Sorainen

Competition & Regulatory, Data Protection, Dispute Resolution & Risk Management, Intellectual Property

Country Managing Partner, head of the firm’s Competition and Regulatory practice in Latvia

I am managing partner of Sorainen Latvia and the head of the firm’s Competition and Regulatory practice in Latvia, and have practised as an attorney-at-law since 2008. My experience includes providing legal assistance in complex competition law and intellectual property law cases, as well as on various regulatory matters, especially in relation to the life sciences, pharmaceutical sectors and ESG. My work often involves creating a strategy and leading a team of experts to achieve the best and most creative solutions. I believe that my work as an attorney benefits from my original education in philosophy.

Competition law advice and litigation. I have assisted many clients involved in investigations by the national competition authority. If relevant, I try to achieve a settlement in infringement proceedings and sometimes have managed to ensure that the investigation into our clients is terminated immediately afterreceipt of the statement of objections. I have experience in representing our clients before courts of all instances in competition litigation cases. I also help clients fight wrongs, such as by drafting complaints about violations of competition neutrality and unjustified public involvement in the private sector.

IP advice and litigation. I have successfully helped many clients protect their intellectual property and creative work. As a professional patent attorney specialising in trademark matters, I represent clients in trademark opposition cases before Latvia’s Industrial Property Board of Appeal and at the EU IP Office. I’m one of the few attorneys in Latvia experienced in representing pharmaceutical industry clients in patent litigation, and have obtained successful solutions in several interim measure cases.

Life sciences and pharmaceutical sector regulations. I have advised many manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceutical and medical devices, as well as industry associations, on applying rules on distribution, pricing of medicines, compensated medicines, advertising and relationships with patients and governmental organisations. Among my activities in sector-related associations I also contribute to commenting on draft laws and facilitating developments in this industry.

Privacy and data protection. My experience includes handling complex GDPR implementation and compliance projects for clients in such industries as consumer lending, real estate management, international trading companies and medical institutions. I created the GDPR guidelines for the Latvian Association of Communication Agencies.

Media law and creative industries. For almost 20 years I have served as the Latvian correspondent for the “European Audiovisual Observatory” newsletter on audiovisual media law, and acted as the Latvian expert in surveys on film funding, European audiovisual works, on-demand services and media regulatory bodies, among other subjects. I successfully defended TV broadcasters in defamation litigation and provided pro bono advice to the Latvian Association of Journalists, as well as providing consultation to authors and creative individuals on legal matters.

Latvian, English, Russian

Latvian Bar Association The Association of Latvian Professional Patent Attorneys

University of Montana, USA (visiting scholar), University of Cambridge, UK (LLM in Commercial and European Law, First Class) University of Latvia, Latvia (Dipl. iur., BPhil)