Cobalt‘s experienced banking, finance and AML practice assists leading private equity funds and major banks with substantial M&A transactions and capital markets financings, in addition to advising on the issuance of green bonds and Eurobonds, and handling relevant regulatory work. Edgars Lodzins heads up the team, bringing extensive experience in M&A and capital markets transactions for a range of local and international financial institutions to his role. Senior counsel Andrejs Lielkalns stands out for his expertise on cross-border transactions and EU regulatory matters. Public and constitutional law expert Edgars Pastars regularly handles AML and sanctions work.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Edgars Lodzins: hands-on approach, pragmatic advice, easily reachable.'

  • ‘The team keeps its knowledge up to date. The team actively provides alternative solutions to a problem. Team members are great personalities who can handle stressful situations.’

  • ‘Edgars Lodzins is a partner who engages in simple and complex tasks.’

  • 'The Cobalt team is highly professional and is well respected by the banking sector, that makes it much easier to negotiate the deals and spend less time on the negoatiation process.'

  • 'Working with Cobalt for rather long time already, Cobalt knows our company requirements for different processes and conditions of the financing deals and always pay our attention in case something would seem even slightly out of our red lines. This mitigates our risks to a very acceptable level. It is a pleasure to work with such high-level professionals.'

  • 'Andrejs Lielkalns: high-level professional, specifically specialising on the financing matters and knowing our requirements. Andrejs is very instrumental in negotiations with the banks and also in suggesting the best (low risk) solutions.'

Key clients

  • American Express group
  • Banco Santander S.A.
  • Credit Agricole
  • Eiffel Investment Group SAS
  • European Investment Bank
  • HSBC
  • ING Belgium NV/SA
  • IPF Digital
  • Luminor Bank
  • MUFG Bank (Europe) N.V.
  • SEB Bank

Work highlights

  • Advised Citi, Deutsche Bank, Erste Group and Nomura - as joint lead managers - on an issue of €850m Eurobonds by the Republic of Latvia.
  • Advised on the issuance of €50m green bonds by Latvenergo AS, the Latvian national energy company.
  • Advised Storent Holdings, a major construction equipment rental company, on the issuance and listing of bonds on the Baltic Bond List of NASDAQ Riga, which attracted €10.5m during the bond public offering.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Hall of fameCobalt
In the course of his legal practice extending over 20 years, Specialist Counsel Andrejs Lielkalns has advised on Latvian and EU regulatory matters, sale and purchase of banks, other financial institutions and financial institution assets, stock exchange listings (de-listings), financial services, financial transactions, derivatives transactions, payment services, payment cards and e-money matters, credit institution insolvency, EU Structural funds, cross-border finance and lending, as well as on numerous project finance, alternative financing, restructuring and refinancing arrangements.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Cobalt
Edgars Lodziņš is a Specialist Counsel and Head of Banking and Finance Practice Group at COBALT Latvia. He has more than 15 years of professional experience in Banking & Finance, capital markets and M&A field. During his practice, Edgars has successfully advised some of the most significant financing, capital markets and M&A transactions in the region (both Latvian and cross-border) and has earned an excellent reputation for being one of the top specialists in the field. His clients include major international and local credit and financial institutions, private equity and venture capital funds and investors.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Edgars Lodzins

Other key lawyers

Andrejs Lielkalns, Edgars Pastars, Sandija Novicka