Jerker Pitkänen

Partner, Member of the Finnish Bar

Services

  1. International Construction & Projects
  2. Dispute Resolution
  3. Shipping & Logistics
  4. Insurance

Contact details

I have worked in the fields of risk management and dispute resolution for more than a decade. My main areas of expertise include arbitration, litigation, mediation and pre-dispute consultation. I also frequently advise clients in non-contentious matters, with a focus on construction, insurance and corporate law matters.

A considerable part of my work consists of international and domestic arbitration. In recent years, I have worked closely with clients in the energy sector, acting as counsel in numerous large-scale contractual disputes for both contractors and employers. I have gained vast experience from various EPCM and EPC (both FIDIC based and customised) contracts governed by laws of different countries, including Finnish, Swedish, Estonian and English law. Furthermore, I often advise clients in post-M&A disputes and disputes related to shareholders’ agreements, sale of goods, product liability and IT.

I have also been appointed as arbitrator and acted as secretary for arbitral tribunals in large-scale disputes. In addition to arbitration, I frequently litigate in courts of all instances.

Latest references

YIT – Data centre construction agreements with XTX Markets
We advised the urban developer and construction company YIT on the drafting and negotiation of two construction agreements with the leading algorithmic trading firm XTX Markets for the development of two data centres in Kajaani, Finland, which are part of XTX Markets’ data centre complex. The first agreement, valued at approximately EUR 100 million and signed in December 2024, marked the commencement of the construction of the first data centre facility in Kajaani, establishing Kajaani as a strategic hub for high-performance computing infrastructure.  Building on the success of this collaboration, YIT and XTX Markets entered into a second agreement in August 2025 to commence construction of a second data centre facility. This phase includes the delivery of the shell and core of the new building.
Case published 20.11.2025
WasaGroup – Planning of production and technology campus in Mustasaari
We advised WasaGroup Ltd in a green transition project where WasaGroup will plan Hitachi Energy’s new production and technology campus in Mustasaari. WasaGroup will be responsible for planning, permitting, managing and conducting the entire project as well as for the tender processes. We advised WasaGroup in drafting and commenting the project management and financing agreements for the project. The Mustasaari campus will be approximately 30,000 square meters in size. The investment by Hitachi Energy will double the capacity for transformer production in Finland, and the product range will expand to include even larger transformers. The objective of the investment is to meet the demand for transformers and other modern technology that is increasing in Finland and internationally due to the green energy transition. The first phase of the project involved an agreement for a development project to prepare the building permit and reach sufficient planning readiness for the implementation of the project. The aim is to have the production and technology campus in use by 2027.
Case published 30.5.2024
FinnHEMS – Set-Aside Proceedings of an Arbitral Award
We represented FinnHEMS Oy, the company in charge of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operations in Finland, in set-aside proceedings. In 2016, an arbitral tribunal rendered an award dismissing the claims presented by FinnHEMS against one of its service providers. The arbitral tribunal accepted that the service provider had breached the agreement, but decided not to award any compensation to FinnHEMS, as the arbitral tribunal considered FinnHEMS to have failed to give notice of the breaches within a reasonable time. However, the service provider had not invoked failure to give notice as grounds for disputing the claim during the arbitration. Consequently, FinnHEMS initiated set-aside proceedings in the District Court of Helsinki. The District Court of Helsinki accepted FinnHEMS’ action and set the award aside. The service provider appealed to the Helsinki Court of Appeal, which also found in favour of FinnHEMS. Both the District Court of Helsinki and the Helsinki Court of Appeal accepted FinnHEMS’ argument that the arbitral tribunal had failed to provide FinnHEMS with sufficient opportunity to present its case and had exceeded its jurisdiction when basing its award on grounds not invoked by the parties in the arbitration. The Supreme Court did not grant the service provider leave of appeal, making the decision by the Helsinki Court of Appeal final.  The threshold for a court to set aside an award is high. Arbitral awards are meant to be final and can only be challenged on very limited grounds. All in all, there is very little legal praxis available relating to set-aside proceedings and even less so where an arbitral award has actually been set aside. Nevertheless, FinnHEMS was able to show that the arbitral tribunal had exceeded its jurisdiction and failed to provide FinnHEMS with sufficient opportunity to present its case to such a degree that the arbitral award was set aside. The final decision by the Helsinki Court of Appeal is noteworthy and rare in Finland and provides good guidance for future cases with respect to the limits of the powers of arbitral tribunals.
Case published 11.5.2020
Efima – Sale of financial management services business
We advised Efima Oyj on the sale of its financial management services business to Rantalainen as part of its strategic focus on fully concentrating on the delivery of business applications as well as data and AI solutions. As a result of the transaction, customer contracts related to financial management services and 65 experts working in these services will transfer to Rantalainen. The transaction will be carried out as a transfer of business, and the experts will move to the new owner as existing employees. 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 12.6.2026
Ugly Duckling Ventures – EUR 6.5 million funding round of Skyfora
We advised lead investor Ugly Duckling Ventures on the EUR 6.5 million funding round of Skyfora. The round also included Eviny Ventures, LUMO Labs and EIC Fund, alongside non-dilutive funding from Business Finland. The investment will support the commercial scale-up of Skyfora’s weather intelligence solutions, the expansion of partnerships with telecom operators, forecasting providers and meteorological institutions, and the continued growth of the team. Skyfora is a Finnish company developing high-resolution weather data solutions using patented technology that extracts atmospheric data from GNSS receivers embedded in existing infrastructure, such as telecom networks. By unlocking previously untapped data sources, Skyfora enables the next generation of AI-driven weather forecasting and supports improved decision-making across weather-sensitive industries. Ugly Duckling Ventures is a Copenhagen-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage Nordic B2B technology companies, with an emphasis on medtech, resilience tech and business services.
Case published 10.6.2026
castren snellman general atlantic iceye
General Atlantic – ICEYE’s EUR 1 Billion Series F Funding Round
We advised General Atlantic as the lead investor on ICEYE’s EUR 1 billion series F funding round, valuing the company at over EUR 10 billion. ICEYE raised EUR 450 million (USD 520 million) in a primary Series F funding round led by General Atlantic. Additional investors included Solidium, Tesi, Varma, Ilmarinen, Lifeline Ventures, Nokia, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and TCV. Together with a secondary placement, the total fundraising exceeds EUR 1 billion. ICEYE is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space, providing continuous monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth. The company operates the world’s largest and most advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite constellation. General Atlantic is a leading global investor with more than four and a half decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 885 companies throughout its history. As of March 31, 2026, General Atlantic manages approximately USD 126 billion in assets across its investment strategies. We advised General Atlantic on this transaction in collaboration with the international law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
Case published 9.6.2026
Oomi Solar – Sale of a Solar Power Plant and Battery Energy Storage Project
We advised Oomi Solar Oy on the sale of a solar power park and battery energy storage project to Tuulipolar Oy. The transaction concerned a 24 MWp solar power plant and a 36 MW / 70 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to be constructed in Tornio. Tuulipolar Oy will act as the owner and operator of the plant, while Oomi Solar Oy will be responsible for its design and construction. The project will form the world’s northernmost industrial hybrid power plant, contributing to Finland’s green energy transition by increasing renewable energy production and electricity storage capacity in Northern Finland. The hybrid solution enables optimization of production as well as active participation in electricity markets and reserve services, improving the project’s profitability and supporting the balance of the electricity system year-round. Electricity production from the hybrid plant is expected to begin in 2028. Oomi Solar Oy is a Finnish renewable energy expert with experience from nearly 200 MW of installed solar capacity. The company helps businesses and communities accelerate the green transition by offering comprehensive solutions, including solar power plants, energy storage systems, and related lifecycle services from project development to maintenance. Oomi Solar Oy employs more than 20 energy professionals and delivers solar power projects across Finland. The company’s vision is to be Finland’s most desired partner for solar energy and energy solutions.
Case published 5.6.2026
United Bankers – Sale of three care properties
United Bankers – Sale of three care properties
We advised United Bankers on the sale of three care properties to Kinland AS. The buildings were completed between 2021 and 2022 and meet high technical and environmental standards. All three properties are fully leased. The portfolio has a weighted average unexpired lease term of 13 years.
Case published 1.6.2026

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