Our leading Restructuring & Insolvency service has made a major new hire, as insolvency law expert, Justice Mikko Könkkölä will join Castrén & Snellman as a senior advisor on 11 January 2021. Könkkölä has an extensive career as a judge and architect of Finnish insolvency law. Prior to joining Castrén & Snellman he served as the president of the Helsinki Court of Appeal for eleven years.
15.12.2020
Former President of the Helsinki Court of Appeal Mikko Könkkölä Joins Castrén & Snellman as Senior Advisor
Related services
Tags
Mikko Könkkölä has served in high offices in the judiciary for nearly two decades: first as a member and justice of the Supreme Court and later as the president of the Vaasa and Helsinki courts of appeal. Könkkölä has worked as a law drafter for over 25 years, including as the director of legislative affairs at the Ministry of Justice, being responsible for the drafting of laws in the field of private law.
Many lawyers also know Könkkölä for his achievements in the field of insolvency law, where he has led many key projects, including chairing the Bankruptcy Act committee. Könkkölä has also participated in the drafting of EU insolvency law. Last spring, he and co-author Tuula Linna completed the second edition of Konkurssioikeus, which is considered one of the foundational texts of Finnish insolvency law.
Our Insolvency service is expecting the coming spring to be a busy one. Many of the efforts to mitigate the financial impacts of the pandemic have mainly delayed acute cash shortages without actually lightening companies’ liabilities. Many debtors and creditors are weighing voluntary debt arrangements, restructurings proceedings or even bankruptcy.
‘I am very happy to have Mikko on our team to help our clients in their insolvency law issues. These kind of career shifts are rare in Finland, but more common globally. As forerunners in our field, it was natural for us to seize this opportunity to bring such a top expert in the field on board. Mikko’s experience and expertise will be of great value, for example, in demanding trials. He will bring new insights into trial strategy and into how different financing arrangements should be handled from the perspective of insolvency law’, said partner and head of our Restructuring & Insolvency service Pauliina Tenhunen.
Mikko Könkkölä is looking forward to starting a new path in his long and varied career.
It is exciting to start a new career in a new environment on the other side of the table. The shift to a law firm is mentally easy. After all, alongside the judiciary, high-quality legal representation is one of the most important guarantees of the rule of law. I believe that I will be able to deepen the expertise of the firm’s teams, particularly with respect to insolvency law and dispute resolution’, Könkkölä said.
Latest news
Latest references
G&W Electric – Acquisition of Safegrid
We advised G&W Electric with its acquisition of Safegrid Oy, a leading provider of intelligent grid monitoring solutions based in Finland. The acquisition accelerates G&W Electric’s long-term strategy to integrate intelligent monitoring and predictive analytics into its power distribution portfolio, strengthening its offering to utility customers worldwide. Founded in 1905 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, G&W Electric is a global leader in innovative power grid solutions, with a presence in over 100 countries. The company is known for advanced load and fault interrupting switches, reclosers, sensors, system protection equipment, power grid automation, intelligent grid monitoring, and transmission and distribution cable accessories. Safegrid is a Finnish technology company headquartered in Espoo, Finland. The company develops the Intelligent Grid System®, a grid monitoring solution that combines instant-on wireless sensors with advanced analytics to deliver real-time insight into grid conditions, enabling utilities to identify emerging issues, anticipate failures, and reduce outage duration across medium and high voltage distribution and transmission networks.
Case published 8.5.2026
Kiwa – Acquisition of Sertio
We advised Kiwa in its acquisition of Sertio Oy, a Finnish notified body designated by the authority in accordance with the EU Regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR). Sertio provides conformity assessment services in accordance with IVDR. Kiwa is one of the world’s leading testing, inspection, and certification companies, operating in over 35 countries.
Case published 7.5.2026
Metsäkonepalvelu – Acquisition of Junnonen Forest and the business operations of Lamerit
We advised Metsäkonepalvelu Oy in its acquisition of the entire share capital of Junnonen Forest Oy, a Finnish timber harvesting services company, and the timber harvesting services business of Lamerit Oy. The acquisition supports Metsäkonepalvelu’s growth strategy and strengthens the company’s position, particularly in southeastern Finland. Metsäkonepalvelu is a portfolio company of A. Ahlström Oy, a Finnish family-owned industrial owner. The company provides mechanical timber harvesting services to forest companies, large private forest owners, and the public sector in Finland and Sweden. Metsäkonepalvelu Group employs nearly two hundred forestry professionals.
Case published 6.5.2026
Scanreco – Acquisition of CrossControl
We acted as Finnish counsel to Scanreco in its acquisition of CrossControl. Mannheimer Swartling (Sweden) acted as lead counsel for Scanreco. CrossControl, founded in Sweden, is a high-tech supplier of advanced display computers and central vehicle computing solutions for industrial vehicles and machines. Scanreco is a world leading supplier of professional radio remote control systems to international machinery, heavy equipment, and crane manufacturers. The combined group comprises approximately 600 employees and generates annual revenue of around SEK 1.4 billion.
Case published 5.5.2026