We opened our office in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, in 1992 and, to this day, we’re still the only global firm with a presence in the country.

It’s a small but thriving office, with six partners among its 22 lawyers, two legal trainees and 13 business service professionals. Practice areas covered include Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Capital Markets, Bank Finance and Real Estate.

Office Executive Partner Tanja Törnkvist says: “The Firm has long appreciated the strategic importance of having an office in Finland.

“One of the unique aspects of the market here is that nearly all the corporations have active aspirations to grow internationally – meaning a steady flow of opportunities.”

The office’s main clients include Metso, Outokumpu, Neste, Stora Enso, Nordic Capital, Blackstone, EQT, Kemira, Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Supercell, Nordea, Danske, SEB, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

Tanja says: “We have an incredible depth of talent in all our practice areas in both Finnish and U.S. law and we benefit from being the only global firm present in Finland, which gives us a big edge in the market.

“Finland has for years been a very attractive target for foreign investors. According to an annual survey by Ernst & Young, in 2018, the country attracted more foreign investment than the other Nordic countries combined.

“The advantages of our global network are also unique to the market and we collaborate with offices around the globe, so we can provide help to clients based in Finland and clients from overseas that wish to invest in the country.”

Highlights of the year have included advising Amer Sports on its €4.6 billion acquisition by a Chinese controlled consortium. The transaction is the largest ever cash public tender offer for a Finnish listed company.

In addition, the office represented Zynga Inc., a social game developer, on its acquisition of the Finnish mobile game developer, Small Giant Games Oy.

We are also advising Metso Corporation in the combination of its Minerals business with Outotec Oyj, another Finnish listed company, creating a company with annual sales of approximately €4 billion.

The transaction is a reverse takeover, implemented in a very innovative way, namely through a partial demerger into an existing public company.

Tanja, who joined the Helsinki team in 1997 as a trainee, is clear about the office’s core strengths.

“The thing I love the most is the people,” she says. “Many of us have been here for more than 15 years, so there is a family atmosphere.

“We’ve always taken a client-centric approach and, as a result, several of our client relationships span over two decades.

“We also spend a lot of time on recruiting the right people and providing a diverse and inclusive environment that enables them to be their best.”

This has been aided by the team’s 2018 office move to Aleksanterinkatu 44 in central Helsinki. The building was built in 1901 – the same year as the Firm was established.

“We’ve been here for nearly two years now, but we’re still pretty excited about it,” explains Tanja, “particularly because we planned it so carefully, engaging the whole team on what they’d like to see in the new office.

“We’ve always been a tight, innovative team, but moving here has helped to increase collaboration and to build a culture where innovation is encouraged.”

The Helsinki team holds weekly meetings between partners and senior associates, so everyone is kept fully updated and coordinated. Associates also organize an annual client networking event and the office holds an evening for family and friends in December.

Tanja comments: “I like to think of us as being a caring office and that extends to our charity and pro bono work.”

Personal development is another of the office’s main priorities, with young lawyers given the opportunity to work across several practice areas – something that benefits them and the Firm.

“The strength of our team stands us in good stead for any challenges we may face in the future,” Tanja says.

“As with any office, we face frequently-changing economic conditions that bring threats and opportunities, and there is always pressure on pricing, but our ability to combine our Tier 1 ranked local practices with the knowledge and expertise of our global network is unrivalled.

“Looking to the future, we want to continue working with the biggest clients in Finland and the world’s most promising growth companies, building lasting relationships and working on the most complex, high-profile transactions. As such, we’re completely in line with the Firm’s global vision.”