Vita Liberte - Wikipedia

Vita Liberte (born 1975) is a Latvian lawyer, art collector, patron, and entrepreneur.^[1] She is known as the leading partner of BDO Law and BDO Latvia^[2], board member of the Kim? Contemporary Art Centre^[3] and the co-founder of the arts foundation VV Foundation. She served as the president of the Latvian Women's Football Federation.

Liberte specialises in commercial law, litigation, labour law and competition law, providing legal assistance to clients in negotiation processes and representing their interests before state authorities and courts.

Vita Liberte was born in Riga. She grew up in a modest family, which instilled in her the importance of earning her own money. She started working at the age of six as a janitor at her school and later at the VEF Culture Palace. She also had various other jobs, including selling telecommunication services door-to-door and weeding beet fields.^[4]

She went to Riga Secondary School No. 45,^[5] where she excelled academically, participating in various school olympiads and leading student interest groups. She also served as the chairwoman of Young Pioneers. Recognising the prestige of the legal profession, she pursued her studies at the University of Latvia, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in law in 1998. She continued her studies in the United States, earning a master's degree from New York University School of Law in 1999, specialising in tax law.^[4]

Liberte began studies in Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Latvia in 2022.^[5]

Early Career and New York Experience

Liberte began her professional journey in New York, working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). The competitive work culture in the US proved challenging but provided her with a deep understanding of international law and business practices. Liberte felt a strong pull to return to Latvia, driven by the belief that she would have greater opportunities to make an impact in her home country. Encouraged by colleagues, including Deloitte's global leadership, she moved back to Latvia in 2001 and continued her career with Deloitte Latvia until 2007.^[4]

BDO Latvia

In 2007, Liberte co-founded BDO Zelmenis&Liberte with Deloitte Latvia colleague Jānis Zelmenis, which later became BDO Latvia, part of BDO Global.^[6] The company provides various legal and advisory services to a diverse range of industries and clients,^[7] including government institutions.^[8] As of 2023, BDO Latvia employs 70 people.^[3] Liberte cites her partnership, shared values and mutual trust with Jānis Zelmenis as a key factor in the success of BDO Latvia.^[4]

In 2022, The Legal 500 recognized BDO Law as a leader in the field of taxation, also ranking the law firm among the leading experts in the fields of corporate and commercial law, banking and financial law, dispute resolution practice and competition law.^[9]

Liberte is responsible for international cooperation within the BDO network, ensuring the involvement of foreign specialists in complex or cross-border projects.^[8]

Law associations

Liberte is the founder of the Latvian Public and Private Partnership Association (PPPA). She is also a member of Latvian Bar Association, Latvian Tax Consultant Association, Public Private Partnership Association of Latvia and International Fiscal Association.^[8]

Liberte began taking interest in art at a 'conscious age.'^[10] While studying in New York, she discovered that art could transcend being merely a form of entertainment.^[11] Her main interest is contemporary art of various forms by new, unknown or forgotten artists. She frequently attends exhibitions and artist studios to explore and discover new art.^[10][12]

Following a lifelong passion for art, she deemed contemporary art as not sufficiently highlighted in Latvia.^[10] In 2018, Liberte, along with her husband Vilnis Štrams and Jānis Borgs, co-founded VV Foundation to support contemporary art and nurture young artists from Latvia and the Baltic region. It promotes accessibility and education of Latvian contemporary art in various ways, both by introducing Latvian artists abroad and by inviting artists and curators from other countries to Latvia. The Foundation pays particular attention to environmentally mindful creativity that seeks to explore and promote ecological solidarity in a post-anthropocene perspective.^[13]

Vilnis Štrams describes Vita Liberte as a 'caregiver', who helps artists, who are lost in life. Through the foundation, Liberte actively supports young artists by purchasing their art and displaying it in exhibitions and inviting them to discussion clubs and artist residencies. She also helps to send artists and their works to other residencies abroad.^[10]

VV Foundation advances enduring creative partnerships and collaboration throughout the contemporary cultural scene in the Baltic region and between leading international artists, curators, researchers, theorists, gallerists and creative industry professionals.^[13]

The Foundation includes Guest and Education Programmes, which introduce leading personalities from the art world to contemporary art processes in Latvia, focusing on studio visits and guided tours of artist-run spaces, galleries and museums.^[14]

In 2021, VV Foundation opened the art gallery and international residency PAiR (Pāvilosta Artist in Residency) in Pāvilosta. The residency provides accommodation, studio space, and an opportunity for Latvian and international artists to foster creative exchange and collaboration by exploring new ideas and approaches in their practice. Residencies are organised biannually with up to 4 participants working on their projects over the course of 1 to 3 months in collaboration with a renowned guest curator.^[15]

Beyond her foundation, Liberte has supported various cultural initiatives, including the the local film industry, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, and the youth choir Balsis. She is also a key supporter of the contemporary art gallery Kim?,^[11] serving as its member of the board. Her involvement in art patronage extends to participating in panels and forums, discussing art collection and cultural heritage, and the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances.^[3][16]

Liberte has been actively involved in sports and community service. She served as the president of the Latvian Women's Football Federation, promoting women's football and supporting young female athletes.^[17] She has also been an advocate for mental health, contributing to the establishment of the Children's and Youth Mental Health Center in Latvia.^[18]

Since 2022, Liberte has also been serving as the Honorary Consul of Uruguay in Latvia^[19] and has been a member of Tate's Central and Eastern Europe Procurement Committee.^[11]

Vita Liberte is married to Latvian entrepreneur and architect Vilnis Štrams.^[10]

2019: Ranked 43rd in Forbes Baltic TOP 50 most successful women in business.^[20]

2019: Ranked as 1st in the business category in Pastaiga magazine readers' TOP Women Leaders.^[21]

2021: “Highly Regarded Women in Tax 2021” by ITR World Tax (nominated).^[8]