Private M&A(en) Archives - Page 36 of 40 - Castrén & Snellman

SAS – Sale of Blue1 to Cityjet

The team impresses clients with its ‘ability to find commercial solutions to complex problems.’

Chambers Europe

Our offering covers the full spectrum of M&A legal advisory services. International publications consistently rank us among the best in the country.

We are one of the top Nordic advisors in cross-border deals, measured by both volume and value of the transactions. Our highlights range from public and private mergers and acquisitions to record-setting funding rounds and cross-border advisory in special situations.

As your advisor, we aim to support your decision-making processes in a manner that creates the most value and allows you to reach your strategic goals. Our holistic approach to project management ensures that we are geared to execute and coordinate even the most complex transactions as your international lead counsel. In due diligence, we combine efficient execution with our in-depth understanding of corporate, commercial and regulatory matters to serve to-the-point advice. Once at the negotiation table, we want to excel and find win-win solutions that enable the deal to happen.

Our services include:

Strategic M&A advice & defence
Acquisitions & divestments
Cross-border transactions
Structured auctions
Buyouts
Carve-outs
Joint ventures
Public M&A

We put together the best possible team for each transaction. Thanks to our firm’s full-service offering, we can flexibly complement our core team with experts from our other practices, such as tax, finance or competition. With a strong focus on premium quality and sustainability, we are constantly developing our offering and expertise.

Latest references

NATO Innovation Fund – Kelluu’s EUR 15 million Series A funding round

We advised the NATO Innovation Fund as lead investor on Kelluu’s EUR 15 million Series A funding round, with participation from Keen Venture Partners, Gungnir Capital, and Tesi. Kelluu is a Finnish deep tech company operating the world’s largest autonomous airship fleet. We advised NIF on this transaction alongside global law firm Latham & Watkins.

VR – Supreme Court decision clarifies working time practices

We successfully represented VR Group before the Supreme Court in a case concerning the meal break practice of commuter train drivers. On 6 February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in VR’s favour (decision KKO:2026:12), confirming that VR had the right to amend the commuter train drivers’ meal break practice in 2021 by rendering the break unpaid in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. This decision clarifies the interpretation of collective agreements and employment legislation as well as the limits of the employer’s right to direct work. Over 250 commuter train drivers challenged the unpaid meal break practice which VR introduced in April 2021. Before the change, meal breaks had a long history of being paid. The change was based on the train drivers’ collective agreement, which allows for meal breaks to be organised either as paid or unpaid time. The Supreme Court ruled that the scheduling and managing of breaks falls within the core area of the employer’s right to direct work. This increases the threshold for an established practice becoming a binding condition for the parties. Merely following a practice consistently and over a long period of time does not make the practice binding; instead, the employer’s intent to commit to the practice must be clearly evident from the employer’s conduct or other circumstances. As both alternatives – paid and unpaid – for organising meal breaks had been retained in the collective agreement despite other amendments over the years, it could not be considered that VR had intended to commit to the paid break practice and waive its right to direct work as regards break scheduling. It was also significant that the employment contracts explicitly referred only to the collective agreement as regards working time. The Supreme Court deemed that the employees’ paid meal break was not an established term of employment and that VR was entitled to change the practice based on the collective agreement. The employer had the right, by virtue of its right to direct work, to unilaterally change the meal break practice by choosing to apply the other arrangement permitted by the collective agreement.

Stena Line – Acquisition of NLC Ferry (Wasaline)

We are acting as legal adviser to Stena Line on its acquisition of NLC Ferry Ab Oy (Wasaline), strengthening Stena Line’s position in the Baltic Sea and enabling it to take over operations of the ferry route between Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland. The acquisition further strengthens Stena Line’s position as one of the leaders in sustainability within the ferry industry and enhances the company’s access to alternative fuels whilst providing a strong intermodal transport link towards Gothenburg and Trelleborg, and onwards to the European continent. NLC Ferry, operating under the auxiliary name Wasaline, were owned by Kvarken Link, a company jointly owned 50/50 by the cities of Umeå and Vaasa. Wasaline is the world’s northernmost shipping company, operating daily passenger and freight services between Vaasa, Finland and Umeå, Sweden, and is the first carbon-neutral ferry operator in the Baltic Sea with its hybrid vessel, Aurora Botnia, which runs on biogas and batteries. Stena Line is one of Europe’s leading ferry operators, with 20 routes across the continent. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg, with 6,550 employees and an annual turnover of 19.6 billion SEK. The transaction is conditional to the approval of the respective municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa as well as customary closing conditions such as authority approvals. The completion of the transaction is expected to take place in the beginning of the year 2026. Castrén & Snellman is collaborating with CMS Wistrand, Stena Line’s advisor on Swedish law matters in connection with the transaction.

Aker Arctic Technology – Acquisition of Bluetech Finland

We advised Aker Arctic Technology Inc, a company specialised in icebreaker design, in its acquisition of Bluetech Finland Ltd. Under the signed agreement, Aker Arctic and Bluetech transferred to the ownership of Arctic Marine Technology Group Oy, an entity established for the purpose of owning the companies. Arctic Marine Technology Group is owned by Finnish Industry Investment (Tesi) and ABB, the current shareholders of Aker Arctic. The completion of the transaction required the approval of the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the fulfilment of other customary closing conditions. Aker Arctic Technology Inc is a private company specialising in the technology development, design, engineering, special products, consulting and testing services for ice-going vessels and icebreakers. Bluetech Finland Ltd specialises in cruise, ro-pax and cargo ship design, offering engineering services for ship owners, shipyards and marine suppliers.

Latest insights

30.3.2026 – Competition & Procurement Finnish FDI screening under reform — Update following the stakeholder consultation

Kiti Karvinen

Johanna Kyllöinen

Joachim Wik

Kiti Karvinen, Johanna Kyllöinen & Joachim Wik

3.3.2026 – Employment The threshold for dismissal is lowered: what should be taken into account in practice?

Aleksandra Särkelä

Aleksandra Särkelä

2.3.2026 – Environment, Energy & Green Transition Energy security is a matter of investment and competitiveness

Samuli Tarkiainen

Marius af Schultén

Samuli Tarkiainen & Marius af Schultén

6.2.2026 – Tax & Structuring Electricity sector Profit Tax Act in conflict with EU law – SAC denied leave to appeal

Janne Juusela

Mikko Alakare

Janne Juusela & Mikko Alakare

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