Finnish leader Hannes Snellman is launching in Stockholm, bringing in five high-profile Swedish partners from three different firms – Linklaters, Vinge and Setterwalls.

Linklaters' Stockholm head of litigation and arbitration Martin Wallin, who announced that he was leaving to join Swedish independent Setterwalls only last month, is among the partners, along with three M&A and capital markets partners from Setterwalls – Soren Lindstrom, Richard Akerman and Jan Jensen.

M&A partner Fredrik von Baumgarten will head the new office, joining from local Swedish leader Vinge, along with Sara Mindus who has joined as an M&A partner, having previously been a senior associate with Vinge.

Hannes Snellman said it wants to recruit around 30 lawyers during next year, with the office expected to be up and running for large transactions by the end of the year.

The Swedish launch gives the 99-year-old Finnish firm its seventh office. Aside from its Helsinki headquarters it has a presence in Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev, Beijing and Shanghai.

Firm managing partner Johan Aalto said: "We aim at providing pan-Nordic legal services in the field of transactions and conflict management. Sweden, and Stockholm in particular, is a Nordic financial centre and is therefore an integral part of our continued expansion.

"Our international strategy is based on having a strong foothold in the emerging markets in the east as well as in the Nordic area as a whole."

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