Bird & Bird advises Oji Holdings on the acquisition of Walki Group

Global law firm Bird & Bird has acted as the buyer’s legal counsel on the acquisition by Oji Holdings Corporation of Walki Group from private equity firm One Equity Partners.

Oji Holdings is a global industry leader and one of the largest pulp and paper companies worldwide. Walki is a leading player in packaging and advanced material conversion technologies with a turnover of more than 700 million euros (proforma) in 2022.

The acquisition supports Oji’s commitment to driving environmental change in sustainable packaging. The implementation of packaging regulations concerning sustainable packaging in Europe is expected to pave the way for similar initiatives in Southeast Asia, India, and Oceania. With Walki's unique coating technologies enabling recyclable paper packaging, Oji is poised to offer these regions the required solutions.

Bird & Bird's core corporate team comprised partner Maria Carlsson, partner Iina-Mari Supperi, counsel William Schofield and associates Marla Melin, Simon Wolfheimer and Kilian Hummel. The deal was supported by regulatory partner Morten Nissen, associate Alexander Brøchner, partner Katia Duncker and senior counsel Petteri Metsä-Tokila, as well as supporting teams in all core target jurisdictions.

The closing of the transaction is subject to obtaining customary regulatory clearances.