whole sports centre. Rocca al Mare Tennis Centre and the largest chain of fitness clubs in Estonia, MyFitness, have proven to be a viable combination and our goal is to provide everybody even wider sporting opportunities under one roof in the future.”

Tark Grunte Sutkiene Senior Associates Tanel Tark and Allar Aru provided counsel on the transaction.

The Estonian office of the Triniti law firm has advised the shareholders of Levira on the 100% share sale of the company’s broadcast, media, and IT infrastructure services in Estonia, the Baltic States and Nordic Countries. 

Levira was partially publicly owned, with the Republic of Estonia holding 51% of the shares, and partially owned by the French TDF company, which owned the remaining 49%. 

According to the firm, PWC acted as the organizer of the sale while Triniti Estonia provided legal advice. The tam was led by Tonis Tamme, Partner and Head of Transactions.

Tark Grunte Sutkiene has advised the Enterprise Investors private equity and venture capital firm on the acquisition of 32.4% stake in Tahe Outdoors, the leading European manufacturer and distributor of high quality watersports equipment.

Tahe Outdoors, which is headquartered in Estonia, operates two factories in Estonia and one in France, and its sales network covers over 35 countries.

Tark Grunte Sutkiene assisted Enterprise Investors with the due diligence review of the Tahe group, structuring the transaction as well as preparing and negotiating the transaction documents. The interdisciplinary TGS project team was led by Partner Rolan Jankelevitsh and Senior Associate Piret Jesse, also included Senior Associates Imbi Jurgen, Marit Savi, and Tanel Tark.

The Estonian office of the Borenius law firm has advised the Eastern Europe Real Estate Fund (EEREIF) on the sale of Telliskivi Loomelinnak to Butembo OU, which is owned by a Swedish Andren family. The value of the deal was EUR 4.8 million.

According to Borenius, Telliskivi Loomelinnak is the biggest center of creative industries in Estonia, and is located just outside the Talinn city center, where it also functions as a public space and gathering spot. The complex also has a number of restaurants and cafes, shops, and a daycare center, in addition to other kinds of businesses.

The EEREIF fund was first established in 2008 to invest in commercial real estate in Eastern Europe. In 2013 the fund began its planned liquidation, and the sale of Telliskivi Loomelinnak was the first disposal in the liquidation process.

The Borenius legal team on the matter included Partner Aivar Taro, Senior Associate Triin Ploomipuu, and Associates Mariann Sirgmets and Erki Parik. 

The Estonian office of Borenius has advised Kauppalehti and the Alma Media Corporation on the sale of 100 per cent of the shares of the Baltic News Service to the KOHA Capital venture capital company.

BNS was founded in 1990 — it became part of Alma Media in 1998 — and is the leading news agency and media monitoring business in the Baltics. The value of the transaction was not disclosed by mutual agreement of the parties.

Borenius’s legal team on the matter included Partner Peeter Kutman and Senior Associates Ott Aava and Liina Jents. 

Baltic Law Firm Glimstedt announced that Indrek Leppik will be replacing Priit Latt as Managing Partner of the firm’s Estonia office, and that Estonian lawyer Moonika Kukke had been promoted to Partner, both as of January 1st, 2014. 

Leppik joined Glimstedt in 2007 and made Partner in 2009. He specializes primarily in various forms of dispute resolution, and he leads the firm’s Litigation Settlement working group. Kukke, who specializes in Energy law, joined Glimstedt in 2011.