Viljar Kähari

Viljar Kähari is a co-founder of PwC Legal Estonia with 22 years of experience in the financial services industry. His main focus is on financial services regulatory compliance & risks and financial transactions and during past years also blockchain and digital assets (including cryptocurrencies).

Viljar advises local and international regulated entities such as banks, credit providers, payment and e-money institutions, fund managers, insurance undertakings and FinTech/RegTech companies on wide range of compliance, licensing and risk matters including setting up or restructuring regulated businesses in Estonia and providing cross-border services abroad. He has also advised cryptocurrency companies on such matters.

In addition, Viljar provides advice to investors, lenders, borrowers and issuers on complex financing transactions and helps them to set up tax and collateral schemes and cost-effective investment structures. He also has extensive experience and special skills in corporate restructuring, financial litigation and insolvency practice.

Viljar’s clients often operate in a number of jurisdictions across the European Economic Area, South Africa, Asia and South America. These clients value his business-minded approach and excellent communication skills especially when he is required to liaise with authorities such as the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Consumer Protection Board, etc.

Viljar worked in leading Baltic banks such as SEB and Nordea for over 10 years. Before co-founding PwC he served as Head of Debt Collection and Restructuring at Nordea. His team advised the bank on complex loan restructuring, debt-collection transactions and legal proceedings. He also managed several investment and property management companies for the bank.

Viljar also gained valuable experience working as a banking and finance lawyer in the regional law firm Sorainen where he advised on a number of high-value and complex finance cases involving the establishment of collateral and the enforcement of rights over a variety of assets.

Viljar has written articles and given trainings and lectures related to banking, restructuring and insolvency issues.

Languages: Estonian, English