Sorainen has promoted nine new Partners in three different countries. Estonia’s Kaido Kunnapas and Katlin Krisak, Lithuania’s Simonas Skukauskas, Monika Malisauskaite-Vaupsiene, Evaldas Dudonis, Kazimieras Karpickis, and Indre Sceponiene, and Belarus’ Ann Laevskaya and Kirill Laptev have all joined the Sorainen partnership at the beginning of 2022.
According to Sorainen, Kunnapas “helps clients on a variety of topics relating to taxation, including taxes in M&A deals, designing employee incentive plans, tax structuring of investment funds, and cross-border employment taxes. Adapting novel business models, such as crypto businesses and digital economy operators, to the existing tax rules is an everyday task for him.” Kunnapas has been with Sorainen since 2017. Prior to that, he spent almost five years with the MAQS law firm.
According to the firm, Krisak, Head of the Finance & Insurance team in Estonia, specializes in capital markets and has also been involved in most of the team’s fintech and cryptocurrency-related projects. “Katlin has helped many clients to raise capital on the stock market, taking them through the process of drafting a prospectus and registering with the state authority, as well as advising on corporate governance, disclosure, and listing.” Before joining Sorainen in 2017, Krisak had spent over two years with SA Oigusteenuste Buroo and almost nine years with Eipre & Partners.
According to Sorainen, Skukauskas “is a versatile real estate lawyer with extensive experience of large-scale real estate transactions, and development and construction projects, as well as prominent real estate disputes. He is one of the few lawyers in Lithuania who specialize in the field of cultural heritage.” Skukauskas, a former Counsel, has been with Sorainen since 2016. Prior to that, he spent five years with Borenius.
Malisauskaite-Vaupsiene is, according to the firm, “among the leading competition law experts in Lithuania, heading the office’s Competition & Regulatory team. She also covers advertising and consumer-related questions, manages compliance projects, and participates in TMT and IP cases.” Malisauskaite-Vaupsiene, a former Counsel as well, has been with Sorainen since 2015. Before that, she spent almost four years with Borenius.
Dudonis is, according to Sorainen, “an experienced expert in corporate governance field and has successfully led the Sorainen firm-wide corporate workstream. With considerable experience in projects covering all three Baltic States, he advises local and international clients throughout businesses’ life cycles. He has advised a large number of foreign investors on launching or developing their business in Lithuania.” Dudonis has a master’s degree in Law from Vilnius University. Before joining Sorainen he spent over eight years with Magnusson.
Karpickis heads the Insolvency & Restructuring practice in Lithuania and, according to Sorainen, is known for his excellent skills in bankruptcy matters. “He has worked on many insolvency proceedings involving Lithuanian banks and credit unions. As a litigation professional with the firm’s Dispute Resolution team, [he] has represented clients’ interests in a wide range of disputes, including those resolved by the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Supreme Court of Lithuania.” Karpickis has been with Sorainen since 2018. Before that he spent three years with Leadell and four years with Balciunas & Grajauskas.
Sceponiene is, according to Sorainen, a “well-known tax advisor and an experienced negotiator. She boasts a track record of successfully defending client interests during tax administrator audits and of winning practice-changing cases. Her former position as a senior official at the tax authorities makes Indre the go-to person during tax audits and other control procedures.” Sceponiene has been with Sorainen since 2013. Before that, she spent two years with the Insurance Supervisory Commission of the Republic of Lithuania and over seven years with the State Tax Inspectorate.
Laevskaya is the co-head of Sorainen’s Finance & Insurance team in Belarus. According to the firm, she “assists clients with structuring and implementing financial transactions, preparing and negotiating security instruments, and advising on banking and financial services regulatory matters. She also leads legal teams during M&A projects, especially in the banking sector.” Laevskaya, a former Counsel, has been with Sorainen since 2008. Before that, she spent over a year with Arzinger.
Laptev is the head of the Competition & Regulatory team and head of Sorainen’s TMT group in Belarus. According to the firm, he “supports clients, especially from the IT, telecom, and media sectors, with the most complex matters that they face in their business. [He] has represented clients in arbitration cases at the world’s top arbitration institutions, such as ICC, SCC, VIAC, and LCIA.” Laptev has been with Sorainen for almost ten years, having joined as a Legal Assitant in 2012.
“We carried out this record round of promotions for three main reasons,” Managing Partner Laimonas Skibarka said. “First, we see that clients and our own people expect more partner attention and we aim to be the market leader in terms of client satisfaction and staff engagement. Second, in recent years and largely thanks to our structured career development system, we have developed a strong group of new generation leaders. Third, we have achieved strong growth over the last two years and aim to accelerate it further in 2022 and beyond.”
“With this new energy, we aim to further strengthen our core practice and sector groups and client service,” Senior Partner Aku Sorainen added. “Without doubt, these promotions will also enable us to continue fulfilling our core purpose, which is to grow prosperity in the Baltic states and Belarus by helping clients succeed in business. I am especially glad that this group of new partners are all “home-grown” and that we have also been able to increase the proportion of female partners in the firm.”