Category: Lithuania

Sorainen has advised Google on its launch of YouTube Kids and Google Play ToS in the Lithuanian market as well as assisting the company in issues related to misleading content.

According to Sorainen, the firm “regularly advises Google on intellectual property and data protection matters. Work includes, e.g., filing trademark applications, launching opposition proceedings, and providing legal assessments on intellectual property protection for Google products in the Baltic States.”

The Sorainen team is led by Partner Renata Berzanskiene and included Counsel Stasys Drazdauskas and Associates Ignas Motiejunas and Sidas Sokolovas.

Sorainen has drafted a letter on potential opposition to the Cloud Raiders trademark of global game developer Game Insight and registered the company’s Cloud Raiders, Guns of Boom, and GEOTWIST trademarks.

Sorainen reports that these were only the most recent examples of its ongoing advisory services to Game Insight on trademark-related matters in Lithuania and the EU.

The Sorainen team includes Partner Renata Berzanskiene and Associate Ignas Motiejunas.

Cobalt has advised Lithuanian dairy company AB Rokiskio Suris on the acquisition of 10% of its shares — valued at more than EUR 7 million — by global dairy giant Fonterra. TGS Baltic advised Fonterra on the deal.

Fonterra is a New Zealand-based dairy company uniting more than 100 000 dairy farms and co-operatives, with EUR 14 billion in annual revenue and net profit in excess of EUR 700 million in the past financial year. Fonterra is the world’s largest exporter of dairy products.

“We see the strategic investment by a global company, which it confirmed after its lengthy scrutiny across the East European market, as a sign of trust both in us as a business partner and the Baltic market alike,” commented Dalius Trumpa, Chairman of the Board of Rokiskio Suris. Trumpa also noted that Fonterra is the first strategic rather than financial investor in the history of Rokiskio Suris, which will make long-term results and sustainable development a priority.

To implement the investment, Rokiskio Suris issued 3.586 million new ordinary registered shares, constituting 10% of the company’s investment capital. The agreed share issue price was equal to EUR 7.1 million, at EUR 1.98 per share.

The Cobalt team drafting the share purchase agreement and other transaction documents, representing Rokiskio Suris in negotiations, and advising on other transaction-related matters, consisted of Lithuania Managing Partner Irmantas Norkus, Partner Juozas Rimas, and Senior Associate Inga Mazvilaite.

The TGS Baltic team advising Fonterra included Partner Marius Matonis, Associate Partner Dalia Tamasauskaite-Ziliene, and Associate Giedrius Svidras.

Sorainen is advising Orkla Care and Orkla Health, both among the largest food supplement producers in the Nordic countries, on intellectual property matters.

Sorainen’s work with Orkla Health includes sending cease and desist letters regarding the trademarks CuraMed and HUSK plus drafting notification to the Consumer Rights Protection Authority related to illegal use of the Nutriless TM in the Amway Facebook account and elsewhere.

Sorainen also assisted Orkla Care in proceedings against VL SPORTAS, a food supplement marketer, which was marketing food supplements bearing the HUSK mark. Sorainen reports that it helped Orkla Care reach amicable settlement agreement terms terminating the infringement, “and assured the client’s intellectual property rights.” The settlement agreement was approved by the court.

The Sorainen team advising Orkla Care and Orkla Health includes Partner Renata Berzanskiene and Associate Ignas Motiejunas.

Averus has advised the Kaunas Free Economic Zone Management Company in Lithuania on its agreement with Hollister for the American lifestyle brand (owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co.) to set up a new plant in the zone. 

Averus reports that its lawyers “worked on the transaction from the very beginning, represented the client’s interest in very intensive negotiations, drafted transaction documents, and advised on the structure of the deal.” According to Averus, “Hollister plans to invest approximately EUR 50 million and create 300 new jobs.”

The firm’s team was led by Partner Povilas Karlonas, assisted by Associate Sandra Narmontaite.

Sorainen has advised Blue Ocean Invest on the sale of 100% shares in Interneto Partneris – the largest online flight ticket seller in the Baltic States – to the Otravo Group. The buyers were advised by Cobalt.

According to Sorainen, “Interneto Partneris operates the online platforms ‘greitai.lt’ in Lithuania, ‘flysiesta.lv’ in Latvia, ‘bookinghouse.ee’ in Estonia, ‘flysiesta.pl’ in Poland, ‘flysiesta.ru’ in Russia, ‘viagid.com.ua’ in Ukraine, and ‘Flysiesta.com’ in other countries.”

According to Cobalt, “Otravo is the market leader in air travel sales in the Benelux and Scandinavia. Among the group’s brands are Vliegtickets.nl, Vliegtickets.be, WTC.nl, Schipholtickets.nl, Flygstolen, and Tripmonster. This transaction will enable Otravo to expand its activities in the Baltics.”

Interneto Partneris General Manager Alvydas Vitkauskas commented: “We are excited to become a part of Otravo. The know-how and synergy of both companies will enable us to take our business in Europe to the next level. It will allow us to increase market share in the countries we are focusing on the most – Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and other European countries. I am sure that we will become more competitive and will be able to offer our customers even better airplane ticket prices.”

The Sorainen team consisted of Counsel Mantas Petkevicius and Senior Associate Karina Andriukaitiene.

The Cobalt team advising the Otravo Group was led by Partner Elijus Burgis, assisted by Associate Evaldas Petraitis.

Sorainen has advised Decathlon on its entrance into Lithuania and the Baltics.

According to Sorainen, Decathlon “is the first tenant in VNO Verslo ir Prekybos Parkas – a commercial project developed in southern Vilnius. The first Decathlon store in the Baltics is planned to open in autumn 2018. The store is expected to occupy an area of 5000 square meters and the project also offers the possibility to expand by an additional 1000 square meters.”

Explains Nicolas Fogola, manager of Decathlon Lithuania: “We see Decathlon not only as a shop, but also as a space where one can try all kinds of sports goods from a fishing rod to a tent. One of the main goals of the company is to engage as many people as possible in different sports activities, and for that a lot of space is needed. Also, there will be a playing field outside the shop where both our employees and our visitors will engage in sports activities. VPH has provided everything that was needed in line with our brand values and requirements. Now, as we have already found a place, we can concentrate on implementing the project.”

According to Sorainen, “last year Decathlon achieved EUR 10 billion in sales revenue, which was mostly powered by growth in foreign countries. In France (301 stores) sales grew by 2.2% and amounted to EUR 3.3 billion. In foreign countries sales grew by 12% and amounted to EUR 6.7 billion. Currently, the retail chain owns 1,176 stores in 28 countries.”

Sorainen advised the client on all issues related to establishing a company in Lithuania, leasing new premises, and tax questions. The firm’s team consisted of Partner Saule Dagilyte and Associate Karolis Kunigelis.

TGS Baltic has represented BaltCap Infrastructure Fund on the entrance into a EUR 16 million engineering, procurement and construction contract with Axis Technologies to develop a biomass plant in Vilnius.

The EPC agreement requires that the biomass plant be built and operational by the beginning of 2019. According to estimates, the power plant will satisfy nearly 10% of Vilnius’ heat demand.

BaltCap is the largest buy-out, growth capital and private equity infrastructure investor in the Baltic States. In July 2017, BaltCap launched BaltCap Infrastructure Fund, with a planned size of EUR 100 million, to invest in infrastructure development across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on July 13, 2017). 

The TGS Baltic team representing the fund on its contract with Axis included Partner Marius Matonis, Of Counsel Donatas Zdanavicius, and Associate Giedrius Svidras.

Motieka & Audzevicius has successfully defended the interests of public non-profit deposit system administration institution Uzstato Sistemos Administratorius in contractual litigation.

M&A reports that the claimant — a manufacturer of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages — claimed that the reverse vending machines administered by USA did not accept the claimant’s packages and demanded compensation for the resulting contractual damages. According to the firm, “we proved to the court that the claim is groundless and no client’s obligation to make payments to the counter-party exists. The Court of first instance fully rejected the claim.”

Acting upon the request of Mano Unija, the largest credit union in Lithuania, the Bank of Lithuania has issued authorization for it to start transforming into a public company with a bank license. Ellex Valiunas is advising Mano Unija on the process.

According to Ellex, “this is the end of the first stage of the preparation for banking activity. The next stage is application to the Bank of Lithuania for a bank license. Presently Mano Unija is the only credit union in Lithuania holding the authorization of the Bank of Lithuania to carry out transformation into a bank.”