Regulation is increasing in many fields of business, and authorities are stepping up their supervision, resulting, at times, in actions such as raids, investigations, or enforcement.

Dealing with public authorities requires special expertise, as the administrative decisions often become subject to dispute and administrative proceedings. Disputes and proceedings with authorities typically relate to matters concerning the environment, land use planning, building, public procurement, taxation, competition, trademarks, and business licences, as well as licences and permits for regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, banking, telecommunication, and healthcare services.

The successful handling of administrative proceedings requires an understanding of the legal context and good tactical, procedural, and litigation skills in addition to understanding the client’s business. In order to avoid court proceedings, it is important to step in early in the process, often before a decision is even rendered by the authority.

If the matter is taken to court, the authority that gave the decision will also be a party to the independent court proceedings. In court cases, it is essential to be able to deconstruct disputes professionally and then to explicitly reconstruct them from your own point of view for the authorities and courts. Which facts are disputed and which are not? What is relevant and what is not? Which are the most important arguments and which are not so important? The matter should not only be taken care of but rather actively pursued.

Hannes Snellman's experts specialising in administrative proceedings have strong expertise not only in the different administrative sectors but also in the handling of administrative proceedings and administrative judicial procedures. Our experts in different fields are able to work in close co-operation with each other in large-scale judicial matters, thereby contributing towards the successful handling of the proceedings.