Financial Institutions & Regulation

Borenius’ Financial Institutions & Regulation team combines Borenius’ industry expertise with extensive knowledge from various fields of law, bringing together our experts from all relevant Borenius teams.

Regulation places increasing demands for financial institutions and other market players. We follow the development of those demands in order to be able to help our clients. At the same time, regulation opens up new opportunities as the development of new services, investment products and partnerships takes place throughout the market. Our services cover regulatory advice in connection with transactions in the financial sector as well as everyday compliance and regulatory issues relating to conduct of business.

We are here to help your business

We advise banks, investment firms, fund managers and other financial institutions as well as FinTechs on a wide range of regulatory and compliance issues. Our lawyers have extensive practical experience from working on legislation and advising major clients in the financial services industry. A number of our lawyers have previously served as in-house counsel, in management roles and with the regulator and legislator, both in Finland and abroad, which has provided them with a unique and beneficial insight to the field.

Our areas of expertise include

  • Bank funding
  • AML/CTF & sanctions
  • Authorisations and notifications
  • Fund regulation
  • Financial regulation M&A
  • Consumer credit regulation
  • ESG
  • Payment services
  • Fintech
  • Provision of investment products and services

Our latest recognitions

Our clients are at the heart of what we do, and our achievements are built upon our clients’ success. That is why we are extremely happy to have been entrusted with a broad range of cases.

Chambers FinTech

“It’s a go-to firm in FinTech. They are creative. The problems grappled with in the FinTech space require applications of established legal concepts to new legal concepts,” says an interviewee, who adds: “They are who I’d recommend for FinTech in Finland.”

Chambers FinTech

“Whenever I am with them, you get a feeling of absolute professionalism but they are humble people. The work that they have done with startups shows that they are humble and I appreciate that they get to know them.”

We advise our clients on various key sectors

Financial Regulation M&A

We have represented EAB Group Plc in its merger with Evli Plc. and advised CapMan Plc on acquiring controlling shareholding in JAM Advisors, a software tech driven reporting, analysis and wealth management firm.

Consumer Credit Regulation

We have recent experience from advising Verkkokauppa.com on the terms and conditions of its consumer credits. We have also advised Lea Band ASA, a Norwegian Bank, when it acquired consumer credits from a Finnish actor.

Fund Regulation

We advise numerous domestic and foreign alternative investment fund managers on regulatory matters relating to marketing and management of alternative investment funds.

AML & Sanctions

We advise Finnish companies in relation to compliance requirements arising from sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We have supported our clients to understand and mitigate sanctions risks related to ongoing operations in Russia and completing exit process from Russian markets. We regularly advise on setting up internal compliance programmes and analysing risks related to business partners and individual transactions. We have also advised a Finnish financial institution on the applicability and impact of sanctions in terms of trading finance-related instruments.

Fintech

We advise Finnish banks on an investment in DIAS Oy. DIAS aims to develop a platform for digital transactions involving the Finnish housing market. The platform would be the first of its kind in the world and utilise blockchain technology. We also advise various fintech companies in relation to regulatory questions and FIN-FSA handlings.

Bank Funding

We have advised Oma Savings Bank Plc, Danske Mortgage Bank Plc, POP Mortgage Bank Plc and Bonum Bank Plc on the update of their debt programmes that allow the issuance of covered bonds and MREL eligible notes. We have also advised Oma Savings Bank Plc and Danske Mortgage Bank Plc on the consent solicitation where outstanding covered bonds were amended so that they become subject to the new Act on Covered Bonds.

Provision of investment products and services

We advise several EU based financial institutions on questions relating to what is required when banking and investment services are provided in Finland.

Our experts are always ready to assist you. See all of our Financial Institutions & Regulation references here.

Additional information

Juha Koponen

Partner

Helsinki, London, New York

Eeva Terho

Counsel

Helsinki

Team

Niina Nuottimäki

Partner

Helsinki

Paulus Hidén

Partner

Helsinki

Päivi Kuitunen

Counsel

Helsinki

Juho Keinänen

Counsel

Helsinki

Joona Riski

Associate

Helsinki

Jon Jokelin

Associate

Helsinki

Lauri Teräsvuori

Associate

Helsinki

Mia Mokkila

Partner

Helsinki