Based on the Regulation approved by Government Decision no. 764/2012 on representing the interests of the state in courts and national and international arbitration institutions (published on 19.10.2012, in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Moldova, no. 216-220), and in accordance with Order of the Minister of Justice no. 266 of August 19, 2025 on the organisation and conduct of the contest for the selection of law firms/associate offices, including foreign lawyers/law firms, in order to represent the interests of the Public Services Agency at the Court of Appeal of Lithuania in the case brought at the request of the Bulgarian Company "Optimo IT Solutions" LTD regarding the recognition and enforcement in Lithuania of the arbitral award of May 2, 2024, issued by the International Commercial Arbitration Court attached to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova (in written proceedings).
The Selection Committee is announcing this contest for the following conditions.
General data regarding the case
By the award of the Arbitral Tribunal of the International Commercial Arbitration Court attached to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova of May 2, 2024, it was ordered to collect over 4 million EUR from the account of the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova in favour of ”Optimo It Solutions Ltd”.
On July 28, 2025, the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova received the Conclusion of the Court of Appeal of Lithuania of June 26, 2025, to register the application of ”Optimo It Solutions” Ltd for recognition and enforcement of the arbitral award of May 2, 2024, issued by the International Commercial Arbitration Court of the Republic of Moldova.
The Lithuanian Court of Appeal informed the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova, through the aforementioned conclusion, that the examination procedure of the request of ”Optimo It Solutions” Ltd will take place in writing.
I. Date, time and place of the contest
The contest will be held by opening the bids at the premises of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova.
Date: September 5, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Place: MD – 2012, Chisinau mun., 82 31 August 1989 str., office no. 104
The participants in the contest or their representatives are entitled to attend the opening of the bids.
II. Requirements for the candidate/s
- the contest is open to any natural person holding a lawyer's license, law firms/associate law firms in partnership with foreign law firms/companies, who have the necessary professional qualifications and skills and who are entitled to practice the profession of lawyer, to plead and act on behalf of their clients and represent them in the courts of Lithuania;
- has/have experience of representation before the courts of the European Union;
- knowledge of the working language of the court that is to examine the dispute;
- knowledge of the English language at level C1;
- knowledge of the legislation of the European Union and Lithuania.
III. Evaluation of bids
The bids will be examined confidentially, and the winner will be the bid that satisfies the established evaluation criteria and is economically advantageous.
When evaluating the bids, it will be considered an advantage if the candidate:
- attended as a representative in similar disputes;
- won as a representative before the courts of the European Union in similar disputes.
IV. General requirements regarding the provision of services
- providing legal assistance to the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova in the case of initiating the procedure for recognition and enforcement in Lithuania of the arbitral award of May 2, 2024, issued by the International Commercial Arbitration Court attached to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova;
- analysing the case materials, relevant legislation, and relevant case law, and identifying legal solutions for effective representation before the Court of Appeal of Lithuania;
- attending written proceedings as a representative of the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova in the above-mentioned case before the Court of Appeal of Lithuania;
- formulating, drafting, and presenting all procedural documents necessary for the diligent exercise of representation duties;
- consulting with the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova on the positions and actions to be taken in the case;
- informing the represented party about the progress of the proceedings after each hearing and procedural action;
- exercising the utmost diligence and prudence in order to ensure the high-quality and professional representation of the interests of the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova;
- appealing the court judgment in the higher court.
V. List of documents for attending the contest.
The set of documents for attending the contest, addressed to the Selection Committee, must include the following documents, in original or authenticated in the manner established by legislation, drawn up in Romanian or translated in the manner established by legislation:
a) signed application for attending the contest, addressed to the Selection Committee;
b) documents proving the capacity to exercise the professional activity:
1. for law firms/associate law offices from the Republic of Moldova: copies of the identity card, the lawyer's license and/or the members of the law firm and the tax code assignment certificate issued by the tax authority where the firm has/have declared its registered office;
2. for foreign lawyers/foreign law firms (in the case of consortia):
- documents of incorporation and registration, certification or professional membership, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation of the country of origin;
- proof of partnership with a law firm/associate law firm from the Republic of Moldova;
c) curriculum vitae (CV) of the foreign lawyer/members of the law firm who will be involved in the provision of representation services, with a description of the relevant experience;
d) affidavit concerning the knowledge of the English language – level C1;
e) affidavit concerning the lack of affiliation and conflict of interest with the parties involved in the dispute;
g) supporting documents attesting that the foreign lawyer/associated office/foreign law firm holds valid professional liability insurance;
h) price offer for the services provided, indicating, in euros (EUR), the maximum amount that may be requested for the performance of all necessary and useful acts for the purpose of representing the interests of the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova until the final and irrevocable resolution of the case before the courts of Lithuania.
i) bids and accompanying documents translated into Romanian by authorized translation/under one's own responsibility (in the case of consortia).
The total price, shown in a table, will include both the amount of fees and the amount of additional expenses (e.g., taxes and duties in accordance with applicable law, other estimated expenses).
The price structure for additional expenses will be shown separately in another table.
VI. The following candidates will not be admitted to the contest:
- who have less than 3 years of experience as a lawyer;
- who have not submitted the full set of required documents or have not submitted them in accordance with the established requirements;
- who have not submitted the set of documents for attending the contest within the terms established in point VII.
VII. The deadline for receiving and registering documents related to the contest is:
Date: September 5, 2025, 09:00 a.m.
Place: Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova located at: MD – 2012, Chisinau mun., 82, 31 August 1989 str., 1st floor, office 128 (chancellery), tel. + (373 22) 201-431.
Contact person: Alina GHETIU, Secretary of the Selection Committee, tel. (022) 20-14-14, e-mail: alina.ghetiu@justice.gov.md
The bids and documents shall be submitted in a sealed envelope either by post or by courier, to the address and within the indicated deadline. The envelope shall contain the inscription:
Name of participant “______________”
Attending the contest to represent the interests of the Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova.
Not to be opened until 10:00 a.m., Chisinau time, September 5, 2025. To be opened only by the Selection Committee.
VIII. The validity period of the bid will be 60 (sixty) days from the deadline for submission of the bid.