[EN] Senior associate Marika Grunte specialises mainly in competition law. Before joining the Sorainen Competition Practice Area, she gained invaluable experience leading a specialist structural unit in cartel prevention by the Competition Council – the Department of Prohibited Agreements; there she supervised investigation of violations, preparation of opinions and representation of the institution in proceedings. This unique experience allows Marika to identify problems and offer usable solutions in issues of cartel supervision so topical these days.

Having worked at the Competition Council (as a lawyer in the Legal Department since 2007, and as deputy director of the department since 2008), Marika intensified and strengthened her theoretical knowledge in competition law, gaining highly significant practical experience by participating in organising and leading inspections, organising market supervision, preparing legal opinions and consultations, drafting Competition Council decisions, developing regulatory enactments, organising and holding competition law seminars for private and public persons, as well as by representing the institution in proceedings initiated on the basis of decisions by the Competition Council.

Marika represented the Competition Council in international cooperation projects by regular participation in regional conferences in the Baltics, and independent presentation of the Competition Council on the Cartel Working Group of the European Competition Network (ECN). She also represented the Competition Council at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by participating in its international forums and representing Latvia together with colleagues in interviews at the Competition Committee (Accession Review of Latvia), resulting in successful completion of negotiations for Latvia’s accession in the domain related to competition policy.

Before joining the Competition Council Marika worked in the field of competition law application as a lawyer at the European Integration Office, coordinating harmonisation of Latvian regulatory enactments with EU law (EU Acquis), also in the field of competition law and state support. After Latvia joined the EU (and after reorganisation of the European Integration Office), she continued her work at the Business Support Control Department of the Ministry of Finance as a senior lawyer, and advised companies and support providers on application of state support norms.

Marika also specialises in administrative law and public procurement.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

[LV] Marikas Gruntes galvenā specializācija ir konkurences tiesības. Pirms pievienošanās Sorainen konkurences tiesību prakses grupai, Marika ir ieguvusi vērtīgu pieredzi vadot Konkurences padomes specializēti izveidoto struktūrvienību karteļu prevencijā – Aizliegtu vienošanos departamentu, kur viņas pārraudzībā tika veikta pārkāpuma lietu izmeklēšana, gatavoti atzinumi un iestāde pārstāvēta tiesvedības procesos. Šī ir unikāla pieredze, kas palīdz identificēt problēmas un piedāvāt pielietojamus risinājumus uzņēmumiem šobrīd tik aktuālajos karteļu uzraudzības jautājumos.

Strādājot Konkurences padomē (kopš 2007. gada kā juriskonsulte Juridiskajā departamentā, bet kopš 2008. gada kā departamenta direktores vietniece), padziļinātas un nostiprinātas ne tikai viņas teorētiskās zināšanas konkurences tiesībās, bet arī iegūta nenovērtējama praktiskā pieredze, piedaloties gan inspekciju organizēšanā un vadīšanā, tirgus uzraudzību organizēšanā, juridisko atzinumu un konsultāciju sniegšanā, Konkurences padomes lēmumu projektu gatavošanā, normatīvo aktu projektu izstrādē, konkurences tiesību semināru organizēšanā un vadīšanā gan privātām, gan publiskām personām, kā arī, pārstāvot iestādi tiesvedības procesos, kas rosināti par Konkurences padomes pieņemtajiem lēmumiem.

Marika aktīvi pārstāvējusi Konkurences padomi arī starptautiskās sadarbības projektos, gan regulāri piedaloties ikgadējās Baltijas valstu konkurences reģionālajās konferencēs, gan pastāvīgi pārstāvot Konkurences padomi Eiropas konkurences tīkla (ECN) Karteļu darba grupā. Marika pārstāvējusi Konkurences padomi arī Ekonomiskās sadarbības un attīstības organizācijā (OECD), piedaloties tās rīkotajos starptautiskajos forumos un kopā ar kolēģiem pārstāvot Latviju uzņemšanas iztaujāšanā Konkurences komitejā (Accession Review of Latvia), kuras rezultātā Latvijas uzņemšanas sarunas veiksmīgi noslēdzās daļā, kas saistīta ar konkurences politiku.