COBALT

Managing Partners: Jaanus Mody (Estonia), Dace Silava-Tomsone (Latvia), Lauris Liepa (Latvia), Irmantas Norkus (Lithuania)

Number of partners: 41 in the Baltics (Estonia - 13)

Number of lawyers: 203 in the Baltics (Estonia – 69)

Languages: Estonian, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Russian

Firm Overview: 

COBALT is a closely integrated alliance of top-tier law offices across the Baltics, uniting more than 240 attorneys and support staff. We advise top international and regional businesses, financial institutions, state and local governments, and the region’s most promising start-ups.

Main Areas of Practice: 

Banking & Finance: 

3 partners, 12 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Advising Swedbank on evaluating structural changes at the Baltic level.

■ Advising Luminor Bank on setting up its covered bond programme (as part of its 3 BEUR EMTN and covered bond programme) and the first issue of covered bonds in the Baltic region, in the amount of EUR 500 million.

Key Clients: Luminor Bank, European Investment Bank, Swedbank, SEB Bank, LHV Bank

Contacts: Kristel Raidla-Talur, Marina Kotkas, Monika Koolmeister

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

EU & Competition: 

1 partner, 5 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Successfully representing Wolt Estonia, a food delivery app technology company, in the Estonian Competition Authority supervision proceedings in connection with the price parity clause

■ Advising European Commission acting as amicus curiae in three distinct disputes between the Estonian State and beneficiaries of state aid, resulting in the landmark ruling of Eesti Pagar, C-349/17.

■ Advising Alexela Varahalduse in establishing a joint venture with the Estonian Gas incumbent AS Eesti Gaas for the production of Biomethane and obtaining a merger clearance for the establishment of the full function joint venture

Key Clients: Wolt, Baltcap, Apax Funds, Alexela Group, Ragn-Sells

Contact: Elo Tamm

Email: [email protected]

Corporate & Commercial: 

3 partners, 10 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Advising Utilitas, the largest district heating company and the largest renewable energy producer in Estonia on acquisition of shareholding in AS Tallinna Vesi.

■ Advising Estonian Fortumo on selling its business to London Stock-Exchange-listed leading global mobile payments platform Boku.

Key Clients: First State Investments, BaltCap, Livonia Partners, Mid Europa Partners, TMB Group, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, Utilitas

Contact: Martin Simovart, Peeter Kutman

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Dispute Resolution and Restructuring & Insolvency: 

5 partners, 27 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Advising Swedbank AS in historic AML and KYC matters and related proceedings.

■ Advising Olympic Entertainment Group in a multimillion-euro litigation case against the claim for fair compensation for takeover of minority shareholder's shares.

Key Clients: VKG, Gedeon Richter, Luminor Bank, Alexela Group, Port of Tallinn, Ragn-Sells, Swedbank, Olympic Entertainment Group, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Contact: Jaanus Mody

Email: [email protected]

Employment: 

1 partner, 5 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Advising AbbVie on the transfer of employees in Estonia in AbbVie’s transformative acquisition of Allergan.

■ Advising Luminor Bank on reorganising its management structure and cross-border merger, including on corporate and employment law matters.

Key Clients: LIDL, AbbVie, WOLT, HUGO BOSS, Swedbank

Contact: Karina Paatsi

Email: [email protected]

Energy & Infrastructure: 

2 partners, 2 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Advising the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications in drafting a model energy performance contract for the public sector

■ Advising European Diversified Infrastructure Fund II on investment in Utilitas, leading private Estonian energy group.

Key Clients: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, First State Investments, Alexela Group

Contact: Aivar Taro, Elo Tamm

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Intellectual Property: 

1 partner, 5 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Successfully representing Creative Woodworks, the creator and manufactuter of Iglu saunas, in a trademark case.

■ Serving wide variety of venture capital funds in relation with start-ups (Cybexer Technologies, Binalyze, Modular Technologies, Gelatex, Outvio, etc.)

Key Clients: Change Ventures, Karma Ventures, 3Commas Technologies, CybExer Technologies.

Contact: Egon Talur

Email: [email protected]

Real Estate: 

3 partner, 5 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ Advising a joint venture of the clients of Partners Group and Northern Horizon Capital in the sale of SEB’s head office to East Capital.

■ Advising French real estate fund Corum Origin on acquiring Harmet’s production facility in Estonia.

Key Clients: Baltic Horizon Fund, Northern Horizon Capital, Corum Origin, BPT Real Estate

Contact: Aivar Taro

Email: [email protected]

Tax: 

1 partner, 5 fee earners based in Tallinn, Estonia

■ COBALT advised Green Marine AS on obtaining an operating license for an excise warehouse required for the production and processing of heavy fuel oil.

■ COBALT advised Fortumo on all Estonian tax matters with respect to selling its business to London Stock-Exchange-listed leading global mobile payments platform Boku.

Key Clients: CybExer Technologies, Mindvalley, Inc., Change Ventures, Electric Beast Global, Change Group

Contact: Egon Talur

Email: [email protected]