Merilampi successfully represented Kesko Food Ltd before the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) in merger control proceedings related to Kesko Food Ltd’s acquisition of the entire share capital in Suomen Lähikauppa Oy from the private equity investment firm Triton.
The FCCA approved the acquisition of Suomen Lähikauppa but conditioned it on the sale of 60 Suomen Lähikauppa stores to competitors. However, the FCCA did not make the potential failure of the sale of these stores an obstacle to completion of the merger. The FCCA also imposed an obligation on Suomen Lähikauppa, transferred to Kesko Food’s ownership, to continue purchases from Tuko Logistics Cooperative during a fixed period.