Sebastian Kellas
Europe Guide 2024
Band 2 : Tax
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+358 40 752 0047Share profile
Band 2
About
Provided by Sebastian Kellas
Practice Areas
Tax and Structuring, Mergers and Acquisitions, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Construction
Sebastian is specialized in tax law, tax disputes and tax structuring. He has extensive experience in tax matters related to M&A and real estate transactions as well as complex domestic and cross-border corporate structure planning. He regularly represents clients in court proceedings before administrative courts in tax dispute matters. Sebastian also advises his clients in the field of company law and cooperative law. He has experience in drafting laws as he has acted as the secretary when the legislation regarding cross-border mergers was drafted.
Career
Avance Attorneys Ltd, Partner 2019–
Taxpoint Attorneys Ltd, Partner (2014–2019)
KPMG Finland, Partner (2007–2014)
KPMG Finland, Tax Advisor, Manager, Senior Manager and Director (1998–2006)
Helsinki Tax Office, Tax Official (1997–1998)
Professional Memberships
Finnish Bar Association
Education
University of Helsinki
Master of Laws
1995
Chambers Review
Europe
Progressing in the rankings, Sebastian Kellas of Avance Attorneys is an experienced tax lawyer who handles both transactional and contentious tax matters.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Sebastian Kellas is a talented structuring and tax lawyer with out-of-the-box solutions."
"Sebastian Kellas is a talented structuring and tax lawyer with out-of-the-box solutions."
Articles, highlights and press releases
19 items provided by Avance Attorneys
Odevo to acquire Retta Isännöinti
Avance advises Retta Group and Altor Equity Partners in the sale of Retta Isännöinti to Odevo. Retta Isännöinti is Finland’s largest service company in the management of residential and real estate companies, with close to 6,000 customers, 150,000 homes under management and 600 employees.
Mehiläinen repurchases all shares held by LocalTapiola
Avance advises Mehiläinen and its majority owner, CVC Capital Partners, on a transaction whereby Mehiläinen Konserni Oy repurchased all shares held by LocalTapiola in the company as well as the related debt financing arrangements. Prior to the transaction, LocalTapiola owned approximately 20 percent
Combination of Canatu Oy and Lifeline SPAC I Plc
Avance advises Canatu Oy and its shareholders and option holders in the de-SPAC combination of Canatu and Lifeline SPAC I Plc, whereby Lifeline SPAC I acquires all shares and option rights in Canatu by way of a directed share issue consisting of Lifeline SPAC I’s new shares and option rights.
Combination of the share classes of Keskisuomalainen
Avance advises Keskisuomalainen Oyj in connection with the combination of the company's two share classes and related directed share issuance to the holders of former class K shares in the company.
A consortium formed by Apollo and Rettig announces a public tender offer for all shares in Purmo
Avance advises Rettig Oy Ab and the consortium formed by certain affiliated funds of Apollo Global Management and Rettig in relation to the voluntary recommended public cash tender offer for all the shares in Purmo Group Plc announced by the consortium’s special purpose vehicle.
Kurio acquired by SAMY Alliance
Avance advises the owners of Kurio, a social-first creative agency, in the sale of Kurio to SAMY Alliance, an integrated, social-first technology and data-enabled digital marketing company. Kurio is ranked the 8th most creative agency in the world in the Global Creative Index 2023 by PRovoke Media
Avance advises AVS-Yhtiöt Oy and its owners in the sale of AVS-Power Oy to Beijer Oy, a subsidiary of Beijer Alma AB.
Avance advises Nasdaq Stockholm listed Eolus Vind AB (publ)., engaged in development of renewable energy, in the acquisition of YIT Energy Oy, the renewable energy division of Finland’s largest development and construction company YIT.
EUR 250 million+ debt and equity funding round to expand Valoo’s Finnish fibre rollout
Avance advises Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) as agent for the senior lenders in a debt and equity funding round worth in excess of €250 million for Valoo (Adola Oy), which will help it expand its optical fibre rollout to underserved regions and municipalities in Finland.
CapMan Infra’s portfolio company Valokuitunen closes EUR 400 million refinancing
Avance advises CapMan Infra’s portfolio company Valokuitunen Oy in a financing package close to EUR 400 million, of which EUR 285 million is committed at closing.
JV of Ylva and Varma sells office property in central Helsinki
Avance advises a joint venture formed by Ylva and Varma in the sale of a newly built office and retail property in central Helsinki to Niam.
Hostaway announces $175 million strategic growth investment led by PSG
Avance advises Hostaway, a leading all-in-one vacation rental software and management system, in the $175 million strategic growth investment led by PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies to help accelerate their growth.
Avance advises the shareholders of Voyantic, the leading provider of test and measurement solutions for RFID inlay and label design and manufacturing, in the sale of the company to Impinj.
Avance advises the sellers in a sale of a majority stake in AutoVex, a leading used car consumer-to-business (C2B) online auction marketplace in Finland, to Schibsted.
Avance advises Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, in a significant investment in Eficode, a leading global provider of DevOps consulting and managed services.
Hemsö acquires hospital in Kouvola
Avance advises Hemsö in the acquisition of the Kymenlaakso Psychiatric Hospital in Kouvola from Kymsote (joint municipal authority for Kymenlaakso social and health services). Kymsote will continue to run the hospital and has signed a 20-year lease agreement.
Echobot and Leadfeeder to merge
Avance advises Leadfeeder and its shareholders in a transaction where Echobot, a leading provider of European sales intelligence, and Leadfeeder, a best-in-class web visitor intelligence platform, agreed to merge, creating a ground-breaking AI-powered sales intelligence and go-to-market platform.
Medical Properties Trust acquires hospital property portfolio
Avance advises NYSE listed Medical Properties Trust, Inc. in the acquisition of a property portfolio of four general acute hospitals in Helsinki, Oulu, Turku and Kuopio for approx. EUR 178 million.
Avance advised Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP) and KKR on the acquisition of a total of a 40% interest in Caruna, the largest electricity distribution network in Finland, from First Sentier Investors.
Odevo to acquire Retta Isännöinti
Avance advises Retta Group and Altor Equity Partners in the sale of Retta Isännöinti to Odevo. Retta Isännöinti is Finland’s largest service company in the management of residential and real estate companies, with close to 6,000 customers, 150,000 homes under management and 600 employees.
Mehiläinen repurchases all shares held by LocalTapiola
Avance advises Mehiläinen and its majority owner, CVC Capital Partners, on a transaction whereby Mehiläinen Konserni Oy repurchased all shares held by LocalTapiola in the company as well as the related debt financing arrangements. Prior to the transaction, LocalTapiola owned approximately 20 percent
Combination of Canatu Oy and Lifeline SPAC I Plc
Avance advises Canatu Oy and its shareholders and option holders in the de-SPAC combination of Canatu and Lifeline SPAC I Plc, whereby Lifeline SPAC I acquires all shares and option rights in Canatu by way of a directed share issue consisting of Lifeline SPAC I’s new shares and option rights.
Combination of the share classes of Keskisuomalainen
Avance advises Keskisuomalainen Oyj in connection with the combination of the company's two share classes and related directed share issuance to the holders of former class K shares in the company.
A consortium formed by Apollo and Rettig announces a public tender offer for all shares in Purmo
Avance advises Rettig Oy Ab and the consortium formed by certain affiliated funds of Apollo Global Management and Rettig in relation to the voluntary recommended public cash tender offer for all the shares in Purmo Group Plc announced by the consortium’s special purpose vehicle.
Kurio acquired by SAMY Alliance
Avance advises the owners of Kurio, a social-first creative agency, in the sale of Kurio to SAMY Alliance, an integrated, social-first technology and data-enabled digital marketing company. Kurio is ranked the 8th most creative agency in the world in the Global Creative Index 2023 by PRovoke Media
Avance advises AVS-Yhtiöt Oy and its owners in the sale of AVS-Power Oy to Beijer Oy, a subsidiary of Beijer Alma AB.
Avance advises Nasdaq Stockholm listed Eolus Vind AB (publ)., engaged in development of renewable energy, in the acquisition of YIT Energy Oy, the renewable energy division of Finland’s largest development and construction company YIT.
EUR 250 million+ debt and equity funding round to expand Valoo’s Finnish fibre rollout
Avance advises Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) as agent for the senior lenders in a debt and equity funding round worth in excess of €250 million for Valoo (Adola Oy), which will help it expand its optical fibre rollout to underserved regions and municipalities in Finland.
CapMan Infra’s portfolio company Valokuitunen closes EUR 400 million refinancing
Avance advises CapMan Infra’s portfolio company Valokuitunen Oy in a financing package close to EUR 400 million, of which EUR 285 million is committed at closing.
JV of Ylva and Varma sells office property in central Helsinki
Avance advises a joint venture formed by Ylva and Varma in the sale of a newly built office and retail property in central Helsinki to Niam.
Hostaway announces $175 million strategic growth investment led by PSG
Avance advises Hostaway, a leading all-in-one vacation rental software and management system, in the $175 million strategic growth investment led by PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies to help accelerate their growth.
Avance advises the shareholders of Voyantic, the leading provider of test and measurement solutions for RFID inlay and label design and manufacturing, in the sale of the company to Impinj.
Avance advises the sellers in a sale of a majority stake in AutoVex, a leading used car consumer-to-business (C2B) online auction marketplace in Finland, to Schibsted.
Avance advises Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, in a significant investment in Eficode, a leading global provider of DevOps consulting and managed services.
Hemsö acquires hospital in Kouvola
Avance advises Hemsö in the acquisition of the Kymenlaakso Psychiatric Hospital in Kouvola from Kymsote (joint municipal authority for Kymenlaakso social and health services). Kymsote will continue to run the hospital and has signed a 20-year lease agreement.
Echobot and Leadfeeder to merge
Avance advises Leadfeeder and its shareholders in a transaction where Echobot, a leading provider of European sales intelligence, and Leadfeeder, a best-in-class web visitor intelligence platform, agreed to merge, creating a ground-breaking AI-powered sales intelligence and go-to-market platform.
Medical Properties Trust acquires hospital property portfolio
Avance advises NYSE listed Medical Properties Trust, Inc. in the acquisition of a property portfolio of four general acute hospitals in Helsinki, Oulu, Turku and Kuopio for approx. EUR 178 million.
Avance advised Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP) and KKR on the acquisition of a total of a 40% interest in Caruna, the largest electricity distribution network in Finland, from First Sentier Investors.