Business law and company law

Most of the commissions our law firm takes on involve serving smallish to medium-large companies and handling their affairs. Our clients receive comprehensive service on a wide variety of matters requiring legal expertise.
Some of the services we offer:

• safeguarding and defence of rights
• company law questions, including e.g. responsibilities of the board of directors, questions relating to shareholders’ meetings, issue of shares
• drawing up contracts, inspecting and interpreting contracts in various situations
• resolving disputes to the advantage of the company
• labour law questions; see Labour law
• copyright and other questions relating to intellectual property rights
• trade negotiations
• mergers and acquisitions

A large part of the task of handling commissions related to legal practice for companies is pre-emptive risk management; this is no less important in the legal context than it is in any other area of business operations. The creation of liabilities and taking them into account is an everyday part of business decision-making. Being able to look ahead and pre-empt possible legal risks means that companies can minimise the chance of legal disputes and court cases arising, thereby also minimising the risk of arbitration proceedings and/or the resulting likely expenses.
Our principle in carrying out individual commissions is to provide the best and most appropriate legal services for our business clients, at the best possible price and in the scope necessary for solving the particular problems that the client is faced with in a given instance. Matters that seem difficult from a company’s point of view can often be resolved through brief deliberations and exchanges of emails. This is an inexpensive and convenient way to resolve disputes.

Contracts

According to the legal order in Finland, every legally competent person in Finland enjoys freedom of contract – that is, the freedom to make and enter into contractual relations – unless otherwise legally established. Most of the restrictions on freedom of contract in this country exist for the protection of weaker parties, and for the protection of various interests provided for under public law. Despite these exceptions, the general rule is that there is extensive freedom of contract, with the consequent rule that contracts are also binding on the contracting parties.

The absolute bedrock of successful legal relations is a carefully and skilfully written contract. A well-made contract ensures that it is in fact provisional and binding, that it will be interpreted as intended, and that in the event of a contractual breach the contracting parties will have the right to enter into legal proceedings and may be entitled to liability for damages. Our attorneys negotiate, prepare, and produce a wide variety of business contracts, include, amongst others:

• Company acquisition contracts, such as transfers of business operations and other ownership arrangements
• Partnership agreements, amendments of the Articles of Association, and special issues or private placements
• Work and commission agreements and the related non-disclosure agreements and non-compete agreements
• The several contract types relating to the sale of movables
• Assisting with the creation of ethical codes and codes of conduct for the internal use of companies (compliance rules)
• Negotiations and conciliation agreements related to differences of opinion and disputes involving a company
• Contracts and obligations relating to taking on debt, such as promissory notes, guarantee engagements and pledges
• Property and real estate business contracts
• Piecework contracts and other contractual matters relating to construction
• Contracts relating to compensation for damages and limited liability
• Lease agreements

Disputes

In our experience, the number one cause of disputes in the business world is poor preparation.
For that reason, pre-emptive risk management and well-written contracts are vital to ensuring that disputes can be avoided.
However, if your company does become involved in a dispute, our lawyers will help you arrive at a legally competent solution that is also as cost-effective as possible for your company. In the event that it is not possible to arrive at a negotiated solution that is satisfactory to the client, the wealth of legal experience that we have accumulated since our beginnings in 1996 is available to our clients for the purposes of legal proceedings in local courts, Courts of Appeal, and in the Supreme Court, as well as in arbitration proceedings. Read more on Dispute settlement.

Outsourced legal services

The operating principle of Juridicus Oy is to comprehensively provide all the legal services a company needs. In cooperation with us, your company is free to concentrate your resources and expertise on its business operations, and can in full confidence leave the responsibilities for company law, contractual law, labour law, and other legal concerns to us. See the section Outsourced legal services.