Oona Lilja

Partner, Helsinki

Biography

Next Generation Partner in Banking and Finance: Oona Lilja
The Legal 500 EMEA 2023

Overview

Oona Lilja is a partner who supports Finnish and international clients in corporate and financial transactions, including debt finance and mergers and acquisitions.

Oona's debt finance experience includes acquisition finance, project finance, real estate finance and general bank lending, representing lenders as well as corporate clients. In M&A transactions, Oona represents private equity, venture capital and corporate clients across a range of business sectors.

Oona joined White & Case in 2013 upon graduation from law school. In 2017 – 2018, Oona was seconded to the Firm's London office.

Bars and Courts
Finnish Bar Association
Education
LLM
University of Helsinki
Faculty of Law
Languages
English
Finnish

Experience

Representation of Musti Group Oyj, a leading Nordic pet care company, in securing EUR 110,000,000 term facility, EUR 100,000,000 revolving facility and EUR 60,000,000 uncommitted accordion facility from Danske Bank, OP Corporate Bank plc and Swedbank AB (publ) for purposes of refinancing existing indebtedness and general corporate purposes.

Representation of Sanoma, a listed learning and media company in Finland, on its inaugural €150 million offering of 4.000% social notes due 2027 on the Sustainable Debt Market of Nasdaq Helsinki. Nordea and Swedbank acted as joint lead managers.

Representation of Nordea Bank Abp, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), Danske Bank A/S and OP Corporate Bank plc on the EUR 200,000,000 secured revolving loan facility of Finnair Oyj for general corporate purposes. The financing carries a three-year tenor with a one-year extension option.

Representation of certain Nordic banks on the financing arrangements in connection with the contemplated demerger of Tietoevry Corporation's Banking business into a new independent company to be incorporated in connection with the demerger, the shares of which will be listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki under the name Tietoevry Banking Corporation. The financing package comprised of €672 million facilities for Tietoevry and €180 million facilities for the new Tietoevry Banking Corporation, some of which are back-up facilities to support  Tietoevry's consent solicitation and waiver processes of its existing bonds and certain other syndicated an bilateral financing arrangements, and some of which may be utilized whether or not the demerger is completed.

Representation of Sato Oyj, one of Finland's leading housing providers, in connection with an EUR 150,000,000 secured, sustainability linked term loan facility with Legal & General Investment Management's dedicated UK and European Real Estate Debt Division. The loan has a 12-year tenor and will be used for general financing purposes and refinancing existing indebtedness.

Representation of F-Secure Corporation, a Finland-headquartered consumer cyber security company, on the financing of its US$223 million acquisition of the mobile consumer security business from Lookout, a US-based cloud security and data protection company.

Representation of Stora Enso Oyj, a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, on the €700 million revolving credit facility (RCF) agreement with a syndicate of 12 banks to refinance its existing €600 million facility. The five-year facility has two one-year extension options and will be used as a backup for general corporate purposes.

Representation of Nordea Bank Abp (Nordea) and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) (SEB) on the financing for the merger of Virala Acquisition Company Plc (VAC), the first company listed on the SPAC segment of the regulated market of Nasdaq Helsinki, and Purmo Group Ltd. The merger financing arrangements, all originally for Purmo Group, comprise a €280 million committed term loan facility, an €80 million committed revolving credit facility, an up to €125 million uncommitted term loan facility, and a €95 million committed bridge loan facility. Nordea and SEB acted as coordinating bookrunners and mandated lead arrangers and, in relation to the €280 million committed term facility and €80 million committed revolving facility, as joint underwriters. The facilities will be transferred to the combined company upon completion of the merger. The new combined company's shares will be applied to be listed on the official list of Nasdaq Helsinki.

Representation of Sponsor Capital Oy, a Finnish private equity investor, and Sponbike Oy and Oy Duell Bike Center Ab, Finnish distributors of motorsports products, on the financing of the acquisition of Tecno Globe SAS, refinancing certain existing indebtedness, and financing general corporate purposes, of Sponbike, Duell and the Group. The secured financing was provided by Nordea Bank Abp.

Representation of Nordea Bank and Pareto Securities, as the joint bookrunners, on the issuances of €340 million 4.75 percent senior secured callable notes due 2026 and €300 million senior secured floating rate notes issued under a framework of EUR 450 million by PHM Group Holding Oyj, a property maintenance and management services group, including tap issues under the notes. The notes were offered in the United States to qualified institutional buyers as defined in, and in reliance on, Rule 144A under the Securities Act and outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes are listed on the Open Market at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and will be listed on Nasdaq Helsinki or another regulated market within twelve months of the issue date. White & Case also represented initially Nordea Bank and subsequently also Deutsche Bank on the €92.5 million super senior revolving credit facility. The notes and the super senior revolving credit facility share security and guarantees provided by PHM Group Holding Oyj and other group companies.

Representation of the investment fund Accent Equity 2017 LP in its acquisition of a majority stake in Global Attractions SPI from founders and management, and the related acquisition financing. Global Attractions SPI is a European market leader in equipment for indoor playgrounds and other leisure related activities, and offers turn-key services ranging from concept development and design to production and installation. The group has local presence in fifteen countries and a wide distributor base in twelve countries, together covering five continents.

Representation of Metso Corporation in relation to a financing package in preparation for the combination of Metso Minerals and Outotec Oyj under the name Metso Outotec, with the remainder of Metso, Metso Flow Control, becoming an independent separately listed company under the name Neles. The financing for Metso (and, subsequently, Metso Outotec) comprised of a EUR 1.55 billion backup and term loan facilities with Nordea Bank Abp for the purposes of supporting the transaction and possible amendment and consent solicitation processes related to Metso's current financing arrangements, financing the potential cash redemption of Metso's shares up to EUR 500 million, as well as providing backup liquidity to Metso (and, subsequently, Metso Outotec) in the form of a revolving credit facility amounting to EUR 500 million. The financing for Metso (and, subsequently, Neles) comprised of a EUR 150 million term loan facility with Nordea Bank Abp, which may be used for the repayment and replacement of Metso's credit facilities and other liabilities that benefit the flow control business and are to remain with Neles post completion.

Representation of Supercell Oy, a Finnish mobile games company, and the management/founding team, in the acquisition by Tencent Holdings Limited, one of China's largest and most used internet portals, of approximately 84.3% of Supercell equity securities for a consideration of US$8.6 billion, with put and call options for the rest of the equity securities over a four-year period.

Awards and Recognition

Rising Star in Banking & Finance, The Legal 500 EMEA 2020-2023

Individual Mention in Real Estate & Construction, The Legal 500 EMEA, 2023