Savings Banks Group – Sale of Sb Life Insurance

Savings Banks Group – Sale of Sb Life Insurance

Insurance is a heavily regulated field that calls for sector-specific legal expertise. In addition to being familiar with the day-to-day insurance law and the international regulatory framework, anticipating any developments in the insurance practice is key in this sector.

We advise you in all matters related to insurance regulation and market changes. As our client you will gain the most up-to-date information concerning the market and benefit from our solid practical experience of insurance business operations and our excellent contacts with the authorities. Our experience and expertise will be of particular use in situations where regulations are still in the formative stage and have not yet been applied in practice. In international regulatory matters you will also have access to our unique global network of law firms.

Our services include:

  • Licenses and market entry
  • Notifications and Europass procedures
  • Insurance intermediary, distribution and marketing issues
  • Data protection and data security
  • Legal opinions
  • Capitalisation arrangements
  • Regulatory compliance advice and audits
  • Insurance classes
  • Ancillary operations
  • Outsourcing arrangements
  • Governance system requirements
  • Continuity management
  • Changes in guarantee capital
  • Corporate law counselling
  • Preparation and management of matters related to general meetings, such as chairing the meeting
  • Regulatory updates and training for senior management
  • Regulation monitoring and reporting; providing training at the operative level
  • Tax advice and seeking advance rulings
  • Competition law
  • ESG regulation and compliance
  • Procurement procedures
  • Prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing
  • Sanctions regulations
  • Employment law counselling
  • Auditing internal regulations and policies

Latest references

We advised Nordea Bank Abp in the EUR 150 million new green financing for Lahti Energia Oy to support investments promoting a clean transition and to refinance existing loans. Lahti Energia Oy’s green loan investments focus on solutions that reduce fossil carbon dioxide emissions and support sustainable development. Planned projects include electric boilers, district heating storage facilities, and investments in the development of energy networks.
Case published 1.7.2025
The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) issued a significant precedent (decision KHO:2025:23) in a case in which it found that the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre (Liikennevakuutuskeskus, LVK) processed patient data in accordance with the requirements concerning fairness, data minimisation, and privacy by design and by default when deciding on compensation claims. We represented LVK in this case in which the SAC upheld the Administrative Court’s decision to repeal the EUR 52,000 administrative fine imposed on LVK by the Sanctions Board of the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. The SAC also confirmed the Administrative Court’s decision, which, as far as we know, was the first of its kind in Finland, ordering the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman to reimburse some of our client’s legal costs. The decision bears great significance for the insurance industry as a whole. The crux of the matter were LVK’s information requests under the Motor Liability Insurance Act for patient data that were essential in determining insurance or compensation claims. In certain cases, making a decision may require extensive patient data. The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman had found that LVK had systematically made overly broad information requests infringing Articles 5 and 25 of the GDPR and that the information should have been provided in the form of separate medical opinions. The Administrative Court repealed the Data Protection Ombudsman’s decision and found that patient records from medical appointments are, as a general rule, essential in establishing causality in compensation matters. It also stated that the tasks related to the consideration of compensation matters are specifically the core tasks of the insurance company and not of the controller of patient data. Furthermore, the Administrative Court found no evidence indicating that LVK would have systematically made overly broad information requests. ‘Once again, our collaboration with C&S was seamless throughout this extensive process, and we could trust that our case was in expert hands’, says Visa Kronbäck, Chief Legal Officer of the Insurance Centre. The full decision is available on the SAC website (in Finnish):  KHO:2025:23.
Case published 18.6.2025
We advised the Savings Banks Group on an arrangement whereby the shares in Sp-Henkivakuutus Oy were sold to Henki-Fennia and at the same time the parties agreed on a long-term distribution cooperation for insurance savings and loan protection products. The closing of the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals. Sb Life Insurance is a domestic life insurance company, established in 2007, offering insurance savings and risk insurance products to private customers and companies. The Savings Banks and Oma Säästöpankki Oyj act as agents for Sp-Life Insurance. Henki-Fennia is a subsidiary of Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö Fennia, specialising in voluntary life, pension and savings insurance.
Case published 11.4.2025
We advised Korkia Oy in its loan agreement with Nordic Environment Finance Corporation. The financing will support the development and international scale-up of Korkia’s pipeline of solar energy, battery energy storage system (BESS) and onshore wind projects. Korkia is a dedicated investor in renewable energy operating in nine countries. It has a robust development pipeline of over 20 GW in renewable energy and energy storage projects.
Case published 7.1.2025