Insights, News/7 Mar 2025
Borenius’ Newsletter – New York
Kicking Off 2025: Key Insights & What’s Ahead
In 2025, businesses operating across the Atlantic are facing both new opportunities and growing uncertainties. The U.S. market remains a critical destination for Finnish companies, but with shifting policies under the new Trump administration – particularly potential tariffs on European goods – navigating the landscape requires careful planning. Meanwhile, Europe’s economic outlook continues to evolve, adding to the complexity of cross-border operations.
To help Finnish businesses succeed in this environment, Borenius kicked off the year with a series of seminars in Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku, in collaboration with AmCham Finland. These sessions provided strategic insights on U.S. market entry, regulatory shifts, and business development strategies. Additionally, we’ve strengthened our transatlantic capabilities with key hires: Counsel Kenneth Kraszewski has rejoined our Capital Markets and New York teams, and we’ve welcomed Eino Järnroos as a Senior Associate on our M&A and New York teams.
Looking ahead, we have several high-impact events lined up this spring, including a Nordic Health Night in New York and a panel discussion in Helsinki concerning how OTCQX International marketplace can add to the trading volume. Our events will offer expert guidance and networking opportunities for Finnish businesses expanding in the U.S.
Highlights
In January, Borenius, together with Amcham Finland, hosted a series of seminars on Finding Success in a Changing U.S. Market in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.
Mike Klyszeiko of Amcham provided an overview of U.S. market conditions and opportunities for Finnish companies, covering economic forecasts, policy trends, and strategic entry points. He highlighted solid U.S. GDP growth for 2025, potential regulatory and policy shifts, and key opportunity areas such as digitalization, green transition, defense, and onshoring. Mike also offered practical advice, including the importance of direct engagement in the U.S. market, avoiding political discussions, and investing in local hiring and manufacturing.
Kenneth Kraszewski of Borenius addressed the potential impact of Trump’s 2024 victory for Finnish businesses, including tariffs, regulatory shifts, and the need for strategic adaptation. He explained key entry strategies, comparing greenfield and brownfield investments, and outlined critical factors for success, such as integrating U.S. operations with the Finnish parent, hiring locally, and navigating employment, tax, and regulatory considerations. Kenneth also presented Borenius’ New York office as a key resource for Finnish companies, offering legal guidance, transaction support, and strategic networking to ensure smooth market entry and operations.
Highlights
Strengthening Borenius’ New York and Capital Markets Teams with Counsel Kenneth Kraszewski
In September 2024, Borenius announced the return of Kenneth Kraszewski as Counsel to their New York and Capital Markets teams. Kenneth rejoined after 1.5 years at Sullivan & Worcester LLP in New York, where he focused on IPOs and other corporate transactions, in addition to general corporate matters. His return aligns with the increased client demand to support Finnish companies expanding into the U.S. markets. Kenneth is well positioned to leverage his earlier Finnish knowledge with recent New York market cross-border deal execution experience.
Highlights
New Senior Associate Eino Järnroos Joins Our M&A, Capital Markets and New York Teams
In February 2025, Eino Järnroos joined Borenius as a Senior Associate from another Finnish law firm. Eino is a dual-qualified (Finland and New York) transactional lawyer focusing on M&A, private equity and capital market transactions. He has extensive experience from cross-border deals, and particularly those involving U.S. and Nordic interests. Before relocating back to Finland in 2023, Eino spent two years in New York and worked on sophisticated corporate matters at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP as a U.S. qualified attorney. Eino further strengthens the firm’s market leading U.S.-Finnish cross-border transaction capabilities and is a welcomed addition to Borenius’ New York team.
Upcoming Events
March 12, 2025 – Nordic Health Night at the Penn Club, NYC: Networking and discussions on health tech, biotech, and digital health, co-hosted with Redesign Health.
March 19, 2025 – List Local, Trade Global Panel at Borenius Helsinki: Nightingale Health’s journey to Nasdaq Helsinki and OTCQX, with OTC Markets and Borenius attorneys, followed by cocktails and networking.
April 1, 2025 – Annual Nordic M&A Lunch at the Penn Club, NYC: An update of the Nordic M&A market, trends and hot buttons provided by Borenius (Finland), Cederquist (Sweden), Kromann Reumert (Denmark) and Thommessen (Norway). This year’s keynote speaker is Jon Gunnar Pedersen from Arctic Securities and he will speak about political realities and deal-making dynamics in the Nordic M&A market.
June 5, 2025 – Borenius’ Annual IBA M&A Conference Farewell Drinks, NYC: Location to be announced.
Events
On March 4, 2025, Borenius hosted a morning breakfast seminar titled “Blueprint for U.S. Success: Corporate Structuring & Insurance Strategies” at its Helsinki office.
The event brought together Finnish businesses seeking strategic guidance on expanding operations in the United States. Expert speakers Kenneth Kraszewski, Counsel at Borenius, and Sal Provenzano, a seasoned business insurance broker from Cross Insurance, delivered comprehensive presentations.
Their discussions focused on critical aspects of U.S. market entry, including effective corporate structuring techniques, comprehensive liability risk management, and strategic insurance coverage selection Participants gained valuable insights into the intricate challenges of establishing and maintaining business presence in the U.S. corporate landscape.
The interactive session provided practical strategies to help Finnish companies navigate complex regulatory and operational environments.
Events
Borenius’ New York office hosted the Nordic Impact Night on December 2, 2024, at the Jane Doe Lounge in New York.
This exclusive event brought together New York investors and the Nordics’ most promising impact companies, highlighting breakthrough solutions in carbon dioxide reduction – from supporting retail customers to improving energy efficiency in power transmission.
Featured companies included Infine, a cost-effective SaaS and product-level index helping FMCG retailers drive sustainability; Liquid Suns, a pioneer in CO₂-to-e-fuel technology, gaining strong traction with aviation industry clients; and Vensum Power, which has a software-defined approach to maximizing power conversion efficiency and reducing energy consumption for significant climate impact.
Events
On December 5, 2024, Borenius’ New York office hosted its annual Finnish Independence Day reception at the Penn Club in New York to celebrate Finland’s 107th anniversary.
Our colleagues and partners in the U.S. joined us for an evening of drinks, treats, and lively conversation, making it a memorable gathering in great company.
Featured Articles & Blogposts
Navigating the U.S. – Finland Relationship After President Trump’s 2024 Victory: Implications for Finnish Businesses
In the wake of President Trump's 2024 election victory, Borenius highlighted the potential challenges and strategic considerations for Finnish businesses, given that the U.S. is Finland's largest non-EU trading partner, accounting for $9 billion in exports in 2023. In his article published November 7, 2025, Kenneth Kraszewski, Counsel at Borenius, emphasized that Finnish companies, particularly in sectors like steel, paper, machinery, and technology, may face increased tariffs and protectionist policies, suggesting that establishing a manufacturing presence in the U.S. could be a viable strategy to maintain market access and competitiveness. Additionally, the article underscored the importance of understanding the American perspective, where domestic economic concerns such as inflation and consumer costs were pivotal in the election outcome, influencing the new administration's focus on industrialism and protectionism.
Navigating the New Tariff Landscape and Strategic U.S. Expansion Opportunities for Finnish Businesses
Recent actions by the U.S. administration have dramatically reshaped the international trade environment. President Trump announced that the U.S. will impose tariffs, as of February 4, 2025, on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China. While these developments directly affect the targeted countries, it is important for Finnish stakeholders to note that the European Union – of which Finland is a member – is also likely to face related tariff measures in the near future. President Trump has recently remarked that he will “absolutely” impose tariffs on goods from the EU. Such tariffs may serve as a bargaining tactic. Speculation persists that this could be connected to President Trump’s broader strategic objectives. We discussed this topic in our Legal Alerts by Kenneth Kraszewski, Juho Keinänen and Juha Koponen.
Looking Ahead – Stay Connected
As we move through 2025, the evolving U.S.–Finland business landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. Whether you're navigating new regulations, considering U.S. expansion, or refining your market strategy, our team is here to help.
For more information and strategic support, feel free to reach out to Juha Koponen or Kenneth Kraszewski – they are happy to discuss your specific needs and provide tailored insights to help your business succeed.
We look forward to staying in touch and seeing you at our upcoming events!
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