Venture Capital

COBALT is one of the leading legal advisors for venture capital funds, corporate venture capital arms and other venture capital investors. Due to the ongoing importance of startups and various state initiatives directed at the establishment of funds in the Baltic states, Europe and elsewhere, venture capital continues to be a significant funding source for early-stage companies.

Our team is dedicated to providing full range of services in all types and at every stage of venture capital transactions. We are proud of our broad-based experience in fund (both licensed and unregulated) and company formation, investment structuring, venture capital specific advice and due diligence in areas such as corporate, employment, tax and intellectual property law, preparing full package of investment, shareholder and technology agreements, as well as exit related advice and execution. We provide tailored teams fully familiarised in each client’s portfolio and preferred transaction terms and structures for ongoing and efficient cooperation. We have helped to close more venture capital transactions than any other law firm in the Baltic region, and therefore possess and develop the most up to date transaction and market knowledge.

We take an active role in developing the ecosystem of venture capital. COBALT Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are longstanding members of the Baltic Private Equity and Venture Capital Associations, and we are present at the most prominent events as well as involved in the development of the legislative initiatives forming legal framework for the sector. By working closely with the venture capital community, we have developed a significant network of business relationships with venture capital investors, company executives and entrepreneurs.

We are praised by our clients for speed, excellence and entrepreneurial approach to all legal advice we are providing. Our team is composed of highly ranked professionals with deep experience in general as well as niche law specialisations combined with a broad understanding of the client’s needs and ecosystem in which they are operating. This combination allows us to take the lead in all steps of corporate lifespan, from foundation to raising funding through IPOs and beyond.

 

Recognitions
Chambers Europe 2024, Corporate/Commercial, Latvia office
“The law firm is very efficient and fast.”
Legal 500 2024, Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Lithuania office
"COBALT Banking team has excellent expertise in corporate finance field. Their main strengths are good listening to the client needs, orientation to the result. We like direct approach of the question at hand."
Chambers Europe 2024, Banking & Finance, Lithuania office
“COBALT's key strengths are its attitude and on-point discussions with good follow-through that are not wasting time.”
Chambers Europe 2024, Corporate/Commercial, Latvia office
“The service and responsiveness are top-level. The team are able to understand the commercial side very well and dive deep into the business details if necessary due to their vast experience in M&A deals.”
Legal 500 2024, Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Estonia office
"The team is very engaged and driven to find suitable know-how on range of matters. We have excellent partners who hear us out, think and offer solutions to our issues. Innovation and reason go hand in hand, meaning innovative contract formats that suit the issue at hand."
Chambers Europe 2024, Banking and Finance, Estonia office
"The lawyers at COBALT propose new and innovative contract templates."
Legal 500 2024, Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Estonia office
"They have a deep ability for comprehensive thinking and looking beyond the case at hand to provide multiple options of solutions. They will always hand you off to specialists, but in reality, they know enough of a variety of subjects to come to the right conclusions. They don't waste your time and keep suggestions down to earth."
Chambers Europe 2024, Banking and Finance, Estonia office
"COBALT is very strong when it comes to the quality of people and the way they work."
Legal 500 2024, Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Estonia office
"I felt them being like actual in-house team members. They care, dig in and deliver."
Chambers Europe 2024, Banking & Finance, Lithuania office
“The team's key strength is to deliver solution-focused advice and driving matters forward.”
Chambers Europe 2024, Banking & Finance, Lithuania office
“COBALT has strong lawyers in the banking and finance field, who are capable of taking on difficult tasks.”
Chambers Europe Awards 2024
According to Chambers, COBALT is a clear market leader in the Baltics. It is unsurpassed in its number of rankings and unrivalled in its number of top-tier departments. Furthermore, the law firm has more top-ranked practitioners than any other firm in the region. This Baltic powerhouse consistently acts on the largest transactions and disputes across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Chambers Europe 2023, Banking & Finance, Estonia office
"The lawyers know the local market inside-out, which is very helpful because they can address a number of different queries in different practice areas. They are very good at coordinating with their colleagues."
Chambers Europe 2023, Banking & Finance, Lithuania office
"The law firm has experts for every topic who have good availability and turnaround times. They understand what the client needs and wants."
Legal 500 2023, Banking, Finance and Capital Markets, Lithuania office
"Well-organised team. Great and effective cooperation allowing to deliver the relevant work in line with clients’ needs."
Chambers Europe 2023, Banking & Finance, Estonia office
"The lawyers are available, flexible and very focused. They know the Estonian and Baltic market very well."
Chambers Europe 2023, Banking & Finance, Estonia office
"The team can put you in direct contact with an expert, who then takes the lead and starts arranging calls, and they have a lot of skill sets."
Chambers Europe 2023, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
“COBALT has a very strong understanding of the commercial aspects of financial services. The lawyers are understandable, pleasant, and always timely in communication. The team is very smart, responsive, and commercial."
Legal 500 2022, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
"COBALT will always point out to the client the critical places in the agreement we need to pay our attention to and will come up with the solutions that would be both beneficial for the client and acceptable to the banks and financing institutions."
Legal 500 2022, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
"COBALT works in a very flexible way. Extremely client and service oriented."
Chambers Europe 2022, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
A source describes the team as "very forward-thinking" and "entrepreneurial.
The Legal 500 2021, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
"An engaged, responsive team with good knowledge of the market standards."
Chambers and Partners 2021, Banking & Finance, Estonia
"They explain issues well and help us to understand complicated legal matters, to make sure our interests are well handled and taken care of," adds another impressed client.
Chambers and Partners 2021, Banking & Finance, Estonia
Clients describe the team as "extremely impressive, very commercial and very responsive," and single out the group for its "great communication and project management skills."
The Legal 500 2021, Banking, finance and capital markets, Lithuania office
"Excellent knowledge of the subject matter and level of attendance to the client’s needs."
Chambers Europe 2020, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
Sources regularly praise the team for its proficiency, describing the lawyers as "knowledgeable and enthusiastic" as well as "willing to support and help in the best possible way."
Chambers Europe 2019
"Outstanding firm with an enviable portfolio of mandates, providing a well-integrated service across the Baltic region. Impressive client base includes respected international and local investment funds, banks and insurance companies."
Chambers Europe 2019, Banking & Finance, Latvia office
The team is praised for the quality of its advice and its dedication to clients. "Good teamwork and good knowledge in all kind of legislation," "client- and service-oriented."
Chambers Europe 2018, Banking & Finance, Estonia office
"They are very committed and know what they are doing. They explained things very clearly and the drafting of the documentation went very smoothly."
Chambers Europe 2018, Banking & Finance, Estonia office
"Their lawyers have the right approach. When you need something, they are available and deliver work within a tight timeframe."
Chambers Europe 2018, Banking & Finance, Estonia office
"We were impressed with their precision, diligence and ability to work quickly."
IFLR1000 2017, Banking and finance, Lithuania office
“They provided clear advice on very technical matters.”
IFLR1000 2017, Banking and finance, Lithuania office
“It is a group of experienced professionals.”