- Managing Partner: Mr Aare Tark
Firm Overview: TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE is a leading full service business law firm in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The firm was established in 1991, the same year Estonia regained its independence, and since that the firm has grown together with the Estonian economy.TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE has been engaged in almost all major transactions in Estonia’s recent history. TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE is in strategic cooperation with one of the largest and internationally well-known law firms Vlasova, Mikhel & Partners in Belarus.
Main Areas of Practice:
Mergers & Acquisitions: TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE is the leading M&A firm in Estonia with experience in both public and private M&A transactions. In 2012 the firm advised:
• Kemiflora on sale of its paints and coatings business to Teknos Group; n EQT Infrastructure Fund in the purchase of shares in Fortum Termest AS’s parent company Fortum Alpha B.V.;
• Katoen Natie on acquiring the land in Muuga Harbour for construction of Estonia’s largest logistics centre;
• Eolané in acquisition of 100% holding in AS Elcoteq Tallinn from the bankruptcy estate of Elcoteq SE;
• Tele2 Eesti on acquisition of Televõrgu AS. Contact: Mr Risto Vahimets Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: risto.vahimets@tgslegal.com
Banking & Finance: The Banking and Finance practice group is recognised by national and international clients as the leading Estonian team in cross-border financing, capital markets, banking and insurance regulatory. In 2012 the firm advised:
• City of Tallinn on concluding a nearly €67 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank;
• Pro Kapital Grupp on the admission of its shares to trading on the Secondary List of NASDAQ OMX Baltic Market; n Pohjola Bank on €90 million senior facility to Komas Group. Key Clients: ABN Amro, AIG, BNP Paribas,City of Tallinn, DNB, ERGO, European Central Bank, Franklin Templeton Investment Funds, ING, NASDAQ OMX Tallinn, Nordea, Raiffeisen, Société Générale, Swedbank. Contact: Mr Hannes Vallikivi Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: hannes.vallikivi@tgslegal.com
Corporate & Commercial: The clients of the firm are both large multinationals as well as local star corporations.TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE is a top specialist in cross-border restructuring of regulated institutions in the region.
Key Clients: AVON, G4S,EQT, Microsoft, Michelin, NASDAQ OMX, Neste Oil, Nortal, Novartis Pharma, Samsung, Technopolis, Telia Sonera, Velux. Contact: Mr Toomas Taube Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: toomas.taube@tgslegal.com
Real Estate: TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE has a large market share in providing legal advice in real estate matters especially in the commercial property sector in Estonia. In 2012 the firm advised:
• Pro Kapital Grupp on the admission of its shares to trading on the Secondary List of NASDAQ OMX Baltic Market;
• Katoen Natie on acquiring the land in Muuga Harbour for construction of Estonia’s largest logistics centre.
Key Clients: E.L.L.Kinnisvara, Katoen Natie, Kodu Grupp, Pontos OY, Pro Kapital, SRV Kinnisvara, Technopolis, Tiger Developments, Viru Keskus. Contact: Mr Risto Vahimets Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: risto.vahimets@tgslegal.com
Dispute Management: In dispute resolution TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE has a large number of active clients and the dispute management team has grown most rapidly in the last couple of years. Experienced lawyers of the team focus on the entire dispute, its psychology and in the courtroom as well as out of the courtroom aspects.The practice group handles also arbitration, bankruptcy and reorganisation proceedings and public procurement disputes.
Key Clients: City of Tartu, Forum Cinemas, Jungent Group, Liviko, Lukoil, PetroKazakhstan, Philip Morris Baltic, Riigi Kinnisvara (State Real Estate Ltd), Swedbank and Swedbank Leasing, Teede REV- 2, Transiidikeskuse. Contact: Mr Erki Kergandberg Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: erki.kergandberg@tgslegal.com
Tax: The firm has an excellent track record in income tax, VAT and other tax and customs matters. The firm’s services range from tax support of M&A transactions to representing clients in complicated tax litigation. In 2012, the firm has successfully represented clients in a number of landmark tax disputes, allowing the firm to maintain a stellar reputation as a leading Estonian tax practice. Contact: Mr Rolan Jankelevitš Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: rolan.jankelevitsh@tgslegal.com
Competition: The team has vast experience in advising clients in all aspects of competition law, incl. anti-trust (anticompetitive horizontal or vertical agreements and abuse of dominance) as well as merger control and state aid.The team is regularly retained by alleged offenders as their counsel in cartel or dominance investigations as well as by alleged offenders, injured parties or competition authorities in anti-trust litigation.
Key Clients: Estonian Post Ltd., Liviko, Neste Oil, Philip Morris International, RSA, Rudus, Saku brewery (Carlsberg Group),Tele2,Valio. Contact: Mr Rene Frolov Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: rene.frolov@tgslegal.com
IP, IT, Telecom: The legal aspects of R&D must not be underestimated. Estonia is winning reputation as a country with highly developed innovative IT solutions. TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE has outstanding clientele among global and local technology companies and the firm is prioritising the development of its IT, telecom, IP, biotech and energy practice.
Key Clients: Cisco Systems International, Estonian Telecom, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Miniclip, Oracle, Philip Morris International, Sony, Sun Microsystems. Contact: Mr Toomas Taube, Mrs Piret Luiga Tel: +372 611 0900 Email: toomas.taube@tgslegal.com, piret.luiga@tgslegal.com
International Work: Estonia is a small country and therefore it is virtually impossible to do almost any business, on any scale,without a degree of internationality. The same applies to the business of TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE. More than half of the firm’s clients are foreign companies or their local subsidiaries. The rest of the clients are often engaged in cross-border business, with TARK GRUNTE SUTKIENE closely advising them. The firm has been involved in a large number of the most important cross-border transactions involving Estonia, in particular major mergers and acquisitions and international financing.
Areas of PracticeCorporate, M&A
Banking & Finance
Dispute Management
IP, IT, Telecoms
Competition
Tax
Other Commercial Matters