Privatisation Overview

The SORAINEN Privatisation Practice advises foreign and local investors on privatisation of companies, real estate and other state and municipal assets in the Baltic States and Belarus. The firm's lawyers and tax advisers offer deep expertise and full-scope service in privatisation projects across the four countries.

Though in Estonia the privatisation process has practically been completed, many companies and assets still remain to be privatised in Latvia and Lithuania. Meanwhile, in Belarus large scale privatisation is only starting. The Belarusian Government has announced ambitious plans to transfer hundreds of state-owned enterprises into private ownership so that foreign investors now have a wide array of targets to choose from in banking, insurance, telecom, retail, light and heavy industry and other sectors.

Irrespective of the country where a privatisation project takes place, SORAINEN clients benefit from the combined experience and know-how of the firm's integrated Privatisation Practice gained in advising over many years on major privatisations across the Baltics and Belarus. This is in particular relevant to Belarus where the privatisation process is only now gaining momentum and legal and administrative practices are still developing. Our Privatisation Practice combines specialists from the M&A and Private Equity Team (who advise on privatisation of enterprises) and the Real Estate & Construction Team (who advise on privatisation of real estate), as well as the Tax & Customs Team (who advise on tax aspects).

SORAINEN is recommended for its Privatisation Practice by international directories such as IFLR1000 (“Multinational clients find that SORAINEN's model fits their needs and have been very satisfied with the quality that the firm offers.”) and The Legal 500 (which commented that SORAINEN is “known for its ability to deliver results swiftly and with high quality”).

SORAINEN offers expertise in all key privatisation areas in the Baltic States and Belarus, including:

  • advice on privatisation procedures and possible process scenarios;
  • structuring privatisation transactions;
  • negotiations with privatisation agencies and governmental/municipal authorities;
  • assistance with preparing bid documentation;
  • legal due diligence of enterprises or other assets under privatisation;
  • drafting and negotiating privatisation and investment agreements;
  • advice on post-privatisation business restructuring;
  • representation in privatisation-related disputes.

Since 2011, a helpline on privatisation campaign in Belarus in 2011-2013 has been operating through www.sorainen.com.

SORAINEN was awarded as the best Baltic M&A legal advisor by The Financial Times & Mergermarket at the European M&A Awards in December 2008 for advising on the largest number of M&A transactions and for the largest total value in the Baltics. Read more

SORAINEN has been named “Baltic Law Firm of the Year” three times at the International Financial Law Review European Awards 2009, 2010 and 2012. SORAINEN received these awards for advising on the most complex and innovative international transactions in the areas of M&A, debt, equity and capital markets, project financing and restructuring. Read more

The regional head of the SORAINEN Privatisation Practice is Maksim Salahub, whose contacts appear below.
Local heads of the SORAINEN Privatisation Practice are:

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