Legal500

Bird & Bird

MANNERHEIMINTIE 8, 00100 HELSINKI, FINLAND

Warsaw, The Hague, Stockholm, Singapore, Shanghai, Rome , and 16 more

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

Banking and finance

Within Banking and finance, Bird & Bird is a third tier firm,

Specialist counsel Kristiina Lehvilä is head of banking and finance at Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd with support from ‘clever’ managing partner Jori Taipale, who ‘always aims for a sensible solution rather than fighting for the sake of it’. The firm has handled the finance restructuring for some major Finnish and international companies.

Capital markets

Within Capital markets, Bird & Bird is a third tier firm,

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd advised US financing company Yorkville Advisors on an equity line agreement with Finland’s biotech, Biotie Therapies in the first such arrangement in the Finnish capital markets. Both Kimmo Reina and Harri Hynninen ‘have a tactical eye’ and ‘good legal skills’. Clients include one of the Big Four global auditing companies.

Corporate and M&A

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

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd demonstrated the appeal of its international office network by leading the advice to Finnish energy company Keele Group/St1 on its $640m acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell’s Finnish and Swedish operations. An impressive deal list also included acting for Evli Bank on its acquisition of Swedish-based Carnegie Investment Bank’s asset management operations in Finland. Matti Ylä-Mononen ‘has a straight-forward attitude with clear and appropriate advice’.

Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution , Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd continues to impress, advising on cross-border disputes and arbitrations, and major white-collar crime and securities investigations. Head of the group Tom Vapaavuori is ‘very good at organizing the right lawyer for the right case’ while the team as a whole ‘always keep its clients well informed’, is ‘easy to deal with’ and ‘very professional’. Clients also single out Marko Wainio and Pekka Raatikainen.

EU and competition

Within EU and competition, Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd has a ‘very effective’ Helsinki team led by Katia Duncker that includes Jori Taipale and some experienced associates. Work includes significant merger filings and representing clients in domestic and EU investigations; it is handling an abuse of dominant position case on behalf of a Finnish energy company, and acting for Ovako group of companies in a European Commission inquiry.

Intellectual property

Within Intellectual property, Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd’s top IT practice draws a legion of IP-rich clients to the firm. The experienced and ‘service-orientated’ Ella Mikkola heads the practice with a strong international focus. The firm acted for Nokian Tyres in a high-profile trade mark infringement case against Verkkokauppa.com.

Real estate and construction

Within Real estate and construction, Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd advises a quality client base on major developments, transactions and disputes, utilizing the skills of litigators Pekka Raatikainen and Marko Wainio under the direction of real estate practice head Jaako Hietala. The firm advised Nordic Real Estate Partners on the disposal of a ten-property portfolio to AB Sagax for €34m.

TMT

Within TMT , Bird & Bird is a first tier firm,

Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd’s large team of specialists include: Kari-Matti Lehti, who is praised for his negotiation skills and industry knowledge; specialist counsel Pekka Takki, a ‘very clear thinker’; and senior associate Jesper-Nevalainen, who has ‘an excellent understanding of ITC-related matters’. It acted for leading business software supplier, SAP in numerous deals to supply large business-critical IT systems and services to Finnish listed companies.

What we say worldwide

Please choose another Bird & Bird office to view full details of what we say in that region, or choose from this list to view a specific editorial reference in context.

Belgium

Offices in Brussels

China

Offices in Beijing and Shanghai

Czech Republic

Offices in Prague

TMT : TMT

Germany

Offices in Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Hamberg

Spain

Offices in Madrid

Finland

Offices in Helsinki

France

Offices in Paris and Lyon

Hong Kong

Offices in Hong Kong

Hungary

Offices in Budapest

Italy

Offices in Milan and Rome

London

Offices in London

Netherlands

Offices in The Hague

Poland

Offices in Warsaw

Sweden

Offices in Stockholm

Singapore

Offices in Singapore

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments by:
Bird & Bird

Proposed consumer data protection regime for Singapore

On 13 September 2011, the Singapore Government released a public consultation paper on the proposed introduction of a consumer Data Protection (DP) regime in Singapore.

- ATMD Bird & Bird LLP

Legal Developments in Finland

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

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
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMIT GUARANTEES MAY ALSO BE GRANTED BY FOREIGN EUBASED FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

In a unanimous yearbook decision the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court ruled that guarantee insurance is an adequate environmental permit security. Further, the Court, by referring to the free movement of financial services within the EU, stated that a party in an arrangement for security regarding adequate and proper security may be a financial institution based in another EU-country.

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd
CHANGE OF GENERATION – MINOR CONTINUING THE BUSINESS

The Supreme Administrative Court has issued on 5 January 2011 a ruling concerning the change of generation relief of gift taxation (KHO 2011:1). In its ruling the SAC stated that the preconditions for the tax relief were not fulfilled since the donee was a minor and thus could not act as a board member in the company’s board of directors as provided for in Chapter 6 Section 10 of the Finnish Companies Act.

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd
Public Procurement 2011

A practical cross-border insight into public procurement

- Attorneys at law Borenius Ltd