18.1.2022

Brothers Clothing – Administration of Bankruptcy Estate

Related services

Menswear retailer Brothers Clothing Oy applied for bankruptcy on its own initiative in April 2020. At the time it was declared bankrupt, the company had a total of 12 stores and about 70 employees across Finland. The bankruptcy proceedings were concluded briskly in about one and a half years, and the creditors approved the final settlement of accounts in December 2021.

Attorney Pauliina Tenhunen served as the administrator of the bankruptcy estate. After bankruptcy was declared, the bankruptcy estate began clearance sales in five stores in Espoo, Vantaa, Turku, Raisio and Vaasa. The clearance sales were organised in cooperation with the company’s store staff, and the bankruptcy estate hired about 20 of the company’s employees for fixed-term employment.

The liquidation result from the clearance sales was significant.

Unsecured creditors accrued over 50% disbursements in the bankruptcy.

In addition to insolvency experts, the team managing the bankruptcy estate included taxation and employment law experts.

Our team

Latest references

Fingrid – Update of EMTN Programme

We advised Fingrid Oyj on the Finnish law aspects in the update of a EUR 3,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note programme (EMTN). Notes issued under the programme may be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. Fingrid operates Finland’s main electricity transmission grid and all significant cross-border transmission connections. The main grid is the backbone of the electricity transmission network, to which major power plants, industrial plants and regional electricity distribution networks are connected.

Prisma Properties – Sale and leaseback of ten grocery retail properties

We assisted Prisma Properties AB in a sale and leaseback arrangement with Kesko Oyj comprising ten grocery retail properties. The transaction value is approximately EUR 59 million, and the properties are located in Sastamala, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta, Vihti, Oulu, Saarijärvi, Liminka, Imatra, Loviisa, and Eurajoki. As part of the arrangement, the properties were leased back to Kesko under lease agreements with a weighted average lease term of 11.6 years. The portfolio includes well-known store concepts such as K-Citymarket, K-Supermarket, and K-Market.

Merger of Oomi and Lumme Energia

We are acting as the joint legal advisor to Oomi Oy and Lumme Energia Oy in a transaction whereby Lumme Energia will merge with Oomi. As from the completion of the merger, the combined entity will be the largest electricity retail and service company in the Finnish market. In 2024, Oomi reported a turnover of EUR 373.9 million and had approximately 110 employees. Lumme Energia’s turnover for the same year was approximately EUR 314.6 million and it had approximately 50 employees. The transaction is primarily driven by the recent developments in the electricity market and the strategic goal to develop competitive products and services. Another key objective is to further enhance the customer experience, which is a shared value between the two companies. As a result of the merger, Lumme Energia’s customers will transfer to Oomi, and Lumme Energia will become one of Oomi’s shareholders. The completion of the transaction is subject to an approval by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

Funders – EUR 665 million refinancing arrangement for Nevel

We acted as the Finnish legal counsel for the funders to Nevel Oy in a EUR 665 million refinancing arrangement through a mix of multicurrency bank loans and private placement notes. Nevel is a utility infrastructure company offering advanced industrial and real estate infrastructure solutions that are fit-for-purpose and future-proof. The transaction supports Nevel’s growth strategy and its goal to help customers to achieve climate goals.

Search from the site.