Ilja Nikiforov

Ilja Nikiforov is a certified lawyer who believes that the law should serve people, not complicate their lives. Position Founder · Lawyer · Business Advisor Specializations Civil Law Corporate Law Company Formation Licensing AML/CFT FinTech Crypto Blockchain Languages English, Estonian, Russian, German Location Tallinn, Estonia in📞 ✉️

Ilja Nikiforov is a co-founder and Chief Legal Officer of Eesti Firma OÜ and a practicing lawyer who works directly with clients on complex legal and regulatory matters. His role focuses on managing legal risk, interpreting regulatory requirements, and translating them into practical solutions that businesses can realistically implement.

Ilja advises founders, management teams, and regulated businesses operating in Estonia and across the European Union. His professional background combines long-term legal practice with hands-on involvement in regulated and cross-border business models:

Through this work, Ilja helps clients understand regulatory expectations, assess legal risk accurately, and make informed decisions that support sustainable business operations rather than short-term compliance fixes.

Ilja works with clients who require clear legal guidance in situations where regulation, operational risk, and business strategy intersect.

In practice, he helps clients with:

His advisory approach focuses on proportionality and practicality, ensuring that legal solutions are workable in day-to-day operations and defensible from a regulatory perspective.

As Chief Legal Officer of Eesti Firma OÜ, Ilja is responsible for the firm’s legal strategy, regulatory positioning, and overall compliance approach. He is personally involved in high-risk and complex projects, including licensing, restructuring, and cross-border matters.

By overseeing legal methodologies and compliance standards, Ilja ensures that the firm’s legal advice remains consistent, well-reasoned, and aligned with both regulatory expectations and real business needs.

Ilja has more than 10 years of legal experience. He began his career working with civil and family law matters, where he developed strong skills in negotiations, dispute resolution, and handling sensitive client situations.

Over time, his practice shifted toward corporate law, regulatory advisory, and cross-border business matters. Since 2017, he has been actively advising fintech, blockchain, and crypto projects on licensing, regulatory strategy, and compliance planning, helping more than 500 companies navigate complex regulatory environments in Estonia and across the EU.

Alongside advisory work, Ilja continues to handle complex corporate disputes and high-risk legal matters that require a strategic, risk-based approach.

Ilja graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in Law. His academic background provided a solid foundation in Estonian and European law, which he applies in practice when advising businesses operating in regulated and international environments.

Ilja believes that effective legal advice must be clear, realistic, and grounded in practical application. He prioritizes transparency, structured analysis, and open communication with clients.

His goal is to help clients make informed legal decisions by clearly explaining risks, regulatory constraints, and available options, rather than relying on formalistic or purely theoretical compliance solutions.

Ilja regularly writes about corporate law, regulation, and crypto-assets, focusing on how legal changes affect businesses in practice. His articles aim to explain complex regulatory topics in a clear and accessible way.

Selected publications include: