Planning the debt structure of an M&A or real estate transaction and drafting the related documentation form part of our banking and finance team’s core competence. In addition to acquisition finance, our lawyers have a broad expertise pertaining to syndicated and other loan arrangements often based on LMA documentation, and we advise both senior and junior lenders and borrowers on a regular basis. We also have experience in preparing the standard terms and associated loan and security arrangements for domestic financial institutions.

We assist clients in all types of equity financing and fundraising. Our expertise enables us to quickly identify the feasible fundraising options followed by effective structuring of a securities issue and implementing the transaction in a streamlined manner. Our equity financing team advises both investors and companies seeking capital on all aspects of structuring and documentation relating to share issues and other equity instruments such as warrants, conversion rights, other convertible instruments as well as capital loans. Our services range from the first fundraising of a start-up company to creating mechanisms for established large companies to return value to shareholders, for instance by means of a structured share buy-back scheme.

HPP’s banking and finance team regularly advise mezzanine finance providers and other active players, such as private equity houses, banks and other credit institutions, in connection with structuring and documentation of mezzanine instruments such as subordinated junior debt facilities attached with warrants or other types of equity-kickers. Our banking and finance lawyers have significant experience in and understanding of the finance behind mezzanine instruments so that we may address the special requirements of mezzanine investors, banks and other credit institutions and related parties in this particular world of hybrid financing. Lawyers in the banking and finance practice also work in close co-operation with our corporate advisory as well as insolvency and restructuring teams in order to support complex transactions involving debt restructuring and workaround arrangements and related mezzanine structures.

Successful completion of a project-financing assignment requires not only the mastering of the legal aspects but also comprehensive competence in the different phases and procedures of the relevant project. As the leading Finnish law firm in the field of infrastructure projects and real estate development, HPP has all the sector and industry experience required to effectively advice clients on the special characteristics of project financing.

HPP’s banking and finance team regularly combine with HPP’s market-leading real estate practice to offer tailored advice on different types of sale and leaseback arrangements. Our banking and finance team also has experience in using sale and leaseback and leasing arrangements as a means of financing transactions and in project financing, for example in connection with the construction of a power plant.

Our competence in security arrangements is not limited to debt financing only – our experts also advise, for example, on matters relating to security arrangements required for environmental permits. In addition, we assist clients in issues concerning execution, perfection and enforcement of all types of security.

Owing to the significant regulation, financial arrangements concerning ships and aircrafts require an exceptionally detailed sector expertise and in-depth knowledge of the underlying business. As the leading maritime and logistics law firm in Finland, HPP is able to offer this rare combination to its clients.

The number of labour law related disputes has continued to increase. Such disputes are often associated with corporate reorganisations or business transfers. In the case of redundancy disputes, the ability to understand the client’s business operations and the ability to convey this understanding to the court is particularly important. Long-term, solid client relationships have afforded us the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of our clients’ business and to successfully manage an exceptionally large number of demanding labour law related disputes.

HPP’s dispute resolution lawyers have represented clients in numerous arbitration proceedings – sometimes lasting for several years – involving complex disputes over liabilities arising from mergers, acquisitions and disposals of companies. Owing to the international background of our dispute resolution and transactions lawyers, HPP has an in-depth understanding of the issues involved in and complexity of interpreting international documents in a Finnish law context thereby combining two of our key strengths, M&A and dispute resolution.

At the core of our dispute resolution practice are also different broad-based damages claims. Most cases involve disagreements concerning commercial agreements, but we have also handled exceptionally complex product-liability disputes where the ability to handle wide-ranging aspects as an integrated whole is key.

Environmental impact assessment is a weighty factor in the largest industrial, excavation, energy, mining and infrastructure projects. Our experience includes advising on the majority of the most significant projects implemented in Finland.

Environmental permits include permit regulations affecting the economy of the operations by including provisions on, for example, minimising the impact on nature, monitoring and post-operations maintenance of the relevant areas. Environmental permit procedures also involve the preparation of permit regulations using the best available techniques at a certain point in time. Frequently, parties have different views of the nature and quantity of collateral security arrangements required for an environmental permit, too. HPP advises industry and business operators on applying for environmental permits and represents clients with regard to any subsequent applications for judicial review in administrative courts. We assist in several dozens of environmental permit applications annually.

Our environmental group also deals with issues arising from the application of natural resources and water law. Water and groundwater withdrawal and extraction of earth material require water resources management and earth-material extraction permits. We provide assistance to industrial operators, water supply facilities and those engaged in excavation work in applying for these permits. Other water resources management projects (hydraulic construction, drainage, regulation, ditch drainage) and hydropower-related permits, expropriation and compensation are also among HPP’s environmental group competence. Any restrictions concerning the protection of forest resources should be considered prior to felling, and our specialists provide assistance with regard to determining the obligations concerning different areas.

HPP provides legal services for the comprehensive management of legislative obligations relating to chemicals. We continuously follow the rapidly developing European chemical legislation and offer our clients updates and compliance programmes. Our services include, for example, conducting a survey of the obligations and the necessary registrations and notifications and also the management of information exchange and cooperative arrangements. In addition, we assist clients with matters involving chemicals supervision, candidate listings, permit procedures and complaint processes. HPP also provides assistance with respect to issues regarding classification, labelling and packaging and with respect to the special obligations regarding biocides. In addition, we advise our clients on permit and zoning issues regarding chemical safety (concerning the obligations under the SEVESO II Directive, among others).

The authorities continue to focus increasing attention on the penal liability of companies and executives in environmental matters. The responsibility may be associated with, for example, exceeding the emission limit values provided in an environmental permit, contaminating the environment or environmental crimes. HPP continuously assists clients in significant environmental crime matters.

Environmental liabilities play an important role in the event of insolvency of an entity which is obliged to obtain an environmental permit or otherwise engaged in an activity that has an environmental impact. HPP has ample experience in environmental liabilities and permit obligations in bankruptcy and insolvency situations, among others. We also provide counsel to lenders and investors with respect to lender liability issues.

Environmental liability issues, such as those pertaining to soil or ground water decontamination or the compliance with and distribution of environmental permit obligation, often become relevant in connection with corporate acquisitions and other transactions. Our experts assess the potential for expansion and the environmental obligations arising from investments, ensuring that the added value sought by the arrangement may be achieved. HPP also has significant experience in assessing the environmental aspects of outsourcing arrangements and providing suitable solutions to them. As part of the due diligence carried out in connection with transactions, we also carry out a legal environmental due diligence review where needed. Clients frequently choose HPP as their counsel when the acquisition or other transaction involves significant environmental aspects.

Nature protection and connected legislation is becoming increasingly important and already applies to a large portion of infrastructure projects and also part of real property development projects. HPP has successfully assisted clients in implementing projects involving the most demanding environmental aspects.

HPP continuously keeps track of the development of nature conservation law within the EU. We have acted on several matters involving EU aspects, including complaints to and responses to complaints to the European Commission and also trials at EU courts.

Activities that have an environmental impact are frequently accompanied by a risk of soil, ground water, sediment or structures contamination. Where contamination has occurred, in many cases decontamination obligations become relevant either by operation of public law, tort or contract law. HPP has comprehensive experience and expertise in all procedures related to contamination and negotiation for a settlement under public, as well as civil law. Contamination and decontamination related matters also frequently require an environmental science- or technology-based understanding of decontamination techniques and contamination – which our specialists have gained through their considerable practical experience.

Species protection as part of environmental protection legislation refers to protection pursuant to the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive under EU law, and also to protection of protected and threatened species, as well as those under special protection, pursuant to nature conservation legislation. The Natura 2000 network, which is based on EU law, may have a significant impact on projects to be implemented in the vicinity of areas belonging to the network. Our environment team is experienced in providing advice with regard to different types of projects related to land area use, real property development and infrastructure in which the obligations concerning species protection and Natura areas need to be reconciled with the project.

We have several years’ experience in litigating cartel trials concerning the exchange of price information, tenders and other information. Our experts provide advice ranging from negotiations with competition authorities (including leniency applications) to any related court proceedings. Additionally, clients can rely on our realistic and practical advice when deciding on how to address any situations where their operations may be adversely affected by cooperation between competitors. Training seminars at trade organisations and compliance programmes tailored for client company management and personnel also play an important role in our service offering.

The contentious aspects of competition law have become an essential part of HPP's competition practice. Our competition law experts, in cooperation with the firm’s experienced dispute resolution lawyers, represent clients in proceedings at all levels of the Finnish court system, including cartel damages and price-fixing damages claims as well as claims relating to abuse of dominant position and restrictions on competition.

HPP experts have drafted numerous compliance programmes and audited Finnish listed, private and state-owned companies. In addition, we conduct self-assessments related to the legal exemption (Article 101 (3), section 5 of the Act on Competition Restrictions) concerning the compliance of planned cooperation arrangements with competition law.

As part of determining a dominant market position, HPP advises clients on defining relevant product-specific and geographic markets. We advise dominant companies on the execution of effective business operations and strategies and assist in drafting and checking enforceable contractual terms and, in particular, pricing and discounting systems. We also advise on all regulatory and contentious aspects of any investigations in abuse of a dominant position.

HPP has acted on critical cases in the context of EU state aid supervision processes. Our extensive experience features providing advice on the contentious aspects of the free movement of goods, other fundamental EU freedoms, state monopolies and public restrictions on competition. We have drafted numerous reports and statements on EU competition law and the law of the internal market and their application and interpretation for companies, trade organisations and public authorities in Finland.

HPP has acted as counsel on numerous large-scale/high-value merger control processes in Finland and the Baltic countries. In this regard, we have negotiated several commitment packages concerning the conditional approval of corporate acquisitions by the relevant competition authority. We have also advised on several corporate acquisition notifications submitted to the EU Commission.

HPP regularly advises clients with regard to drafting various vertical agreements, including distribution, supply and subcontractor agreements. We also advise clients on competition law aspects of these agreements, such as group exemption regulations. We also offer training tailored to our client's needs concerning the application of competition legislation regarding vertical agreements.

HPP’s expertise includes the range of sectors within the energy industry. We assist our clients in projects related to heat and power plants, wind and hydro power and other renewable energy sources, waste incineration, waste-to-energy projects and nuclear power projects. Our expertise covers legal issues related to electricity, district heating and cooling, and also to energy transmission and distribution networks. We advise clients in relation to often demanding power plant and investment projects, land use and environmental projects, including providing advice with regard to competitive positioning. We also advise our clients on a regular basis on issues of contractual liability and damages relating to these projects and assist clients in energy dispute resolution proceedings. HPP has a long experience of handling assignments related to emission trading and other CO2-related projects.

HPP has provided assistance with regard to some of the most prominent harbour projects in Finland. We have a deep understanding of harbour business operations and its special environmental characteristics. We have extensive experience in handling harbour-related environmental matters, company acquisitions and other transactions as well as liability issues. We also advise clients in other types of hydraulic construction projects (including waterway channel projects and dredging).

HPP is among the leading legal advisors with regard to mining and mineral exploration in Finland. We offer a full range of legal services required for the establishment and successful implementation of a mining project. By way of example, we assist our clients in obtaining rights, preparing agreements (such as option, cooperation and royalty agreements) as well as establishing and incorporating businesses. We also provide advice during different phases of financing and in cross-border acquisitions and other transactions in connection with mining projects. We also act in landowner negotiations and indemnity proceedings, environmental proceedings required for the project, logistics solutions and advising in safety-related matters.

HPP has a considerable experience in legal issues arising from the construction of motorways and other road constructions projects. We have assisted clients, for example, with regard to overall planning, as well as road plans related to road construction projects. We also have experience in solving nature protection and land ownership conflicts with respect to traffic routes, and we assist our clients also in legal issues concerning shipping fairways and channels as well as other maritime and aviation traffic routes.

HPP’s lawyers regularly act as bankruptcy trustees in relation to bankruptcy estates, in particular where the trustee is required to have competence in specific fields of law and business. Our client base includes banks, other credit institutions, pension companies and public corporations.

HPP has a significant expertise and experience in performing the duties of official receiver and supervisor in connection with corporate restructurings. Successful completion of a corporate restructuring requires commercial competence as well as strong legal competence. In addition to having a degree in law, several of our lawyers are also educated in economics and business administration and have work experience in business, accounting and finance.

HPP frequently represents both Finnish and international companies in situations where the company’s customer has or is about to become insolvent and the payment of the client’s receivables may be jeopardised. We usually represent our clients at creditors’ negotiations and proceedings relating to bankruptcy and corporate restructurings and voluntary workout arrangements and we attend related creditors’ committees on regular basis.

HPP lawyers have particular experience in handling voluntary debt restructurings including leading the negotiations concerning private workouts. Voluntary debt restructurings aim to reach, by means of negotiation, a quick solution acceptable to creditors, the indebted company and its shareholders to ensure maximum recovery of the creditors' receivables, the viability of the company and the motivation of management to continue to develop the company’s business operations. Lawyers in our insolvency and restructuring team regularly cooperate with our corporate advisory and banking and finance teams in order to provide tailored, practical and creative solutions that work in distressed finance situations which often require an urgent response.

Our IPR lawyers are skilled at assisting clients in protecting, utilising and exploiting their company intellectual property rights which, in many cases are one of the most valuable assets a client company possesses. Our knowledgeable IP lawyers work in conjunction with our client’s technical and sales and marketing teams to ensure that the client’s business strategy and roadmap for development are executed in the most risk-free and commercially profitable manner possible and to protect the often sizable investments which may have been made to develop the relevant IPR. In addition to traditional aspects of an IPR lawyer’s daily caseload comprising know-how, copyright, trademark or patent licensing matters, our lawyers also devise bespoke training packages for company management concerning the issues arising from managing an IP portfolio as well as conducting significant litigation relating to patent infringement and brand protection. We also handle assignments concerning trademarks, business names and design registration and regularly cooperate with patent attorneys. By its very nature our IPR work often involves a multi-jurisdictional element in which HPP acts as lead counsel obtaining advice on the local differences in IPR law in foreign jurisdictions.

HPP manages disputes and prosecutes cases relating to intellectual property rights. In addition to matters pertaining to employee invention rights and compensation, typical trials include disputes concerning violation of immaterial property rights or disputes over proprietary rights or invalidation of IPR. In IPR disputes, our litigation experts combine their deep dispute resolution competence with in-depth substance-related knowledge of the lawyers in our IP and technology team. We have a strong track record in dispute resolution related to technology and IPR, and we represent established companies from sectors such as technology, metal, telecommunications, retail brands, media and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Understanding the technology in these industries enables us to support our clients in reaching the best possible end result in trials and settlement negotiations.

HPP serves clients on a regular basis in the drafting and negotiation of contracts related to technology and IT products and services, including software license agreements, data system delivery contracts and maintenance and development agreements. Proper protection of copyrights and other IP rights is central to technology commercialisation. The impact of competition law on the terms of technology agreements relating to technology licensing and distribution, research and development projects and technology transfer (in particular the impact of the relevant EU Block Exemptions relating to these areas) is of vital importance to our IP and technology lawyers and they interact on a regular basis with our leading competition law team to ensure clients’ business operations are compliant and run with minimum risk.

As organisations process various personal data concerning their employees or clients, it is important that the key principles of privacy protection are understood and data processing is appropriately organised. Data protection also plays a key role when employees and customers are offered electronic communication services or other services to be implemented in an electronic environment. As a market-leader in this area, HPP offers specialist advice to enable clients to develop trust towards their employees and customers in the processing of their personal data, as well as data concerning the use of electronic communication. Our clients operate in the retail, technology, logistics, pharmaceutical and energy industries, among others. The competence of our specialists in managing industry-specific regulation, combined with knowledge of the client’s operating environment, facilitates appropriate and effective organisation of practices related to processing personal data and electronic communication by our clients. Our privacy and data protection services include both larger compliance projects and assisting with problem situations concerning individuals related to privacy and data protection. In matters pertaining to processing personal data, we also regularly assist clients in negotiations with the office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. Our experience has shown that these kinds of negotiations are extremely useful in planning improvements to clients’ privacy protection policies and processes.

As part of HPP’s data protection advice, we assist clients in issues concerning the protection of trade secrets. An essential part of the service is ensuring that our clients’ trade secrets can be maintained in different contractual relationships. In addition, we assist clients in trials concerning the protection of trade secrets and other legal processes preceding the trial.

HPP serves biotechnology companies in the early stages of their development, as well as those that are more well-established, with regard to industry-specific issues and also assignments related to overall business operations. At the research and development stage, we assist in different contractual arrangements, identifying innovations, protecting intellectual property rights and in permit procedures. Commercialisation of research results and products may require, depending on the method of commercialisation, license agreement negotiations, financial arrangements, setting up the necessary corporate structures, IPR due diligence processes and examinations of technology portfolios, among others. We also advise clients on product liability issues and trials. Our specialists have many years of experience concerning the special legal considerations relating to the scientific and applied research in the field and the commercialisation of technology. We have worked with business experts, researchers, patent agents and valuation consultants as part of different specialist assemblies in projects aimed at technology commercialisation and in Finnish and international research projects.

HPP advises both private and public sector operators on legal issues concerning health care. We assist clients, for example, in patient care and privacy protection matters and health care professionals’ obligations and liabilities. We also give healthcare units advice on issues concerning employment and service relationships and public procurement. In handling the assignments, we combine the competence of our experts in different areas of law, for example employment, competition law and data protection specialists to the extent required by the client and the type of assignment.

The pharmaceutical sector is regulated in great detail both at an EU and national level. A mastery of this regulatory regime is a prerequisite for successful business operations. Our clients are primarily well-known global pharmaceutical companies and brands. We serve clients in all core areas of pharmaceutical law from clinical trials to the marketing of pharmaceutical products and issues concerning hospital dispensaries. A central part of our services consists of Market Access matters related to the pricing of pharmaceuticals and the recoverability of expenses from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland – Kela. As both patents and the application of competition rules play a central role in the pharmaceutical industry, our IP and competition lawyers are frequently consulted in relation to pharmaceutical matters.

Our casualty specialists have assisted hull and liability insurers with regard to aviation-related casualties and our banking and finance practice has been involved in transactions pertaining to aircraft financing. Our competition law practice has also been active in clarifying aviation-related issues.

Almost every time a casualty at sea has occurred in Finland or has been related to Finland in some way, HPP has been there to assist one of the parties involved in the casualty. HPP has in-depth knowledge of the regulations for preventing collisions at sea and also practical experience in assisting officers, crew and others involved after a collision has occurred at sea. In connection with collisions, HPP’s environmental practice is particularly useful in handling any environmental liability issues. Numerous collision and grounding cases handled by HPP have been published in ND (Nordiske Domme i Sjøfartsanliggender), the leading maritime and transport law report publication in the Nordic countries. Salvage often plays a central role after a casualty has occurred. We have experience in assisting both the salvor and the ship owner.

HPP has extensive experience in structuring issues relating to ship-owning entities. We have assisted ship owners, bare boat owners and crew, technical and commercial management companies. We are familiar with different types of pooling and joint ventures. We also have extensive experience in assisting shipbrokers, agents, suppliers, pilots and tugboat companies. HPP’s special expertise in competition law has been particularly helpful to our clients operating shipping companies. HPP also has experience in assisting public authorities in their capacity as the purchaser of various services and provider of transport services. We also assist carriers operating passenger transport services.

We monitor on an ongoing basis, on behalf of our clients, legislation related to fairway dues, subsidies, mixed crews and tonnage taxation. We report to our clients on ice class rules and developments related to nautical emission restrictions.

Marine insurance has always been one of our key competence areas. We have provided successful counsel to both the insured and the insurer in issues relating to hull, war, strike and loss of profits insurance. We frequently assist liability and cargo insurers in recourse disputes, where at times applicable insurance conditions need to be interpreted pursuant to the laws of different countries.

We have acted on numerous matters related to hiring crew, terminating employment contracts, collective bargaining, mixed crew and occupational safety cases. Our assignments – for example, in connection with changing flag – include reviewing the crew’s social and pension security liabilities. We have successfully prevented, by means of injunctions, illegal industrial actions that have been directed against foreign flagged vessels.

HPP has assisted ship buyers, shipyards and designers. We have acted for clients in numerous asset finance transactions concerning ship sale and shipbuilding. Our financial services practice has substantial experience in this field and is available to assist in ship financing matters.

HPP assists both carriers and cargo owners in preparing transport and freight contracts. We have extensive experience in dispute resolution concerning freight contracts and cargo damages. A large portion of the transport-related cases handled by HPP have been published in ND. Moreover, several maritime and transport related cases handled by HPP have been published by the Finnish Supreme Court as precedents. Many of our assignments involve complex procedural issues that are international in nature. HPP’s dispute resolution practice supports our maritime and transport law practice and vice versa. We also act as arbitrators. The cases which we plead often have international or Scandinavian dimensions.

We frequently represent cargo insurers but also liability insurers and carriers in cargo damage disputes in relation to road carriage, storage and forwarding. We have drafted and negotiated transport and logistics contracts for our clients. We have also handled cargo damage disputes with regard to air and railway transport.

Conservation of a building can be included in the plan provisions or issued as separate conservation orders. Obligations related to building conservation may present an obstacle, or in practise hinder the use of affected real estate. For this reason, conservation issues should be taken into consideration in real estate transactions and development projects. We have assisted clients in conservation-related issues as part of different types of real estate transactions, and also in separate assignments.

Implementation of construction projects involves various permit procedures in which we advise our clients. HPP drafts and negotiates various construction agreements for such projects and procedures. Construction projects do not always materialise as planned, resulting in a conflict between the parties. Our dispute resolution team regularly represents clients in arbitration proceedings concerning construction agreements. Our client base consists primarily of developers, including industrial entities and public sector developers of various infrastructure projects, in addition to commercial property developers.

Soil decontamination costs may result in considerable expenditure that may fall on the owner or other holder of the real estate. We routinely take contamination and related risks into account in real estate transactions and development projects. Further, we have established ourselves as a leading Finnish law firm in handling civil and administrative court proceedings related to contaminated real estates. Our client base consists of leading industrial enterprises in different sectors as well as companies in the oil industry.

Expropriations are frequently related to socially important industrial and infrastructure projects. Expropriation procedures constitute a specialised legal field of their own, frequently accompanied by considerable financial interests and conflicts. In recent years, we have participated in several significant expropriation projects in Finland, representing landowners and industrial entities.

HPP represents the leading expertise in the legal issues related to land use planning and zoning. We participate in zoning projects as advisors to both the public and the private sector. As a result of longstanding cooperation, we have first-rate business relationships with many land use planning authorities and technical consultants. As a result of the planning hierarchy (regional plan, local master plan, city plan) and wide-ranging complaint opportunities, zoning projects are often prolonged or otherwise challenging in terms of project planning. For this reason, we make an effort to influence zoning in a proactive manner at the preparatory stage, resulting in fundamentally achieving the best possible end result with regard to the client's goals. When proactive influence is not possible, we advance our clients’ projects through legal proceedings in regional administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court. We also determine the risks and opportunities concerning zoning with regard to property restructuring and development projects. HPP regularly participates in the preparation of zoning-related land use agreements between municipalities and landowners concerning the reservation areas for different purposes of use; we also prepare plan implementation agreements.

Legal issues relating to real estate formation may present problems in terms of future use and development. Our market leading real estate lawyers are renowned for the ability to offer feasible solutions in connection with real estate formation, in particular when there are issues which may affect the future use and development of real estate.

Finance and security issues are an integral part of property restructuring, in particular in extensive projects involving several targets. HPP’s experts have participated in several types of property restructuring, preparing financial and security agreements.

HPP regularly assists clients with regard to the daily use of real estate, including drafting of agreements concerning real estate lease arrangements and related negotiations. Leasing issues regularly arise in different types of real estate transactions as well. The importance of environmental issues related to the use of real estate is increasing, and owing to HPP’s expertise in environmental law, we are also the leading experts in Finland in developing what are known as Green Leases.

HPP participates on a regular basis in different real estate development projects which may include developing targets or altering the purpose of use of existing targets. The wide-ranging competence of our lawyers in different aspects of real estate development, including zoning, financing and taxation, enables the timely identification of risks and opportunities associated with a real estate development project. Our client base consists of domestic and international property developers and tenants, including international retail chains and an international hotel chain.

Real estate funds, which constitute a particular form of real estate holding, may be a feasible structure in case of several real estate investors. HPP’s experts have extensive fund-related competence and we have participated in the structuring and formation of several real estate funds operating in Finland and abroad.

Real estate transactions, development and use include several aspects related to tax law which should be taken into consideration during the planning stages in order to achieve a financially viable end result. Depending on the client’s needs, we often include also our tax expertise in our real estate engagements and projects in order to minimise the exposure and risks and to optimise the benefits.

HPP regularly assists its clients in establishing joint ventures in key sectors such as energy and renewable energy, mining, technology and pharmaceuticals. Joint venture projects often involve sector-specific issues and require sector-specific knowledge as well as legal specialisms including licensing or technology transfer issues and joint venture related competition questions. HPP puts together multi-disciplinary teams from across the firm’s departments to provide the client comprehensive and business-focused advice with a view to ensuring that there are appropriate corporate and contractual mechanisms in place for the efficient on-going management and control of the joint venture and for achieving the client’s strategic aims and goals.

When it comes to outsourcing business operations, HPP is among the leading law firms in Finland. In addition to drafting the outsourcing agreement, we advise on essential related issues pertaining to labour and competition law and we have been involved in several extensive ICT outsourcing arrangements for the top 30 Finnish companies.

Municipally handled waste management is characterised by specific competition and procurement related issues. HPP has a good understanding of the waste management market and assists clients regularly in issues regarding competition within the sector as well as in procurement procedures.

Placing waste in a landfill involves various legal issues, starting with the establishment of a landfill, followed by the placement of waste in the landfill, landfill technology, using the landfill, and finally, closing the landfill and conducting post-operation follow-up. Waste to be placed in a landfill must fulfil certain conditions of eligibility, both general and those set in the landfill's environmental permit. Landfill construction contracts require the ability to manage the particular characteristics of the trade. HPP has extensive experience in handling different landfill-related assignments, which in addition to legal expertise also require an understanding of landfill technology. We assist clients in all legal issues concerning landfills and final disposal.

HPP specialises in legal issues related to mineral waste arising from extractive industry activities (in particular the mining industry) and the placement of such waste. We serve representatives of the extractive and excavation industries and the waste sector in all issues pertaining to mineral waste and drafting waste management plans for such waste.

Producer responsibility is a mandatory obligation provided by law requiring manufacturers and importers of certain products (including packaging, paper, tyres, cars, batteries and electronic appliances) to arrange the waste management of their products at their own cost after the products are no longer used. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and the Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in EEE (RoHS) Directive impose substantial legal obligations on the handlers and manufacturers of electric and electronic appliances. HPP advises clients on all WEEE-related issues. We are key participants in legal processes pertaining to the interpretation of producer responsibility legislation and in the development of said legislation.

HPP advises on matters related to the recycling-sector operating environment and its special interests on an ongoing basis. We serve clients in the recycling sector on a range of issues, handling assignments pertaining to waste, chemicals, points of service, and waste transfers, among others. We have also handled zoning and environmental permit matters relating to industrial sector facilities.

In addition to EU law, defining boundaries between what constitutes and what does not constitute waste has emerged as one of the most central legal issues relating to waste management and the industrial sector. The classification has a significant impact on the environmental obligations that apply to these activities. HPP has a broad experience in matters concerning waste, by-products and hazardous waste (dangerous waste) and in monitoring the interests of our clients.

Waste tax is levied primarily on waste to be placed in public landfills. However, industrial waste management in particular is subject to numerous exceptions. HPP assists clients in all legal issues arising from waste management, and has also represented different industry players in supervising their interests with regard to waste tax and in legal proceedings. We also provide assistance with regard to issues related to other steering mechanisms concerning environmental economics, such as beverage packaging tax, municipal waste fees and oil waste fees.