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2018 Season’s greetings
Children do not start wars, yet they are the most vulnerable to the deadly effect of wars. In Yemen, more than eleven million children are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Instead of mailing any Season’s Greetings we have made a donation to help these children. We wish you all a peaceful year 2019.
Highlights of Unicef’s work in Yemen in 2018 include:
- primary health care given to nearly 1 million children under five
- vaccination against polio to 4,2 million children
- treatment of at least 195,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)
- distribution of 42,000 school bags among school children
- provision of risk education awareness on hazards of explosive remnants of war to 1,1 million children and adults
- access to education services in safe learning spaces to 164,000 children
Waselius & Wist arranged practical course in dispute resolution for law students from the University of Helsinki
Again this autumn, Waselius & Wist arranged the popular course in practical dispute resolution of commercial disputes for the law students of the University of Helsinki. This is a course that not only entitles the students to five ECTS credits but also gives them valuable insight in practical aspects of dispute resolution in business life.
The basic idea of the course is to apply theory from the school books to practice through reality-like exercises. The students were asked to, among other things, draft dispute resolution strategies for fictitious client companies, and draft case summaries, recommendations and next step plans for the board of directors in a fictitious trademark infringement dispute, as well as prepare and file a request for arbitration with the Finland Arbitration Institute.
The lectures were arranged as breakfast meetings in the meeting rooms of Waselius & Wist, where Waselius & Wist partner Bernt Juthström shared his experience of litigation in the Market Court and the District Court through some major cases that he has been involved in as counsel. The students had also the privilege of listening to presentations of experienced guest lecturers. Senior Legal Counsel Tanja Jussila from Schneider Electric gave the students a flavor of the life of an inhouse counsel and hands on training on dispute strategies and the selection of suitable and functional dispute resolution clauses. Judge Antti Heikinheimo, who is also a frequently used mediator in commercial disputes, gave a very practical oriented introduction to the interesting world of mediation, i.e. dispute resolution outside the court room.
A very popular part of the course are the excursions, and again this year the students were given the opportunity to visit the Market Court. The students were welcomed by Chief Judge Kimmo Mikkola and Market Court Judge Petri Rinkinen, who gave an interesting presentation on the work done in the Market Court. Judge Rinkinen also took the students on a tour of the house and showed the premises of the Market Court. The course was finished by a very popular visit to the Finland Arbitration Institute where the students were welcomed by Secretary General Heidi Merikalla-Teir. Her presentation of the benefits of bringing business related disputes for resolution by arbitration was very convincing and left the students inspired.
“This has been great fun” says Bernt Juthström, partner at Waselius & Wist. “It is really inspiring to share experience with young, talented and motivated students that are interested in what I do in my work as a dispute resolution specialist. A comprehensive picture of the various aspects of practical dispute resolution can only be painted through team work, and I would therefore like to thank our guest lecturers, the Market Court and the Finland Arbitration Institute for supporting this course and sharing their expertise and experience with the students.”
Legal seminar on tax litigation and transfer pricing disputes on 5 October 2018
On 5 October 2018 Waselius & Wist is hosting a seminar in Helsinki on tax litigation, with specific focus on transfer pricing disputes. The seminar is part of a legal event called Käräjät, arranged by Edita Publishing Oy, one of the major producers of legal training in Finland. Waselius & Wist’s session will discuss the specific features of tax litigation at Court level. More particularly, the topics reflected in light of Court proceedings are inter alia transfer pricing and the specific features therein, alternative dispute resolution, display of evidence and the various economical methods as used in litigation for argumentation purposes. Certain State Aid cases will also be looked at as specific proceedings with a transfer pricing dimension as well as the Mutual Agreement Procedure as a means to solve cross-border conflicts. The session is chaired by our Tax partner Jouni Weckström.
For more information and registration, please visit www.käräjät.fi (only available in Finnish).
Nordea to be supervised by the European Central Bank together with the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority
Nordea, the largest financial services group in the Nordic region and one of the largest banks in Europe, has resolved to move its headquarters from Sweden to Finland. A large majority of 96.6 % of the shareholders at Nordea Bank AB’s annual meeting on 15 March 2018 voted in favor of relocating the headquarters to Helsinki, readily surpassing the required two-thirds majority vote. The target date for the relocation is 1 October 2018.
Of the four domestic markets of Nordea, Finland’s membership in the European Banking Union was the decisive factor for the relocation. Following the relocation Nordea will be supervised by the European Central Bank together with the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority. Nordea will also be subject to the same banking supervision and single resolution mechanisms as the great majority of other European banks. The move contributes considerably to the stability in the Eurozone and helps to create a levelled playing field when major actors within the banking sector are covered by common supervision and the jurisdiction of the Single Resolution Board. As a result of the relocation the size of the Finnish banking sector will be triple the size of Finland’s GDP. As a response to the relocation, the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority will adjust its organizational structure with respect to banking supervision and make preparations for the use of macroprudential tools and supervisory cooperation with the European Central Bank and the Swedish regulator Finansinspektionen.
Nordea’s decision to relocate follows the Swedish Government’s intention to increase the amount of the so called resolution fee, a banking tax collected from Swedish financial institutions. Also, the stricter Swedish bank legislation and tighter capital requirements compared with the EU were of relevance when the decision to relocate was made.
For further information, please contact
Helsinki International Arbitration Day on 24th May 2018
Waselius & Wist is sponsoring the upcoming Helsinki International Arbitration Day 2018, organized by The Arbitration Institute of the Finland Chamber of Commerce. The event will take place on 24th May 2018 at Restaurant Pörssi, Fabianinkatu 14, Helsinki, Finland . We look forward to meeting you there!
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Waselius & Wist strengthens its Tax & Structuring practice
Jouni Weckström joins Waselius & Wist as Specialist Partner on 1 January 2018 to strengthen the firm’s Tax & Structuring practice. Jouni has more than 18 years of prior experience from tax practices of other leading Finnish law firms and as a tax litigator for the State of Finland and the City of Helsinki. Jouni is recognized as a leading tax disputes practitioner in Finland and is also renowned for his analytical mind and tax structuring skills, especially within the field of cross-border M&A and real estate. Jouni is a regular panel speaker at Finnish and international tax conferences.
“We are delighted to welcome Jouni, who has acted on a large number of high profile tax disputes and complex M&A transactions”, says Niklas Thibblin, the firm’s Managing Partner. “Jouni’s experience in both tax disputes and international acquisition structuring will broaden and deepen the reach of our already strong tax practice.”
“I am truly excited to join Waselius & Wist. My appointment shows both Waselius & Wist’s commitment to growing our tax practice and the strength that we already have in the market. I look forward to contributing to its outstanding profile”, says Jouni Weckström.
Waselius & Wist appoints four new associates
Waselius & Wist is pleased to welcome four new associates as part of our highly talented team. Mona Numminen and Henri Kaskimo both join from Roschier, Attorneys Ltd., while Emilia Saloranta and Helena Wist are new graduates and have both previously worked as Trainees at Waselius & Wist. Henri has also been previously employed by the firm as an associate between 2013-2015.
We are excited to have these four ambitious lawyers join our team.
Helsinki International Arbitration Day on 18th May 2017
Waselius & Wist is sponsoring the upcoming Helsinki International Arbitration Day 2017, organized by The Arbitration Institute of the Finland Chamber of Commerce. The event will take place on 18th May 2017 at Finlandia Hall, Mannerheimintie 13 E, Helsinki, Finland. We look forward to meeting you there!
More information and registration:
#HIAD2017
Jouni Kautto appointed Specialist Partner
Jouni Kautto has been appointed Specialist Partner as of 1 January 2017. Jouni Kautto’s main areas of practice are Employment and Incentives and Tax Law. Jouni joined Waselius & Wist in 2012 and will as of 1 January 2017 head the firm’s Employment and Incentives practice. Jouni has solid experience in working with domestic and international clients on a variety of employment matters including issues related to transactions and workforce restructurings in connection with transactions as well as day-to-day employment matters. In addition, Jouni has advised clients in various tax law related issues especially within the area of indirect taxation and VAT.
Helsinki International Arbitration Day on 26 May 2016
Waselius & Wist is a sponsor of the upcoming Helsinki International Arbitration Day 2016, organized by The Arbitration Institute of the Finland Chamber of Commerce. The event will take place on 26 May 2016 at Restaurant Pörssi, Fabianinkatu 14, Helsinki, Finland. Come and meet us there!
More information and registration:
#HIAD2016
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