Bird & Bird has advised private equity investor Sponsor Capital on the merger of LikeIt Group and Nepton Oy.
Sponsor Capital is a Finnish private equity firm that invests in small and medium-sized companies. The merger of the two companies creates the Likeit Nepton Group – a strong software group providing SaaS services in the HR sector. Sponsor Capital is the majority owner of the Group.
The Bird & Bird team advised on the funds controlled by Sponsor Capital and on all legal aspects of the transaction. The matter was led by partner Mikko Ahonen (Corporate). Other core members of the team were associates Johanna Rein and Sofia Oesch (Corporate), senior counsel Kristiina Lehvilä (Finance & Financial Regulation), associate Kristiina Rove and counsel Mikko Nurmisto (IP), associates Markus Majer and Noora Heinonen (Employment), counsel Ville Alahuhta and partner Sami Tuominen (Tax) and associates Maria Aholainen and Karoliina Vesa (Commercial/Data Protection).
The transaction is a significant step towards the further development of new services in the fields of work management, payroll automation and analytics.
Lead partner Mikko Ahonen describes the transaction as being a perfect fit for Bird & Bird: “As an international law firm, we have extensive experience advising on M&A transactions. With our focus on helping organisations being changed by technology and the digital world, the team has the in-depth knowledge of the legal issues associated with the target companies' business and was therefore exceptionally well equipped to advise Sponsor on this transaction and the legal issues associated with the business”, says Ahonen.
