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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Nscale – Data centre project
Castrén & Snellman advised Nscale, a European AI infrastructure company, in connection with its planned data centre project in Harjavalta, Finland. The facility will be located in the Sievari industrial area. Castrén & Snellman’s advisory role encompassed the negotiation and execution of a site securing and development agreement (SSDA) with Fortum, as well as the preliminary land sale process for the Sievari site with the Town of Harjavalta. Under the SSDA, Fortum supports the advancement of Nscale’s project development, including grid connection design and permitting.
Case published 15.4.2026
Taaleri – Acquisition of a majority stake in Nordic Science Investments
We are acting as legal adviser to Taaleri Plc on its acquisition of a 51 per cent ownership stake in Nordic Science Investments Oy (NSI), marking Taaleri’s expansion into deeptech-driven venture capital. Through the transaction, Taaleri broadens its private equity offering into early-stage venture capital funds as well as the commercialisation and scaling of research-driven innovations. NSI is a Finnish venture capital fund manager operating across the Nordic and Baltic regions, focusing on early-stage investments in research- and science-based technologies. Its portfolio companies develop, among other things, health technologies, life sciences, advanced materials and AI-driven solutions. In addition to providing growth capital, NSI supports spin-out companies with strategic guidance, access to networks and assistance in building teams during the early phases of business development. NSI’s first fund, the EUR 45 million NSI Nordic Science I Ky, was established in 2024 and has to date invested in 22 early-stage companies in Finland, Sweden and the Baltic countries. Taaleri is a specialist in investments, private asset management and non-life insurance, with a strong position in renewable energy, bioindustry and housing investments as well as credit risk insurance. Taaleri has EUR 2.7 billion of assets under management in its private equity funds, co-investments and single-asset vehicles, employs approximately 130 people and is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. The founders of NSI will continue in their operational roles following the transaction. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the FIN-FSA.
Case published 13.4.2026
Finnish Centre for Pensions – Information design workshop
We delivered two information design workshops for the legal department of the Finnish Centre for Pensions, with participants from both legal and other professional backgrounds. In the sessions, we applied the principles of legal design thinking to the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ field of operation and background materials, also utilising AI as a design tool. The participants found the tailored training highly useful and commended the trainers for their in-depth familiarisation with the Centre’s opinion drafting process and operating environment. As a result of the workshops, our experts proposed a new structural and linguistic model for the legal department of the Finnish Centre for Pensions for drafting opinions and guidelines. The proposal was well received as clear and applicable to the participants’ everyday work. In addition, we presented tailored AI use cases to support experts, allowing for a more efficient AI-assisted way of working. Our experts who delivered the workshops combined their legal expertise with their leading experience in legal design. The participants appreciated this versatile expertise, which enabled a knowledgeable, creative and applied approach to legal writing. ‘C&S created a well-structured training tailored to our needs, providing clear direction for our organisation and concrete takeaways for our experts in their day-to-day work,’ says Mari Kuunvalo, Head Of the Legal Department at the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
Case published 10.4.2026
Aktia Bank – EUR 80 million AT1 bond
We advised Aktia Bank Plc on the issuance of an EUR 80 million Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bond. The bond pays a fixed interest rate of 6.75 per cent semi-annually. The bond is perpetual, and Aktia has the right to redeem or repurchase it in accordance with the terms of the bond, subject to certain conditions. The bond was issued on 1 April 2026. In addition, we assisted Aktia in listing the bond on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd stock exchange. For the listing, we prepared Finland’s first EU Follow-on prospectus for a bond. The EU Follow-on prospectus was introduced on 5 March 2026 with an update to the Prospectus Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1129. The EU Follow-on prospectus is a new type of prospectus that can be used, among others, by issuers whose securities have been admitted to trading on a regulated market continuously for at least the 18 months preceding the offer to the public or the admission to trading on a regulated market of the new securities. A follow-on prospectus is simpler than a so-called traditional prospectus, and it is intended to avoid repeating information that the issuer has already disclosed. Nordea Bank Abp acts as the sole structuring advisor for the issue of the Notes. Nordea Bank Abp, Danske Bank A/S and ABN Amro Bank N.V. act as the lead managers for the issue of the Notes.
Case published 7.4.2026