Filips Kļaviņš is a senior partner at Ellex in Latvia and is also one of the firm’s co-founders. His expertise includes cross-border mergers and acquisitions work (including project management), complex due diligence and transaction documents, team leading and negotiation.
Filips has advised a broad range of foreign investors and local market leaders on major precedent-setting matters. He is also one of the firm’s leaders on complex real estate projects.
Also admitted to the Bar in New York and Connecticut, Filips began his law career in New York with the law firms “Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Heine, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey” and then “Baker & McKenzie”.
Filips Kļaviņš is a well-reputed figure in the Latvian market, with extensive experience advising foreign clients on M&A transactions involving Latvia.
Major forestland acquisition in Latvia
Deals & cases
Capitec acquires AvaFin shares
Deals & cases
Printful merges with Printify
Deals & cases
Maag Group acquires HKScan’s Baltic businesses
Deals & cases
1986
Duke University School of Law | Durham, North Carolina, USA
Doctor of Law (J.D.)
1983
Tufts University | Medford, Massachusetts, USA
Bachelor of Arts (B.A. English and History), cum laude
Latvian Bar Association
Member
International Bar Association (IBA)
Member
Since 2008
Best Lawyers | Advisory Board
Member
Since 2000
Swiss Embassy in Latvia
Official Legal Counsel
Since 2015
Latvian Foster Family Association
Member of Advisory Board
2009-2011
Lex Mundi Association
Vice-Chair Europe/Middle-East/Africa Regional Managing Partners Committee
2003-2014
New Theater of Riga Foundation
Member of the Board of Directors
2004-2006
Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art
Member of the Board of Directors
2001-2008
Latvian National Opera Foundation
Member of the Board of Directors
2000-2004
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
Member of the Board of Directors Arbitration
1996-2014
Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Member of the Board of Directors Arbitration
1996-1998
American Bar Association Section of International Law and Practice Central European Law Committee, USA
Country Representative for Latvia
1993-2002
Senator August Leber Legal Scholarship Foundation, USA
Member of the Board of Directors
1992-1994
American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia
Member of the Board of Directors
1992-1993
American Bar Association Dictionary of Legal Synonyms Latvian/English
Member of the Board of Advisors
1991
Latvian Supreme Council Committee on Legislation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Legal Adviser
1990-1991
University of Latvia Law Faculty
Lecturer on American Contract Law
1989-1991
USA Latvian-American Bar Association, USA
Vice President
2020
The Buzz in Latvia with Filips KļaviņšCEE Legal Matters, March 2020
“Without question,” says Filips Kļaviņš, Senior Partner at Ellex in Latvia, “the biggest news was that on Friday, February 21 the Financial Action Task Force decided not to put Latvia on its Gray money-laundering List.” Latvia has been under monitoring by Moneyval and the FATF for potentially allowing space for conducting money laundering in Latvia. “The countries that find themselves on the Gray List are the likes of North Korea,” Kļaviņš says. “Not the company you’d want to find yourself in.” Still, he smiles, “the country has been working really hard to avoid that, and we’ve done it.”
Moneyval also reported positively about Latvia in January, and Kļaviņš reports that Standard & Poor's recently gave the country an A+ rating - the highest in Latvia's history.
“Without question,” says Filips Kļaviņš, Senior Partner at Ellex in Latvia, “the biggest news was that on Friday, February 21 the Financial Action Task Force decided not to put Latvia on its Gray money-laundering List.” Latvia has been under monitoring by Moneyval and the FATF for potentially allowing space for conducting money laundering in Latvia. “The countries that find themselves on the Gray List are the likes of North Korea,” Kļaviņš says. “Not the company you’d want to find yourself in.” Still, he smiles, “the country has been working really hard to avoid that, and we’ve done it.”
Moneyval also reported positively about Latvia in January, and Kļaviņš reports that Standard & Poor's recently gave the country an A+ rating - the highest in Latvia's history.
2018
Energy Investment Risk Assessment (EIRA)Energy Charter Secretariat, October 2018
EIRA 2018 aims at assessing specific policy, regulatory and legal risks concerning foreign and domestic investment in the energy sector of different countries.
Ellex experts in Latvia Filips Kļaviņš, Iveta Ceple and Ints Skaldis joined the project contributing to the EIRA country profile of Latvia.
EIRA 2018 aims at assessing specific policy, regulatory and legal risks concerning foreign and domestic investment in the energy sector of different countries.
Ellex experts in Latvia Filips Kļaviņš, Iveta Ceple and Ints Skaldis joined the project contributing to the EIRA country profile of Latvia.
2017
CEE Legal Matters Market Makers Round TableCEE Legal Matters, Issue 4.7., July 2017
On May 31, 2017, many of the Market Makers came together at the Bristol Hotel in Warsaw for a unique Round Table conversation: A joyous celebration of history made, challenges overcome, opportunities seized, and careers built. Over the course of three hours these Market Makers laughed their way through reminiscences of earlier times, different technologies, unexpected obstacles, and eventual success.
Filips Kļaviņš also took part in the discussion.
On May 31, 2017, many of the Market Makers came together at the Bristol Hotel in Warsaw for a unique Round Table conversation: A joyous celebration of history made, challenges overcome, opportunities seized, and careers built. Over the course of three hours these Market Makers laughed their way through reminiscences of earlier times, different technologies, unexpected obstacles, and eventual success.
Filips Kļaviņš also took part in the discussion.
2017
How did basketball fan Filips Kļaviņš get hold of a copy of the NBA champions ring of 1973?Overtime TV, March 2017
Episode by Latvian television show Overtime TV featuring partner Filips Kļaviņš.
Episode by Latvian television show Overtime TV featuring partner Filips Kļaviņš.
2017
Core values and Latvia as the land of great opportunitiesLaiks, February 2017
Ellex in Latvia co-founders and partners Filips Kļaviņš and Raimonds Slaidiņš in an interview to Ligita Kovtuna for the Latvian-American newspaper “Laiks”.
Ellex in Latvia co-founders and partners Filips Kļaviņš and Raimonds Slaidiņš in an interview to Ligita Kovtuna for the Latvian-American newspaper “Laiks”.
2017
From Latvia With Love, Vintage 1973www.nba.com, January 2017
Article about the historical impact left on New York Knicks by Filips Kļaviņš.
Article about the historical impact left on New York Knicks by Filips Kļaviņš.
2016
The Buzz From Latvia: Interview with Filips KļaviņšCEE Legal Matters, July 2016
The most controversial legislative development in Latvia in recent months, according to Filips Kļaviņš, is the so-called “Solidarity Tax” that went into effect in January 2016.
The most controversial legislative development in Latvia in recent months, according to Filips Kļaviņš, is the so-called “Solidarity Tax” that went into effect in January 2016.
2015
The Baltics - A triple Play
The Lawyer, January 2015
Article prepared by partner Filips Kļaviņš.
Article prepared by partner Filips Kļaviņš.
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