Sorainen

Dispute Resolution & Risk Management, Insolvency & Restructuring

Senior Associate

Mari Agarmaa stands for the importance of argumentation in the decision-making process, since argumentation is the prerequisite of better solutions to any legal problem or social issue. As a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution & Risk Management practice, she focus on bankruptcy law and mostly advise creditors during bankruptcy proceedings. She also assists business and individual debtors, both inside and outside of bankruptcy, to reorganize their business or personal finances or liquidate assets.

Expert in bankruptcy law. Mari's primary area of expertise lies in protecting creditors’ interests in bankruptcy proceedings. This includes disputes involving defending claims, approving distribution proposals and final reports, exercising supervision over the activities of the trustee in bankruptcy and participating in the work of the bankruptcy committee. More broadly, she has represented all parties in bankruptcy proceedings, including individual and business debtors, financial institutions, trustees, as well as secured and unsecured creditors.

Knowing German legislation. In addition to Estonian expertise, Mari can also provide best practices from German case law, having compared creditors’ rights under Estonian and German bankruptcy law in her Ph.D. thesis. Knowledge of German legislation and case law is a major asset since Estonian judges often consider German case law when interpreting local provisions.

Improving legislation. Mari Karja was commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of Justice to complete a report on how to improve the Estonian bankruptcy law. Many proposals in the report were taken into account and are now part of draft legislation.

Educating a new generation. Mari has lectured on civil procedure at the University of Tartu and is now contributing to a new textbook for students on the same topic. She finds it important to contribute to the Estonian education system by writing textbooks and articles since it is hard to educate the next generation and improve the legal system without sufficient professional legal literature.

Estonian, English, German

Estonian Bar Association Estonian Young Lawyers’ Association Estonian Debating Society

Humboldt University of Berlin (PhD) Humboldt University of Berlin (LLM) University of Tartu (MA in Law) University of Tartu (BA in Law)