PRACTICE AREAS
Every citizen and company is also a taxpayer. The correct fulfillment of tax liabilities does not mean that the choice between possible solutions should always be the highest possible tax burden. Extensive knowledge of laws, judicial and administrative practices enables paying taxes properly, not excessively.
It is worth knowing that by identification of the tax liability the tax authorities have the right to interpret the transactions on their real economic substance and in case of the dispute the taxpayer has the burden of proof. So sometimes it can happen that the tax authorities will ask a report from you because of the transaction partners omissions. To manage risks it is helpful to document your activities precisely and correctly.
Our firm has valuable experience in the management of tax risks, dealing with tax authorities and resolving tax disputes. Our advice enables you to conservatively assess tax risks and at the same time feel free to continue with business activities. The claims of the tax authority against our customers have ranged from a few thousand to more than 10 million euros per case. We are pleased to help our customers by the tax risk prevention, but also if the tax authority has already begun an audit in the company or already issued the tax decision.
In HansaLaw a total of 4 people are engaged in tax issues (disputes, consultation and defense in criminal proceedings) on a daily basis:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law) – managing partner, manager of the tax department
Gerly Kask (attorney at law) – partner
Rein Laid (attorney)
Protecting our clients’ interests in courts is one of the main areas of legal services in HansaLaw. Most HansaLaw lawyers are experienced litigators and they also understand the customer’s practical needs of business, so they can be down-to-earth when advising the resolution for disputes and offer viable solutions. The international rating agency The Legal 500 has recommended HansaLaw as on of the best in litigation.
Attorneys in HansaLaw represent clients in civil, criminal and administrative court proceedings.
Attorneys who represent clients in administrative court proceedings:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law) – managing partner
Gerly Kask (attorney at law) – partner
Jüri Leppik (attorney at law) – partner
Tõnu Tuulas (attorney at law) – partner
Siiri Pajupuu (attorney)
Attorneys who represent clients in civil court proceedings:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law) – managing partner
Andres Past (attorney at law) – partner
Jüri Leppik (attorney at law) – partner
Tõnu Tuulas (attorney at law) – partner
Siiri Pajupuu (attorney)
Attorneys who represent clients in criminal court proceedings:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law) – managing partner
Gerly Kask (attorney at law) – partner
Jüri Leppik (attorney at law) – partner
Tõnu Tuulas (attorney at law) – partner
Rein Laid (attorney)
HansaLaw is providing readily available and professional legal assistance to ensure the success of your business. Our experience will help you identify and solve problems in a timely manner. Thanks to the involvement of specialists from different countries we are able to successfully plan and exercise cross-border deals.
Attorneys in HansaLaw advise and represent clients in the pre-contractual and contractual negotiations, as well as regarding questions or violations related to the execution of the contract. Also, our lawyers represent clients regarding non-contractual obligations (compensation for damage, unjust enrichment, etc.).
We advise our clients regarding all their business relationships and agreements necessary for the legalization:
- Sales and distribution agreements and product liability
- Rent, lease and other user agreements
- Public procurement contracts
- Employment contracts
- Services contracts (authorization agreement (including board member), agent agreements, etc.)
- Insurance contracts
- Loan, credit and leasing contracts, other financing agreements
- Shareholder agreements
- Factoring agreements and other contracts for assignment of the claim and for transposition of the liabilities
- Trademark and other intellectual property issues, licensing agreements
- Contracts regarding the assignment of claims and the transposition of the liabilities, the company’s transition
Taxes are related to almost all areas of life, so any kind of contract and business transaction must be analyzed in terms of taxes. In order to provide you with the best possible solution, our specialists from various areas work closely together.
Attorneys who are specializing in contract law:
Andres Past (attorney at law) – partner
Tõnu Tuulas (attorney at law) – partner
Siiri Pajupuu (attorney)
HansaLaw provides advice in all aspects of general corporate law. Our services include establishment and registration of companies and subsidiaries and branches of foreign companies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, general advice on corporate and share capital structures, shareholder matters and stock exchange matters, corporate governance issues, reorganisations and joint ventures.
HansaLaw advises local and international companies on mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, capital placements, stock exchange issues and company law. The experience of our lawyers in representing the sellers, buyers, financiers and management allows them to be part of a team with the customer and other advisers and to provide both legal expertise and commercial approach to the transaction and the ability to find solutions.
Attorneys who are specializing in corporate law:
Andres Past (attorney at law) – partner
Jüri Leppik (attorney at law) – partner
Tõnu Tuulas (attorney at law) – partner
Siiri Pajupuu (attorney)
Attorneys in HansaLaw provide customers with the protection in criminal and misdemeanor proceedings, and if necessary representation and preparation of documents to the European Court of Human Rights. In addition, our attorneys represent victims, civil plaintiffs and civil defendants in proceedings.
Attorneys specializing in criminal law:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law) – managing partner
Jüri Leppik (attorney at law) – partner
Rein Laid (attorney)
Our law firm can provide the best possible services in the field of information, communication technologies and intellectual property (OKT-IO) laws as follows:
– Drawing up IKT-IO agreements (author services, use and development of IT systems, licensing, maintenance, installation, deposition of source code, agreements regarding the secrecy of the commercial ideas).
– Analysis of the IKT-IO agreements for necessary amendments
– Regulation of legal relations with the authors
– Audit of the company intellectual property
– Use of the available legal remedies in the situation of a breach of the intellectual property rights, including advice in the field of digital evidence (digital correspondence, digital documentation, digital entries, files), their preservation and use.
Following people are dealing with corporate law and intellectual property issues in HansaLaw:
Andres Past (attorney at law) – partner
Mario Rosentau (external advisor, Dr iur) – inactive member of Estonian Bar Association
We represent clients in various bodies/persons performing public administration tasks (such as the Tax and Customs Board, the Police and Border Guard Board). Also, our attorneys help in administrative law disputes in the administrative court or in pre-litigation procedures (a challenge procedure, application to issue an administrative act, submission of an application etc).
Our attorneys deal with the following administrative law areas:
Tax law;
Planning and construction law;
Public Procurement;
Public Service Law.
Attorneys specializing in administrative law:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law) – managing partner
Gerly Kask (attorney at law) – partner
Tõnu Tuulas (attorney at law) – partner
Siiri Pajupuu (attorney)
HansaLaw offers legal advice of public procurement issues including:
•legality control over contract documents and requirements of contract notice, also timely and relevant advice for an appeal;
•compiling of tenders;
•participation in opening the tenders and provide legal advice, if necessary timely and relevant advice for an appeal;
•legal counselling of the dialogue;
•legality control over a decision of the contracting authority made in the course of the procurement procedure on the basis of this act, which could violate the rights of the tenderer, if necessary timely and relevant advice for an appeal;
•representation in courts;
•legal advice after procurement procedure, about a fulfilment of the public procurement.
In HansaLaw the people dealing with public procurement issues are:
Vahur Kivistik (attorney at law)- managing partner
