29.11.2022

LänsiAuto – Sale of Opel Import in Finland and the Baltics

Related services

We are advising LänsiAuto in a transaction whereby LänsiAuto will sell its Opel import business in Finland and the Baltics to Auto-Bon Oy, a Bassadone Group company. In the same conjunction, LänsiAuto will sell the Opel dealership it opened in Tallinn earlier this year to AutoHalle OÜ of the Bassadone Group. LänsiAuto is the largest Opel retail dealer in Finland and will continue to retail Opel in Finland in the future as well. LänsiAuto and Bassadone have also agreed that LänsiAuto will become an authorised sales and service partner for Peugeot and Citroën in a number of municipalities in Finland.

LänsiAuto is a Finnish automotive group established in 1978. Its turnover is approximately EUR 350 million for the financial year 2022. The group has imported and retailed Opel into Finland and the Baltics. In addition to Opel, LänsiAuto also represents, among others, Toyota, Kia and Mercedes-Benz as a retail dealer and is the Finnish franchising partner of Enterprise, the world’s largest car rental company. LänsiAuto has approximately 500 employees.

The transaction is conditional upon the approval of the competition authorities.

Our team

Latest references

eQ Fund Management Company Ltd – Structural Arrangement Related to Residential Funds

We acted as legal advisor to eQ Fund Management Company Ltd in a structural arrangement in which Special Investment Fund eQ Residential Fund and Special Investment Fund eQ Residential Fund II transferred their assets to the newly launched Special Investment Fund eQ Residential Fund III. In connection with the arrangement, eQ Residential Fund III raised 37 million euros in new capital, and its fundraising will continue throughout 2025. The portfolio of eQ Residential Fund III consists of 19 residential properties completed between 2021 and 2024, comprising nearly 1,400 apartments located in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Turku, and Tampere.

Milexia Group – Acquisition of business of Alpha Positron

We advised Milexia Group, a portfolio company of the French PE sponsor Crédit Mutuel Equity, on its acquisition of the activities of Alpha Positron Oy, a Finnish distributor specializing in GPS/GNSS, time and frequency solutions for the electronics industry, process automation, corporate IT, defense, and other demanding markets. Milexia Group is one of the world’s leading European suppliers for high-quality electronic components, systems and scientific instruments technology. It has offices, warehouses and technical centres in France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Nordics and Hong Kong. The acquisition aligns with Milexia’s strategy to expand its presence in the Nordic region and enhance its portfolio of communication solutions.

KKR – Acquisition of Karo Healthcare

We acted as Finnish legal adviser to KKR in connection with its acquisition of the entire share capital of Karo Healthcare from EQT. The transaction follows Karo’s significant strategic transformation from a Nordic specialty pharma business into a leading pan-European consumer healthcare platform, with an attractive product portfolio spanning core categories such as Skin Health, Foot Health, and Intimate Health, as well as Digestive Health and Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements. KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in the coming months.

Readpeak – Capital Investment

We advised Readpeak in an arrangement where Finnish growth fund Voland Partners made an investment in Readpeak. Readpeak is a service platform specialising in native advertising for purchasing, designing, and targeting the distribution of advertising space. Readpeak has quickly risen to a leading position with its platform solution, which enables an easy way to target and schedule communications as part of the news feed on media sites. Readpeak is a company founded in Helsinki in 2014, which has since expanded to nine European market areas and collaborates with over a thousand publishers. Readpeak redefines content-driven advertising using advanced machine learning models, creating added value for both quality media and journalism. Voland Partners is a minority investor specialising in the development of technology companies, with a mission to work together with entrepreneurs to build successful companies responsibly, creating success stories that benefit the entire society. Readpeak is Voland Partners’ sixth investment target, into which the fund company is investing from its first growth fund of 57 million euros.

Search from the site.