Prominent lawyers form new office NOVE specializing in dispute resolution

10.04.2016

Attorneys-at-law Andrus Kattel, Veikko Puolakainen, Kristjan Tamm and Urmas Volens, all with considerable experience in their field, founded a boutique law firm specializing in resolving complex business disputes.
“NOVE’s motto is less, but better,” explains NOVE partner, attorney-at-law and associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu, Urmas Volens. “We will never start measuring our work by quantity. Our goal is to ensure that every client is guaranteed the attention of a NOVE partner.”
NOVE’s pricing model will not be based on the traditional hourly billing method.“Considering our extensive experience in legal services, in most cases we are able to offer a project-based fixed-fee arrangement that allows the customer to already get a clearer picture of possible costs in the early phases. This also motivates us to work within the agreed framework.”
The law office sees its clients mostly as medium-sized and large companies, who need assistance resolving more complex business disputes in both pre-court and legal proceedings related to corporate (relations between shareholders, stakeholders and management bodies, mergers and acquisitions), real estate, construction, insurance law and law of obligations, bankruptcy and enforcement procedures. “As the best disputes are those that never happen, NOVE also offers legal services which aim is to prevent disputes – drafting and negotiating contracts and corporate documents,” Volens adds.

The founders of the office have 10–15 years experience working in the legal field. The new law office NOVE opened its doors on the 14th of March.

Additional information:

Urmas Volens, phone: +372 50 63470, e-mail: urmas.volens@nove.ee

Background of the founders

Andrus Kattel has been working in the legal field since 1997. Andrus is one of the most renowned insurance law (including litigation) specialists in Estonia. He has worked for eight years as a lawyer in one of Estonia’s leading insurance companies If P&C Insurance, between 2001 and 2014 he was a member of the insurance litigation committee, and for the past ten years he has worked in the litigation team of one of the leading law offices in the Baltic region. Andrus has extensive experience in the field of insurance disputes, having represented clients in several major court cases in Estonia. He has also represented clients involving transport and maritime law, real estate and construction law, and tort law.

Veikko Puolakainen has worked in the legal field since 1998 with experience as a corporate lawyer as well as an attorney in a smaller and medium-sized law office. For the last six years, Veikko has worked in the litigation team of one of the leading law offices in the Baltic region. Veikko is particularly focused on civil and administrative litigation, and has represented clients in all court instances in the Republic of Estonia. An important part of his work has revolved around different disputes related to the law of obligations, real estate and construction law. Veikko is also highly experienced in disputes concerning bankruptcy and enforcement proceedings.

Kristjan Tamm has worked in the legal field since 2004, starting out as a lawyer in the field of construction. Prior to studying law, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in construction and worked as a civil engineer and later as the head of an engineering and construction company – thanks to this he has, in addition to good knowledge in the legal field, extensive experience and expertise with technical questions concerning engineering and construction. Kristjan specializes in protecting the rights of clients in the field of construction concerning litigation procedures as well as contracts. His professional knowledge is extra handy when collecting and assessing evidence for court. In addition to concerns related to construction, Kristjan also focuses on other aspects of contract law and tort claims, as well as the protection of minority shareholders and the responsibility of members of the management body. In addition to working as a lawyer, Kristjan is a lecturer in construction and engineering law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu.

Urmas Volens has been practicing law since 1998, when he started as a specialist in the Ministry of Justice, Private Law Division. Having worked in different positions in the Ministry of Justice, including the role of Deputy Secretary General for Legal Policy for 2006–2009, he has participated in developing numerous laws in private and public law fields. During the last six years, Urmas has worked in one of the leading law offices in the Baltic region in the field of litigation and was the head of the Real Estate and Construction Team. Urmas specializes in more complex disputes, in particular in the fields of corporate law, real estate and construction law and contract law. Relying on his extensive experience, Urmas also advises clients in real estate transactions and questions related to corporate law. Urmas is the Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu where he lectures on corporate law and civil proceedings.