Cobalt as a firm is reputed for its strong grasp of competition law. Its expertise extends to a broad range of competition and antitrust areas, covering horizontal practices, public enforcement and merger control. Experienced competition lawyer and group head Elo Tamm is an important practitioner in this regard, regularly assisting clients in complex transactions that need to be cleared by the Estonian Competition Authority in order to proceed. Special counsel Mart Blöndal is another key contact in the department, and is highlighted for having ‘a hands-on approach to find any solution'.

Ellex fields a ‘very knowledgeable and professional team’, which has a strong background in EU and competition law, often representing clients before the European Court of Justice. Indeed, practice head Martin Mäesalu, a ‘superb, business-oriented lawyer‘, is a member of the Estonian Bar Association’s Competition Law Committee. The group has the size and resources to handle multiple matters at the same time, leveraging teams across the Baltic jurisdictions and further afield to advise on complex mergers. On the regulatory side, Raino Paron is a name to note.

The ‘accurate, quick and very communicative' team at Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co specialises in competition law and utilises its network of offices to work on complex merger control matters internationally. State aid matters and litigation also feature in the team’s workload. Risto Rüütel is an extremely experienced competition lawyer in Estonia and is well supported by associate Maarja Junti in all areas of antitrust law. Managing partner Maivi Ots is another key practitioner and is often engaged in M&A-related competition law issues.

Kaupo Lepasepp and Mihkel Miidla head the growing team at Sorainen, which is highlighted for its ‘profound knowledge and excellent service‘; the group handles a range of competition law issues across the Baltic countries, such as merger control and state aid matters. Another notable team member is Kaspar Endrikson, who ‘has exceptional communication skills and a business-minded approach’ and is proficient in the energy and infrastructure industries. Lise-Lotte Lääne, who was promoted to counsel in 2023, is prominent in the healthcare and life sciences sector, which is an area of interest of the wider group.

NOVE offers a broad range of competition and EU law advice to both private and public clients, including governmental organisations. In the words of one client, ‘what truly stands out about this team is its approach to analysis’, and this analysis is done within a plethora of sectors, including retail, IT, medicine and construction. Accomplished competition and EU lawyer Mari Past oversees the group, and Veikko Puolakainen is a well-established litigator in these areas, so is key for the group’s work in contentious matters.

The group at TARK maintains a presence in the public sector in Estonia. Tanel Tark leads the team and is well versed in cartel investigations, complex merger cases and state aid issues. In addition to its expertise in cartel cases, the team also advises clients on regulatory compliance such as competition compliance audits, and also represents clients before the Estonian Competition Authority.

TGS Baltic has ‘very good experts who are doing good work to understand the aims of the client’. Triinu Järviste heads the team and is a ‘real expert in competition and state aid questions’. Another key team member is Triin Kaurov, who has ‘remarkable experience, is very committed, and gives rational and well-considered solutions’. As a whole, the group has been involved in many of the major competition law investigations in recent years, and recently won a state aid case in the European General Court. Triinu Järviste is another name to note for competition law matters.

Following the firm's merger with FORT in early 2024, WALLESS has an impressive client base in Estonia, acting for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Talinn Airport, among others. Practice head Rene Frolov ‘delves deeply into every topic that needs to be resolved‘ and ‘has broad-based knowledge’, covering antitrust investigations, complex mergers and, increasingly, state aid, which is a growing area of focus for the broader group. Elsewhere, experienced associate Liina Käis is active in highly regulated industries, predominantly energy and transport.

RASK Attorneys-at-Law is skilled in state aid cases and is able to handle disputes in this area while also providing contract and regulatory services. At the helm is founding partner Tarmo Peterson, who is renowned for his expertise in complex legal disputes. Birgit Aasa is another name to note in the team, covering an array of work in EU, constitutional and international law.

At Triniti, practice head Tanel Kalaus, who has almost three decades of experience, is ‘among the best practitioners in this area’ according to one client. At the associate level, Sandor Elias is active in the energy sector, and often works on competition law matters in this field. He also often represents local government and other state entities in state aid matters, which is a strength of the broader group.