Legal 500

On 14 April 2021 The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) published its 2021 edition, providing a detailed qualitative assessment of work conducted by Latvian law firms over the past 12 months. The Legal 500 recognized BDO Law as a leader (Tier 1) in the field of taxation, also ranking the law firm among the leading experts in the fields of corporate and commercial law, banking and financial law, dispute resolution practice and competition law. 

Banking, finance and capital markets:

  • Vita Liberte 
  • Jānis Zelmenis

Legal 500: “BDO Law is highly skilled in licensing and registration matters, as well advising on Latvia's new anti-money laundering regulations. The team acts for a mix of traditional and alternative financial services companies, with the added ability to leverage the international BDO network. Regulatory work is a particular strength, to the extent that the team has defended clients in disputes against the regulatory authorities in the national courts.”

EU and competition:

  • Vita Liberte 
  • Jānis Zelmenis

Legal 500: “BDO Law has experience in competition and general EU law, with particularly strong credentials in the areas of public procurement and public-private partnerships. The team is led by Vita Liberte, who focuses on contractual issues and regulatory compliance, and Jānis Zelmenis, who is highly experienced in litigation and arbitration cases involving EU law.”

Commercial, corporate and M&A:

  • Vita Liberte
  • Jānis Zelmenis
  • Rolands Valdemārs

Legal 500: “BDO Law is particularly strong in the public sector, counting the Latvian government as well as a number of municipalities among its key clients. Practice co-head Vita Liberte is the founder of the Latvian Public and Private Partnership Association, and as such is highly skilled in corporate and commercial work involving state-owned entities. Managing partner Jānis Zelmenis also leads the team and is experienced in M&A and restructurings, with the added advantage of also being a tax consultant.”

Dispute resolution:

  • Vita Liberte
  • Jānis Zelmenis

Legal 500: “BDO Law’s association with the global financial services and auditing network means it is well placed to handle disputes concerning financial services and debt recovery, but the team is also known to handle contentious issues involving construction and transportation.”

Real estate and construction:

  • Jānis Zelmenis
  • Vita Liberte

Legal 500: “BDO Law is an expert in matters in the public sector, advising on public procurement, public-private partnerships and construction agreements involving state-owned buildings and infrastructure.”

Tax:

  • Vita Liberte 
  • Jānis Zelmenis

Legal 500: “Tax is a cornerstone practice of BDO Law, which has expertise across the board in both contentious and non-contentious matters. For advisory work, the team is well versed in handling direct and indirect tax, tax structuring due diligence and transfer pricing matters. On the contentious side, the team regularly acts for clients before the courts and arbitral tribunals in cases against the tax authorities. Founding partner Vita Liberte is a certified tax consultant and attorney-at-law and excels in international tax planning and M&A. Fellow founder Jānis Zelmenis shares a similar skillset but is also notably adept in handling restructuring deals. Jelena Bartule is a prominent name in the market for major tax audits for corporate clients and is also highly skilled in international tax planning.”

More insight is available by visiting the site www.legal500.com/firms/230379-bdo-law/23524-riga-latvia/