The Legal 500

Finland

Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 1

Borenius

Borenius 'really makes the effort to deliver added value to its clients' and ' takes care of matters carefully and efficiently'. The practice recently advised a syndicate of international banks on the financing of Mehiläinen's acquisition by CVC and other investors; OP Financial Group and Morgan Stanley are also clients. The 'pragmatic and approachable' practice is led by Niina Nuottimäki, who is 'helpful, professional and can help solve problems quickly'. Mikko Heinonen joined the team from Roschier and is 'a real star when it comes to finance law; there is no question to which he could not give an analytical answer'. Johannes Ahti joined Roschier.

Leading individuals

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Capital markets

Capital markets - ranked: tier 1

Borenius

Borenius, noted for its 'strong equity capital markets (ECM) background', recently acted for the joint coordinators and bookrunners on the €876m IPO of Terveystalo and advised Oma Savings Bank on its €1.5bn covered bond programme. 'Dedicated and seasoned expert' Juha Koponen heads the 'very responsive and helpful' practice, which also fields 'knowledgeable' counsel Ari Syrjäläinen and counsel Mikko Heinonen, who recently arrived from Roschier and has significant experience in debt capital markets (DCM) work.

Leading individuals

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Commercial, corporate and M&A

Commercial, corporate and M&A - ranked: tier 2

Borenius

Clients praise Borenius' practice as 'very professional, knowledgeable and extremely hardworking'; it recently advised the owners of Runtech on its €80m sale to Gardner Denver. CapMan and Paroc Group are also clients. The practice is jointly led by Johannes Piha and the 'efficient' Johan Roman. Also recommended are Jari Vikiö, who is 'a highly effective negotiator', and the 'very experienced' Jyrki Tähtinen.

Leading individuals

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Dispute resolution

Dispute resolution - ranked: tier 2

Borenius

Borenius defended three executives of Talvivaara Mining in criminal proceedings relating to environmental damage issues including sulphate emissions, represented Kuopion Biotehdas in a dispute regarding the allegedly unjustified termination of a subcontracting agreement, and acted for several shipowners in a challenge to the Finnish government's fairway dues legislation. The practice is headed by Markus Kokko.

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EU and competition

EU and competition - ranked: tier 2

Borenius

The 'practical and extremely helpful' team at Borenius recently represented Prevent 360 in second-stage merger control proceedings following its merger with Avarn Security Holding. Practice head Ilkka Aalto-Setälä assisted Matkahuolto with the filing of a state aid complaint against TVV lippu- ja maksujärjestelmä, and cartel expert Asko Lindqvist is defending Matkahuolto in the high-profile bus cartel litigation.

Leading individuals

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Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 2

Borenius

At Borenius, the 'exceptionally skilled and service-minded' Jani Syrjänen heads the practice, while senior associate Emma Halminen is noted for being 'highly skilled in collective bargaining and cooperation negotiation issues'. The 'very professional' group recently advised Qatar Airways on the employment elements of its entry into the Finnish market.

Leading individuals

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Intellectual property

Intellectual property - ranked: tier 1

Borenius

Borenius' 'customer-oriented' team is particularly experienced in the life sciences sector; it recently defended Orifarm in a trade mark infringement dispute relating to the repackaging of pharmaceutical products and successfully represented new client Insud Pharma in a preliminary injunction dispute with Merck Sharp & Dohme. Ben Rapinoja, Åsa Krook, and 'excellent IP professional' Lasse Laaksonen jointly head the practice, which is 'focused on providing solutions'. Other key clients include Pernod Ricard, LänsiAuto, and Vaisala.

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Maritime and transport

Maritime and transport - ranked: tier 1

Borenius

Borenius is active in transport-related insurance matters and contentious work and attracts praise from clients for its 'very professional' approach. The practice is led by Ulla von Weissenberg and also fields the 'down-to-earth' Turo Sumu and senior associate and maritime employment expert Maija Mattila.  Key clients include Helsinki City Transport, OP Insurance and Neste Shipping.

Leading individuals

Next Generation Partners

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Real estate and construction

Real estate and construction - ranked: tier 2

Borenius

Borenius' real estate group recently advised Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing on its €97m acquisition of a residential real estate portfolio and assisted Citycon with the sale of a shopping center portfolio. Taaleri and YIT are also clients. Saara Paronen leads the practice and specialises in construction-related work, while Ari Kaarakainen and Christian Fogelholm are the key names for transactional work.

Leading individuals

Leading individuals: Environment

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TMT

TMT - ranked: tier 1

Borenius

The 'excellent' Samuli Simojoki leads the practice at Borenius; his recent work includes advising Aalto University on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) procurement and assisting Fingrid with its development of a national data hub for the Finnish electricity market including related IT procurement issues. The team receives praise for its 'excellent data protection law capabilities' and clients single out senior associate Peter Hänninen, who has 'great potential'; Hänninen recently assisted Nanoform with its negotiation of a framework agreement with a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Leading individuals

Next Generation Partners

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Tax

Tax - ranked: tier 1

Borenius

The 'results-oriented' team at Borenius is noted for its 'exceptional client handling' and is jointly led by Janne Juusela and newly promoted partners Heikki Wahlroos and Einari Karhu; clients praise Karhu as 'one of the best tax lawyers in Finland'. The group recently represented the Finnish National Theatre in a tax dispute pertaining to the company's status as a non-profit organisation, and defended Nokian Tyres in a transfer pricing dispute.

Leading individuals

Next Generation Partners

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