Janne Lauha

Partner, Member of the Finnish Bar

I specialise in capital markets, financial regulation and corporate law. I have been involved as legal counsel in numerous transactions relating to capital markets, listed companies and regulated institutions. I advise domestic and international financial institutions, insurance companies, issuers and significant shareholders in regulatory matters. I have been Lloyd’s General Representative for Finland in 2015–2023.

I am a recognised legal expert on securities transactions, derivatives and the Finnish system for dematerialised securities. I have contributed to the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion’s guidebooks for IPOs on the Official List of Nasdaq Helsinki and on First North Growth Market. During my career, I have participated in numerous domestic and international law-drafting projects. Since 2006, I have been an appointed expert of the Finnish Ministry of Justice in matters relating to securities law.

Latest references

We are acting as the legal advisor to WithSecure Corporation in Diana BidCo Oy’s voluntary public cash tender offer for all the issued and outstanding shares in WithSecure. The tender offer values WithSecure’s total equity at approximately EUR 299 million. Diana BidCo is a private limited company incorporated and existing under the laws of Finland that will be indirectly owned by a consortium formed for purposes of the tender offer by certain affiliated funds of CVC Capital Partners Plc and Risto Siilasmaa. The consortium believes that the partnership strengthens and accelerates the road to WithSecure’s long-standing goal of becoming Europe’s most trusted cybersecurity partner by positioning the company to lead the next era of business cybersecurity. WithSecure’s shares are listed on the official list of Nasdaq Helsinki. WithSecure is a Europe-based cybersecurity company that helps protect businesses and is committed to strong partnerships with customers and collaborators. WithSecure’s customers trust WithSecure with outcome-based cybersecurity that protects and enables their operations. The completion of the tender offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the offeror of certain customary conditions on or prior to the offeror’s announcement of the final results of the tender offer. The tender offer is currently expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2025. The Takeover Board of the Securities Markets Association issued on 4 August 2025 a new recommendation (1/2025) on good securities market practice that deals with the target company’s board of directors’ obligations in case of a consortium offer in which a major shareholder of the company participates in the consortium.
Case published 8.8.2025
We advised The Mortgage Society of Finland in the update of a EUR 2,5 billion bond programme under which the Mortgage Society of Finland may issue senior preferred and unsecured Tier 2 notes, and covered bonds. The notes under the programme may be listed on the official list of Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.  The Mortgage Society of Finland is the only nationwide credit institution in Finland that focuses on housing. It provides customers with the full range of home financing services such as granting mortgage and consumer loans for all stages of home owning including purchasing and renovating. The Mortgage Society of Finland carries out this activity in accordance with the Act on Credit Institutions and the Act on Mortgage Societies.
Case published 5.8.2025
We advised Glaston Corporation on its reverse share split, i.e. in the reduction of its total outstanding shares so that each two shares of the company were merged into one share. The shares of Glaston have been listed into the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Glaston is the glass processing industry’s innovative technology leader supplying equipment, services and solutions to the architectural, mobility, display and solar industries. The company also supports the development of new technologies integrating intelligence to glass.
Case published 27.6.2025
We advised Metsä Board Corporation on the issuance of senior unsecured green notes of EUR 200 million. The maturity of the notes is six years, and they mature on 28 May 2031.  The notes carry fixed annual interest of 3.875 per cent., and the issue price of the notes is 99.570 per cent. The notes were allocated to both Finnish and foreign investors. ‘We are delighted with the trust and interest shown by investors in Metsä Board’s first green bond. This arrangement extends the maturity of our financing and supports our strategy to grow in fibre-based packaging materials and renew our industrial operations. It also contributes to the achievement of our ambitious sustainability targets for 2030’, comments Henri Sederholm, CFO of Metsä Board. Danske Bank A/S and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) acted as joint lead managers for the issue of the Notes.
Case published 27.5.2025
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 Nokian Brewery Plc in its listing on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. Investor demand in the IPO, which consisted of a public and institutional offering, was very strong and the IPO was oversubscribed. Nokian Brewery raised gross proceeds of approximately EUR 10 million from the IPO. In the IPO subscriptions were received from more than 2,900 investors and as a result of IPO the number of shareholders in the company increased to more than 4,700 shareholders. The IPO gives us a strong platform for the next years of growth. We are grateful to investors for their confidence and excited about what we can achieve together. This is the beginning of a new chapter in the Nokian Brewery story.  – Janne Paavola, CEO Trading in Nokian Brewery’s shares began on First North on 3 April 2025 with trading symbol BEER. Nokian Brewery is Finland’s second largest microbrewery and fifth largest brewery in terms of turnover in 2023. Nokian Brewery is particularly known for its Keisari beers. Nokian Panimo manufactures all its products at its production facility in Nokia, and in 2024 its sales volume totalled more than 8.3 million litres and turnover was EUR 11.9 million. Domesticity, responsibility and sustainable practices are at the heart of Nokian Brewery.
Case published 3.4.2025
We advised Fingrid Oyj on the Finnish law aspects of the update of an EMTN programme and increase to EUR 3 billion. Notes issued under the programme may be admitted to trading on Euronext Dublin. Fingrid Oyj is Finland’s transmission system operator.
Case published 2.4.2025
We have advised S-Bank Plc in four bond transactions totalling EUR 1.45 billion that provided financing for S-Bank’s acquisition of Svenska Handelsbanken AB’s Finnish private customer, asset management and investment services operations. In 2023, we advised S-Bank in supplementing their earlier bond programme and in the issuance of two new bonds. S-Bank’s first covered bond, valued at EUR 500 million, was issued in September 2023. In addition to general corporate purposes, the purpose of the issue was to finance the acquisition of Svenska Handelsbanken AB’s Finnish private customer, asset management and investment services operations. Further, a EUR 150 million senior preferred MREL eligible bond was issued in November 2023 and the purpose of the issue was to meet the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) and to finance the bank’s activities. In 2024, we have advised S-Bank Plc in the update of a EUR 3 billion bond programme. Under the programme, S-Bank may issue senior preferred MREL eligible notes, covered bonds and additional tier 1 capital notes. In February of 2024, we advised S-Bank in its issuance of a EUR 300 million senior preferred MREL eligible bond and on the tender offer of its EUR 220 million senior preferred MREL eligible bond maturing in 2025. The tender offer required the prior permission of the Finnish Financial Stability Authority based on Commission Delegated Regulation 2023/827 on technical standards for the reduction of own funds and eligible liabilities prior authorisation. The Stability Authority granted S-Bank a permission for repurchases of the notes. Based on the permission, S-Bank replaced the notes with own funds or eligible liabilities instruments of equal or higher quality at terms that are sustainable for the income capacity of S-Bank. The final tender offer results were announced in February 2024. In April 2024, we further advised S-Bank in supplementing their base prospectus and issue of their second covered bond of EUR 500 million. The covered bond’s maturity date is 16 April 2030.
Case published 30.7.2024