Our team is recognised on national and international levels for outstanding knowledge and experience as well as efficient and personalised service. To preserve our good reputation, we are particular about selecting new lawyers with expertise in certain specific areas of law and capable of blending into the team.

Our clients include mainly Estonian companies, governmental institutions and municipalities and to a lesser degree the private individuals, both Estonian and foreign nationals. We also act for international financial, trading, insurance, property and industrial consortiums and their Estonian subsidiaries.

Besides handling their day to day work of providing advice to the clients, our attorneys Asko Pohla, Andres Hallmägi and Toivo Viilup are internationally recognised arbitrators who have acted as arbitrators and represented parties in several arbitration disputes in various European countries.

Pohla & Hallmägi has extensive experience in representing Clients concerning EC and Estonian competition law matters. Attorney Martin Mannik has earned in 2006 the LL.M. degree in the European Affairs from Lund University on a thesis on the "Abuse of a dominant position by pharmaceutical undertakings in EC law".

Our professionals provide their services in addition to Estonian also in English, Russian, Finnish, Swedish and German.

The firm specialises in a broad range of legal services including: (listed in alphabetical order)

2017

• Representation of Pärnu Airport in execution of the decision of Estonian Government to invest 20 million EUR to develop Pärnu Airport
• Representation of Norwegian machinery industry entrepreneur in execution of corporate changes in its Estonian subsidiary
• Representation of Norwegian real estate developer in acquisition of cash flow property in Tallinn City center
• Representation of Tallinn Airport in receiving the exemption from European Commission to Estonia of provision of certain groundhandling services in Tallinn Airport
• Representation of Norwegian real estate developer in acquisition of unfinished business property
• Representation of Estonian real estate developer in reconstruction and renting out a shopping center
• Representation of Norwegian client in dispute with Estonian construction company
• Consulting of Coal Terminal AS and its shareholder
• Representation of Norwegian retail trade entrepreneur on effecting activity, purchasing business premises and concluding lease agreements
• Representing Norwegian leading real estate fund on restructuring Latvian and Lithuanian subsidiaries
• Representing Norwegian real estate developers in Arbitration Court of ECCI against the Swedish defendant
• Representing client in ship construction in Western Europe, transport to Estonia and finalizing the construction
• Representing key persons of Copterline in bankruptcy procedure
• Representing Danish pharmaceutical company in establishment and starting of center for clinical trials
• Representing Estonian infrastructure company in transferring the activity of one gas company to another
• Consulting Karmsund Grupp in purchasing business properties and leasing to seller
• Representing Norwegian machinery concern in dispute with Estonian minority shareholder
• Representing Norwegian machinery concern in dispute between the shareholders, regulating the structure and merging the subsidiaries
• Consulting Estonian infrastructure company in transferring the waterways to local government
• Toivo Viilup represented successfully Koch and Mullari in dispute with Äripäev
• Representation of Estonian retail company in entering to Norwegian retail market
• Representation of Estonian-Norwegian construction company in dispute with German client regarding producing and supplying refugee homes to Germany

2016

• Advising Tallinn International Airport on lending from European Investment Bank (30 MEUR) and Nordic Investment Bank (24 MEUR)
• 30.11.2016 Pohla & Hallmägi was recognized on the basis of 2015 statistics 8th best business consulting company in Estonia being on 4th place amongst law firms
• Representing successfully Handelsbanken AB in declaring the bankruptcy of Rene Kuulmann, Äripäev mentioned inaccurately that we represented Rene Kuulmann
• Representing successfully OÜ Tallinngaas in the dispute with AS Eesti Gaas in the Supreme Court (Riigikohus)
• Consulting Estonian the bankruptcy national aviation company in claiming the debts from the service provider
• Consulting Norwegian investors in Arbitration Court by claiming the damage from the Swedish real estate developer
• Consulting Norwegian investors in acquiring, developing the shopping center in the living area of Tallinn and in the sale of the center to the company noted in the stock exchange
• Consulting Norwegian investors in purchase and sale of several apartments in Tallinn
• Consulting Norwegian investors in purchase of business real estate in the city center of Tallinn
• Representing successfully French company in the ID-card production procurement dispute with Police and Border Guard Board
• Consulting of the Danish pharmaceutical company in starting the clinical trials Project in Estonia
• Representing Norwegian investors in sale of the shopping center in Pärnu
• Consulting the sale of the shares of medical center Qvalitas
• Representing the Norwegian investors in the sale of the shopping center in Tallinn
• Consulting the Government of Estonia in restructuring of Estonian Air
• Representing Handelsbanken AB in several insolvency disputes
• Representing of EVR Cargo in the dispute regarding the ban of use of the freight wagons established by Russia

2015

• Representing a Kazakhstan origin company in the arbitration dispute in Stockholm
• Advising the Norwegian real estate developer on the acquisition of the commercial property in Tallinn city center and retail center in the residential area
• Advising the seller of AE Projekt Insener OÜ on the sale of the majority share to the BPT Real Estate AS, a leading property and asset management service company in the Baltics
• Advising the Norwegian shareholder on the restructuring of the Estonian furniture producer
• Advising GlaxoSmithKline in global data protection and personal data policy issues, including the review of Estonian law aspects relating to its Binding Corporate Rules for international data transfers
• Advising Norwegian real estate owner on the acquisition of the commercial real estate in the business area close to Tallinn centre
• Advising Norwegian real estate developer on the sale of the office and production real estate
• Representing an Estonian original real estate developer on purchasing from Ektornet the real estates in Tallinn city centre with the commercial and residential purpose
• consulting the Office of the President of the Republic in public procurement matters
• representing Svendsen on the combined transaction of acquiring and renovation of the commercial property in Tallinn
• representing Selvaag on the sale of the warehouse property in Tallinn
• representing GlaxoSmithKline on buying Novartis' vaccines business and selling of GSK´s cancer drugs to Novartis and the two groups tying up in consumer healthcare
• representing Norwegian origin investor on the acquisition of the Norwegian textiles company and its subsidiary in Estonia
• representing Selvaag on the sale of the prime location office property in Tallinn
• representing Karmsund group on the sale of the shopping center in Tallinn

2014

• Consulting the third and eleventh biggest deal in the medicine area in the world of 2014
• representing Handelsbanken in several court proceedings
• consulting Finnish fishing company in Finnish administrative proceedings
• carrying out the legal audit of N-Terminal Grupp
• representing the producer of wooden houses of Estonian/Norwegian origin in the bankruptcy procedure in Norway
• representing GlaxoSmithKline on the different procurements of medicines
• representing ProVoice of Swedish origin on starting the activities in Estonia
• representing Alfons Hakans in the sale of vessels
• representing Baltic Workboats in a land readjustment matters, in a wind turbine building matters, in shipbuilding in Croatia and in a dispute against shipbuilder AS BLRT Grupp
• representing Danske Bank in the bankruptcy proceeding of OÜ Skovales
• representing piloting company Eesti Loots in a dispute against ERGO Insurance S.A.
• representing Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railroad) in several public procurement matters
• representing Eesti Telekom in the claims against the shipowners
• representing EVR Cargo in negotiations with Chinese locomotive producer
• representing Gazpromneft Marine Bunker Balkan in ship arrests
• representing Green Marine in the dispute with Scantrans
• representing charterer Hansa Shipping in a dispute with Swedish insurance company
• representing Harku Parish Government in the court disputes regarding the zoning matters
• representing Jõelähtme Parish Government in the damage compensation claim from Jägala Energy, also in several zoning matters
• representing the chairman of the supervisory board of Eesti Krediidipank in a dispute with Estonian Financial Supervisor and with the Bank of Moscow
• representing the small shareholder of AS Eesti Krediidipank in various civil disputes
• representing College of Kuressaare in public procurement matters
• representing LTH-Baas in arbitration proceedings
• representing the Land Board in public procurement matters
• representing Royal Unibrew Eesti in the mattes of labour law
• representing Tallinn Airport GH in concluding agreements with aircraft services providers
• representing Tallinn Airport in concluding lease agreements with the Magnetic MRO and Panaviatic
• representing the Port of Tallinn in concluding the purchase agreements of vessels for the permanent connection between the mainland and islands
• representing the Port of Tallinn regarding the zoning dispute in the Port of Saaremaa
• representing the Port of Tallinn in the procurement procedure for building LNG terminal
• representing Transocean in the dispute regarding the expedition agreement
• representing Vesta Terminal Tallinn and the Port of Tallinn in a court dispute with Viimsi Parish Government regarding the zoning plan
• consulting Perfect Home of Norwegian origin in moving the business into Estonia
• consulting Nõmme Kalju FC in the court dispute with UNIBET London Ltd in the claim of debt and fines for delay
• representing Altedis Eesti in the court disputefor claiming the damage compensation from Tax Board
• osalemine alltöövõtjana Keskkonnaagentuuri hankes „Tõkestusrajatiste inventariseerimine vooluveekogudel kalade rändetingimuste parandamiseks: avaliku sektori paisud“,
• representing a client on a purchase of a helicopter from Mexico

2013

• Representing a state owned infrastructure company in a court dispute regarding the detail plan of the harbor area
• Representing a Lybian state owned vessel owner in the issues related to arresting the vessel
• Arresting a ship on claiming the debt related to the security services
• Representing the shareholders of the bank registered in Estonia in a dispute with the Financial Supervisor
• Representing Scandinavian banks establishments in Estonia on selling the vessels in Finland, Spain, Turkey, Farnce and Latvia
• Representing a infrastructure company on purchase of the train locomotives from China
• Representing the company from the renewable energy sector on purchasing the windmills from Denmark
• Representing a state owned company related to the quality issues of the vessels against the insurance company
• Representing a local vessel owner on purchasing vessels from Finland and selling to Russia
• Representing a health service provider in relation with the amendments of the laws
• Representing the Scandinavian origin vechicles producer in public procurements
• Representing a leading Estonian shipbuilder in public procurements
• Representing a state owned infrastructure company regarding the planned amendments in EU regulations
• Representing the investors from Norway on restructuring the local real estate and production unit and refinancing its obligations
• Representing a Norwegian owned commercial real estate developer on the sale of the commercial property in Tallinn to the local investor
• Successful representing in all court instances (incl a Supreme Court) of a leading local owner of the shopping centers against a leading provider of the gambling services in the Baltics
• Representing a shareholder on splitting the business of a lubricants importer
• Representing a biggest real estate brokerage web-page on drafting the agreements
• Representing 2012 Estonian Football Champion Club in the relations with the sponsors
• Representing Scandinavian leading hotel chain on creating and aquisitions of the hotels in Tallinn
• Represeting the parish governments around Tallinn in the disputes related to the detail planning
• Representing Norwegian and UK investors on the aquisition of the exclusive manor in Northern Estonia
• Representing the Norwegian families on aquisitions of commercial real estates
• Representing leading Estonian and Dutch IT companies related to the issuse of broken sea cables
• Representing a Japanese origin pharmaceutical producer in the relations with the governmental authorities
• Representing a German origin heavy industry company in a planning dispute
• Representing a Swedish origin engineering and production company in the realtions between the shareholders and restructuring of its Estonian establishment
• Representing a local ship owner and operator on involving a new investor
• Representing a local logistics company on using a first refusal on the share sale
• Representing a publik instrastructure company on purchasing the real estate from Estonian Air
• Representing the leading owner of the warehouses on fighting against unlawful insolvency claims
• Representing a local construction companies shareholders in the relations between the shareholders

All attorneys of Pohla & Hallmägi are the members of the Estonian Bar Association, Asko Pohla and Jüri Ploom are the members of International Bar Association. Pohla & Hallmägi is the member of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Norwegian-Estonian Chamber of Commerce, Estonian Swedish Chamber of Commerce and first gold member of ICC-Estonia.

Our firm has successfully developed relationships with a wide range of partner firms in practically all countries of Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Our contacts with American colleagues are also close. The contacts with African, Asian and Australian law firms have been rarer but we have also cooperated with colleagues from these areas when providing advice to our clients e.g. in shipping law.

Pohla & Hallmägi has remained independent and refused all proposals for merger with other law firms or joining professional chains. The firm enjoys its independence and the right to choose those expert partner firms in other countries that could best meet the particular requirements of the client and thereby to avoid the compulsory selection of a firm from among the partner firms from the network.

We value dedication to and friendly relations with our clients, also friendly atmosphere at work and are of the opinion that such relations can be maintained in everyday life only in a firm of moderate size.

Articles related to Pohla & Hallmägi published in the press during recent years.

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2015

Pohla & Hallmägi is interested in recruiting young talented lawyers.

We have decided to recruit young graduates from Tartu University or foreign univesities. However, we do not exclude hiring lawyers with practical experience. The firm is seeking candidates with a solid academic background and capable of further development. The candidates are expected to be interested in joining the Estonian Bar Association and after some years of practice to obtain LLM degree at a foreign university.

We have constantly had trainees in the firm for the period of a couple of months maximum. Some of the trainees have later joined the firm. We have had trainees from foreign universities as well.

If you are interested to work or undergo training in our firm please contact us at jurist@phlaw.ee and send your application and C.V. Should there be no response within a couple of weeks, it would indicate that we have not been able to hire you or have you as a trainee.

An additional condition for a candidate or a future trainee is proficiency in at least two foreign languages (preferably Russian and English). References will be appreciated.