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It is without a doubt that, like the economy in general, the legal market was also affected in recent years. Though the economy has been turbulent for a longer period than during the crisis that started in 2008, this time, the number of large disputes has remained constant. Despite the growing legal costs, high-value disputes rarely dropped due to costs. Smaller law firms, however, seem to have more problems when navigating in this economy – there are cases of closing businesses or consolidating to survive. 

Debt pushdown structures have become a prevalent strategy in Estonia for company acquisitions. However, up until now, the absence of clear regulatory guidance has left companies and their legal advisors navigating uncertain terrain, particularly concerning the tax implications. The (at the time of writing) soon-to-be-published guidance on the taxation of debt pushdowns is poised to provide much-needed clarity.

TGS Baltic has advised Simpact Ventures on its investment in Ligence as part of a round that also saw the participation of Coinvest Capital, the European Innovation Council, Estonian venture capital firm Lemonade Stand, the NGL business angel syndicate, and private investor Rita Sakus.

TGS Baltic, working with Linklaters, has advised sole bookrunner Citigroup Global Markets Europe on the tap issue of EUR 40 million 14.50% senior secured bonds by the Latvian national airline AirBaltic. Cobalt, working with Dentons, advised AirBaltic.

Raising funds on the capital market—through the issuance of shares or bonds—provides companies with substantial advantages. Obtaining funds through capital market not only facilitates diversification of financial portfolios and reduces dependence on bank financing but also conveys a strong message to the issuer’s customers and business partners, illustrating the commitment to high standards of corporate governance. At the same time, by ensuring that the company’s securities are publicly listed, its members of the management board take responsibility towards the company itself, the shareholders, and other investors.

Cobalt at a Glance

COBALT is a closely integrated alliance of top-tier law offices across the Baltics, uniting more than 250 attorneys and support staff. During 25 years of experience, we have become a strategic partner to our clients in handling both daily matters and complex large–scale transactions and disputes.

The firm’s broad spectrum of expertise and established position as the market leader gives a comprehensive basis for providing full-service business law advice.

Top international and regional businesses, financial institutions, state and local governments, and the region’s most promising start-ups are among our clients. We offer leading-edge solutions in key industry sectors: Consumer Products, Trade & Distribution, Real Estate & Construction, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Energy & Utilities, Communications, Media & Technologies, Financial Services, Transport & Logistics.

COBALT has been named Baltic Law Firm of the Year 7 times receiving Chambers Europe, IFLR, The Lawyer and Mergermarket awards, and we are regularly listed amongst the top-performing M&A legal advisors in the Bloomberg, Refinitiv and Mergermarket deal tables. Recognized as the No.1 Lithuanian law firm in the Prospera Law Firm Review 2021 and No. 1 law firm in Latvia in 2022, 2020, 2019, and 2018 client satisfaction surveys. We were recognized as a Baltic-wide Law Firm of the Year at the 2022 Chambers Europe Awards ceremony and named the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year and Pro Bono Firm of the Year at the annual ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2021 ceremony. 

More information on COBALT can be found at www.cobalt.legal.