Tanja Törnkvist

Partner, Helsinki

Biography

“Market leader Tanja Törnkvist possesses unrivalled expertise in the full gamut of complex and cross-border finance and refinance mandates, including syndicated lending.”
Chambers Europe 2023

Overview

Recognized by professional guides as one of the leading banking lawyers in Finland, Tanja Törnkvist, supports clients with a wide range of financing transactions.

Major domestic and international companies and financial institutions benefit from her experience in acquisition finance transactions, general bank lending, project finance, structured bank/bond transactions, financial restructurings and real estate finance.

Noted for her cutting-edge approach to transactional matters, Tanja has been at the forefront of developing the Finnish high yield securities market, advising clients from pari secured bank/bond structures to super senior revolving credit facilities.

Committed to helping clients to achieve their business objectives, regardless of their complexity or innovative aspects, she has worked on a number of pioneering deals that were market 'firsts'. These include the first-ever full-scale consent solicitation process related to Finnish law-governed bonds, and the first-ever domestic secured bond issue and programme by a Finnish issuer.

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

Experience

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 Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan and Nordea Bank as Mandated Lead Arrangers, on the issuance by Assemblin of €480 million senior secured floating rate notes due 2029 and the establishment of new €180 million super senior revolving credit and guarantee facilities as well as a new pension guarantee facility. Assemblin is one of the Nordic region's leading providers of complete installation and service solutions, with a primary focus on electrical engineering, heating, sanitation, ventilation and automation.

Representation of investment firm Triton on its financing and acquisition of a majority share in Esperi Care, a leading residential care provider in Finland. The current owners Ilmarinen, Danske Bank and SEB will continue as minority shareholders in partnership with Triton.

Representation of J.P. Morgan SE, Nordea Bank Abp, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, DNB Markets, a division of DNB Bank ASA and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), as initial purchasers, in connection with the Rule 144A/Regulation S offering by Ren10 Holding AB, a subsidiary of funds advised by IK Partners, of €350 million senior secured floating rate notes due 2027 as part of the financing for the acquisition of, and refinancing of outstanding indebtedness of Renta Group Oy, a full-service machine and equipment rental services company with operations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Poland.

Representation of Sanoma Corporation, a European learning and media company listed on Nasdaq Helsinki, on the financing of the acquisition of Pearson Italia S.P.A., a leading Italian provider of K- 12 learning material, from Longman Group (Overseas Holdings) Limited, and STARK Verlag GmbH, a small exam preparation business in Germany, from Pearson Deutschland GmbH with an agreed aggregate enterprise value of €190 million.

Representation of Valorem Group, the French pioneering independent renewable energy developer and operator, on the approximately €135 million project financing of the 148.5 MW Matkussaari onshore wind farm. The senior debt for the Matkussaari wind farm is being provided by AIP Management. The financing was part of a broader mandate where White & Case advised Valorem also on the divestment of the neighboring165 MW Kalistanneva onshore wind farm to a Finnish consortium formed by Helen Oy and the Bank of Åland Wind Power Fund Non-UCITS, and on the negotiation and settlement of all commercial arrangements related to Matkussaari wind farm. Both wind farms are located in the municipality of Kurikka, in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland, and are expected to commence commercial operations in 2025.

Representation of Nordea Bank and Pareto Securities, as the joint bookrunners, on the issuance of €70 million senior secured callable floating rate notes due 2026 by PHM Group Holding Oyj, a property maintenance and management services group. The notes are to be 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 original issue date.

Representation of Nordea Bank Abp and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) 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 Euroports Finland Oy, the leading full-service port operator in Finland, on its investment in Finnish logistics service provider BB Logistics Oy and related financing arrangements.

Representation of Nordea Bank Abp and Danske Bank A/S, as joint underwriters, coordinating bookrunners and mandated lead arrangers, on the EUR 996 million financing arrangements entered into in connection with the contemplated combination of Valmet Oyj and Neles Oyj whereby Neles will be merged into Valmet. The combination will create a leading company with a unique offering for process industries globally and with combined annual net sales of approximately EUR 4.3 billion.

Representation of Sanoma Corporation, an European learning and media company listed on Nasdaq Helsinki, on the financing of the €465 million acquisition of Santillana Spain, a leading Spanish provider of K-12 learning materials, from Promotora de Informaciones S.A. (Grupo Prisa). Sanoma will finance the acquisition fully with debt and has signed a committed bridge financing facility of €480 million with Nordea Bank Abp and OP Corporate Bank plc.

Representation of Nordea Bank Abp on the financing arrangements for the combination of Konecranes Oyj and Cargotec Oyj comprising €935 million term loan facilities for Konecranes Oyj and a €400 million term loan facility for Cargotec Oyj. The proposed combination will be implemented as a statutory absorption merger whereby Konecranes will be merged into Cargotec, creating a global leader in sustainable material flow with combined annual sales of approximately €7 billion.

Representation of Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj on the voluntary recommended public cash tender offer made by a Bain Capital lead consortium formed by (BC) Lux Holdco S.à r.l. (a vehicle owned and controlled by funds managed or advised by Bain Capital Private Equity (Europe), LLP, and/or its affiliates), Ahlstrom Invest B.V (an indirect subsidiary of Ahlström Capital Oy), Viknum AB and Belgrano Inversiones Oy, for all the issued and outstanding shares in Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj. The tender offer values Ahlstrom-Munksjö's total equity at approximately EUR 2.1 billion. Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a global leader in innovative and sustainable fiber-based materials and its shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki and Nasdaq Stockholm.

Representation of the underwriters and syndicate banks in relation to the new EUR 950 million financing arranged in connection with the combination of Tieto Corporation and EVRY ASA, both IT service companies, consisting of a bridge loan facility, a term loan facility and a revolving credit facility.

Representation of ÅF AB in its EUR 611 million recommended public cash tender offer for all issued and outstanding shares in Pöyry PLC. Together with the shares acquired by ÅF through market purchases, the shares tendered during the offer period, including the subsequent offer period, represent approximately 99.3 percent of all the issued and outstanding shares and voting rights in Pöyry. ÅF is an engineering and design company within the fields of energy, industry and infrastructure, based in Europe and operating globally with net sales in 2018 of SEK 13,975 million. Pöyry is an international consulting and engineering company serving clients across power generation, transmission and distribution, forest industry, biorefining & chemicals, mining and metals, infrastructure and water and environment.

Awards and Recognition

Tier 1 in Banking & Finance and Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 EMEA 2020-2023

IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2021

Market Leader, IFLR1000 2021

Band 1 in Banking & Finance, Chambers Europe and Chambers Global 2021-2023