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Chambers Europe 2017 ranks DERLING and its lawyers among the best in Estonia

Chambers Europe, one of the most prestigious legal directories, ranked DERLING and its lawyers among the best in Estonia in the 2017 edition. Client feedback collected by Chambers editors is a testament to DERLINGs promise to its clients – to understand client needs and to be easy to deal with.

Corporate/Commercial practice recognised by the directory: Clients are impressed with the team’s level of service, saying: “They are experienced, thorough and offer premium quality,” continuing: “The lawyers are dedicated and professional, with a business-minded and pragmatic approach.” According to Chambers Europe and it sources, our partners were praised as follows:

• Managing partner Hannes Vallikivi as “always open, very direct” and “easy to talk to.” They also praise his ability to explain matters and provide solutions in a “clear and transparent way.”
• Partner Rolan Jankelevitsh is particularly recognised for his tax expertise and is also active on M&A and general corporate and commercial mandates. According to clients, he is “a versatile and creative lawyer” who is “easy to talk to, analyses all the details very well and always gives suggestions with very specific explanations.”

Dispute Resolution clients appreciate the team’s balanced approach, praising “their ability to rigorously address details while having the big picture under control.” Another comment: “They know what is important and do not fuss over unnecessary details.” Other clients refer to their responsiveness, saying: “They are always available.” Our partners were praised as follows:

• Erki Kergandberg advises clients on a range of civil, administrative and criminal disputes, including tax matters and white-collar crime. He handles both litigation and arbitration. Clients commend him as a “great strategist” and one of the best Estonian litigation lawyers.
• Elmer Muna has a broad practice covering a spectrum of disputes, including bankruptcy issues and is particularly well regarded for his experience in public procurement disputes. Clients state: “He is good at both the background work and court practice.”
• Margo Lemetti heads the firm’s Tartu office and is recognised for his experience in a range of litigation and arbitration mandates, including civil and administrative cases. He attracts positive feedback for his client service.

Banking and Finance clients are impressed by our in-depth experience in the banking and finance area, saying: “We were impressed by their ability to deal with complex issues.” Clients also comment on their business-oriented approach, saying: “I really like that they are business-aware.” Our partners were praised as follows:

• Hannes Vallikivi has a long-established presence in the market, with sources referring to him as a “very experienced and seasoned”
• Clients appreciate Andres Siigur’s ability to help them “understand how to fit the business model into a regulatory framework” and provide answers that are “as short as possible and as long as necessary.”

As to the Employment practice, partner Toomas Taube got the highest ranking and was recognised as a highly-respected practitioner with expertise in a wide spectrum of non-contentious and contentious employment matters. He was highly ranked also in Intellectual Property practice.

In addition, DERLING was noted to be active in Real Estate practice.

The legal directory Chambers Europe annually investigates and ranks the best law firms and their lawyers in 52 European jurisdictions. Researchers conduct thousands of interviews with clients, industry experts and lawyers. Directory’s rankings are based on legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness, diligence and commitment to the client.