Legal500

Merilampi

LÖNNROTINKATU 5, 00120 HELSINKI, FINLAND

Tel:: Work +358 9 686 481
Fax:: Fax +358 9 686 484 84

Web:: www.merilampi.com
Email:

Tampere, Helsinki

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Finland

Banking and finance

Within Banking and finance, Merilampi is a third tier firm,

Ari Keinänen leads the practice at Merilampi, which advised Glaston Corporation on its long-term financing arrangements comprising a syndicated loan facility, share issuance and loan conversions. The firm also advises various banks on regulations.

Capital markets

Within Capital markets, Merilampi is a second tier firm,

Merilampi acted for Suominen Corporation on its pending new share issue, valued at up to €120m, and listing on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Merja Blankenstein is recommended for her ‘practical and business-oriented approach’, and team head Ari Keinänen is noted for his negotiation skills.

Corporate and M&A

Within Corporate and M&A, Merilampi is a third tier firm,

Merilampi’s recent deal sheet includes several cross-border transactions, such as acting for Suominen Corporation on its €170m acquisition of Ahlstrom Corporation’s home and personal wipes business in Spain, Italy, Brazil and the US. Practice head Jani Ylä-Autio is recommended along with Mika Pakarinen, who ‘does a great job’.

Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution, Merilampi is a second tier firm,

Merilampi is the firm of choice for a string of international corporations and domestic public bodies. It is acting for an airline in an ECJ case. Clients rate the group’s quality and integrity and the ability to ‘quickly comprehend and analyse complex technical details’. Tapio Väätäinen and Lassi Kettula are recommended.

EU and competition

Within EU and competition, Merilampi is a first tier firm,

EU and competition law is a core area of practice at Merilampi. A bulging caseload includes the country’s most high-profile cartel cases, such as the car spare parts cartel, and the asphalt cartel, where it advised Skanska in the follow-on damages claims. Other clients include Canon, Elisa, and Itella (formerly Finnish Post). Practice head Arttu Mentula and Erkko Ruohoniemi are ‘excellent’.

Intellectual property

Within Intellectual property, Merilampi is a second tier firm,

Merilampi has been representing an Estonian client and its Finnish parent company in the Appeals Court against copyright levy claims brought by Teosto, the Finnish collecting society for composers and songwriters. Team head Sakari Aalto provides ‘quick, practical, to-the-point advice’.

Maritime and transport

Within Maritime and transport, Merilampi is a second tier firm,

Merilampi has a significant transport sector client base that includes an airline and its subsidiaries which the firm is advising in a series of court proceedings, one of which is before the ECJ and led by disputes specialist Tapio Väätäinen.

Real estate and construction

Within Real estate and construction, Merilampi is a second tier firm,

Merilampi’s impressive team advised on two of the largest transactions of 2011: it acted for Suomi Mutual Life Assurance on the €122m sale of the Fennia Quarter to Sponda, and represented the sellers in the €85m Ruoholahti office building sale. Teemu Kauttu is ‘very professional’.

TMT

Within TMT , Merilampi is a second tier firm,

‘Definitely a top-quality law firm’, Merilampi has a broad-based practice encompassing media, telecoms regulations, and IT transactions and disputes. Telecoms company Elisa is a key client, which the team is advising on several ongoing regulatory issues such as interconnection fees. The team also advises clients such as international banks and insurance companies on their IT needs. Sakari Aalto heads the practice.

Further information on Merilampi

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Merilampi in other jurisdictions.

Finland

Offices in Helsinki and Tampere

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Legal Developments in Finland

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

The European Commission proposes stringent rules for high-frequency traders

The European Commission has recently introduced two important regulatory packages that seek to respond to the challenges posed by rapidly developing trading technologies, particularly so-called high frequency trading. If the new regulations are adopted as drafted, considerable changes are in store for both those entities that engage in high frequency trading and the trading venues providing them access to the market.

- Krogerus
Implications of competition law on information exchange - New book published in Finland

Lotta Uusitalo, Anne Petäjäniemi-Björklund and Leea Salminen, Attorneys at Law of Procopé & Hornborg, have written a book on the implications of competition law on information exchange.

- Procopé & Hornborg
New Waste Act to enter into force on May 1, 2012 in Finland

The EC waste directive (2008/98/EC) will be implemented in Finland by the new Finnish Waste Act, which will enter into force on May 1, 2012.

- Procopé & Hornborg
Construction 2012

Introduction Robert S Peckar Peckar & Abramson, PC 3

- Mäkitalo Rantanen & Co Ltd
Use of Legal Tools in Creating an Open Source Project or Business Model

Written by Martin von Willebrand

- HH Partners, Attorneys-at-Law, Ltd
Court ruling on the Finnish CFC legislation

The Finnish CFC legislation implies that a Finnish company may be subject to income tax for its share of the profit of a CFC regardless of whether these profits are distributed by the CFC to its shareholders or not. A CFC is defined as a foreign corporation owned and controlled by a Finnish tax resident that pays income tax in its domicile at a rate less than 60% of the Finnish corporate income tax rate.

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd
Cross-border merger case to ECJ

The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court decided on 7 March 2011 (KHO 2011:21) to request for a preliminary ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) concerning the question whether a Finnish parent company may deduct the final tax losses of its Swedish subsidiary after a cross-border merger.

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd
The European Commission proposes a system of common consolidated corporate tax base

The European Commission presented on 16 March 2011 a proposal that calls for a common system for calculating the tax base of business operating in the EU. At the moment, a company active within the whole EU can be forced to comply with up to 27 different national tax systems. The new Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) seeks to reduce the administrative burden, compliance costs and legal uncertainties by creating a "one-stop-shop" system where the profits and losses across the EU could be consolidated.

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd
Owner's obligations at acceptance inspection clarified by the Helsinki Appellate Court

By its decision 18 February 2011 (S09/3055) the Helsinki Appellate Court confirmed that an owner is entitled to rely on the quality assurance of a well-known construction company at an acceptance inspection. The court held that the owner is entitled to demand rectification of construction defects and to claim damages for deficiencies discovered during the guarantee period.

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd
Tax-neutral exchange of shares case to ECJ

The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) decided on 31 January 2011 (KHO:2011:10) to ask for a preliminary ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) concerning the question whether a tax-neutral share exchange can be completed between a company residing in an EU country and a company residing in the European Economic Area (EEA) (such as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd