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Paulius Zapolskis
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PhD

Paulius Zapolskis

Partner, Head of Energy Industry Group
Vilnius, Lithuania

The most influential and prominent international legal directory The European Legal 500 rank Paulius as a New Generation Lawyer in energy law

  • IFLR1000

Practices

Industries

  • About

    Paulius Zapolskis is Partner at TGS Baltic with over 15 years of legal work experience. Paulius specialises in energy, commercial contracting, international commercial arbitration and other related areas.

    Paulius has an LL.M from Ghent University, Belgium, in European and comparative law, also has defended his doctoral thesis in the area of contract law. Paulius has been on a traineeship in various Western academic and other institutions, including an academic traineeship in the University of Lucerne (Switzerland) and a traineeship in the European Commission (Brussels).

    Paulius advises companies in public and private sectors on commercial law, public law issues also represents the companies in negotiations and international commercial arbitration. Paulius provides legal consultations on issues related to oil and gas (including LNG) sectors, long-term supply contracts, project development regulatory matters, also advises developers of renewable energy resources projects and renewable energy producers.

     

  • Major Projects
    • 15.02.2022

      TGS Baltic advised Green Genius, one of Europe's leading renewable energy companies, on acquiring a 85-MW wind farm in Lithuania

      Our client Green Genius, an international renewable energy company, has signed an agreement to purchase 100% of the shares in the company having rights to develop85 MW wind farm in Lithuania. 

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    • 20.05.2019

      Transfer of Vilnius City heating infrastructure

      In 2002, AB Vilniaus Šilumos Tinklai leased the heat and electricity production infrastructure of Vilnius City to UAB Vilniaus Energija for a period of 15 years. The leased infrastructure consisted of several power plants and all supporting infrastructure.

       

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    • 20.05.2019

      TGS Baltic represents the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania

      In January 2016, Veolia Environnement S.A. (a company based in France) and other claimants brought a claim against the Republic of Lithuania in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, D. C. This is only the second time when the Republic of Lithuania has been brought to the ICSID as a defendant.

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    • 20.05.2019

      TGS Baltic advises on implementation of projects on modernization of the district heating sector in Vilnius and Kaunas

      TGS Baltic continues to advise Lietuvos energija, UAB, a group of state-controlled energy companies, which is one of the largest in the Baltic States, on the implementation of the projects of modernization of the district heating sector in Vilnius and Kaunas, which are recognized as economic projects of national significance to the Republic of Lithuania. 

       

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    • 01.07.2018

      Advised UAB Lietuvos Energija in approving the medium term note program

      TGS Baltic advised UAB Lietuvos Energija in approving the medium-term note program, which has been upsized to EUR 1.5 billion and issuing a EUR 300 million bond issue under the program. Since 11 July 2018, the placed bonds have been admitted to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and AB Nasdaq Vilnius. It is one of the largest transactions of this kind in the Baltic States.

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    • TGS Baltic provided the European Commission with an EU-wide study on the law applicable to insurance contracts

      This study was required under Article 27 of Regulation (EC) No. 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) in order to consider possible changes to the said regulation.

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    • Represents one of the largest Lithuanian construction companies

      Represents one of the largest Lithuanian construction companies in the ICC International Court of Arbitration. The dispute concerned the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania.

    • Prepared a legal expert report in ICSID case

      Prepared a legal expert report in ICSID case No. ARB/05/8 Parkerings-Compagniet AS v. Republic of Lithuania.

    • Represented the client in a legal dispute brought before the ICC International Court of Arbitration

      Represented the client in a legal dispute brought before the ICC International Court of Arbitration. The dispute arose out of the EPC contract concerning provision of engineering, procurement and construction services in order to build a new Gasoline Selective Hydrotreatment Unit.

    • Represented an oil refinery

      Represented an oil refinery in arbitration proceedings before the London Court of International Arbitration related to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of oil refining equipment. The amount in dispute exceeded USD 5 million.

    • Represented an oil refinery company

      Represented an oil refinery company in legal proceedings brought pursuant to refinery’s statement of claim against the insurance broker operating in the United Kingdom with respect to the improper provision of insurance broker’s services and related compensation for damage.

      Alternative requests have been made in the proceedings; the amount claimed was maximum USD 137 million and minimum USD 35 million of the compensation for damage. A settlement agreement has been signed between the parties.

    • Provided legal advice to UAB LITGAS

      Provided legal advice to UAB LITGAS regarding the Sale and Purchase Agreement for Liquefied Natural Gas with Statoil ASA.

    • Provided legal consultations to UAB Pamario jėgainių energija

      Provided legal consultations to UAB Pamario jėgainių energija related to the development of one of the largest wind farms in Lithuania, intended construction of wind plants and power lines, also successfully represented the client in auctions on the distribution of tariff quotas organized by the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices.

    • Advising renewable energy producers

      Advising renewable energy producers on planned feed-in premium auctions and the development of wind farms and photovoltaic power stations.

    • Advising UAB Lietuvos energija and its subsidiaries

      Advising UAB Lietuvos energija and its subsidiaries on operational issues, including the Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant (incinerating biofuel and municipal waste) development project.

    • Representing AB Klaipėdos nafta

      Representing AB Klaipėdos nafta on various issues pertaining to regulatory activities, operations of oil and LNG terminals and related matters, including the acquisition of the vessel Floating Storage Facility and the implementation of a terminal long-term operating model.

  • CV

    Professional career

    Since 2022
    Partner, Attorney at Law, law firm TGS Baltic
    2017 – 2022
    Associate Partner, Attorney at Law, law firm TGS Baltic
    2014 – 2017
    Senior Associate, Attorney at Law, law firm Tark Grunte Sutkiene
    2012 – 2014
    Senior Associate, Attorney at Law, professional law partnership Baltic Legal Solutions Lietuva
    2005 – 2012
    Associate, associate advocate, professional law partnership Baltic Legal Solutions Lietuva
    2005 – 2014
    Lecturer, Mykolas Romeris University, Faculty of Law, Department of Business Law

    Education

    2011 – 2012
    University of Lucerne, Switzerland | Mykolas Romeris University, Doctor of Law
    2009
    International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), Rome, Italy (traineeship)
    2009
    Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg, Germany (traineeship)
    2008
    Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, Lausanne, Switzerland (traineeship)
    2006 – 2007
    European Commission (Brussels), Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Unfair Commercial Practices (traineeship)
    2005
    Ghent University, Faculty of Law, Belgium (LL.M, diploma cum laude, European and Comparative Law programme)
    2004
    Law University of Lithuania, Faculty of Law, Bachelor of Law
    2003
    Ghent University, Faculty of Law, Belgium (Erasmus programme)

    Membership

    Lithuanian Bar Association
  • Publications
    • TGS Baltic Energy Market News Flash (vol4)
    • Baltic Energy Market News Flash
    • Disclosure of Evidence (E-Disclosure) and Protection of Personal Data in International Arbitration.From Arbitration. Theory and Practice - Justitia, 2015, p. 26-44
    • Amending a contract: Circumstances caused by the national and global economic crisis. The doctrine and practice of private law. Liber amicorum Vytautas Pakalniškis. Collection of research papers - Mykolo Romerio universitetas, p. 301-318
    • Fundamental Alteration of the Contractual Equilibrium under Hardship Exemption - Jurisprudence, No. 19(1), p. 121-141
    • Unfair commercial practices and consumer’s economic interests. Legal aspects of consumer protection in the European Union. Collection of research papers of the conference - Mykolo Romerio universiteto Leidybos centras. p. 65-73
    • The effect of change in circumstances on the performance of a contract - Jurisprudence. 4(118), p. 197-216
    • Amending contacts is very hard work - Verslo Žinios, No. 132, p. 15
    • The adjustment of contracts in the contemporary economic environment - The Baltic Times. May 21, p. 6
    • Harmonization of European contract law: Commission’s initiatives. Evolution trends and prospects of modern civil law. Collection of research paper - Justitia, p. 7-21
    • Unfair Commercial Practices Directive: Advantage for Consumers or Burden for Businesses? - The Baltic Times. No. 10 (555), p. 6