Waselius > Helsinki, Finland > Firm Profile
Waselius Offices
ETELÄESPLANADI 24A
00130 HELSINKI
Finland
Waselius > The Legal 500 Rankings
Finland > Banking and finance Tier 2
Waselius‘s banking and finance practice is well known for advising cross-border participants in the banking and finance sector on a wide range of financing transactions and regulatory issues. Timo Lehtimäki leads the banking and finance transactional practice and primarily focusses on cross-border transactions, while Olli Kiuru is head of the financial regulatory practice and works with domestic and international financial institutions, insurance companies and other regulated entities, including fintech companies. Maria Lehtimäki has notable experience in securitisation and structured finance work, as well as special situation and distressed investments, while Linda Nyman is the key contact at counsel level.Practice head(s):
Timo Lehtimäki; Olli Kiuru
Other key lawyers:
Maria Lehtimäki; Linda Nyman; Ville-Veikko Vänttinen
Testimonials
‘Independent law firm with an experienced and commercially minded team that operates very effectively and gets things done. They are very easy and pleasant to deal with, true professionals, and we know that our matters are in a safe pair of hands when we instruct Waselius & Wist.’
‘Maria Lehtimäki provides excellent and timely advice. She is responsive and stays involved in the deal, so there is partner involvement in all key issues. Senior associate Ville-Veikko Vänttinen is also helpful, efficient and proactive. They are both a pleasure to deal with.’
‘They are knowledgeable, reactive and, most importantly, very commercial. Waselius & Wist think in terms of solutions and not problems. They are always willing to think outside the box.’
‘Both Maria Lehtimäki and Ville-Veikko Vänttinen are top notch lawyers who come very recommended. Maria and Ville-Veikko get the deal done and come up with creative solutions.’
‘We have worked with Timo Lehtimäki on several transactions and the level of service and responsiveness have been outstanding. All work products have been delivered in a timely way and legal issues have been solved smoothly and quietly.’
‘All team members have been exceptionally friendly and had a deep knowledge of acquisition finance transactions.’
‘I especially value the level of commitment and service from Maria Lehtimäki who is a standout legal adviser in Finnish securitisations – definitely the market leader.’
Key clients
LocalTapiola Finance
Wells Fargo
BNP Paribas
Goldman Sachs
Credit Suisse
Nomura
Sixth Street Partners
Bridgepoint
American Express
Saldo Bank UAB Plc
PYN Fund Management Ltd
Morrow Bank
Alisa Bank Oyj
Banco Santander
Citibank
Ikano Bank
Zurich Insurance Group
Ermitage Partners
Ageras
Santander Consumer Finance Oy
Vapaus Bikes Oy
P Capital Partners AB
Monitchem Holdco 3 S.A. (CABB Group)
Work highlights
- Advised LocalTapiola Finance (LähiTapiola Rahoitus Oy) as the originator in the €543.3m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
- Advised the lenders on the Finnish law aspects of the financing of the acquisition of the Nomentia group by Inflexion.
- Advised Santander Consumer Finance Oy as the originator in the €450m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
Finland > Capital markets Tier 2
Waselius is well versed in cross-border transactions, in which the group advises global corporates, especially leading asset managers, as well as handling regulatory matters relating to securities, derivatives, hybrid instruments, alternative investment funds and mutual funds. Maria Lehtimäki, who acts for financial institutions, investors and corporates on cross-border financing and capital markets transactions and the related regulatory work; and Timo Lehtimäki, who assists international banks, other lending entities, private equity houses and corporates with cross-border transactions, jointly lead the team.Practice head(s):
Maria Lehtimäki; Timo Lehtimäki
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Excellent service and understanding of prevalent legal issues.’
‘The W&W Team were knowledgeable as to substantive areas of law and had the breadth of experience to provide market perspective.’
‘One of Timo Lehtimäki’s qualities that I really appreciated was his responsiveness, both in terms of timeliness and being on point in addressing any questions/issues raised.’
‘The Waselius & Wist team is very professional and responsive and gives prompt and focused advice.’
‘Linda Nyman makes sure that all our transactions proceed smoothly.’
Key clients
Enersize Oyj
Citibank /Citigroup
AMC Networks Ventures LLC
LocalTapiola Finance
Banco Santander
Barclays Bank plc/Barclays Bank Ireland
The Royal Bank of Canada
BNP Paribas
Société Générale Group
Goldman Sachs International
Natixis
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
Deutsche Bank AG / DWS
HSBC
Credit Suisse International
Winance
MetLife Group
Bank of America Corporation
Work highlights
- Advised LocalTapiola Finance (LähiTapiola Rahoitus Oy) as the originator in the €543.3m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
- Advised Monitchem Holdco 3 S.A., on the Finnish law aspects of the issuance of €250m floating rate notes due 2028 and €420m fixed rate notes due 2028 and related super senior revolving credit facility.
- Advised Santander Consumer Finance Oy as the originator on the €450m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
Finland > Maritime and transport Tier 2
Waselius covers securitised warehouse financing mandates and has extensive experience in structured finance work across a variety of asset classes including automotive hire purchase and loan portfolios and aircraft; the team also handles special situation investments and distressed investments. Maria Lehtimäki leads the practice.Practice head(s):
Maria Lehtimäki
Key clients
Santander Consumer Finance
CityJet
LocalTapiola Finance
BBAM Aviation Services Limited
JLPS Ireland Limited
Work highlights
- Advised JLPS Ireland Limited on the Finnish law aspects of the sale and leaseback of Airbus A350-941 Aircraft with Finnair, and related financing arrangements.
- Advised LocalTapiola Finance as the originator on the €543.3m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
- Advised Santander Consumer Finance Oy as the originator in the €450m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts.
Finland > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3
Waselius‘s ‘highly competent’ M&A, corporate and commercial department assists clients with domestic and international transactions, including the sale, purchase and financing of companies and businesses, joint ventures, mergers, takeovers, private equity and venture capital transactions, and management buy-outs. Christoffer Waselius, who focuses on M&A, and Jaakko Huhtala, who has combined expertise in M&A transactions and general corporate law as well as financial and insurance regulatory matters, jointly lead the team.Practice head(s):
Christoffer Waselius; Jaakko Huhtala
Testimonials
‘Extremely responsive and pleasant to work with! Strong focus on contributing with actually valuable advice.’
‘Christoffer Waselius – a man for all seasons. His presence brings true weight to the negotiation table. ’
‘Jaakko Huhtala is a very pragmatic adviser. Knowledgeable and gives trustworthy advice.’
‘Highly competent team.’
‘Jaakko Huhtala has experience as an entrepreneur in the finance industry which shows up in a good way.’
Key clients
Visma
Hedin Mobility Group AB
Equitix
Eitrium
YOC AG
adesso SE
Neova
Loomis AB
Heimdall Terminals
Essity Group
Accent Equity 2008 L.P.
NCS Finland Oy
Hanken
Life Finland
Work highlights
- Advised Hedin Automotive on reaching an agreement with Delta Motor Group Oy for the acquisition of all shares in Delta Auto Oy as well as the operative business of Delta Motor Group Oy.
- Advised YOC AG (ETR), a listed German mobile ad tech company, on the acquisition of Nostemedia Oy, a Finnish digital marketing specialist company.
- Advised Essity on the divestment of its shares in Encore Ympäristöpalvelut Oy to Stena Recycling Oy.
Finland > Employment Tier 3
Waselius is trusted by international brands as local adviser on all employment-related matters including reorganisation processes and employment disputes. Jan Waselius focuses on dispute resolution, while Jouni Kautto assists with redundancies, as well as advising clients on day-to-day HR matters. Antonina Paasikivi is well versed in dispute resolution and employment law.Practice head(s):
Jan Waselius; Jouni Kautto
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘They deliver on time and they understand the needs of the clients.’
‘Jouni Kautto is serious about providing great service and clear, comprehensive advice.’
‘A modern, specialist and responsive firm.’
Key clients
Mars
Royal Canin
Pernod Ricard
Essity
One.com
Synsam Group
BASF
Ejendals
NCH
Surfactor Finland
Euronext
Saldo Bank UAB
Tektronix
Festo
Fluke
Neova
Savonlinnan Oopperajuhlien Kannatusyhdistys ry (Savonlinna Opera Festival)
Work highlights
- Assisting Mars with all employment law matters in Finland.
- Assisting Royal Canin with all employment law matters in Finland.
- Advising Savonlinnan Oopperajuhlien Kannatusyhdistys ry, the organiser of the Savonlinna Opera Festival, on all employment law related matters in Finland.
Finland > EU and competition Tier 3
Waselius's EU and competition team assists with all aspects of EU and national competition law, including horizontal and vertical agreements, abuse of a dominant market position issues, and merger control, public procurement and state aid mandates. Leading the team is Lotta Pohjanpalo, who is praised by clients as ‘a star in her field’ and advises clients on EU and competition law, public procurement work and regulatory matters across a wide range of industries. Counsel Sami Hartikainen is a key name for state aid issues relating to the internal market.Practice head(s):
Lotta Pohjanpalo
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team headed by Lotta Pohjanpalo offers excellent in-depth expertise of competition law for merger control/transactions as well as for commercial contracts.’
‘Lotta Pohjanpalo is a star in her field.’
‘The team is very easy to reach and they always offer us the best knowledge in a very wide area of legal issues.’
‘I always get the feeling that my opinions are valuable. And they never try to steer the decision-making too much. They always make it clear what the options are and are very clear with the ups and downs.’
‘Waselius & Wist are a firm that provides timely, practical and insightful advice, are consistent in their deliveries and a trusted and long-term partner to our business in Finland.’
‘Lotta Pohjanpalo is a very strong legal professional that gives excellent advice and is firm in negotiations. She has very extensive experience in her field and is a trusted adviser to our company. I would highly recommend her.’
Key clients
Loomis AB
Equitix
Pernod Ricard
Essity
CityBike (Inurba)
Ascensia Diabetes Care Finland
Royal Canin (part of the Mars companies)
Loomis Automatia
Olympus Finland
Coloplast
Steripolar
Zimmer Biomet
Hedin Mobility Group
Opes Corporation
Municipal Guarantee Board
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland
Work highlights
- Represented Hedin Mobility before the European Commission in securing unconditional Phase 1 merger control approval for its acquisition of Delta Auto.
- Advised the Municipal Guarantee Board on a €5bn state aid approval process with the European Commission securing the lawfulness of the state aid.
- Represented the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in a state aid approval process with the European Commission.
Finland > Intellectual property Tier 3
Waselius is experienced in handling international trade mark, domain and design portfolios as well as marketing law, contractual issues and regulatory matters. The practice group is co-led by Bernt Juthström, who handles the whole spectrum of intellectual property and technology work; and the ‘outstanding’ Åsa Krook, who is experienced in IP management, marketing law and commercial contracts.Practice head(s):
Bernt Juthström; Åsa Krook
Testimonials
‘Waselius has a team that is entirely dedicated to intellectual property. The firm has a good reputation and has a good team of lawyers with longstanding experience and profound legal knowledge.’
‘Åsa Krook is an outstanding lawyer. Åsa is quick, accurate and has longstanding experience and profound legal knowledge. If the case requires, she will offer practical and business-oriented solutions.’
‘Advice is always to the point and very business and solution minded. Exactly the right balance between legal considerations and how that impacts the client’s business. Provide options on how to work around issues.’
‘Åsa Krook – she is super responsive, and always goes the extra mile.’
‘Waselius & Wist stands out for its exceptional team of legal experts who combine deep industry knowledge with a forward-thinking approach, providing clients with innovative and tailored solutions that set them apart from other firms in terms of comprehensive legal support and strategic guidance.’
‘The individuals at Waselius & Wist stand out due to their exceptional legal expertise, innovative problem-solving abilities, and unwavering commitment to providing client-centered solutions.’
Key clients
Louis Vuitton Malletier
Pernod Ricard
Rivian
Mars
Royal Canin
Teleste Oyj
Life Europe AB and Life Finland Oy
Essity
Eltel Group Oy
Lune Group Oy Ltd
Peptonic Medical AB
NaturaMed Pharma
Oy Rani Plast Ab
Work highlights
- Advising on Pernod Ricard Group’s trade mark portfolio in Finland and regularly advising the group on trade mark, marketing, labelling and regulatory matters and procedures in Finland and in the EU.
- Representing Louis Vuitton in its trade mark related contentious and non-contentious matters in Finland.
- Assisting Essity with its trade mark related contentious and non-contentious matters as well as patent matters in Finland.
Finland > Tax Tier 3
Waselius's tax department focuses on transaction-related tax work, structuring issues and tax litigation. The practice regularly advises clients on the tax aspects of corporate reorganisations and restructurings, acquisitions, spin-offs, joint ventures, and financing arrangements. Managing partner and head of the tax team Niklas Thibblin focuses on corporate taxation, particularly in an international and cross-border context, handling international tax planning work, mergers and acquisitions, and tax disputes. Jouni Weckström departed the group to found Weckström Attorneys in January 2023.Practice head(s):
Niklas Thibblin
Testimonials
‘Waselius & Wist has a great and agile tax practice headed by Niklas Thibblin.’
‘Niklas Thibblin has a unique combination of deep technical knowledge and a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach.’
‘Niklas Thibblin is splendid at thinking out-of-the-box yet well-grounded in what is realistic.’
‘They are very qualified and aware of many topics. They are really great at communicating complicated laws in a way that is understandable. They are very collaborative with us and within their teams. They are the best law firm that we have worked with in Finland and always recommend them.’
‘The individuals are kind and very smart and aware of the topics they assist you with. They always do an amazing job.’
‘Great team, great understanding of the market, great partner attention.’
‘Niklas Thibblin is second to none.’
Key clients
NRC Group Finland
LocalTapiola Finance
T. Rowe Price
Saldo Band UAB
Loomis
NBC Global Finance
Bank of America
Heimdall Terminals AB
Work highlights
- Acting for several T. Rowe Price funds before the Finnish Tax Administration and before the administrative courts in relation to withholding taxes.
- Representing the Bank of America in a potential dispute concerning, directly or indirectly, the beneficial owner of dividends and related withholding tax charges related to stock loan transactions and the consequential dividends received in relation to such equity securities.
- Advised LocalTapiola Finance on the €543.3m public securitisation of a portfolio of Finnish consumer auto hire purchase contracts. The transaction involved complex structural considerations, including VAT aspects.
Finland > TMT Tier 3
The TMT team at Waselius provides advice on a full spectrum of matters related to data privacy and use of personal data including regulatory compliance, development of operation models as well as internal investigations, and contractual matters. Bernt Juthström handles a spread of contentious and non-contentious matters including issues concerning copyrights and trade secrets. Jouni Kautto advises on data privacy and electronic communications, while Charlotta Sittnikow's work covers data protection & privacy, e-commerce IT and consumer matters.Practice head(s):
Bernt Juthström; Jouni Kautto; Charlotta Sittnikow
Testimonials
‘It was very reassuring to work with W&W due to their personal commitment and approach. Any and all questions from our side were dealt with promptly and thoroughly.’
Key clients
Pernod Ricard
CCR S.A.
Loomis AB
Visma
Adesso se
Work highlights
- Advised Loomis AB in the negotiation with Automatia’s key customers regarding long-term service contracts that included matters regarding use of data, and rights and obligations of the parties in respect of the data produced and processed.
- Advised a multinational insurance company in a big ticket dispute regarding the delivery of a SAAS system. The dispute was resolved in arbitration proceedings under the rules of the Finland Arbitration Institute and involved complex technical and legal issues.
- Advised a US telecommunication company in launching of several telecommunication related services in Finland. We also assisted in post launching requirements including submitting required notification with relevant Finnish authority.
Finland > Dispute resolution Tier 4
Waselius's dispute resolution team represents clients in commercial litigation at a domestic and international level and also handles white-collar crime matters, IP litigation, investigations and arbitration proceedings. Leading the team are founding partner and experienced arbitrator Jan Waselius, Bernt Juthström, who also co-heads the IP department, and Christoffer Waselius, who is involved in white-collar crime work.Practice head(s):
Jan Waselius; Bernt Juthström; Christoffer Waselius
Testimonials
‘This is a long established and highly respected, also very well-connected elite boutique.’
‘Christoffer Waselius was very kind and on top of any topic which appeared. I always had information about the standing with the court. We had very good debrief before and after every action.’
‘Highly professional team.’
‘Very supportive team with quick responses; internationally minded and open to all discussions on cross-border litigation and M&A. Always enjoyable to work with them. Also clients like their work very much.’
‘Christoffer Waselius has vast experience in international M&A, litigation and arbitration projects. He is fluent in German and therefore very recommended for German companies. Christoffer understands the different specific law concepts in each jurisdiction and can quickly turn issues into a workable solution.’
Key clients
Alstom
Pernod Ricard
Strömma Turism & Sjöfart and Stromma Finland
Heimdall Terminals
Essity
Armin Schwarz Ice Action
NRC Group
T. Rowe Price
Loomis
Automatia
Ejendals
NCH
BASF
Venator
Steripolar
Work highlights
- Acting as counsel to former board members of Anttila Oy in a high principle value dispute concerning a clawback to the bankruptcy estate of Anttila Oy in a matter concerning board member liability for damages under the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act.
- Successfully acted as counsel for a Finnish logistics company against its former managing director in a misuse of business secrets case.
- Handling several arbitration proceedings with significant monetary value.
Waselius > Firm Profile
Waselius is a leading Finnish business law firm, committed to provide highly specialised legal services in complex business transactions. The firm is especially renowned for high-end advice within all fields of commercial law, with particular emphasis on capital markets, banking and finance, including financial restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, real estate, energy and natural resources, tax law, employment law, competition law as well as IPR. The firm takes pride in being able to deliver tailor-made services and solutions with efficiency, accuracy and flexibility, aimed at satisfying the needs of the most demanding clients.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Banking and finance, Capital markets, Corporate recovery | Timo Lehtimäki | timo.lehtimaki@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95245 |
Banking and finance, Capital markets | Maria Lehtimäki | maria.lehtimaki@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95235 |
Competition and public procurement, General corporate and business law | Lotta Pohjanpalo | lotta.pohjanpalo@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95253 |
Dispute resolution, TMT, IPR, Corporate governance and compliance | Bernt Juthström | bernt.juthstrom@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95241 |
Dispute resolution, Employment, Corporate governance and compliance | Jan Waselius | jan.waselius@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95234 |
Employment, pensions and incentives, Data protection | Jouni Kautto | jouni.kautto@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95276 |
M&A and private equity, Real estate, Energy and natural resources, Environment | Christoffer Waselius | christoffer.waselius@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95261 |
Tax | Niklas Thibblin | niklas.thibblin@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95277 |
Intellectual Property | Åsa Krook | asa.krook@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95296 |
Financial Regulatory, FinTech | Olli Kiuru | olli.kiuru@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95232 |
Mergers and Acquisitions | Jaakko Huhtala | jaakko.huhtala@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95240 |
Real Estate | Antti Rikala | antti.rikala@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95224 |
Employment | Tomi Korpiola | tomi.korpiola@waselius.fi | +358 (0)9 668 95251 |