The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman enjoys a client list peppered with major domestic and regional banks, and fields a team of ‘very professional’ and ‘user-friendly’ partners. Key instructions included advising a consortium of six banks – including Nordea Bank Finland, Swedbank, and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) – as lenders of a €550m loan to Sponda plc, one of the largest such arrangements of 2011. Tero Tuomisto, Pekka Lehtinen and Sakari Lukinmaa are recommended.

Within Capital markets, Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman took an impressive proportion of the relatively few Finnish equity issuances during 2011. Team leader and firm chairman Merja Kivelä has built an ‘effective’, ‘client-oriented’ team. Janne Lauha and Juha Koponen both advised Cramo plc and Aspo plc on respective rights offerings raising €100m and €20m.

Within Corporate and M&A, Castrén & Snellman is a second tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman has one of the market’s largest corporate teams, and its lengthy deal list included acting for 3i and its managed funds on the sale of chemicals supplier KemFine to CABB. Other clients include Sponda, Alma Media, and Finnlines. Head of M&A Jan Örndahl demonstrates ‘analytical thinking’ and good management.

Within Dispute resolution, Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman’s diverse recent caseload includes success in the appeal court for Nordea Bank Finland, and defending forestry company Stora Enso against a record €282m damages claim. Practice head Marko Hentunen has ‘great experience’ and is ‘able to identify the key issues quickly with very good insight’, and senior associate Anders Forss shows good ‘ability to digest huge amounts of complicated, technical information’.

Within EU and competition, Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman has a wealth of experience across a swathe of industries and fields arguably ‘the best competition team in Finland’, which ‘provides practical solutions for business needs’. Anna Kuusniemi-Laine and Sari Hiltunen are recommended.

Within Intellectual property, Castrén & Snellman is a second tier firm,

The IP, technology and life sciences group at Castrén & Snellman provides a comprehensive service that includes IP litigation. Practice head Arto Linnervuo ‘outperforms all other lawyers’, says one client. Petri Rinkinen and Hanna Paloheimo lead many of the key mandates, and advised Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen-Cilag Oy regarding a European-wide patent infringement.

Within Legal market overview,

The former LMR Attorneys lost rainmaker Kimmo Mettällä and litigator Raimo Seppälä to Krogerus and subsequently merged with mid-tier firm Peltonen, Ruokonen & Itäinen to form Peltonen LMR Attorneys Ltd. Krogerus remains in ambitious expansion mode. Nordic regional player Magnusson opened in Helsinki in an attempt to exploit the relative lack of international firms in the market (only Bird & Bird and White & Case are present). The new office is staffed by talented lawyers recruited from Castrén & Snellman; Dittmar & Indrenius; and the former Peltonen, Ruokonen & Itäinen.

Within Maritime and transport, Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman has an extensive client portfolio of domestic and international shipowners, P&I clubs and transport companies, and it particularly excels in litigation. Head of practice Niklas Langenskiöld and counsel Rickard Langensköldj are ‘leading lawyers in this field’, and ‘both have the ability to quickly and efficiently assess the problem, making their services cost efficient’.

Within Real estate and construction, Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman’s lengthy résumé includes advising Sponda plc on its €122m purchase of the Fennia Quarter of Helsinki’s business district from Suomi Mutual Life Assurance, possibly the largest real estate transaction of 2011. Former head of transactions Anu Tuomola left the firm to go in-house, but partners Uwe Uusitalo, Matias Wallgren and Tapio Teräkivi provide an ‘excellent service which is reliable and dedicated to achieving results’.

Within TMT , Castrén & Snellman is a first tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman’s ‘exceptional’ group acted for Fiskars on the procurement of a business-critical ERP system and support in 20 countries, a project led by practice head Arto Linnervuo. Nokia Corporation and Nokia Siemens Networks are also clients. Clients are ‘very pleased with the combination of business acumen and ability to keep our best interests in mind’.

Within Tax, Castrén & Snellman is a second tier firm,

Castrén & Snellman’s recently merged tax and corporate group marries the two disciplines effectively. Recent instructions include tax advice on Cramo’s €100m rights offering. ‘Excellent lawyer’ Sari Laaksonen heads the practice with strong support from counsel Leena Romppainen.