Lithuanian ministries rely on just three law firms for over 70% of legal service contracts

Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) has found that just three law firms dominate legal service procurement across government ministries, accounting for over 70% of contract value in recent years, LRT reports.

The anti-corruption agency’s analysis of 12 ministries revealed systemic risks in how legal services—ranging from regulatory consulting to international arbitration—are procured. Between 2022 and July 2025, these ministries spent roughly €6 million on legal contracts, with €3.7 million awarded without competitive bidding under public procurement exemptions.

STT identified repeated failures to conduct market research, single-supplier contracts, and blurred lines between procurement initiators and organisers. In some cases, ministries paid over €310,000 to a single provider in 2022–2023 and €216,000 in 2024–2025 without documented justification. Long-standing relationships between specific ministries and firms further raised concerns over fairness and competition.

Only the Transport and Justice Ministries had internal rules for such procurements, despite STT flagging risks as early as 2018. The agency also noted seven contracts tied directly to legislative drafting, including services like explanatory memos for sports council laws and fisheries regulation proposals.

STT warned that unchecked practices could enable biased decisions and favouritism, undermining transparency in public spending.