Castrén & Snellman has once again been ranked as one of the leading law firms in Finland in the 2025 edition of the Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals.
2.6.2025
Castrén & Snellman’s Intellectual Property team receives gold rankings in the 2025 edition of the IAM Patent 1000
In the 2025 survey, our firm received top-tier gold rankings in patent litigation and patent transactions. According to the publication, Castrén & Snellman is ‘renowned for their work in contentious and commercial mandates, and the team offers clear and transparent advice at every stage’.
On the private practice side, our firm’s partner Sakari Salonen (Head of IP) and Senior Counsel Hanna Paloheimo (Head of Life Sciences) were ranked in the silver category in patent litigation, and IP & Tech Partner Kim Parviainen received a bronze ranking in the same category. All of them, along with our Tech Partner Topi Lusenius, were also recommended individuals in the patent transactions category.
Sakari was described to ‘excel in managing high-stakes disputes and transactions, and his deep understanding of the life sciences, R&D and employee invention matters makes him the go-to expert for safeguarding, enforcing and monetising assets.’ According to the publication, Hanna ‘adeptly handles both contentious and commercial assignments, and her enviable clientele call on her for their most critical legal needs’. Kim is praised for being ‘an enticing choice for bet-the-company litigation assignments, having achieved significant success representing patrons before courts at all levels in Finland and Europe’.
The IAM Patent 1000 is a unique guide that identifies the top patent practitioners in the patent prosecution, transactions and litigation fields in key jurisdictions around the globe. Only individuals identified by market sources for their exceptional skill sets and profound insights into patent matters feature in the IAM Patent 1000.
All IAM Patent 1000 rankings for Finland can be found here.
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VR – Supreme Court decision clarifies working time practices
We successfully represented VR Group before the Supreme Court in a case concerning the meal break practice of commuter train drivers. On 6 February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in VR’s favour (decision KKO:2026:12), confirming that VR had the right to amend the commuter train drivers’ meal break practice in 2021 by rendering the break unpaid in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. This decision clarifies the interpretation of collective agreements and employment legislation as well as the limits of the employer’s right to direct work. Over 250 commuter train drivers challenged the unpaid meal break practice which VR introduced in April 2021. Before the change, meal breaks had a long history of being paid. The change was based on the train drivers’ collective agreement, which allows for meal breaks to be organised either as paid or unpaid time. The Supreme Court ruled that the scheduling and managing of breaks falls within the core area of the employer’s right to direct work. This increases the threshold for an established practice becoming a binding condition for the parties. Merely following a practice consistently and over a long period of time does not make the practice binding; instead, the employer’s intent to commit to the practice must be clearly evident from the employer’s conduct or other circumstances. As both alternatives – paid and unpaid – for organising meal breaks had been retained in the collective agreement despite other amendments over the years, it could not be considered that VR had intended to commit to the paid break practice and waive its right to direct work as regards break scheduling. It was also significant that the employment contracts explicitly referred only to the collective agreement as regards working time. The Supreme Court deemed that the employees’ paid meal break was not an established term of employment and that VR was entitled to change the practice based on the collective agreement. The employer had the right, by virtue of its right to direct work, to unilaterally change the meal break practice by choosing to apply the other arrangement permitted by the collective agreement.
Case published 3.3.2026
CapMan Growth – Investment in Kuntokeskus Liikku
We are assisting CapMan Growth in its significant investment in Kuntokeskus Liikku, a Finnish gym chain known for its high-quality self-service facilities and excellent value for money. The investment will further strengthen Liikku’s position as a market leader and support the continued execution of its growth strategy. Liikku is one of Finland’s leading fitness chains, with more than 70 locations across the country serving nearly 90,000 members. The company’s concept is to offer high-quality self-service gyms at an exceptionally competitive price point which, combined with strong operational efficiency, provides a solid foundation for profitable growth. The company’s main shareholder is COR Group, a long-time partner of CapMan Growth, and a Finnish health and wellness conglomerate known for active ownership and long-term value creation. CapMan Growth is a leading Finnish growth investor that makes significant investments in entrepreneur-led growth companies with a turnover of €10–200 million. CapMan Growth is part of CapMan, which is a leading Nordic private equity investor engaged in active value creation work. CapMan has been listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2001.
Case published 27.2.2026
Terrafame – Environmental and water management permit processes concerning the company’s entire operations and the KL1 side rock area
Castrén & Snellman successfully assisted Terrafame Ltd in environmental and water management permit processes concerning the company’s entire operations and the KL1 side rock area, on which the Supreme Administrative Court issued its decision on 12 February 2026 (KHO 366/2026 and 367/2026). The changes made to the decisions of the Vaasa Administrative Court as a result of Terrafame’s appeals, enable the company to implement its new strategy and develop its operations as planned. The decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court brought the nearly ten-year-long permit process to a close.
Case published 20.2.2026
Plastep – Sale of share capital
We advised Plastep Oy and its shareholders in the sale of the entire share capital of the company to FinnProfiles Oy. The acquisition strengthens FinnProfiles’ position as a Nordic expert in sealing and insulation solutions and expands the company’s expertise in the manufacture of plastic products and technical components. Plastep, founded in 2001 and based in South Savo, is a contract manufacturer specialising in the design and production of demanding and technical plastic components, with a turnover of EUR 6.5 million.
Case published 18.2.2026