Manne Airaksinen

Manne is recognized as one of the leading Corporate/M&A experts in Finland by publications such as Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, IFLR1000 and Who’s Who Legal.

According to clients Manne is “two steps ahead of anybody” and “an indisputable champion” in the corporate governance space (Chambers Europe, 2020). He is praised by clients for his “extremely deep understanding and experience” which is combined with a “solution-oriented approach and a straightforward attitude” (Chambers Europe, 2018).

Further, he is named by clients as “one of the true company law experts in Finland” (Chambers Europe, 2021).

Manne Airaksinen’s experience includes advising:

• Listed companies in a high-end boardroom advisory role, including chairing shareholders’ meetings for some 20 leading listed companies;
• Tieto Corporation in its combination with EVRY ASA through a statutory cross border merger;
• YIT Corporation in its combination with Lemminkäinen;
• Nokia in its exchange offer for Alcatel-Lucent;
• Elektrobit Oyj in the planned demerger and listing of Elektrobit’s Wireless Business Segment;
• Rautaruukki Oyj in its combination with SSAB AB (publ) through SSAB making a recommended public share exchange offer to Rautaruukki’s shareholders with a premium of 20% based on the last three-month volume-weighted average share prices of both SSAB and Rautaruukki. The total value of the share exchange offer amounts to SEK 10.1 billion;
• Fortum Corporation in the EUR 2.55 billion sale of its electricity distribution business in Finland to Suomi Power Networks Oy.

Roschier (2006-), Partner (2008-2020); Senior Advisor since 2020
Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Chief Policy Advisor (2005-2006)
Ministry of Justice, Counselor of legislation (1996-2005)
Ministry of Justice, Legislative Secretary (1993-1996)
University of Helsinki, Research fellow (1992-1993)
Headline Group, Company lawyer (1990-1992)

Member of the Finnish Bar Association
Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Legal expert, Ministry of Justice (2021-)
Professor of Practice, University of Lapland (1998-2020)
Directors’ Institute of Finland, Member of the policy committee (2010-)
Auditing Board, Member (2009-), Chairman (2016-2019)
Company Law Expert Group of the Finnish Bar Association, Chairman (2008-2013)
Satama Oyj (Trainer’s House), member of the Board (2004-2008)
Talentum Oyj, member of the Board, Vice Chairman (2003-2010)
The Companies Act Reform Committee, Chairman (2001-2003)
EU Commission Company Law Expert Group, Member (until 2005)
OECD Corporate Governance Steering Group, Member (1999-2005)

Chairman and Member in numerous committees and working groups in the areas of company law, accounting, audit, securities legislation, banking and insurance law. EU Council Working Groups on SE, European mutual company, 1st Company Law Directive, 2nd Company Law Directive, Takeover bids directive, Bank and Insurance winding up –directives. Board member in several private and public companies. Member of and secretary to several Arbitral Tribunals.

“Osakkeenomistajakeskeisyys, sidosryhmät ja yhteiskuntavastuu osakeyhtiöoikeuden järjestelmässä” (“Shareholder centrism, stakeholders and sustainability in the company law system”), dissertation, University of Helsinki 2023.

“Is a shareholder an owner of a limited liability company?” Festschrift Rolf Skog, Norstedts Juridik 2021.

“Onko osakkeenomistaja osakeyhtiön omistaja?” (“Is a shareholder an owner of a limited liability company?”), Festschrift Seppo Villa. Helsinki 2021.

“Selvitys osakeyhtiölain muutostarpeista kilpailukykytekijänä” (“Study on potential reforms to the Finnish Companies Act in terms of Competitiveness.”) Valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimustoiminnan julkaisusarja 2020:39.

“Osakeyhtiölaki I & II” (”Companies Act I and II”), co-authors Pekka Pulkkinen and Vesa Rasinaho, Third Edition, Talentum 2018.

“Avustajien käyttäminen hallitustyössä – hallitustiedon luovuttaminen kolmannelle” (“Using advisers in the work of the Board of Directors – Transfer of Board information to a third party”), Liikejuridiikka 2/2017

“Osakeyhtiölain uudistamisen virstanpylväitä” (“The landmarks of renewing the Companies Act”), Balanssi 6/2016

“Onnistuiko vuoden 2006 osakeyhtiölakiuudistus?” (Was the Company Law reform 2006 a success?), Defensor Legis 4/2013

“Yhtiölainsäädäntö 2007” (“Corporate Legislation 2007”), co-editor Juha Karvonen, Talentum 2007 (updated edition 2010)

“Conflicts between shareholders and how to solve them in the legislation” in Shareholder Conflicts by Paul Krüger Andersen, Nis Jul Clausen and Rolf Skog, Sweet & Maxwell 2006

“Avoin yhtiö ja kommandiittiyhtiö” (“Partnership and limited partnership”) in “Yritysoikeus“ (“Corporate Law”) edited by Seppo Villa, 3rd edition, Alma Talent 2020

“Euroopan unionin yhtiöoikeus ja sen kehittäminen” (“EU Company law and its reform”), co-author P. Timonen, Lakimies 7-8 2003

“Osakeyhtiölakityöryhmän aitoon nimellisarvottomuuteen perustuvaa pääomajärjestelmää koskevat ehdotukset” (“Proposals of the Company Law workig group concerning true no par value share system”), Lakimies 6, 2003

“Pk-yrityksen osakeyhtiölakiopas” (“SME’s Guide to the Companies Act”), co-authors Jyrki Jauhiainen and Antti Neimala, 3rd edition, WSOY 2001

“Suomen Yhtiöoikeus” (”Finnish Corporate Law”), co-author Jyrki Jauhiainen, WSLT 2000

“Osakeyhtiölaki“ (”Companies Act”), co-author Jyrki Jauhiainen, WSOY 1997

“Kilpailukykyinen osakeyhtiöoikeus” (“Competitive Corporate Law”), publication of the Ministry of Justice 2000

“Sähkö- ja telemarkkinoiden kilpailuoikeudelliset säännöt” (”Regulating competition in electricity and telecommunications networks”), Kauppakaari 1993