Valter Olkkonen

Senior Associate, Member of the Finnish Bar

I assist our clients in various financing transactions.

Before joining Castrén & Snellman, I worked as a trainee at a major law firm in the United Kingdom and at a Big Four accounting firm in Finland.

In addition to my Master of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki, I have studied law at the University of Edinburgh.

Latest references

We advised NoHo Partners Plc on a 119-million-euro financing arrangement. The financing arrangement frees up a significant part of the cash flow for the business and enables the implementation of an acquisition-driven growth strategy also in the future.
Case published 16.1.2025
We advised CapMan Buyout in the exit of Renoa Group. Renoa Group management together with Korpi Capital and other investors have acquired the group. Renoa Group is a Finnish established expert in the building technology sector specializing in detached houses in Finland and Sweden. Renoa is a major provider of turnkey domestic water & heating, sewer system and electricity network renovations, with significant operations also in Sweden. The Group reported sales of €35 million and employed c. 300 personnel across its 10 offices in Finland and 6 in Sweden. Korpi Capital is a Finnish investment company with holdings in 29 companies. 
Case published 14.1.2025
We advised Korkia Oy in its loan agreement with Nordic Environment Finance Corporation. The financing will support the development and international scale-up of Korkia’s pipeline of solar energy, battery energy storage system (BESS) and onshore wind projects. Korkia is a dedicated investor in renewable energy operating in nine countries. It has a robust development pipeline of over 20 GW in renewable energy and energy storage projects.
Case published 7.1.2025
We advised Huhtamaki Oyj in relation to a EUR 450 million sustainability-linked syndicated multi-currency revolving credit facility loan agreement (“RCF”) with a maturity of five years. The RCF refinances an existing EUR 400 million sustainability-linked syndicated revolving credit facility signed in January 2021 and will be used for general corporate purposes of the Group. The RCF has two one-year extension options at the discretion of the lenders. The Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners of the RCF are Citi, Nordea Bank Abp, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), BNP Paribas, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft, Danske Bank A/S, DBS Bank Ltd., London Branch, J.P. Morgan SE, Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale, OP Corporate Bank plc, Raiffeisen Bank International AG and Standard Chartered Bank AG.
Case published 28.11.2024
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
We advised Jefferies as the sole arranger and lead manager in a transaction in which Finnfund, a Finnish development financier and impact investor, issued a EUR 100 million green bond. The 10-year bond bears interest at the rate of 3.5% per annum. The bond offering was placed to international investors, including a portion of dedicated green bond investors/portfolios. The bond represents Finnfund’s first ever green transaction and second issuance under its Sustainability Bond Framework established in September 2022. The proceeds from the issue will be used in accordance with the green project categories of Finnfund’s Sustainability Bond Framework to finance and/or refinance eligible green lending, equity investments, and mezzanine financing mainly targeting, for example, the objective of climate change mitigation and adaptation and/or environmentally sustainable management of living natural resources. Net proceeds will be allocated to eligible projects with the objective to mobilise debt capital to support Finnfund’s mission to generate lasting impact by investing in businesses that solve global development challenges. In addition, it contributes to Finnfund’s goal to foster sustainable development by providing investment opportunities for private investors. In its strategy, adopted in January 2022, Finnfund sets one of its targets to fund 50% of its investments with private capital by 2030. Mobilising private capital is key to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries, given that the UN estimates the financing gap at USD 2.5 trillion per year. Jaakko Kangasniemi, Managing Director, CEO at Finnfund said: “Sustainable, innovative businesses and investors play an integral role in solving both global and local challenges, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity loss. Capital markets are also vital in the transition away from fossil fuels. We are glad to have such a strong support for our impact investing activity and our mission to foster sustainable development and green transition.” Andrey Medvedev, Senior Vice President at Jefferies said: “We are delighted to have assisted Finnfund issuing its longest private placement to date and showcasing its innovative green projects. This deal demonstrates Finnfund’s appeal to a diversified international investor base and cements its position as a leading development financing agency.”
Case published 26.1.2024
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
We advised Biovian Oy, a Finnish company, in a debt refinancing initiative and securing a new funding package with Eurazeo, a French investment company, to support GeneCity facility expansion. The package will be used to refinance existing debt and to finance investment in GeneCity. The GeneCity facility will house cutting-edge equipment and advanced technologies to support the development, manufacturing, and testing of ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products). It will also feature dedicated Class A to D cleanroom areas for bulk drug substances as well as final drug product manufacture. The new viral vector facility building has been started in the autumn of 2023 and the facility is expected to be ready in 2025. The new funding package is an important milestone in Biovian’s growth journey and will support Biovian in continuing its strong organic growth. The GeneCity expansion is a strategic move aimed at meeting the growing demand for high-quality biopharmaceutical manufacturing services and further solidifying Biovian’s position as a trusted partner in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Case published 17.1.2024