Partner Vilius Bernatonis, Head of TGS Baltic's Banking & Finance and Energy practice groups, is taking over as Managing Partner of the firm's Lithuanian office. Marius Matonis, Head of M&A, Baltics, has been elected Executive Partner.
On September 1, 2018, Bernatonis took over as Managing Partner from founder Eugenija Sutkiene, whose term of office is coming to an end. On the same day Matonis’s new position as an Executive Partner will come into effect.
Sutkiene will take the position of Senior Partner in the Lithuanian office of TGS Baltic. She will continue advising clients and contributing to strategic activities. Sutkiene will serve on the Boards of several Lithuanian companies and charitable organizations.
Sutkiene has been a leader of TGS Baltic (and it predecessors, including, most recently, Tark Grunte Sutkiene as reported by CEE Legal Matters on May 9, 2017), for 27 years. According to the firm, she was among the lawyers who participated in forming the principles of commercial law after Lithuania regained its independence. In 2017 she earned CEE Legal Matters's Market Maker Award for Lithuania (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on October 18, 2018) for her life-long contribution to the creation of the Lithuanian legal services market.
“I have been considering the idea of passing the position of the Managing Partner at TGS Baltic to the younger generation for some time and I am certain that now is the best time,” Sutkiene said. “The generational shift has not been successfully implemented in Lithuanian law firms yet, as it is a complicated process. However, I am certain that our firm now has the necessary maturity for this step.” She noted with confidence that the firm has a strong team capable of ensuring the continuity of the firm’s business principles, values, culture, and work quality.
“We have enough potential for an innovation shift in our business as well. Vilius Bernatonis, who has been unanimously elected to the position of Managing Partner by the firm’s partners, has been my colleague and my right hand for many years,” Sutkiene said. “I trust his competence and I am certain that he and the team will continue realizing our common vision – to stay the best team of business law consultants for our clients.”
Bernatonis has been active in legal services for more than 18 years. He specializes in banking and finance, energy, dispute resolution, development and regulation, project financing, commercial law, and other areas.
Matonis will be responsible for the improvement of internal, administrative and service provision processes in at TGS Baltic, as well as innovation and efficiency. He has been practicing as a lawyer for 16 years. He specializes in competition, M&A, private equity and venture capital, real estate transactions, and corporate and commercial law.
