6.4.2022

Capital Markets Expert Merja Kivelä Nominated as One of the IFLR1000’s Women Leaders 2022

For the fifth time in a row, IFLR1000 has named Castrén & Snellman’s capital markets expert, Partner Merja Kivelä as one of the Women Leaders for this year. The IFLR1000 Women Leaders selects the leading female transactional lawyers in the world, who are consistently recommended by clients and peers for the quality of their advice and service. Merja has been nominated every year since the IFLR Women Leaders guide was launched in 2018.

Merja is one of Finland’s most experienced capital markets lawyers. She co-heads our Capital Markets & Financial Regulation service, which was Finland’s market leader in IPOs in 2021. She is also a trusted advisor in private M&A transactions and chairs the shareholders’ meetings of numerous listed companies and institutions.

Merja is widely acknowledged in her field across Europe; to give but one example, she won the award for Equity Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year at the Women in Business Law Awards 2021.

Each year, the IFLR1000 research evaluates lawyers and firms on the basis of transactional experience and market feedback. During the process the research team evaluates thousands of submissions and survey data of thousands of client referees and peers, and conducts hundreds of interviews before nominating individuals for Women Leaders.

See the rankings in detail on IFLR1000 webpages.

Latest references

We advised Swedbank AB (publ) on the refinancing of a large Finnish retail real estate portfolio owned by Trophi’s Finnish subsidiaries. Trophi is the leading Nordic real estate company focusing on grocery anchored retail properties, with 278 properties across Sweden and Finland. Finland is a market that continues to develop and is also strategically important for Trophi, accounting for approximately 30% of Trophi’s letting and property value.
Case published 17.7.2026
We are acting as Finnish legal advisor to HANZA in connection with its acquisition of Fortaco Finland’s heavy mechanics and assembly business. The transaction is structured as a combined asset and share acquisition and includes Fortaco Finland’s heavy mechanics and assembly operations in Finland, as well as shares in two Estonian and two Polish subsidiaries. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Founded in 2008, HANZA is a Swedish mechanical engineering and electronics contract manufacturing company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm main list. HANZA has approximately 5,000 employees and annual sales of SEK 10 billion. We advise HANZA on this transaction in collaboration with the Swedish law firm Lindahl.
Case published 15.7.2026
We acted as Finnish counsel to RVRC Holding AB (RevolutionRace) in its acquisition of 90.1% of the shares in ICANIWILL AB (ICIW). Mannheimer Swartling (Sweden) acted as lead counsel for RevolutionRace. ICIW, founded in Sweden in 2012, is a Swedish training apparel brand.  RevolutionRace is a fast-growing Swedish outdoor brand offering multifunctional products to people with an active lifestyle. The company operates with a digital D2C business model reaching customers in approximately 40 countries. The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2021. 
Case published 14.7.2026
We advised a special investment fund managed by Mandatum on the sale of the PMK Building, a mixed-use commercial property located in Tammela, Tampere. The property hosts dozens of tenants and offers, inter alia, warehouse, production and office premises.
Case published 13.7.2026