Firms To Watch: Banking and finance

I&O Partners Attorneys Ltd is a boutique law firm focusing on domestic and cross-border transactions, acquisition financings and insolvency matters. The firm has recently grown its international capabilities through its collaboration with Anderson Global.

Banking and finance in Finland

Avance Attorneys Ltd

Avance Attorneys Ltd is recognised for its expertise in high-end finance transactions, both domestically and throughout the Nordic region. The team engages in a variety of work, and group head Sari Wallgren acts for both banks and borrowers while also advising clients on complex transactions including acquisition, structured and real estate financing work and syndicated lending issues. Selinda Näse is a leading practitioner with experience in advising lenders, borrowers and sponsors on domestic and cross-border financing transactions. Robin Nordblad stands out for his focus on capital market transactions and investment fund mandates.

Practice head(s):

Sari Wallgren


Other key lawyers:

Selinda Näse; Robin Nordblad; Salla Suominen; Tytti Laajanen


Testimonials

‘Avance has a practical approach and rather tries to solve the issue at hand rather than get stuck on technicalities.’

‘Sari Wallgren has incredible capacity to return to cases and remember the essentials even after some time despite her being really busy.’

‘Strong banking experience in the team.’

‘Tytti Laajanen: experienced professional with hands on attitude. Sari Wallgren: always great to work with.’

Key clients

Elenia Oy


Rettig Group Ltd


Fortaco Group Oy and CapMan Plc


Brunswick Real Estate


Altor


Tradeka


Mimir Invest AB


Adelis Equity Partners


Sirius Capital Partners


Ardian Infrastructure


Ahlström Capital Oy


OP Corporate Bank plc


Swedbank AB


HYY Kiinteistötalous (Ylva)


Loimua


Regenero


Alma Media


Intera Partners


Enreach


MB Funds


Purmo Group


Nyfosa


CapMan Infra


Helsingin Lyyra Ky


Restel


Keskisuomalainen


Alma Property Partners


Cobbleyard Real Estate


Freska Finland Oy


IQM Finland Oy


Mandatum Asset Management Oy / Mandatum AM Finland Properties II


Procuritas


Work highlights


  • Advised Purmo Group on the merger financing arrangements comprised of €455m committed loan facilities and up to €125m uncommitted term loan facility, all originally for Purmo Group, which Nordea and SEB as coordinating bookrunners and mandated lead arrangers have arranged.
  • Advised Nyfosa Finland in relation to real estate financing arrangements comprising term loan and revolving credit facilities made available by a Nordic lender group.
  • Advised CapMan Infra on the financing arrangements relating to the acquisition of Koiviston Auto, a Finnish transport operator with the largest bus fleet in the country. The debt financing from UBS Asset Management Infrastructure Debt Platform amounted to circa €100m.

Borenius

Borenius‘ banking and finance practice fields one of the largest teams in the market and advises clients on all manners of finance transactions including real estate development financing issues, energy financing work, debt capital markets mandates and debt restructurings. Niina Nuottimäki is the co-head of the practice and has a strong in-house background in the banking industry alongside experience in domestic and cross-border leveraged buyout deals, corporate lending issues, real estate financings and debt issuances. Saara Haapamäki stands out for her experience in advising financial institutions and borrowers on assignments related to domestic and cross-border transactions, including leveraged financings, corporate loans and ship financing work. Riikka Eronen also leads the banking and finance team and excels in transactional work.

Practice head(s):

Niina Nuottimäki; Riikka Eronen


Other key lawyers:

Juha Koponen; Ari Kaarakainen; Jenny Shahnovskij; Ben Fallström; Tuomas Tikkanen; Saara Haapamäki; Jill Winter


Testimonials

‘Borenius’ team is well balanced – enough high quality partner attention, but also enough empowerment for highly skilled associates.’

‘Partner Niina Nuottimäki: Niina is a very strong professional. Provides solutions, not new problems. Informal and straightforward approach, easy to work with.’

‘Team oriented, handle our full legal requirements, solution driven.’

‘Associate Jill Winter: Jill is highly competent. Jill’s proactive advice and forward-looking process management ensured successful closing of our transaction.’

‘Available and accessible, easy to work with, good understanding of our needs, put the discussion in the right context.’

‘Very efficient team that is always available.’

‘Niina Nuottimäki: Hands-on partner who provides practical advice.’

‘A very good reputation with a solid banking and finance practice. Often seen on the lender side in various types of transactions.’

Key clients

Nordea Bank Abp


OP Financial Group


Danske Bank


Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta


Svenska Handelsbanken AB


Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB


Swedbank AB


PHM Group Holding Oy


KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH


University Properties of Finland Ltd


Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft


Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale


SRV Group Plc


Partners Group AG


S-Bank Ltd


Työllisyysrahasto


Work highlights


  • Advised SRV on the reorganisation of the company’s financing in connection with the write down of Russian and Fennovoima assets.
  • Advised Danske Bank A/S and OP Corporate Bank plc on their €500m green term loan for Neste Oyj.
  • Advised Aspo Plc on its issuance of a €30m hybrid bond with a significantly oversubscribed order book.

Castrén & Snellman

The ‘efficientCastrén & Snellman fields a market-leading team with experienced practitioners. The team provides advice to clients from various finance-related sectors and handles complex transactions and development finance issues as well as bond-related mandates. Managing partner Sakari Lukinmaa has over 20 years of experience in banking and finance, private equity, venture capital and capital markets work, and has acted as lead counsel on numerous domestic and international transactions. Lukinmaa jointly leads the practice with Tero Tuomisto, who has vast knowledge of finance agreements and is frequently involved in acquisition finance, real estate finance, project finance and syndicated finance matters, while Minna Korhonen regularly advises financial institutions, investors and borrowers on domestic and cross-border transactions.

Practice head(s):

Tero Tuomisto; Sakari Lukinmaa


Other key lawyers:

Minna Korhonen; Janne Lauha


Testimonials

‘Very good team, good understanding of banking business.’

‘Sakari Lukinmaa and Tero Tuomisto are both very good partners.’

‘The team has very strong experience in the banking & finance industry, they have a large network within industry and good connections towards authorities.’

‘Janne Lauha, partner — Highly experienced, can simplify complex cases and is able to find/create solutions in difficult cases in tight timelines. The quality of their work is very high.’

‘The team is very diverse in age, gender and experience. We know each other by now, which makes it very effective and pleasant to work together.’

‘Long term commitment to serve us. Deep understanding in relevant products and services. Also very impressive command of regulatory matters.’

‘Efficient team with great individuals.’

‘Minna Korhonen: Excellent speaking partner in complex real estate transactions.’

Key clients

Neste Corporation


Nordea Bank Abp


Aktia Bank Abp


Danske Bank A/S, Finland Branch


LocalTapiola Group


Swedbank AB


OP Corporate Bank plc


Ålandsbanken Abp


Borgo AB


Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB


Huhtamäki Oyj


Helen Ltd


NREP Oy


VR-Group Plc


Svenska Handelsbanken AB, filialverksamhet i Finland


REDI Shopping Centre


Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft


Intera Partners Oy


WithSecure Oyj


Finnlines Plc


Work highlights


  • Advised a Nordic financier consortium including Nordea (as the co-ordinator), Aktia, Danske Bank and Swedbank on an arrangement in which eQ Community Properties Fund agreed on a significant financing package.
  • Advised VR-Group Plc as it issued an unsecured €300m green bond.
  • Advised OP Corporate Bank, Nordea and SEB as the financiers of an arrangement in which Nordic company OX2 signed an agreement with a consortium of Finnish energy companies, Kymppivoima, Oulun Energia and Kuopion Energia, to construct and divest a 455.4MW wind farm in Lestijärvi, Finland.

Hannes Snellman (Finland)

Led by Markus Bremer, the team at Hannes Snellman (Finland) regularly works on complex cross-border mandates with colleagues in Stockholm. The team is regularly engaged on matters by both lenders and borrowers spanning a wide variety of financing transactions and restructuring exercises, such as secured and unsecured bank lending work and bond issuances; the group is also noted for its strong regulatory practice. Bremer advises clients on all types of financing transactions and has been involved in a number of complex voluntary debt restructuring exercises. Henrik Mattson‘s practice is focused on the entire credit spectrum at a domestic and cross-border level with work including bank lending matters, acquisition, real estate and project financing work and regulatory issues. Antti Nyberg is noted for his ‘deep insight into the market‘ especially restructuring assignments.

Practice head(s):

Markus Bremer


Other key lawyers:

Henrik Mattson; Antti Nyberg; Elisa Viiri


Testimonials

‘Quality delivery, quick turn-around times and pleasant to work with.’

‘Markus Bremer: Seasoned, safe pair of hands, commercial, knows both the big and small picture.’

‘The team has a lot of in-depth knowledge on relevant regulatory and legal matters.’

‘They are very quick to respond, very organised and reliable.’

‘Elisa Viiri: Dedicated with strong attention to detail.’

‘Large team with good resourcing available. Friendly, straight forward demeanour, helpful attitude.’

‘Antti Nyberg particularly had good knowledge of the market and other parties involved in the transaction.’

‘They have good partner engagement and skillful seniors. Also their team size gives lots of flexibility.’

Key clients

Nordea Bank Abp


Danske Bank


Intera Partners


Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken


Vaaka Partners


YIT Corporation


Eltel AB


Ahlström Capital Oy


Valmet Corporation


Work highlights


  • Advised Nordea Bank Abp on financing the acquisition of KaVo Treatment Unit & Instrument business by Planmeca Oy.
  • Acted as legal counsel to Virala Acquisition Company Plc (VAC), the first company listed on the SPAC segment of the regulated market of Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd, on its merger with Purmo Group Ltd.
  • Advised Esperi Care and its majority owners Danske Bank, SEB, and Ilmarinen on the acquisition of the majority of Esperi Care’s shares by Triton Smaller Mid Cap Fund II.

Krogerus

Krogerus regularly act for lenders, borrowers and other parties on the full range of domestic and international financing transactions and is the key adviser on acquisition, asset and leveraged financings, derivatives issues and structured finance transactions. The firm has a strong focus on the energy sector and regularly handles high-profile project finance mandates. Group head Päivi Toivari acts for clients on acquisition financings, corporate lending work, structured financing arrangements, debt issuances and derivatives work. Heidi Kivenjuuri specialises in real estate finance and project finance mandates.

Practice head(s):

Päivi Toivari


Other key lawyers:

Heidi Kivenjuuri


Testimonials

‘Dynamic and proactive team.’

‘Päivi Toivari: experienced professional, solution oriented with a realistic view.’

Key clients

Société Générale


Nordea Bank Abp


Sampo plc


Ilmatar Energy Oy


Cibus Nordic Real Estate AB


UBS Asset Management


Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB


Oriola Corporation


Danske Bank A/S


Verdane


Lehto Group plc


Work highlights


  • Advising investment manager AIP Management on the €200m financing of four wind farm projects, its first renewable energy investment in Lithuania.
  • Advising Special Investment Fund eQ Community Properties Fund on a €700m refinancing with a Nordic financier consortium, with the entire loan being classified as green sustainable financing.
  • Advising Ilmatar Energy on the long-term €135m debt financing with AIP to fund the construction and operation of a portfolio of four onshore wind farms with a total capacity of 131.8MW.

Roschier

Roschier is a leading firm for finance and restructuring work throughout the Nordics, with extensive experience in handling complex lending and debt capital markets transactional work stemming from event-driven financings, financial restructurings and securisation transactions. Helena Viita has extensive experience in a wide variety of finance work, including real estate and acquisition financings and financial restructurings. Johannes Ahti advises on event-driven financings, refinancing issues and financial restructurings with a focus on leveraged, corporate, real estate and infrastructure finance mandates. Jonne Järvi excels in energy and infrastructure-related financings.

Practice head(s):

Helena Viita; Johannes Ahti; Jonne Järvi


Testimonials

‘A wide variety of assignments gives the team good visibility on what is happening in the market. The partner profiles complement each other nicely.’

‘Helena Viita is very diligent and provides excellent legal analysis, Johannes Ahti has a good understanding of the banking market and Jonne Järvi is developing a profile in project finance.’

‘The partners at the firm are very capable and have an excellent knowledge of the market regarding banking and finance.’

‘The partners and senior lawyers have an excellent knowledge of the market and are very process-oriented, which reduces the involvement required by in-house counsel. Johannes Ahti and Jonne Järvi are both very capable partners.’

‘Strong team with broad expertise across all industry sectors. Fosters a solution-oriented negotiation culture by sorting out what’s important and what is not.’

‘Johannes Ahti: Excellent negotiator with genuine interest in contract drafting. Strong deal execution capabilities.’

‘Jonne Järvi: Hands-on and solution-oriented approach. Very pleasant to work with.’

‘Helena Viita: Go-to adviser in the most demanding or critical matters. Sees the big picture, but makes sure that every important detail has been checked.’

Key clients

Nordea


OP Corporate Bank


SEB


Danske Bank


Nokia


Outokumpu


IK Partners


Blackstone


Taaleri Energia


Work highlights


  • Advising a consortium of Finnish energy companies, comprising Kymppivoima, Oulun Energia and Kuopion Energia, which have agreed to acquire the largest wind farm so far to be constructed in Finland, from wind and solar farm developer OX2, for approximately €650m.
  • Advising a major multinational investment bank on financing the acquisition of one of the largest real estate portfolios in Finland in 2022.
  • Acting as Finnish and Swedish law financing counsel to the Nordic private equity group IK Partners on the acquisition of Renta Group Oy from Intera Partners for an enterprise value of €750m, which was partly financed by way of a €350m five-year secured bond.

Asianajotoimisto White & Case Oy

Asianajotoimisto White & Case Oy is known for its ability to provide high-quality advice to numerous domestic and international financial services clients on financing transactions. The team’s expertise includes handling investment grade financings, acquisition, leveraged and project financing work, structured bank and bond transactions, real estate financing issues and financial restructurings. The practice benefits from the firm's global network of offices, adding the ability to provide Finnish, Swedish, US and English law capabilities in the banking and finance space. Practice head Tanja Törnkvist is a key name in the team and advises leading corporations and financial institutions on domestic and international transactions. Timo Airisto has advised a number of leading investors and financial institutions and continues to work on complex cross-border mandates, and Krista Rekola stands out for her debt finance experience in a range of areas including project finance work and general bank lending issues; newly promoted partner Oona Lilja is also a key name in the debt finance space.

Practice head(s):

Tanja Törnkvist


Other key lawyers:

Timo Airisto; Krista Rekola; Oona Lilja


Key clients

Advania


Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj


Basware Oyj


Danske Bank A/S


Deutsche Bank AG


Fingrid Oyj


FW IPEX-Bank GmbH


Goldman Sachs & Company


Greenfood AB


KFW IPEX-Bank GmbH


Metso Outotec Oyj


Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited


Nordea Bank Abp


Nordic Capital


Sanoma Corporation


Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB)


Sponsor Capital Oy


Stora Enso Oyj


Triton


Valedo Partners


Valorem Group


Work highlights


  • Advising Valorem Group on the approximately €135m project financing of the 148.5MW Matkussaari onshore wind farm.
  • Advising Nordea Bank Abp and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB on the financing for the merger of Virala Acquisition Company Plc, the first company listed on the SPAC segment of the regulated market of Nasdaq Helsinki, and Purmo Group Ltd.
  • Advised Sanoma Corporation on the financing of the acquisition of Pearson Italia S.P.A. from Longman Group (Overseas Holdings) Limited, and STARK Verlag GmbH from Pearson Deutschland GmbH with an agreed aggregate enterprise value of €190m.

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird has notable strength in acquisition, real estate and venture capital financing mandates, mezzanine financings and regulatory mandates. The team provides advice to lenders, borrowers and bank management, while benefitting from the firm's wider international network of offices, working closely with counterparts in Helsinki, Stockholm and London. Jori Taipale is the head of the Nordic region team and a member of the firm's international banking and finance group, and often leads on cross-border and domestic M&A and finance transactions. Kristiina Lehvilä is the head of the Finnish banking practice and the finance and financial regulation group, and stands out for her work advising on domestic and international finance transactions.

Practice head(s):

Kristiina Lehvilä; Jori Taipale


Key clients

Elisa Oyj


TactoTek Oy


Toivo Group Oyj


Lehto Group Oyj


Brunswick Real Estate AB and Nyfosa AB


Work highlights


  • Advised Elisa Oyj on its €130m sustainability linked revolving credit facility loan agreement.
  • Advised Brunswick Real Estate AB and Nyfosa AB on the entry into a €115.2m syndicated financing advanced by Nordea Bank Abp to be used in connection with the acquisition of a portfolio of over 40 real estate properties in Finland.
  • Advised Lehto Oyj on its €13m convertible loan agreement and intercreditor agreement.

Dittmar & Indrenius

Dittmar & Indrenius‘s banking and finance practice is known for handling the full range of banking mandates, including complex banking transactions, and also advises on cross-border mandates spanning lending issues, acquisition, project and real estate financings, derivatives work, structured products and distressed situations. Group head Juha-Pekka Mutanen specialises in finance and capital market transactions, advising both lenders and borrowers, while Hanna-Mari Manninen has expertise in leveraged acquisitions, corporate lending work, payment services transactions, and fintech-related financings and regulatory issues. Kristian Karlsson is strong in acquisition and project financing transactions.

Practice head(s):

Juha-Pekka Mutanen


Other key lawyers:

Hanna-Mari Manninen; Kristian Karlsson


Testimonials

‘Juha-Pekka Mutanen is our go to person for issues around credit risk mitigation in Finland. The team is providing exactly the advice we require and takes a very pragmatic approach.’

‘The banking and finance practice of Dittmar is truly a team not a group of individuals. They operate together as a unit and everyone knows their responsibilities. This results in spot on thought-out end products delivered on time and second to none in terms of quality.’

‘The team consists of highly capable individuals led by partner Juha-Pekka Mutanen, the true legal mind and genius of banking and finance in Finland. Mr. Mutanen’s ability to simplify highly complex matters not only to clients but also to other parties involved has solved a number of potential issues in transactions. He is the true legal mind and genius of the field.’

Key clients

Veho


CapMan


Vaisala


BNP Paribas


Danske Bank


HSBC


KLAR Partners


Loiste


Auris Kaasunjakelu


Svenska Handelsbanken AB


HPP Attorneys

HPP Attorneys is well regarded for its ‘straightforward and businesslike approach‘ in matters relating to banking and finance work. The team is particularly known for its expertise in project financing, and often acts for international clients and assists with the development of renewable energy projects such as wind farms and green infrastructure. Björn Nykvist has expertise in borrower mandates and advises overseas lenders on the Finnish aspects of various financing arrangements. Antti Rintakoski heads up the banking and finance group and focuses on lender mandates spanning domestic and cross-border issues. Teija Lius was promoted to the partnership in early 2023 and has extensive experience in advising on domestic and cross-border financing transactions, project finance work and mandates in renewable energy sector.

Practice head(s):

Antti Rintakoski


Other key lawyers:

Björn Nykvist; Teija Lius


Testimonials

‘Excellent service with reasonable pricing and efficient attitude.’

‘Straight forward and businesslike approach.’

‘We have worked with one Senior Counsel in the team. She has excellent background and expertise on international financial institutions and impact investment funds that is crucial for us.’

‘The Senior Counsel we’ve worked with has such a relevant background and expertise on matters important for us that she was the number one choice. She’s also very responsive and easy to work with, and communicates well and on timely manner.’

Waselius & Wist

Waselius & Wist is well known in the market for advising major cross-border clients in the banking and finance sector on transactions and regulatory issues. The firm benefits from its longstanding client relationships and panel positions with large multinational credit institutions and excels in cross-border mandates. Timo Lehtimäki is the co-head of the banking and finance department and has substantial experience in cross-border transactions, financing transactions, asset-based lending matters and bond issuances. Fellow co-head Maria Lehtimäki focuses on advising financial institutions, investors and corporates on cross-border financings and capital markets transactions, alongside handling regulatory matters, while co-head Olli Kiuru is active in compliance and fintech work. Linda Nyman is noted for her work advising international and domestic clients on financial regulatory issues.

Practice head(s):

Timo Lehtimäki; Maria Lehtimäki; Olli Kiuru


Other key lawyers:

Linda Nyman; Ville-Veikko Vanttinen


Testimonials

‘High-end banking and finance team, very commercial and very easy and effective to work with. Waselius & Wist are our go-to legal advisers in Finland for banking and finance. Value for work is exceptional and the quality is outstanding.’

‘Timo Lehtimäki heads up the department and is great running the Finnish side of cross-border transactions together with his team of associates. We have been very impressed and we know that our matters are in safe hands with Timo and his team.’

‘Excellent team, understand the complexities of deal structures, ability to work through solutions. On point understanding of Finnish market, the “go to” team for us. Clear advisers, understand risks, but pragmatic at the same time and will get you to the solution.’

‘Maria Lehtimäki is a leading individual for securitisation in the Finnish market; she’s technically excellent and pragmatic in her approach, assisting clients to a focused solution and very hard working. Highly recommend Maria Lehtimäki and her team. Ville-Veikko Vanttinen in her team is a rising star, absolutely on the ball and technically competent.’

‘Strong banking and regulation expertise, connections and industry engagement.’

‘Easy to discuss, contact and get matters progressed.’

‘The assignment was small but their attitude and professionalism was excellent. I would work with them again. Partner Maria Lehtimäki has a very practical approach to matters.’

Key clients

LocalTapiola Finance


BNP Paribas


Goldman Sachs


Credit Suisse


Nomura


Sixth Street Partners


American Express (Swedish Branch)


Saldo Finance Plc


PYN Fund Management Ltd


Komplett Bank


GCC Capital


Fellow Bank


Banco Santander


JLPS Ireland Limited


Ikano Bank


Work highlights


  • Advised LocalTapiola Finance (LähiTapiola Rahoitus Oy) as the originator on the €623m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
  • Advising the arranger and the original lender on the Finnish law aspects of the financing of the acquisition of HyTest by Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics.
  • Advised JLPS Ireland Limited on the Finnish law aspects of the sale and leaseback of one Airbus A350-941 Aircraft with Finnair, and related financing arrangements.

DLA Piper Finland Attorneys Ltd

DLA Piper Finland Attorneys Ltd is active in construction finance mandates and buyer loans, primarily in the shipping and shipbuilding industries; the firm is regularly engaged by international banks and export credit agencies in relation to mandates involving maritime industry. The team has also been instructed on a variety of financial regulatory and compliance work, alongside advising fintech clients. Kristiina Hirva is co-head of the firm’s finance and projects team, and is a key name in the Nordic-wide financial regulatory practice. Fellow co-head Mikko Luukkonen has more than 10 years of experience in the banking and finance space, and Hans Sundblad is known for his extensive experience in corporate and financing transactions.

Practice head(s):

Kristiina Hirva; Mikko Luukkonen


Other key lawyers:

Hans Sundblad


Testimonials

‘Mikko Luukkonen and Hans Sundblad are the partners to work with.’

‘Extremely knowledgeable about the Finnish market and great in depth knowledge of ECA financing. Also very client centric and take the lead on negotiating and coordinating with clients counsel taking a lot of burden off the bank.’

‘Client centricity and expertise of the Finnish market in particular.’

‘Mikko Luukkonen was always on hand when I needed to talk through issues. He was brilliant at understanding the clients unique requests and broke them down concisely to ensure the issues were resolved seamlessly.’

‘Knows the industry and how we prioritise different risks. Available and joyful to work with.’

‘Very professional team, relying as well on the international background of their legal firm as on their in depth knowledge of the Finnish legal framework to provide the best advice.’

‘I appreciated a lot the pragmatic and commercial approach of Mikko Luukkonen to solve negotiation points with the client. Hans Sundblad has intimate knowledge of the Finnish Export Credit Agency and was also very valuable to smooth out the execution process.’

Key clients

Société Générale


Silicon Valley Bank


Saari Partners


Raksystems Group Oy


NTR Renewable Energy Income Fund II


BNP Paribas Fortis


Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO)


Mizuho Bank


Helaba Landesbanken Hessen-Thüringen


Premico Oy


Deutsche Bank AG


Collector Bank AB


KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advised Worldline, a French group and European leader in the payment and transactional services sector, on the acquisition of the card-acquiring activity of the Swedish group Handelsbanken in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
  • Advised Société Générale on its ECA-backed financing provided to a Finnish shipping company for the purposes of acquiring a RoPax cruise vessel from a foreign shipping yard.
  • Acted as Finnish counsel for BNP Paribas Fortis, as agent for a bank syndicate, in relation to a Finnish ECA-backed credit facility for €500m to Verizon Communications Inc., USA.

Eversheds Asianajotoimisto Oy / Eversheds Attorneys Ltd (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)

Eversheds Asianajotoimisto Oy / Eversheds Attorneys Ltd (a member of Eversheds Sutherland) benefits from its international network when advising clients on a range of cross-border assignments in the banking and finance space. The team has vast knowledge of financing arrangements related to real estate transactions and assists borrowers, lenders and banks with restructurings, dispute resolution and real estate matters. Merja Blankenstein specialises in financial arrangements, and often advises domestic and international clients, while Tiina Ashorn is known for her experience in the fintech sector and advises on the regulation and operational environment of crowdfunding platforms.

Practice head(s):

Merja Blankenstein; Tiina Ashorn


Key clients

Scandi Standard AB


Auntie Solutions Oy


IISY Oy


Helmee Imaging Oy


Santander Consumer Finance Oy


Work highlights


  • Acted on a refinancing arrangement of Scandi Standard AB’s sustainability linked credit facilities in the amount of SEK2bn.
  • Acted as legal representative of Auntie Solutions Oy on a financial arrangement whereby the equity investor Verdane made an investment of approximately €10m into the company.
  • Acted as advisers of IISY Oy on its equity-based financing rounds of approximately €4m.

KPMG Law in Finland

KPMG Law in Finland focuses on the regulatory and transactional work in the finance sector, acting for a client base of banks, insurance companies, fund and asset managers and payment service providers. Practice head Eeva Rakkolainen advises on regulatory matters, financings and transactions, while Milla Kuronen stands out for her knowledge of financial regulation, with a specific focus on the fintech sector.

Practice head(s):

Eeva Rakkolainen


Other key lawyers:

Jannica Boucht; Milla Kuronen; Krista Niiranen


Testimonials

‘Great teamwork and strong project management to complete quite a complex transaction.’

‘We have been very pleased with their services on regulatory and compliance matters. They are always there when we need them and the legal advice they provide is always high quality and practical.’

‘Eeva Rakkolainen has in-depth knowledge of financial regulation, its application in practice and is a pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Epassi Group/Epassi Clearing Oy


S-Pankki, S-Pankki Pääomarahastot Oy


Ålandsbanken Funds Ltd


Ålands Ömsesidiga Försäkringsbolag AB


IndexHelsinki Osakeyhtiö


Vakuutusosakeyhtiö Garantia Insurance


Mandatum Henkivakuutusosakeyhtiö, Mandatum Asset Management Oy


Tuohex Capital Oy


Lakea Oy


Uudenkaupungin kaupunki


GRIT Fund Management Company Ltd


Work highlights


  • Advised Epassi Group companies on a complex multinational group restructuring including overall planning and execution of the project.
  • Providing outsourced legal compliance services and appointed as the compliance officer of Garantia.
  • Advised Ålandsbanken Funds Ltd on a corporate structuring in relation to the development of an offshore wind farm in collaboration with OX2 as the developer, and with the possibility for the public to invest in the project at the later stage.

Merilampi Attorneys Ltd

Merilampi Attorneys Ltd has notable strength in real estate finance work, and particularly excels in acting for borrower clients. The firm is also engaged in a number of assignments from fintech companies, including alternative financings. Department head Tommi Elo provides regulatory advice and has been involved in numerous domestic and cross-border financing transactions. Ari Keinänen stands out for his work in corporate and real estate transactions.

Practice head(s):

Tommi Elo


Other key lawyers:

Ari Keinänen


Key clients

Citibank


Nordea Bank


Aberdeen Property Funds


Schroder Property Funds


Suominen Corporation


Posti Corporation


Kesko Corporation


Koskisen


Work highlights


  • Advised Koskisen Oy on its financing of an investment in a production facility by financing facilities provided by a syndicate led by OP.