28.6.2021

Women in Business Law Awards Europe 2021: Castrén & Snellman Scandinavian Law Firm of the Year

Castrén & Snellman received the award for Scandinavian Law Firm of the Year at the Women in Business Law Awards Europe 2021. In addition, the firm was awarded as the best national firm in the Mentorship Programme category, and Partner Merja Kivelä received the award for Equity Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year.

Castrén & Snellman is committed to promoting gender equality, and over half of our lawyers are women. Our work to promote diversity and support personnel’s work-life balance are part of our overall sustainability programme, which took some major steps forward in 2020.

‘Gender equality is a core principle at C&S. We are very proud of these achievements, but it is important that we not rest on our laurels and also remember that equality goes beyond equality between the genders. It is vital that we treat everyone equally and ensure all of our employees have equal opportunities to advance in their careers and develop their expertise’, says Managing Partner Sakari Lukinmaa.

The Women in Business Law Awards Europe celebrates the efforts and achievements of law firms across Europe in helping women to advance in the legal profession and spotlight the most impressive achievements by women lawyers.

Best Mentorship Programme – Easing Day-to-Day Family Life

We support our employees in balancing family life and work, for example, by offering mentoring to employees’ returning from parental leave. This mentoring takes the form of peer support and sharing of best practices on how to balance the demands of work and family. The mentors are mothers or fathers who have also recently returned to work from parental leave.

Our firm also supports personnel in continued academic study, professional training, work-experience and through a wide-range of internally organised training, mentoring and coaching opportunities.

Merja Kivelä – Equity Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year

One of the Finland’s most experienced capital markets lawyers, Partner Merja Kivelä, received the Equity Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year award. Merja was recently recognised as one of the Women Leaders 2021 by IFLR1000. One of the most significant cases that Merja has led recently is the merger of Cargotec and Konecranes, where C&S acted as advisor to Cargotec.

See all the winners on the IFLR website.

The awards are organised by Legal Media Group, which contains IFLR, ITR and Managing IP. The winning individuals and firms are decided by senior Euromoney Legal Media Group editorial staff following an extensive research process.

Latest references

We advised Efima Oyj on the sale of its AI business to Better Care Technologies Oy. The transaction included Efima’s Moiva AI platform developed for the care sector, the related technology and brand, customer contracts, and the experts working in the business. Efima is a Finnish digital company that supports the sustainable growth of large and mid-sized companies by streamlining their business processes and by creating competitive advantage through the innovative use of artificial intelligence and data. The company has nearly 200 experts based in Helsinki and Tampere. 
Case published 21.9.2026
We advised Neoen Renewables Finland Oy, part of the French Neoen Group, in its sale of a data centre project to a consortium consisting of international data centre developers and operators. This marked Neoen’s first data centre development project in Finland. Founded in 2008, Neoen is one of the world’s leading independent renewable energy producers. The company operates in 15 countries. It develops, finances, builds, owns, and operates solar power plants, wind farms, and battery storage systems. Neoen Group is owned by global alternative asset manager Brookfield Corporation.
Case published 17.9.2026
We advised Jolt Capital and Tesi in connection with their investment in VEV, a leading provider of commercial fleet electrification solutions. The investment, led by Jolt Capital with Tesi as co-investor, will support VEV’s next phase of growth and expansion across Europe. As part of the transaction, VEV became an independent company following the acquisition of Vitol’s stake in the business. Founded by Vitol, VEV provides integrated fleet electrification solutions combining fleet strategy, charging infrastructure, energy supply and operational services. Through its VEV IQ platform, the company supports more than 6,000 commercial electric vehicles across Europe and has been deployed across more than 600 sites spanning the transport, logistics and waste sectors. Jolt Capital is a private equity firm focused on growth investments in European deeptech companies. Tesi is a Finnish state-owned investment company that promotes Finnish business and economic growth through investments. We advised Jolt Capital and Tesi on the equity financing and structuring aspects of the transaction. International law firm Goodwin advised the investors on the acquisition of VEV.
Case published 10.9.2026
VR-Group Plc is a transport and logistics group owned by the Finnish State, operating passenger and freight rail transport in Finland with activities also in the Swedish market. VR Group provides passenger, logistics and maintenance services with over 160 years’ experience in developing responsible transport of the future. We advise VR Group in intellectual property matters as part of the company’s wider brand protection efforts. Our assignments have included advice on copyright, design rights and trademarks, focusing on the protection of the company’s visual identity – including its distinctive green colour – in connection with transport services as part of a comprehensive IP protection strategy. VR Group’s consistent brand building has also received recognition, including the Finland Chamber of Commerce’s Brand of the Year award in 2026. In the competition, brands were viewed comprehensively from various perspectives, including their story, strategic role, brand renewal ability and intellectual property protection. The jury found that VR had understood the importance of the protection of its brand as part of a comprehensive business strategy. 
Case published 9.9.2026