Founder
Jānis Zaļais, sworn advocate
Jānis Zaļais founded the firm in 2021 after more than a decade in Latvian law firms and, before that, in the court system. He is a sworn advocate and a member of the Latvian Collegium of Sworn Advocates. His work is disputes — civil, criminal and administrative — from the first assessment of whether a case is worth pursuing to the Supreme Court, and ongoing counsel to companies doing business in Latvia: the office works as a single point of contact and, for registered address and accounting, brings in cooperation partners.
Experience
- 2021 – present — Founder, SIA "Jāņa Zaļā zvērinātu advokātu birojs", Riga. Alongside his own firm, he provides legal support to one of the largest international audit companies.
- 2019 — Practises at the law firm Spilbridge, Riga, as a sworn advocate: civil litigation, administrative proceedings, criminal defence, cases before the Constitutional Court, anti-money-laundering compliance, defamation.
- 2008 – 2019 — Lawyer, then sworn advocate, law firm Bišers & Partneri, Riga: public procurement, real estate transactions, corporate transactions, civil litigation, administrative proceedings, criminal defence.
- 2007 – 2008 — Judge's assistant, Riga City Latgale District Court: drafting court decisions in civil, criminal and administrative-offence cases.
- 2006 – 2007 — Court clerk, Riga City Latgale District Court.
Education
- Turība University, Riga — Professional Master's degree in Law (LL.M.), 2009.
- Police Academy of Latvia — lawyer's qualification, study programme "Public Law".
Bar membership
Sworn advocate, member of the Latvian Collegium of Sworn Advocates (Latvijas Zvērinātu advokātu kolēģija). Practice is governed by the Advocacy Law and the Collegium's Code of Ethics.
Working languages
Latvian, English, Russian.
Publications and profile
How we approach cases
First — is it worth it
Before any work we say what the chances are, what the risks are and what it could cost. If a case is not worth starting, we say so in the first conversation.
No surprises
Fees are agreed in writing before work starts. We report on the progress of the case regularly, not only when something happens.
Understandable from abroad
We explain Latvian procedure in plain English — which instance, which deadline, whether you need to be here — so that you can make decisions without a background in Latvian law.