Competition Experience

• Delivering effective legal solutions vital for Eesti Gaas, Estonia's main natural gas wholesaler and retailer, in its wholesale and retail operations. Competition aspects involved advising in negotiations with the Estonian Competition Authority on pricing policies and amendments to the Natural Gas Act plus representing the client in administrative and court proceedings on natural gas pricing.

  Advising Rautakirja, the main Nordic regional press, book and movie distributor, on numerous competition law issues. Assistance included merger filings to the Lithuanian Competition Council, negotiating and implementing behavioural remedies attached to clearance decisions, as well as representing of Rautakirja's Baltic subsidiaries before national competition authorities.

  Successfully assisting Gaasienergia, a major Estonian natural gas provider and subsidiary of a Finnish natural gas provider, in complex competition matters, in particular ensuring compliance of pricing and documentation with legal requirements and obtaining clearance from the Estonian Competition Authority on issues of pricing policy and alleged dominant position.

  Counselling Nordzuker, a leading European sugar producer. on merger control matters in the Baltics affecting acquisition of sugar business from another market leader in Europe for a total transaction sum of EUR 750.5 million. This was one of the most complex merger control cases in Lithuania to date.

  Advising a major Finnish heat producer in acquiring Estonian municipal heat supply company. Competition aspects involved advice on natural monopolies, energy permits and other requirements.

  Representing AGA, Latvia's largest gaseous medical oxygen supplier, in a dispute with the competition authority over alleged abuse of dominant position. Services included representation during case investigation and a successful courtroom challenge to the infringement decision of the competition authority based on SORAINEN's argumentation from the perspective of EU competition law and jurisprudence.

  Assisting a leading manufacturer of packaged food products on the EU-wide corporate leniency programme with advice on competition law matters in the Baltics and Belarus.

  Performing legal analysis for Premia FFL, a major freezing equipment and frozen goods supplier in Latvia. Services involved analysing contracts with certain retailers from the competition law perspective to determine whether a potential claim against retailers might be feasible under new Latvian regulations on dominant retailers.

  Representing official automobile importer in the Baltics before the Lithuanian Competition Council in investigation of alleged infringement of Lithuanian and EU competition rules on vertical agreements. Services included representing the client before the Council in negotiating minor behavioural remedies so that the investigation was closed without sanctions.

  Advising Towage & Marine Assistance, a leading towage and ship assistance company in Klaipėda seaport, on forming a joint venture with SMIT, a major international maritime services company. Services covered merger clearance from the Lithuanian Competition Council, involving complex issues and strong objections from a major competitor in the market for harbour towage services in Klaipėda seaport.

  Advising Carlsberg, a major Baltic, Russian and CIS brewer, concerning permission from the Belarus antimonopoly authorities to increase its stake in its local subsidiary, the second largest brewery in Belarus, to almost 100%.

  Representing the Latvian Privatisation Agency and Ministry of Finance in the Parex banka bailout and partial sale of shares to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In the competition field a concern of vital importance was state aid approval by the European Commission, where SORAINEN assisted the client in negotiations for a successful outcome.