NASDAQ OMX Welcomes VARUL to Become the First Baltic Certified Adviser


Tallinn/Riga/Vilnius, Baltic Market, April 14, 2014 – The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) announces that on April 14 NASDAQ OMX Riga has granted the Certified Adviser status to the Estonian Law Firm VARUL AS, which thus has become the first Baltic Certified Adviser of the NASDAQ OMX Baltic First North Market.

The Baltic Certified Adviser status is granted to a Certified Adviser acting in this capacity on more than one NASDAQ OMX Baltic Market stock exchange. VARUL has a Certified Adviser status in NASDAQ OMX Tallinn since 2011 and has obtained the status in NASDAQ OMX Riga on April 14, 2014.

“Baltic Certified Advisers get a possibility to consult and offer services to companies in more than one Baltic country regardless of the Certified Adviser's home country," explains Daiga Auziņa-Melalksne, Head of Exchange Services at NASDAQ OMX Baltic Market. “A single entry point ensures easy and convenient application process and costs-savings as a Baltic Certified Adviser pays registration and annual fee only to the home exchange.”


"We are pleased to announce that VARUL has begun offering Certified Adviser services in Latvia, in addition to Estonia,” says Vita Liberte, Partner, Attorney at Law at Law Firm VARUL in Latvia. “We believe that Latvian companies would benefit from utilizing First North as a competitive source of alternative fundraising. As Certified Advisers, we can provide our existing and future customers valuable advice and can help to attract capital. As demonstrated by its success in Scandinavia, First North has great potential to be a valuable partner for companies in Latvia."

First North Certified Advisers guide growth companies through the application process to the NASDAQ OMX Baltic alternative market First North and ensure that the companies fulfill all the requirements of First North on a continuing basis. The status of a Certified Adviser is granted to sufficiently experienced business consultancy or financial intermediation companies.

Through NASDAQ OMX Baltic First North, small, medium and growth companies can access the capital markets while realizing their growth potential. The regulatory approach is adjusted to the needs of companies so they can enter the market and concentrate on building their business, with an easier transition to becoming a public company. After introduction of Baltic Certified Adviser status small, medium and growth companies searching for First North Certified Adviser’s services will get a greater choice. Read more: http://www.nasdaqomxbaltic.com/en/exchange-information/certified-advisers/

  

About Law Firm VARUL

Law Firm VARUL has offices in Tallinn, Tartu, Riga and Vilnius and employs a total of ninety attorneys and lawyers. The firm is focused on advising both domestic and international clients on all aspects of business law.

About NASDAQ OMX Group

NASDAQ OMX (NASDAQ: NDAQ) is a leading provider of trading, exchange technology, information and public company services across six continents. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, NASDAQ OMX enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today’s global capital markets.  As the creator of the world’s first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 70 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. NASDAQ OMX is home to more than 3,300 listed companies with a market value of over $8 trillion and more than 10,000 corporate clients. Read more:  www.nasdaqomx.com.

NASDAQ OMX Baltic Market is a common name for exchanges, regulated markets, alternative markets First North operated by NASDAQ OMX companies in the Baltic States, i.e. NASDAQ OMX Tallinn AS, AS NASDAQ OMX Riga and AB NASDAQ OMX Vilnius. Read more: www.nasdaqomxbaltic.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. NASDAQ OMX cautions readers that any forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our capital return initiatives. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond NASDAQ OMX’s control. These factors include, but are not limited to, NASDAQ OMX’s ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk, U.S. and global competition, and other factors detailed in NASDAQ OMX’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q which are available on NASDAQ OMX’s website at http://www.nasdaqomx.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. NASDAQ OMX undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Relations Contact:
Audronė Ranonytė
370 5 272 34 58   
audrone.ranonyte@nasdaqomx.com