The latest Legal 500 EMEA has ranked nine of Castrén & Snellman’s services in Tier 1 and two in Tier 2. The publication reviewed a total of 11 practice areas in Finland. A total of 32 C&S lawyers are mentioned by name in Legal 500 EMEA commentary for their standout contribution to respective practices. The Legal 500 ranks law firms and lawyers throughout the world and is one of the most prestigious publications in our line of business.
The Legal 500 highlighted five C&S lawyers in the Hall of Fame in Finland:
Marko Hentunen, Anna Kuusniemi-Laine, Niklas Langenskiöld, Rickard Langenskiöld and Matias Wallgren
Seven C&S lawyers were recognised as elite Leading Lawyers:
Anders Forss, Sari Hiltunen, Merja Kivelä, Janne Lauha, Sakari Salonen, Tero Tuomisto and Outi Tähtinen
Four as Next Generation Partners:
Benjamin Bade, Jussi Nieminen, Eija Warma-Lehtinen and Antti Kaakkola
Five as Rising Stars:
Ilona Karppinen, Jerker Pitkänen, Sanna Alku, Hanna Paloheimo and Anna-Maarit Laurila
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US:
The rankings are largely based on interviews with clients. Our clients had, for example, the following to say about our firm:
Banking & Finance: ‘They have quite a large team and their finance practice is one of the best in Finland. We have had a lot of co-operation with them and they have a good understanding of the special requirements of different industries.’
Dispute Resolution: ‘Castren & Snellman are (I think) the only truly full service business law firm in Finland that has a strong international client base and network. For me they have the strongest construction law/construction dispute team in Finland and in Scandinavia. The entire team is, in my experience, made up of warm friendly people who happen to be brilliant lawyers.’
Capital Markets: ‘Good knowledge of the customer, practical solution-oriented approach.’
Employment: ‘C&S have one of the biggest and most renowned practices in Finland when it comes to employment law. The team is experienced, service-minded and always available. The advice is always to the point and easy to understand and the quality of the documentation is impeccable.’
Maritime & Transport: ‘The go-to firm in Finland – simply the best.’
Real Estate & Construction: ‘Wide variety of expertise across the practice, making them a one-stop-shop for any real estate related transactions. Compared to peers, this is the one thing that stands out the most.’
TMT: ‘Really experienced in partner and customer negotiations and top-notch legal individuals. I’ve been smiling in the negotiations when Castrén’s person has led the discussion and delivered the good outcomes in negotiations, which are beneficial for our company.’
For a more detailed look at the rankings, please visit the Legal 500 website.
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Latest references
Suominen Corporation – Rights Issue
We advised Suominen Corporation in connection with its rights issue. The offering was oversubscribed, and the company raised gross proceeds of approximately EUR 28 million. We also advised Suominen in connection with the renegotiation of the terms of the company’s three-year EUR 100 million syndicated credit facility, under which the maturity was extended and headroom was added to the financial covenants. “I would like to thank our shareholders for their support and confidence in Suominen’s future. The completion of the Offering will enable us to accelerate the implementation of our Full Potential Program while strengthening our capital structure. Our transformation particularly focuses on enhancing the reliability and efficiency of our production and supply, and on reinforcing our commercial capabilities, allowing us to better meet the expectations of our customers and shareholders”, comments Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Suominen. Suominen is a nonwovens manufacturer operating in global markets. Suominen creates value by taking fiber raw materials and turning them into nonwovens that the company’s customers convert into both consumer and professional end products. Suominen’s vision is to be the frontrunner for nonwovens innovation and sustainability. Suominen’s net sales in 2025 were EUR 412.4 million and the company has almost 700 professionals working in Europe and in the Americas. Suominen’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
Case published 6.7.2026
Nordea Bank Abp and Avain Yhtiöt – A financing arrangement of a real estate portfolio
We acted as joint legal advisor for Nordea Bank Abp and Avain Yhtiöt in an approximately EUR 48 million financing arrangement which included facilities for refinancing of an existing real estate portfolio and also for acquisition and property development purposes. The financing arrangement strengthens Avain Yhtiöt’s objective to build and maintain a functional, safe and environmentally friendly living environment, as well as to develop the overall quality of housing and construction. Avain Yhtiöt is a Finnish group specialising in housing and housing-related services, construction contracting and new construction. Its goal is to build 1,000 new apartments per year in key growth areas in Finland.
Case published 2.7.2026
Shareholders – Sale of the Suomen Autohuolto Group
We advised the shareholders of Suomen Autohuolto Oy in connection with the sale of the company’s entire share capital, to SAKA Finland Group Oy. Suomen Autohuolto Group is one of Finland’s largest companies specializing in brand-specific automotive maintenance and has locations in Oulu, Tampere, and from July, also in Järvenpää. The transaction is subject to final approval by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV).
Case published 26.6.2026
Natural Resources Institute Finland – AI training
We delivered two tailor-made AI workshops for the lawyers at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). We discussed the AI revolution and its impact on lawyers’ ways of thinking and working, and left the participants with practical solutions for enhancing and streamlining their work with Legora. Our AI-specialist lawyers prepared use cases tailored to Luke and the needs of public administration, which Luke received for its own use following the workshops. These use cases covered topics such as: utilising legal sources and the organisation’s own data to maximise AI results building and leveraging AI workflows AI-enhanced contract drafting based on a large volume of documents. The workshops sparked wide-ranging discussion on the role and benefits of AI in legal work. Participants appreciated how clearly and comprehensively our experts were able to present the nature and benefits of AI specifically within a legal context. ‘The workshops provided excellent support for Luke’s goal of leveraging AI responsibly and gave us concrete and ready-to-use practical takeaways,’ says Hannu Laitinen, Luke’s Senior Vice President, Administrative Affairs.
Case published 26.6.2026