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Agris Bitāns

Managing Partner
Attorney at Law,
Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group

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Languages: Latvian, English, Russian

Agris is the Managing Partner and heads the Eversheds Sutherland Bitāns Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group.  

With more than 25 years of legal experience, Agris is a widely recognized and acclaimed litigator in Latvia.  His main focus on is civil and commercial litigation, civil liability including liability for non-pecuniary loss, intellectual property, contract disputes, criminal litigation, mainly in relation to white-collar crime and fraud.  Agris’s practice areas also include e-commerce, patent rights, mass media, advertising and PPP projects.

Agris has successfully represented clients in several cases which later became case law.  He is a pioneer in various areas of intellectual property-related litigation for local and international clients, including pharmaceutical companies.  His experience also includes multimillion and complex cross-border cases.

In addition to his work at the law firm, Agris is a lector at the University of Latvia in the Faculty of Law.

He also serves as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He regularly contributes to reports on tort law developments in Latvia for the European Centre of Tort and Insurance Law in Vienna.

He is the author of the treatise “Torts and Contractual Liability” (published in “Civil Liability and Its Forms”) and has co-authored commentaries to the Latvian Civil Code and several other legal articles, including commentaries on the Constitution of Latvia. 

Recent experience:

  • Representing a large bankrupt bank and its creditors in a claim brought against the former auditor of the bank: one of the “Big Four” audit firms.  This is the first large-scale claim brought against one of the “Big Four” audit firms in a Latvian court concerning auditors’ liability for professional negligence.
  • Representing the legal interests of a former credit institution with regard to a multimillion claim against its former management board members (who also had been two major shareholders in the bank before it was nationalized) for alleged fraud and misappropriation of funds.
  • Was representing two clients: Reverta (former Parex Bank) and its majority shareholder State JSC Privatizacijas Agentura (Privatisation Agency) regarding breach of representations and warranties relating to the financial state of the bank at the time of its buy-out.  The claim amounted to €100 million and is the biggest to have been brought against private individuals in Latvian case law history. The litigaition process lasted for 12 years. 
  • Representing the largest strategic investor in Latvia in the oil transit area in a USD 90 million litigation case.  The case relates to the liability of board members and council and was initiated by minority stakeholders.
  • In 2021 was representing a client in a claim by Belorussian company Druzba who was requested to declare its ownership rights to technological oil located in a pipeline, amounting to 150,000 tonnes and valued in excess of USD 100 million. 
  • Representing Seesam Insurance and three other well-known international reinsurers in a matter brought by the owner of a Riga shopping center who is demanding payment of an insurance indemnity after a fire in the shopping center in the amount of €630,000.
  • Representing the interests of Salaspils Municipality – one of the major cities in Latvia – in civil litigation against three construction companies for recovery of contractual penalty amounting to €1.7 million for failure to finish the construction works within the agreed term and for executing most of the construction works to a low standard.

Agris is recommended as a litigation lawyer by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Chambers Global, 2023: Market-leading practioner Agris Bitāns is highly regarded in the market for skilfully representing clients in shareholder disputes, administrative proceedings and litigation regarding liability claims. He also acts for clients in local and international arbitration proceedings. A respondent commends him for being a "very talanted lawyer with great advocacy skills."

Chambers Global, 2022: Agris Bitāns is highly regarded in the market for skilfully representing clients in shareholder disputes, administrative proceedings and litigation regarding liability claims. He also acts for clients in local and international arbitration proceedings. A respondent commends him for being a "great presenter," adding he "works with the most complicated issues."

Chambers Europe, 2021: Agris Bitāns is is highly regarded in the market and represents clients in shareholder disputes, administrative proceedings and litigation regarding liability claims. He also acts for clients in arbitration proceedings. One client enthuses that Bitāns is "really good in a courtroom."

Chambers Global, 2014: Agris Bitāns is a firm favorite with clients, who say he “always gets personally involved in our matters.  He has a great attitude and a no-nonsense approach.  He is one of the best litigators in Latvia.”

Chambers Global, 2013: Leading litigator and managing partner Agris Bitāns “does substantial groundwork to put together all the necessary arguments and is incredibly impressive in court,” according to a source.  He has over 20 years of experience in all manner of disputes, ranging from healthcare and banking to IP and telecoms.

Top Ranked in Chambers Global 2023

Top Ranked in Chambers Global 2022 and Chambers Europe 2022

Top Ranked in Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Europe 2021

The Legal 500 EMEA Leading Individual 2021, 2022, 2023 

The Legal 500 EMEA Hall of Fame 2022

Member of the Latvian Bar Association and International Bar Association.

Member of AIPPI.

President of the Latvian AIPPI group since 2005.

Agris holds Professional Master’s degree in law and a lawyer qualification, University of Latvia, 1995.

Agris Bitāns

Managing Partner

Attorney at Law,
Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group

Agris Bitāns

Managing Partner

Attorney at Law,
Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group

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