Thirty years ago, amidst the tumult of post-Soviet Estonia, Finnish lawyer Aku Sorainen had a vision. While many saw disorder and uncertainty, he saw the perfect moment to build something new – something bold – what would become the Baltics’ largest and most influential law firm.
Today, Sorainen, headquartered in Tallinn with offices in Riga, Vilnius, and Helsinki, employs over 400 professionals and represents global giants like Microsoft and the World Bank. But its origin story is deeply rooted in the chaos of transition – and the relentless creativity of its founder.
Building from the Ground Up
In the early 1990s, Estonia’s legal landscape was in flux. Law schools were reforming, and qualified local lawyers were few. Sorainen saw an opportunity:
– He launched a tiny office in a single room of Tallinn’s Baltic Hotel.
– He assembled a multi‑national team – Estonian, American, Swedish, and Finnish lawyers – richly diverse yet unified by purpose.
– To bridge gaps in local legal expertise and tech infrastructure, Sorainen and his team often had to build systems and train staff themselves.
The result? A firm that not only weathered uncertainty but also helped shape Estonia’s legal identity from the outset.
Kauppalehti.fi view on the origins and uniqueness of Sorainen and Crespect
We are excited to share the Sami Lotila interview with our founder Aku Sorainen that was published on one of the most read business newspaper in Finland – Kauppalehti.fi
If you are lucky to know Finnidh language, we invite you to read more about the origins of not only Sorainen but also Crespect on the article here.
Bringing It Back to You
At Crespect, our mission is clear: empower legal teams with fast, reliable solutions. We learn from leaders like Sorainen, who built a regional powerhouse on patience, persistence – and an AI thesis that changed everything.
Ready to rethink your processes? Let’s explore how Crespect can transform your legal workflow.
— The Crespect Team
