7.1.2021

Career Stories: Jutta Vainikainen

Jutta Vainikainen started work as a trainee assistant in our firm in the spring of 2019. It was her first introduction to the legal services industry, but she quickly became familiar with the day-to-day work on the sixth floor of the C&S office, which is home to the firm’s Dispute Resolution and Corporate Governance teams.

The traineeship went well and Jutta felt right at home at C&S. Fortunately, a permanent assistant position opened up in the Dispute Resolution team, and Jutta was able to stay on after the end of her traineeship.

‘I’m very happy I was able to keep working at C&S. It’s great to be able to work with a familiar team where I get along with everyone and already know how they like to work’, Jutta said.

The Dispute Resolution team assists domestic and foreign companies in challenging disputes both in Finland and abroad.

‘Our team’s assignments are interesting. Dispute cases tend to last quite a while, and we get to see the whole lifespan of the case from beginning to end’, Jutta said.

The Dispute Resolution team includes 12 lawyers and a second assistant, Laura. The dynamic assistant duo work well together.

‘My tasks include conflict checks, opening assignments, putting the finishing touches on and sending out briefs and attachments, invoicing, travel arrangements and tasks relating to foundations and associations. I help our Corporate Governance team when necessary, but most of my time is dedicated to the Dispute Resolution team. The work can be very different in each team, which provides some nice variety’, Jutta said.

The firm’s assistants are organised into a group assistant service that uses a digital task management system.  Jutta thinks the system works well, and her team has adopted the new system well, ‘work is easier to divide evenly, as both group assistants can see all of the team’s request and who is handling them’.

Jutta feels that the most important things at C&S are the people and enjoyable tasks. Jutta is young and still at the beginning of her career. She graduated as a Bachelor, HSO, in the spring of 2020 and hopes to continue her studies later and also continue to develop herself in the firm.

‘The people here at the firm and on my team mean a lot to me. This is great work for this point in my career. I am learning new things every day, which keeps things interesting. In addition to my daily routines, I like being able to participate in firm’s other projects, such as arranging events’, Jutta said.

Latest references

We advised Valio Oy in its acquisition of Raisio Oyj’s plant protein business, related fixed assets and the Härkis® and Beanit® fava bean brands. The fixed assets include, among other things, the production equipment of the factory that makes plant protein products in Kauhava. The transaction supports Valio’s strategy to grow from a dairy company to a food company. This business acquisition will make us an even more significant developer and producer of plant-based protein products. The demand for these products will grow in the long term, and a great deal of growth potential still remains. In 2022, we acquired the Gold&Green® business and, since then, we have been carrying out strong product development and renewed the brand. Following successful product launches, sales in the last quarter of 2024 increased by about 50% from the previous quarter. With this acquisition, we are building our own production capacity. The production equipment of the Kauhava factory is just right for our needs and situation. says Kimmo Luoma, Valio’s Senior Vice President. Valio is a Finnish dairy and food company founded in 1905 and owned by Finnish dairy cooperatives. Valio has subsidiaries in Sweden, Estonia, the United States and China. In 2023, the Group had a turnover of EUR 2 278 million and more than 4 000 employees.
Case published 14.2.2025
We successfully represented Trety AB in a dispute and settlement negotiations concerning an agreement for development and production of communication devices for the healthcare sector. Eventually, the parties reached an amicable settlement to the full satisfaction of our client and thus the parties avoided an extensive arbitral proceeding. Trety AB is a global company that provides its customers with solutions for development, industrialization and production of electronics. Trety AB has over 30 years’ experience from IT, electronics and telecommunication industries.
Case published 11.2.2025
We advised a financier consortium including OP Corporate Bank plc, Nordea Bank Abp, and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB in a leveraged financing arrangement for Vexve, a company owned by DevCo Partners Oy. The financing included EUR 143 million acquisition, refinancing and other facilities for, among other things, the financing of Vexve’s acquisition of Denmark-based Frese A/S, a leading manufacturer of dynamic balancing valves for hydronic networks. Vexve’s combined turnover after the completion of the transaction will be ca. EUR 200 million. Vexve is the leading European provider of valve solutions for the energy sector and selected energy-intensive industries.
Case published 7.2.2025
Castrén & Snellman is acting as the legal advisor to the City of Pori and Pori Energia Oy in the finance arrangement whereby debt facilities in the total amount of EUR 292 million are secured for the purpose of refinancing the existing liabilities and fuelling the future growth of Pori Energia. Pori Energia and its financiers signed a Finnish law governed facilities agreement for this purpose on 13 January 2025. Pori Energia, a multi-utility company, operates in various sectors including district heating, electricity distribution, and electricity generation through CHP and renewable sources. The company also provides wind power services and industrial energy solutions in the Satakunta region where it has c. 60,000 customers.
Case published 6.2.2025