Borenius
Founded in 1911,
Borenius
is one of the oldest Finnish law firms. Today the firm is led by managing partner Johan Roman and specializes in corporate law and has offices in four
jurisdictions, including representative offices in London and New York.
The firm is particularly strong in banking and finance and in both debt and equity capital markets
transactions,
achieving tier 1 status for
all of these areas.
In banking and finance the firm
worked on a mix of corporate, project and real estate
financings.
In capital markets the firm
was active on both debt and equity side issuances but with a lean towards the debt side.
In M&A the firm
assisted with a range of domestic and cross-border acquisitional transactions.
In
project development
the firm
assisted with both domestic and cross-border projects for clients.
“I like the fact that we are always served by same senior team members and not only youngest newcomers. People we have worked with are straightforward, reliable and
pragmatic which is highly appreciated. They also know the market standards very well which has helped us in many ways.”
“I liked their fast response time and ability to concentrate to the essentials when timing was critical. Also value for the money in their invoicing was good.”
“Borenius is super responsive, helpful and client oriented. they understand the broader transaction and deliver their advice and assistance in a way that best helps the overall process.”
“Good team being able to solve problems quickly and react to changes.”
“Very smooth co-operation.”
“Very pragmatic and solution orientated. Experts. They knew what they were doing.”
“The team at Borenius is commercial,
available and helpful; Juha and team are
very hard working and a pleasure to partner with.”
“Borenius team was readily availabe to support us throughout the process.”
“Very smooth and easy to deal with Juha - always a pleasure to work with him."
“Juha knows the market; is very collaborative and is well connected to the local players; he gets deals done,”
“Juha is a sound capital markets lawyer with deep knowledge of capital markets law including all international dimension of relevance.”
“He knows what he is doing, always available and expert at this field of transactions.”
“He's the best. He has a
deep knowledge of capital markets and
an unmatched ability to solve problems we bring to him.
He's also very pleasant and fun to work with.”
“Super connected and very well aware of the market; very responsive and helpful; extremely clear on the overall transaction and the needs of the client and very sensitive in tailoring his advice to these.”
“She is very thorough and really knows the details.”
“She gives very precise and practical advice and responds
very fast. She is also
very nice to work with. She has good knowledge
on industry practice
on her field of law.”
“Samuli has a very good understanding about the challenges a scale up company faces and
is able to tailor his advice to meet the need.”
“Eeva is one of the young stars of Finnish Capital Markets law community. Very clear and solid lawyer, quick to react to client's sometimes urgent needs. Highly recommend Eeva and want her to be part of the team assisting us."
“Tuomas is superb. Very bright individual who is pleasant to work with and can always be trusted. He has wide experience in
different aspects of finance with
deep understanding of legal framework and market practice. Our go-to-person in finance and general corporate law. Highly recommended.”
“We really appreciate his pragmatic way of working and ability to be on top of things. Having him working for us gives us confidence that things are progressing as they should. He
definitely brings a quality stamp with him.”
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include
SATO, Nordea Bank, OP Corporate Bank,
Danske Bank and PHM Group.
Key clients of the firm in
capital markets include
Nixu, Nordea Bank, Danske Bank - Finland Branch, Carnegie Investment Bank - Finnish Branch and Finnish State.
Key clients of the firm in
M&A include
Axcel Management,
Aspo,
CapMan,
Chantier Davie Canada and
Norvestor Advisory.
Key clients of the firm in
project development
include Anglo American,
Agnico Eagle Mines,
Neoen,
OX2 and
abrdn.
Castrén & Snellman
Castrén & Snellman
is among the oldest Finnish law firms with roots going back to 1888. It is a full-service law firm, based in Helsinki, and it boasts the largest number of employees out of all the Finnish law firms.
The firm has a particular strength in banking and capital markets
work achieving tier 1 status in all these areas.
In banking and finance the firm’s work focused on assisting with domestic and cross-border acquisition
financings.
In capital markets the firm’s work focused on a mix of bond issuances, including green bond issuances, and secondary share offerings.
In
M&A the firm’s work focused on
assiting with
cross border acquisitions for clients.
In
project development the firm’s work focused on
assisting with a range of
infrastructure
project deals for clients from a range of sectors.
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include
Finnlines,
Huhtamäki, Nrep,
OP Corporate Bank and
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken.
Key clients of the firm in
capital markets include S-Bank,
Huhtamäki, Purmo Group,
Caverion Corporation,
Raute Corporation,
Mandatum and Efecte.
Key clients of the firm in
M&A include Valio,
REMONDIS, A. Ahlström Corporation,
Kone Corporation and
Triton Partners.
Key clients of the firm in
project development include Vattenfall,
Fortum, Excelerate Energy,
Nevel and Novana.
Dittmar & Indrenius
Dittmar &
Indrenius Attorneys
is and independent Finnish law firm led by managing partner Gabrielle
Dannberg. The firm is based in Finland’s capital city Helsinki and has been serving corporate clients since 1899.
The firm is focused on financing, capital markets, M&A and project work, and it is particularly experienced in energy and infrastructure sector work.
In banking and finance the firm was
mainly lead counsel on a mix of different financings
fro clients.
In capital markets the firm
worked on a mixture of debt and equity deals.
In M&A the firm
focuses on assisting with acquisitions but does also do some financial services regulatory work too.
In
project development the firm
assisted on a mix of energy and infrastructure projects.
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include
Veho,
MB Funds, OPR-Finance,
Auris Kaasunjakelu and
Infracapital.
Key clients of the firm in capital markets include
Svenska Handelsbanken,
OPR-Finance, Dasos Capital,
Finnish P&C Insurance and
Tamtron Group.
Key clients of the firm in M&A include
Svenska Handelsbanken,
Dasos Capital,
MB Funds, KLAR Partners and
Veho.
Key clients of the firm in project development include
Ingka Investments,
Glennmont Partners,
Arise, CapMan Infra and
Infranode.
Dottir Attorneys
Dottir Attorneys is a Finnish business law firm based in Helsinki. The firm has a major focus on technology and media companies and was founded in 2016.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm continues to advise startups and investors in technology, deep tech, AI and machine learning on different kinds of corporate transactions, ranging from private equity and M&A to venture capital financings.
Key clients
Key clients include Playtika Holding, Vincit, Shareholders of e-ville, Mainframe Industries, Shareholders of Silverbucket, Barona, Inderes, CapMan Growth Equity, Finnish Industry Investment, Sanoma, JB Nordic Ventures (NordicNinja), Maki.vc, Icebreaker.vc, Sparkmind.vc and Voima Ventures.
Hannes Snellman
Hannes
Snellman is a prominent Nordic law firm based in Finland. The firm has been assisting in complex and high - profile business transactions since 1909 and is led by Managing Partner Anna Maria Tamminen.
The firm has a particular strength in banking and finance and M&A work, achieving tier 1 status in
both of these
practices.
In banking and finance the firm
is focused on
assisting with
cross-border loans and
financings.
In capital markets the firm
works on both domestic and cross-border debt and equity side transactions.
In M&A the firm
works on a mix of acquisitions and joint ventures as lead counsel for
clients.
In
project development the firm primarily assists
on domestic projects.
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include Nordea Bank,
Ahlstrom Capital,
Danske Bank,
Myrsky Energia and
Nykredit
Realkredit.
Key clients of the firm in
capital markets include
SEGA Europe, SEGA Corporation,
Uponor Corporation,
the Finnish Prime Minister’s Office,
ACCEL-KKR and
Cargotec Corporation.
Key clients of the firm in
M&A
include
Cargotec Corporation, KONE Corporation,
Lassila & Tikanoja,
YIT Corporation and
Vaaka Partners.
HPP Attorneys
HPP Attorneys is an independent full-service Finnish law firm based in Helsinki, currently led by managing partner Markku Mäkinen. The firm has been advising on complex corporate deals since its foundation in 1974.
The firm
is particularly strong in both banking and finance and project development
transactions, achieving tier 2 status in
both but is also highly active in the M&A space.
In banking and finance the firm worked on a range of loans and financings, including syndicated
financings.
In
M&A the firm is focused on
assisting clients with acquisitions and investments.
In
project development the firm focused on
assisting with projects for clients from a range of sectors.
“Devotion to closing the deal and the solution minded approach during negotiations.”
“Good quality topped with straight forward, hands-on attitude.”
“HPP's services are definitely value for money. HPP's team are professionals and
they truly
understands our needs and ways of working.”
“Extremely skilled and goal-oriented team led by
truly great partners.”
Project development:
Energy
“Professional and prompt.”
“HPP's
expertise on the full range of legal aspects of project development
life-cycle coupled with a matured understanding of the client's business needs makes them stand out from the crowd.”
“Great support by Björn, Teija and their team as they are very
up-to-date on proceedings in the Finnish market, are very adept to make complex structures work from a legal perspective and provide their support very pragmatically.
Further, they have provided
very helpful input on how to improve the overall concept of the loan documentation.”
“Good knowledge on jurisprudence and process.”
“Leif Laitinen is an excellent lawyer and negotiator. Leif is extremely good with its clients.”
“Teija is very thorough in her approach and has helped a lot to successfully implement the loan documentation on
a number of deals. She has deep knowledge of the market and lenders' considerations and is open to discuss and implement our specific needs in the most
appropriate legal way.”
“I only work with Teija Lius. She is very pragmatic, hands on and has a great commitment to client service. She is quick and precise in her delivery and very business oriented. She understands the big picture and negotiates effectively.”
“I have only been working with Partner Teija Lius. She is very service
minded and
pragmatic, and provides in
general excellent and smooth legal service.”
“Björn's years of experience with wind power project development seem to translate very well into Solar PV projects. We have gained excellent service from Björn and his team on the full range of development-related contracts.”
“Very experienced partner who has a deep knowledge of the Finnish market and lenders' needs. He provides great constructive input to legal as well as structural discussions and is open to
discuss how to implement new (commercial) elements in
an appropriate legal manner.”
“Antti has a great dedication to his work, but most importantly understands our business and shares our values.”
“Excellent financing lawyer.”
“Extremely skilled law professional and also business oriented. When there are issues, which there always are in M&A, Antti has solutions and capability to move the deal forward at the same time taking care of client’s interests in the case at hand.”
“Marius' broad knowledge on environmental contract aspects of Solar PV projects has served us well.”
“What makes HPP Attorneys really stand out is their partner Marius
Af Schulten. He is always one step ahead,
very
business minded lawyer and
definitely the best in the country in environmental law.”
“The top lawyer in the country in environment law and renewables sector. Shines in complex matters such as appeals, tough negotiations with authorities and
coming up with innovative out of the box solutions. Extremely responsive, never drops the ball.”
“Ilona has great knowledge in the field of real estate
law and she is
a very good communicator.”
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include
Norion Bank,
Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co., Aquila Capital, Terrafame and
Sagax.
Key clients of the firm in M&A include
Commerz Real,
Cube Infrastructure Managers,
Terrafame Group,
Aquila
Capital and
Total Energies.
Key clients of the firm
in
project development
include Terrafame,
Keliber,
Neste,
Suomen
Malmijalostus and
Skyborn Renewables.
Krogerus
Established in 1993,
Krogerus
is one of the most influential Finnish law firms and is presently led by managing partner Mårten Knuts. The firm is headquartered in
Helsinki
and has offices in Kuopio and Turku.
The firm is a leader in the Finnish market achieving tier 1 status across all its ranked practice areas.
In banking and finance the firm
focused on cross-border financing transactions.
In
capital markets the firm
worked on a mix of bond issuances,
IPOs and secondary share offerings.
In
M&A the firm
focused on assisting with
cross border acquisitions as lead counsel on deals.
In
project development the firm focused on
assisting with energy sector projects.
Key recent clients of the firm in banking and finance include
Nordea Bank, Ilmatar Energy,
Cibus Nordic Real Estate,
Copenhagen Infrastructure
Partners and
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Key recent clients of the firm in
capital markets include
Sampo, Sonae,
Lamor, Nordea Bank and
Carnegie Investment Bank.
Key recent clients of the firm in
M&A include
PSG, Verdane,
One Equity Partners,
Vaaka Partners and
HKScan.
Key recent clients of the firm in
project development
include Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners,
Ilmatar Energy,
CPC Germania, Helen and
Valorem.
PwC Legal
PwC Legal is one of the largest legal networks in the world with offices in 100 countries around the world. PwC was
established in 1998 with the merger of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse.
The firm is
largely known for the work it does in the M&A practice
area,and has a particular focus on its work in assisting with a mix of domestic and cross-border acquisitional transactions.
Key clients include
Currentum Partners Finland,
Kerabit,
OneMed,
Korkia and
Korkia Capital.
Roschier
Roschier
an independent Nordic law firm with offices in Finland and Sweden and is led by managing partner Mikko Manner. Founded in 1936, the firm has an excellent reputation for advising high-profile clients on corporate law issues.
The firm is a strong player in the Finnish legal market achieving tier 1 status in every ranked practice area.
In banking and finance the firm
is mainly focused on
assisting with
predominantly
cross border project
financings.
In
capital markets the firm
worked on a mix of domestic and cross-border bond and secondary share issuances.
In
M&A the firm
worked primarily on acquisitional transactions but also
assisted with some financial services regulatory work too.
In
project development the firm focused on
assisting with renewables and green linked projects.
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include
Nordea, SEB,
Nokia, Blackstone and
IK Partners.
Key clients of the firm in
capital markets include
Stockmann, Rovio, Corten Capital,
Tornator,
Kojamo,
Finnair and Nokia.
Key clients of the firm in
M&A include
Tietoevry,
Warburg Pincus,
Finnair, IK and
Telia.
Key clients of the firm in
project development include
Nokia, Renewable Power Capital,
Fortum, Prime Capital and
Finnish Minerals Group.
Waselius
Waselius
is an independent Finnish commercial law firm and a member of the Finnish Bar Association. The firm was
established in 1997 and is based in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
The law firm
has a strength in banking and finance
matters achieving tier 2 status for this practice.
In banking and finance the firm
assisted with a range of cross-border refinancings and acquisition
financings for clients.
In
capital markets
the firm focused on debt side work
assisting with note issuances and
securitisations.
In
M&A the firm worked on a mix of domestic and cross-border acquisitions.
“Lawyers of
Waselius & Wist were always easy to reach, proactive and
very knowledgeable.”
“Maria was always available to discuss and help. She also has a deep understanding of finance related legislation and practices.”
Key clients of the firm in banking and finance include Ardian, UniCredit,
Hg, Wells Fargo and
JLPS Ireland.
Key clients of the firm in capital markets include BNP Paribas, Santander,
LocalTapiola Finance,
Citibank and
Goldman Sachs.
Key clients of the firm in M&A include
Neova Group,
Hedin Mobility Group,
AcadeMedia,
Visma and Presto.
Avance
Formed in 2011, Avance is a leading Finnish firm based in Helsinki.
Focusses / specialisms
In banking and finance the team specialises in a range of transaction types, including syndicated and bilateral loans, acquisition, real estate, structured and project financing arrangements, as well as securitisations and restructurings.
In the capital markets sphere the firm advises both issuer and lender side clients on a range of equity and debt transactions.
The firm is among the leaders in Finnish M&A, with particular experience in energy, financial services, and technology sectors. Known for some of the largest and most complex transactional work on the Finnish market, it has experience working on both international and domestic deals.
In project development area the firm is strong in both energy and infrastructure, working in close cooperation with the firm’s M&A, real estate and financing teams. Its advice extends from transactional and structural advisory on projects to regulatory and policy work.
Key clients
Key clients include MehiläinenYhtiöt, Solidium, Konstsamfundet, Kusinkapital, Elenia, Alfa Laval, Berner, Adelis Equity Partners, Vapo, Alma Media, KKR, Procuritas, Tradeka-Yhtiöt, Verso Capital, Bravida, CapMan Infra, Rettig Group, Areim, OP Corporate Bankand Loimua.
Research period review: 33rd edition (2023/2024)
The firm’s banking team was active in advising on acquisition, real estate and corporate financings during the research period.
The M&A team advised on large public acquisition transactions in the Finnish market, both domestic and cross-border.
In projects work the firm has held a lead counsel role on large energy and infrastructure projects. The firm’s clientele during the period included a combination of infrastructure, technology and investment management companies.
Deal highlights: 33rd edition (2023/2024)
DoorDash €7 billion acquisition of Wolt Enterprises
Mandatum AM Finland Properties II
€194 million financing
Client feedback: 33rd edition (2023/2024)
Banking and finance
"Proactive and responsive approach towards clients, market leading expertise in real estate and finance"
"Avance were always available to discuss the issues related to the documentation and did also appear professional in dialogue with us as well as the borrower. They also had good knowledge insight into the items discussed."
"Always available and fast, they take the time to know the customer very well and therefore are able to provide extremely well informed advice."
Capital markets
"Timely delivery, high quality of work (minimal amount of errors), deep knowledge of complex area of law."
M&A
"Prompt and professional."
Private equity
"Good advice, work ethic and outcome oriented approach."
Project finance
"Avance is flexible, efficient and oriented to find best reasonable solution."
Anders Floman
"Professional and good person to work with."
Selinda Näse
"Attention to detail, commitment to deadlines, very comprehensive understanding of finance law"
Rasmus Sundström
"Very knowledgeable, able to grasp new concepts extremely quickly, an allround amicable person to work with."
Sari Wallgren
"Always available and creative in order to find solutions."
"Always available and will find solutions, or find someone else within the company to get relevant knowledge at hand."
"Sari really understands the client needs and has an ability to see the bigger picture which is then applied to the detail."
Carl-Henrik Wallin
"Among the most experienced M&A lawyers in Helsinki/Finland. Excellent communication skills and transparent. Oriented towards the outcome of the deal."
Bird & Bird
The Finnish office of the London headquartered international law firm Bird & Bird is located in Helsinki.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is active in several financial and corporate spheres such as banking, capital markets and M&A.
The firm’s capital markets practice, which is especially strong in equity, offers seamless cross-border advice across sectors at the epicentre of technological transformation, including life sciences, technology and financial services.
The banking and finance team advises local and international banks on acquisition, real estate and mezzanine finance as well as regulatory consultation.
Its M&A team acts on both public and practice matters and often advises the largest companies in the market. Key sectoral strengths include technology, mobility and energy.
Key clients
Key clients include Ericsson, Prime Minister’s Office, Olvi, Nordic Morning Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, National Instruments Corporation, Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, Fintraffic, Fortum, NREP, Nyfosa, Elisa Corporation, Lehto Group and Valoe Corporation.
Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Capital markets: Debt
“Pragmatic work attitude.”
Capital markets: Equity
“Professional, responsive and diligent.”
DLA Piper Finland
The international law firm DLA Piper has offices in 40 countries throughout the world. In Finland the firm has a large team situated in the heart of Helsinki.
Focusses / specialisms
In banking, the firm’s specialties include the shipbuilding industry and ship financing, where the firm’s expertise is best-in-class, as well as in construction finance and buyer loans, structured export, trade finance, regulatory work, compliance and anti-money laundering issues.
In capital markets, the firm is active in equity capital markets on landmark projects in such areas as public cash tender offers, as well as debt where recent work has involved working on MTN and ECP programmes.
In the firm’s other key financial and commercial pillar, M&A, it is best known for cross-border and domestic mergers, acquisitions and private equity transactions.
Key clients
Key clients include Prime Capital, Kommunalkredit Austria, PPG Industries, Læringsverkstedet Gruppen, Raksystems Group/MB Funds, Digia, AAC Capital, Premico Group, NFT VC Fund, Avidly, Bregal Milestone, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Eynersense International, Digia and AddSecure Group.
Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Capital markets: Debt
“Good responsiveness and availability. Familiarity with us as a client.”
M&A
“Timely and proactive reactions and action on customers' agenda.”
I&O Partners
Boutique Finnish law firm
I&O Partners was established in 2016. It
operates out of Helsinki and is led by managing partner Andrei
Aganimov.
The
firm has a
particular focus on
M&A transactions and in
this practice
the firm works on mainly sales for a mix of domestic and
cross border clients.
Key clients include
Padel Sports,
North Wall Capital, SuperPark and
N2 Helsinki.
KallioLaw
KallioLaw is a Finnish law firm with offices in Helsinki, London and Turku. The firm was founded in 2000.
Focusses / specialisms
Most of the firm’s work in M&A is linked to transactions in the high-tech and IT/software space, either representing private equity houses or the companies themselves. Another strong area for the firm is its expertise in the mining sector.
Mining is the key sector for the firm’s projects work, and the firm is a first contact when mining and exploration companies look to enter the Finnish market.
Key clients
The firm’s key clients include various mining, exploration and technology companies.
Merilampi Attorneys
Merilampi is a Finnish law firm located in Helsinki. It was founded in 1992.
Focusses / specialisms
In banking, the firm is particularly able in real estate finance, where it has a strong position in borrower-side assignments. The firm has strong and growing experience in fintech and has a focus on regulatory advice.
In M&A the firm advises listed and private businesses, both domestic and international, mainly on acquisitions and financial investments.
Key clients
Key clients include, Škoda Transportation Group, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Magenta Advisory, Nordea Bank, Sanoma Corporation, Suominen Corporation, Elisa Corporation, Citibank, Aberdeen Property Funds, Schroder Property Funds, Posti Corporation, Niam and Kesko Corporation.
White & Case
Headquartered in New York City and founded in 1901,
White & Case is one of the top law firms in the world in terms of revenue. Its Finnish operations are based in Helsinki.
Focuses / specialisms
The firm is among the best law firms in Finland for banking, capital markets and M&A.
Fully integrated with its global banking practice, its Finnish banking team has impressive experience in advising companies banks and other financial services clients on domestic and international financing transactions, covering the full extent of Finnish loan work.
In capital markets it advises issuers and underwriters on all types of debt, equity and equity-linked and hybrid transactions in the market.
In the M&A space the firm has experience in structuring and executing domestic and cross-border, mergers, acquisitions, demergers, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures and equity investments across a plethora of sectors.
Key clients
The firm’s key recent clients list includes the likes of Sanoma Corporation, Nordea Bank, Credit Suisse Securities, Metso Corporation, Huhtamäki, Citigroup Global Markets, OP Corporate Bank, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, Swedbank, Sampo, Solidium, Outokumpu, Ahlstrom-Munksjö, JP Morgan Securities, Evolver Investment Group and The Blackstone Group.
