Category: Lithuania

Sorainen in Lithuania has helped actress and singer Inga Jankauskaite assert her rights following the misappropriation of her identity on Facebook.

The actress sought to delete an unauthorized account created in her name, which had more than 1,000 “friends”, and which the firm claims “shaped public opinion, and provided misleading information to the real friends and fans of the actress.” Based on its conviction that “these acts violated Inga Jankauskaite’s right to a name and the right of personal portrayal protected by the Lithuanian Civil Code and the European Convention on Human Rights,” the Sorainen lawyers representing the actress took unspecified legal action, and the account was deleted.

The firm claims that, under the Lithuanian Civil Code, the actress had a potential claim for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages for violation of the right to a name and the right of personal portrayal, but the actress’s primary goal was simply to have the unauthorized account deleted and to stop the unlawful use of her name and image, and it appears no such claim is being made.

The popular actress was represented by Sorainen Partner Renata Berzanskiene, Senior Associate Vyte Danileviciute (the Head of the firm’s Communication, Media and Technology Sector Group), and Associate Laurynas Ramuckis.

Sorainen has been advising ALPIQ, a leading Swiss-based European energy company, on a cross-border merger of its Lithuanian subsidiary into a European Company (“Societas Europaea”) registered in the Czech Republic.

The new company will be registered under the business name ALPIQ ENERGY. Sorainen advised on matters including the transformation of the legal form of the Lithuanian subsidiary in preparation for the merger.

According to Sorainen, “the merger is a part of Alpiq Group´s strategic efforts to centralize its trading activities in the CEE region and the Baltics under ALPIQ ENERGY in order to benefit from synergies within the energy portfolio, integration of teams and know-how.”

The Sorainen team was led by Partner Algirdas Peksys, and included Associates Agniete Venckiene and Evaldas Dudonis.

Sorainen has announced that its Lithuanian office advised the MG Valda real estate developer on its acquisition of a 1.24 hectare site in Uzupis.

The site — which was acquired through a subsidiary — encompasses the buildings of the former Vilija textile factory. According to Sorainen, MG Valda plans to build a “prestigious residential complex” to be called “Uzupio Krantines” (Uzupis Waterfront), on the site.

Sorainen Partner Ausra Mudenaite and Senior Associate Giedre Frolenkiene led the team on the deal.

Sorainen Lithuania has advised PKC on opening a manufacturing unit in Lithuania. PKC is a global leader in design, manufacture, and integration of electrical distribution systems, electronic and related architecture components for the commercial vehicle industry, among others. 

The firm advised PKC on corporate, employment, tax, real estate, commercial, immigration and other matters related to the set-up of its operations in Lithuania. Sorainen also represented PKC in negotiations with the Ministry of Economy regarding an investment agreement and incentives package. The firm claims that “it is anticipated that within two years PKC will employ not less than 320 personnel in its manufacturing unit to be based in Panevezys.”

The Sorainen team on the project was led by Partners Algirdas Peksys and Laimonas Skibarka, assisted by Senior Associates Liudas Ramanauskas and Jurgita Venckute.

Varul’s Lithuania office has announced the promotion of attorneys Giedre Dailidenaite, Ernesta Ziogiene, and Tomas Venckus to the partnership.  

Dailidenaite advises clients on competition, biotechnology and other regulatory compliance matters. Ziogiene advises on various financing, information technology, and innovation projects. Venckus specializes in real estate and public private partnership transactions and will further develop the firm’s activities in advising both public and private sectors in the partnership projects.

According to Varul, all three have “extensive experience in advising both domestic and international clients in entering and leaving Baltic markets, various investment and M&A transactions as well as solving project financing, corporate restructurings and transformations, corporate governance matters, shareholders’ disputes and management crisis situations.”

Robert Juodka, the Managing Partner of the Lithuanian office, commented on the promotions: “A partnership which has grown from an existing cooperation with attorneys at law Giedre Dailidenaite, Ernesta Ziogiene, and Tomas Venckus allows VARUL’s Vilnius office to further develop and strengthen the firm’s expertise and to ensure the highest quality of services in business transactions.“  

Sorainen has advised Lithuanian natural gas transmission system operator Amber Grid on state-owned holding company EPSO-G’s mandatory takeover offer.

EPSO-G acquired the remaining 43.38% shares in Amber Grid at an offer price of EUR 0.762 per share, valuing the transaction at EUR 58.97 million. Through the takeover offer EPSO-G acquired in total 39.96% of Amber Grid shares (including 37.1% of shares from OAO Gazprom) for a total value of EUR 54.32 million. 

The Sorainen team was led by Partner Algirdas Peksys and Senior Associates Liudas Ramanauskas and Sergej Butov.

The has previously advised Amber Grid on the acquisition of 38.9% of the shares of EPSO-G from E.ON Ruhrgas International for the price of EUR 49.76 million (reported on by CEE Legal Matters on May 23, 2014).

Sorainen has advised Charlie Oscar, the strategy games development company, on matters related to the company’s new studio in Vilnius. 

Charlie Oscar — the maker of the “Gremlins, Inc.” strategic game — officially registered in Lithuania in early June, and founder Sergey Klimov and his team expect to move into their Vilnius office soon. Sorainen explains that Klimov is “a former head of the Russian Association of Developers and publishers of Game Industry and Interactive Technologies (RADIT) and a veteran of the game sector,” and that he “has been involved in developing several hundred games.”

The five-person Charlie Oscar team in Vilnius will act in concert with game developers from Stockholm, Kiev and Sevastopol. The “Gremlins, Inc.” game will be available in English, Russian, Polish, Czech, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese and is expected to be released this year in Vilnius.  Sorainen provided comprehensive legal assistance with pre-start work, advised on business start-up issues, and is now consulting on issues related to taxes, migration, lease and other matters. The Sorainen team is led by Partner Algirdas Peksys, assisted by Senior Associate Saule Dagilyte.

Glimstedt has announced that its Lithuanian office has advised E.ON Ruhrgas on what it described as “a major energy deal” that closed on May 21, 2014.

Glimstedt reports that it advised E.On Ruhrgas International on its sale of 38.9% of shares in Amber Grid, 38.9% of shares in Lietuvos dujos, and 11.76% of shares in LESTO, to Lithuanian state-controlled companies EPSO-G and Lietuvos energija. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

Glimstedt contributed to the structuring of the deal, drafted legal documents, represented E.ON Ruhrgas International in negotiations, and rendered considerable assistance in the performance of the legal due diligence. The team was led by Glimstedt Partner Paulius Gruodis.

The firm reports that it has been advising E.ON Ruhrgas International for 12 years, since E.ON first became a shareholder of Lietuvos dujos.

Sorainen has advised Amber Grid on the acquisition of 38.9% of the shares of EPSO-G from E.ON Ruhrgas International for the price of EUR 49.76 million.

Amber Grid is the operator of Lithuania’s natural gas transmission system, listed on the NASDAQ OMX Vilnius Stock Exchange. The Sorainen team was led by Partner Algirdas Peksys and Senior Associate Liudas Ramanauskas.

Glimstedt’s Lithuania office has advised SweDeltaco on its  May 6, 2014 agreement to acquire 100 % of the shares in UAB AG Trade, a leading Lithuanian distributor of white goods and consumer electronics, from UAB Topo Grupe.

As a part of the agreement with UAB Topo Grupe, commercial agreements were signed with UAB TC Prekyba, a subsidiary to Topo Grupe and the leading consumer electronics chain in Lithuania, with 33 stores and a long history as customer to AG Trade. These agreements include far-reaching mutual commitments and incentives for the parties to establish and expand the product portfolio of SweDeltaco in the Baltics. In 2013 AG Trade had a turnover of LTL 39.3 million LTL (approximately EUR 11.4 milion) and showed a profit before depreciation (EBITDA) of 1.8 MLTL (approximately EUR 530,000).

The acquisition closed on May 14, 2014.