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Piercing the Corporate Veil in Finland a Multijurisdictional Study Aimed at Developing the Finnish Piercing Doctrine Acta Electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 276

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Piercing the Corporate Veil in Finland a Multijurisdictional Study Aimed at Developing the Finnish Piercing Doctrine Acta Electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 276 ACTA ELECTRONICA UNIVERSITATIS LAPPONIENSIS 276 KÄRKI KÄRKI Anssi Kärki Piercing the Corporate Veil in Finland A Multijurisdictional Study Aimed at Developing the Finnish Piercing Doctrine Acta electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 276 ANSSI KÄRKI Piercing the Corporate Veil in Finland – A Multijurisdictional Study Aimed at Developing the Finnish Piercing Doctrine Academic dissertation to be publicly defended with the permission of the Faculty of Law at the University of Lapland in LS2 on 13 March 2020 at 12 noon. Rovaniemi 2020 University of Lapland Faculty of Law Supervised by: Professor emeritus Juha Karhu, University of Lapland Professor Tuula Linna, University of Helsinki Reviewed by: Professor Vesa Annola, University of Vaasa Professor Hanne Søndergaard-Birkmose, Aarhus University Opponent: Professor Vesa Annola, University of Vaasa Copyright: Anssi Kärki Layout: Taittotalo PrintOne Cover: Communications and External Relations, University of Lapland Acta electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 276 ISBN 978-952-337-193-4 ISSN 1796-6310 URN: http://urn.f/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-193-4 Table of Contents Table of Charts and Figures ...........................................................................................................................................................VIII Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................IX Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................XI Tiivistelmä suomeksi ..........................................................................................................................................................................XVIII References ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................XXIV List of Legislation and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................XXIV Ofcial Documents ................................................................................................................................................................................XXV Case Law ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................XXV Literature ....................................................................................................................................................................................................XXXII Online Articles .............................................................................................................................................................................................. XLI I INTRODUCTION 1. Why This Research? ................................................................................................................................................................................1 2. The Landmark Decision KKO 2015:17 ........................................................................................................................1 3. The Test for Veil Piercing ................................................................................................................................................................3 3.1. Te Abstract Test ....................................................................................................................................................................................3 3.2. Objective Supporting Factors .......................................................................................................................................................5 4. On the Concept of Piercing the Veil ...............................................................................................................................6 4.1. Defning Veil Piercing .........................................................................................................................................................................6 4.2. Direct and Indirect Veil Piercing ..............................................................................................................................................9 5. Research Method and Research Questions .....................................................................................................12 5.1. Setting a Research Question ......................................................................................................................................................12 5.2. Research method ..................................................................................................................................................................................13 5.2.1. Exclusions ...................................................................................................................................................................................13 5.2.2. Legal dogmatics.....................................................................................................................................................................14 5.2.2.1. Generally About Legal Dogmatics in this Work ...............................................................14 5.2.2.2. Making the In Casu Overall Assessment ...................................................................................17 5.2.3. About the Legal Comparison Method ........................................................................... 19 6. Contextual Information on the Selected Legal Systems of Comparison ................................................................................................................................................................22 6.1. United States ............................................................................................................................................................................................22 6.1.1. Single or Multiple Piercing Doctrine(s)? .......................................................................................................22 6.1.2. Doctrinal Archetypes ......................................................................................................................................................25 6.1.3. How Good a Comparison Target is the United States? ..................................................................28 6. 2. United Kingdom ..................................................................................................................................................................................29 6.2.1. Te Development of Veil Piercing in England .........................................................................................29 6.2.2. Concealment and Evasion ...........................................................................................................................................31 6.2.3. How Good a Comparison Target is the United Kingdom?.........................................................33 6.3. Sweden ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................34 6.3.1. Te Landmark Decision ...............................................................................................................................................34 6.3.2. Exceptional Circumstances ........................................................................................................................................35 6.3.3. How Good a Comparison Target is Sweden? ...........................................................................................37 6.4. Norway and Denmark .....................................................................................................................................................................38 6.4.1. Norway..........................................................................................................................................................................................38 6.4.2. Denmark ......................................................................................................................................................................................39 II THEORIES 1. General Theoretical Considerations Regarding Veil Piercing ..............................................42 2. The Confict of Norms ......................................................................................................................................................................43 2.1. Description of the Confict ........................................................................................................................................................43 2.2. Resolving the Confict ....................................................................................................................................................................45 2.3. Interpretation of Norms in the Confict ........................................................................................................................47
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