Victory for Mano Būstas in a business reputation dispute before the Vilnius Regional Court

Attorney Albertas Šekštelo represented Mano Būstas in a business reputation dispute with Civinity namai Klaipėda.

The case concerned communications about a change in the management of an apartment building in Klaipėda. The central challenge was to establish whether the disputed communications constituted statements of fact or opinion, and whether they exceeded the permissible limits of criticism.

For the client, the dispute raised questions about communicating concerns to residents while managing the legal risks of statements concerning a competitor.

Our defence focused on the context of the communications and the factual basis supporting the opinions expressed. The appellate court noted that Civinity had not challenged findings that the residents’ meeting recorded in the documents had not taken place and that signatures presented as relating to renovation had been used to change the building’s management. The court accepted that these circumstances provided a sufficient factual basis for two disputed communications and the signature-collection part of a third.

In October 2026, the Vilnius Regional Court confirmed that the key disputed communications were opinions rather than statements of fact. Although it found that one communication harmed Civinity’s business reputation, it considered that declaration sufficient satisfaction. No retraction was ordered, and Mano Būstas received a net litigation costs award of EUR 6,309.96 across both instances.

The case illustrates the importance of context, evidence and proportionate remedies in commercial litigation and business reputation disputes, reflecting our dispute resolution lawyers’ approach to aligning legal arguments with clients’ practical business interests.