Sakari Lukinmaa

Managing Partner, Member of the Finnish Bar

Services

  1. Banking & Finance
  2. Capital Markets & Financial Regulation
  3. Private Equity & Venture Capital

Contact details

I am Castrén & Snellman’s managing partner. I specialise in finance, private equity and venture capital and truly enjoy working with clients and helping them to resolve their challenges. I pride myself on being a client guy who makes things happen.

During my career, I have advised our clients in a number of complex cross-border and domestic projects, including syndicated corporate lending, acquisition finance deals, real estate finance and restructurings as well as venture capital.

I have worked for Castrén & Snellman for over 20 years, first as a legal trainee and then in various associate lawyer positions. More recently, I have been a partner as well as a member of the board and the management group. I have also coordinated our firm’s transaction services.

During my time at Castrén & Snellman, the firm has developed from a mere collection of attorneys working under same roof and practicing in different fields of law into a united firm of first-tier legal professionals seamlessly helping our clients in their most challenging legal matters. It has been my privilege to experience and contribute to this development.

In this rapidly changing world of ours, I think it is very important for a lawyer to never settle. As individuals and professionals we must be open to change and strive to develop. I strongly believe that no man is an island and any success is first and foremost a team effort. This is what we have focused on in Castrén & Snellman and what we will continue to focus on in the future.

Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, Best Lawyers and IFLR1000 rank me among Finland’s leading legal experts.

Latest references

Armada Credit Partners – Private debt investment in Smartvatten
We assisted Armada Credit Partners in a sustainability-linked private debt investment in Smartvatten Oy, a company majority owned by Norvestor. Smartvatten is a hardware-enabled software as a service company providing its customers with a complete solution for real-time monitoring and reporting of water consumption in buildings. Smartvatten’s customers reduce their water costs and the risk of water-related damage while improving their sustainability performance. The cooperation between Armada and Norvestor will promote Smartvatten in its objective of helping a greater number of customers with water costs, leaks and sustainability agenda.
Case published 26.1.2024
OP Corporate Bank – Acquisition financing arrangement
We assisted OP Corporate Bank as the lender in a financing agreement in which Sponsor Capital, together with management and two other institutional investors, acquired Fonecta Group.
Case published 17.1.2024
Triton – Platform investment and formation of Habeo Group
We advised Triton Smaller Mid-Cap Fund II in a new platform investment, the formation of Habeo Group, through its acquisition and financing of eight Finnish companies. After the acquisition, Habeo Group has approximately MEUR 120 in net sales with over 600 experts providing a variety of technical building services, such as heating, plumbing and sewerage, ventilation and air conditioning, electrical works, cooling and refrigeration, fire safety and automation. In line with Habeo Group’s strategy, it has acquired successful, locally operating Finnish group companies and is now Finland’s fifth largest player in the industry. Habeo Group continues to implement its strategy through acquisitions that suit its service portfolio in Finland. The eight Habeo Group companies are the following: Afire Oy – A company that provides its clients with the best fire suppression solutions for different purposes in the market. ESP Group – A group of companies specialised in new building and repair construction, offering all HVAC, electricity and automation services reliably and skilfully. HSK Sähkö Oy – A versatile and flexible full-service electrical contractor operating in all of Finland. Neloset Group – A full-service technical building service and construction company providing housing cooperatives with construction and renovation services from a one-stop shop. Respect Group – A group that serves its clients seamlessly in all their repair construction needs. SFT Finntekniikka Oy – A refrigeration expert that provides comprehensive, high-quality service in refrigeration equipment and cooling systems. Sähkö Oy Turku and Helsinki – A group of electrical engineering companies with a large range of services including design, installation, on-site project supervision and subcontracting. Vaasan Kylmäkone Oy – A company that plans, sells, installs and maintains refrigeration equipment and systems for professional use. Since its establishment in 1997, Triton has sponsored ten funds, focusing on businesses in the industrial tech, services, consumer and healthcare sectors. The companies currently in Triton’s portfolio have combined sales of around EUR 18 billion and employ around 105,000 employees. Triton Smaller Mid-Cap Fund II applies Triton’s proven investment strategy to lower mid-market companies in the same core sectors of Services, Healthcare, Industrial Tech and Consumer, using Triton’s in-house operational capabilities and resources to help management teams to sustainably expand their companies’ market position and to implement their growth strategies.
Case published 21.4.2023
Commerzbank – Vessel Construction Financing for Meyer Turku
We acted as the Finnish law legal advisor to Commerzbank AG as the security agent and one of the financiers and Commerzbank Finance & Covered Bond S.A as the facility agent in a construction financing facility of more than EUR 1 billion for the Finnish shipyard company Meyer Turku Oy. The loan facility will be used on the construction of two new passenger cruise vessels.
Case published 23.8.2022
REDI Shopping Centre – Refinancing of REDI Shopping Centre and Parking Facilities
We advised REDI Shopping Centre and Parking Facilities as borrowers in a refinancing arrangement entered into with a banking syndicate. Opened in 2018, REDI Shopping Centre and Parking Facilities is one of the biggest shopping centres in Finland in terms of leasable floor area.
Case published 27.4.2022
Danske, OP Corporate Bank, Swedbank and Handelsbanken – Real Estate Financing Arrangement for LähiTapiola Yhteiskuntakiinteistöt Suomi Ky
We advised a financier consortium including Danske Bank A/S as coordinator, Danske Bank A/S, Finland Branch, Swedbank AB (publ), Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ), Branch Operation in Finland, and OP Corporate Bank plc as lenders in a real estate financing arrangement for LähiTapiola Yhteiskuntakiinteistöt Suomi Ky, a real estate fund investing in health care and community properties in Finland. The facilities made available under the financing arrangement consist of EUR 172,050,000 committed term facilities and EUR 80,000,000 uncommitted accordion facilities. The purpose of the financing arrangement was to finance the costs related to the acquisition of hospital property located in Espoo, Southern Finland, as well as financing and refinancing other properties acquired or to be acquired by the fund.
Case published 6.4.2022
Seraphim Space and Molten Ventures – ICEYE’s USD 136 Million Series D Funding Round
We advised international investors Seraphim Space Investment Trust plc and Molten Ventures on the USD 136 million series D funding round of ICEYE, a Finnish world-leading SAR data provider and expert in NatCat solutions. The round was led by Seraphim Space Investment Trust plc. New strategic investors to ICEYE also include BAE Systems and Kajima Ventures. In addition, Molten Ventures, OTB Ventures, True Ventures, C16 Ventures, Chione Ltd, Services Group of America, the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), Space Capital and Promus Ventures participated in the funding round. With this latest funding round, ICEYE has raised a total of USD 304 million in financing since 2015. ICEYE owns and operates the world’s largest constellation of SAR satellites and the company has successfully launched 16 satellite missions in total since its first-ever spacecraft was placed into orbit only four years ago. The financing will further accelerate the continued expansion of the world’s largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation and the growth of ICEYE’s Natural Catastrophe (NatCat) Insights and Solutions offering. Seraphim Space Investment Trust plc (LSE: SSIT) is the world’s first listed fund focused on space technology, investing predominantly to early and growth stage private financed Space Tech businesses. Molten Ventures (LSE: GROW, Euronext Dublin: GRW), formerly Draper Esprit, is one of the most active venture capital firms in Europe, developing and investing in disruptive, high growth technology companies.
Case published 4.2.2022
SEB – Refinancing Arrangement for Evli Healthcare I Ky
We assisted SEB in a EUR 161,260,000 refinancing arrangement for Evli Healthcare I Ky. Evli Healthcare I Ky is a Finnish real estate fund investing in care properties in Finland. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) acted as the agent, security agent, co-ordinating mandated lead arranger and hedge counterparty in this refinancing arrangement. The lead arrangers in the syndicate were Aktia Bank Abp, LocalTapiola Corporate Lending I LP and LocalTapiola General Mutual Insurance Company, and the lenders for the facility were Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), Aktia Bank Abp, LocalTapiola Corporate Lending I LP and LocalTapiola General Mutual Insurance Company. The arrangement was carried out for the purpose of refinancing the existing indebtedness related to the property companies owned by the fund.
Case published 17.12.2021
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