5.9.2024

A. Ahlström ESG advisory and corporate sustainability due diligence process planning

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We advised A. Ahlström in establishing a corporate sustainability due diligence process plan which incorporates best practices and tailored solutions based on our expertise within relevant business sectors.

Our comprehensive ESG offering also included tailored training for members of the investment team and management team and the board of directors of several portfolio companies.

‘The ESG team at Castrén & Snellman provided us with legal and practical advice around the ESG regulatory tsunami that we need to incorporate in our ESG work,’ comments Camilla Sågbom, Director, Sustainability and Communications, at A. Ahlström Oy.

A. Ahlström is a family-owned industrial company, developing leading global specialist positions in Forest & Fiber and Environmental technology sectors.

Our team

Latest references

Huhtamaki – EUR 450 million sustainability-linked syndicated revolving credit facility
We advised Huhtamaki Oyj in relation to a EUR 450 million sustainability-linked syndicated multi-currency revolving credit facility loan agreement (“RCF”) with a maturity of five years. The RCF refinances an existing EUR 400 million sustainability-linked syndicated revolving credit facility signed in January 2021 and will be used for general corporate purposes of the Group. The RCF has two one-year extension options at the discretion of the lenders. The Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners of the RCF are Citi, Nordea Bank Abp, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), BNP Paribas, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft, Danske Bank A/S, DBS Bank Ltd., London Branch, J.P. Morgan SE, Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale, OP Corporate Bank plc, Raiffeisen Bank International AG and Standard Chartered Bank AG.
Case published 28.11.2024
SATO – Legal design of Code of Ethics
We drafted new Codes of Ethics for SATO to use internally and with business partners. The client wanted to get concise and legally up-to-date Codes that are easy to understand and look fresh. We drafted completely new Codes, designed a clear structure for them and designed and implemented their layout. We made separate Codes of Ethics for internal use and for business partners in order to meet the exact tone and style suitable for both end user groups. We also made English translations of the Codes of Ethics. The end product was practical and interactive PDF instructions that are consistent with the client’s visual style. Client insight and taking the target group’s needs into account are some of the main principles of legal design. The client’s wishes also focused on the end users of the Code of Ethics, i.e. the company’s employees and business partners. In this project, efficient project management and an open line of communication helped us understand the wishes of the client company and deliver an end product with which the client was very happy. Active dialogue with the client was an important quality factor in this agile and iterative project. In the first phase we provided the client with a prototype and then continued the design work based on the comments we received. The appearance of the final product was designed in accordance with the client’s graphical guidelines. SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 25,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku. Approximately 45,000 residents live in SATOhomes. The project involved experts in legal design, linguistics and graphic design, and members of our Legal Tech team.
Case published 6.2.2024
Mérieux Equity Partners – Acquisition of Labquality
We acted as the legal and ESG advisor to Mérieux Equity Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in Labquality through a leveraged buyout by its buyout fund, Mérieux Participations 4. Existing shareholders of Labquality, including Cor Group and the management, will reinvest a portion of their proceeds into the company in connection with the transaction. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Labquality is a Nordic player specialized in EQA, CRO activities and regulatory affairs, with a strong local presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The company provides a comprehensive array of services for the healthcare, medical technology, and pharmaceutical industries. The company, employing over 120 professionals and supported by a network of more than 150 external experts and consultants across its offices in Finland, Germany, and Poland, serves a diverse clientele of over 8,000 customers, including major pharmaceutical companies in over 60 countries. Mérieux Equity Partners (MxEP) is an AMF-accredited management company dedicated to equity investments in the Healthcare and Nutrition sectors. MxEP actively supports entrepreneurs and companies with differentiated products and services, giving them privileged access to its sector expertise and international network. The transaction will enable Labquality to pursue its buy & build strategy in Europe to accelerate its CRO activities while continuing strong and recurring growth in the EQA segment. Labquality will benefit from MxEP’s sector expertise and financial resources to achieve its ambition of becoming a leading European CRO and EQA platform, with fully integrated regulatory consulting capabilities to serve major customers across Europe.
Case published 4.12.2023
Alko – Project to develop corporate sustainability
We assisted Alko Inc. in a project where the corporate sustainability of the listing process and product range management is improved while taking into account Alko’s monopoly position and competition law issues. The project relates to the implementation of the due diligence duty, and it covers environmental, climate and human rights aspects of the supply chain.
Case published 1.12.2023
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