16.11.2020

New Counsel Mikko Heinonen and Miika Junttila Strengthen Our Services

Two experienced counsel will be joining Castrén & Snellman on 16 November 2020 to further strengthen our client services: Attorney Mikko Heinonen will be joining our Banking & Finance service and Miika Junttila will be joining our Data & Technology service.

Mikko Heinonen – Versatile Experience in Banking and Finance

Mikko Heinonen has an extensive background in banking and finance law. He has been an advisor to banks, fund management companies, insurance institutions, and other financial sectors organisations in domestic and international assignments. Mikko has previously worked as counsel at Borenius and Roschier as well as at Castrén & Snellman.

Tero Tuomisto, the head of our Banking & Finance service, is happy to welcome Mikko back:

‘Mikko is known as a real banking and finance law all-rounder, and we are very happy to have him back on our team. Mikko will further strengthen our offering in project financing, bond issuances and demanding acquisition financing, among other things.’

‘It’s a great pleasure to return to Castrén & Snellman. I believe that the firm’s clients will benefit from my extensive expertise in a wide variety of financing arrangements: syndicated loans, transaction financing, real estate financing, reorganisation of financing and debt market issuances’, Mikko said.

Our finance team has made other hires this autumn as well: Sonja Hänninen joined as a senior associate and Laura Sundström as an associate.

Miika Junttila – In-House Expertise in Digital Transformation Projects

Prior to joining Castrén & Snellman, Miika Junttila has had a long career at Nokia—most recently as the Legal & Compliance Director of Nokia’s transformation business. Miika was the Head of Legal & Compliance in Nokia’s Australia & New Zealand market unit for nearly five years. Miika has been responsible for, among other things, Nokia’s outsourcing and transformation projects and has been actively involved in transactions and digitalisation projects.

‘Our clients are looking to digitalisation projects to find added benefits in their business. We are delighted and proud to be able to add Miika’s business understanding and expertise to our team’, said Partner Pia Ek, who heads our Data & Technology service.

‘I’m excited to work at Castrén & Snellman with Finland’s leading tech lawyers. I’m confident that my nearly 15 years of experience as an in-house lawyer will be of benefit to both our clients and to the whole team’, Miika said.

Castrén & Snellman is the forerunner in demanding legal services. The firm serves clients in mergers & acquisitions, dispute resolution and other specialised fields of law both in Finland and internationally. The firm has approximately 250 employees, and its turnover was 48 million euros in 2019. The firm is a forerunner of sustainability in the legal services industry and help build sustainable success stories.

Castrén & Snellman’s services are ranked among the best in Finland by numerous international publications, such as The Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Chambers Europe as well as the Prospera client satisfaction survey.

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