Kārlis Zunde

Kārlis Zunde is a partner and Head of Real Estate practice. Kārlis has a wealth of experience in all aspects of real estate, construction, and environmental law. Before the merger, he led the real estate and construction practice law firm in Latvia. For more than 15 years, Ivars has consulted foreign investors and Latvian companies in a range of significant business areas and has also led complex acquisition and restructuring transactions.

He is also experienced in restructuring and real estate transactions with a special focus on tax-structuring aspects. Kārlis regularly consults clients on tax issues related to their transactions and assists with effective structuring for both corporate income tax and VAT purposes.

Building one team across the region. I consider my main achievement the opportunity to build a fully integrated law firm from scratch. This firm has grown organically to 46 partners and in total over 250 lawyers with integrated legal practice and sector groups, firm-wide leadership, quality management processes and business support services.
Balancing roles. While I spend much of my time today leading the firm’s strategic development, I continue to deepen my skills by advising corporations, mainly in the fields of mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and real estate transactions. I’m proud about being ranked as “eminent practitioner” in Chambers Global.

Active in society. I was a member of the Supervisory Board of Tartu University from 2010 to 2015 and co-chairman of the Law Firm Management Committee at the International Bar Association in 2015 and 2016. I actively support the social enterprise Noored Kooli (TeachFirst) and have been honorary consul of Malta in Estonia since 2003.

Knight’s Cross of Finland. I was honoured to receive the Knight’s Cross, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland from Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in 2015 for two decades of work in developing relations between Estonia and Finland and for supporting Finnish businesses in the region.

Personal passions. I have a special interest in history and law firm management, the latter of which I consider to be not only work, but a lifestyle. Running a family farm in my free time feeds my natural interest to support our clients in the food, agriculture and forestry sectors.