Joakim Nivala

Associate, Master of Laws

Services

  1. Tax & Structuring
  2. ESG and Corporate Sustainability

Contact details

I advise our clients on a wide range of domestic and international tax matters.

I have previously worked as a tax expert at the Finnish Tax Administration and in a Finnish financial administration firm, where I focused on value added taxation and corporate taxation. I have also worked as a trainee at Castrén & Snellman.

I hold a Master of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki.

Latest references

CapMan Real Estate – Acquisition of a High-Quality Residential Asset
We advised CapMan Real Estate in the acquisition and financing of a high-quality residential asset located in Katajanokka, Helsinki.  The asset was acquired from the Finnish Seamen’s Service Bureau (MEPA).  The property consisting of 38 modern rental apartments with a parking garage was completed in 2017. The building features high-quality construction, modern floorplans, and well-designed communal areas including a gym and rooftop sauna premises, and blends with the area’s historic maritime character. The residential asset is located in the prestigious Katajanokka seaside district of central Helsinki, known for its architectural heritage and proximity to the city centre. The property has a high ESG profile which will be further improved by CapMan Real Estate.
Case published 6.11.2025
Stena Line – Acquisition of NLC Ferry (Wasaline)
We are acting as legal adviser to Stena Line on its acquisition of NLC Ferry Ab Oy (Wasaline), strengthening Stena Line’s position in the Baltic Sea and enabling it to take over operations of the ferry route between Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland. The acquisition further strengthens Stena Line’s position as one of the leaders in sustainability within the ferry industry and enhances the company’s access to alternative fuels whilst providing a strong intermodal transport link towards Gothenburg and Trelleborg, and onwards to the European continent. NLC Ferry, operating under the auxiliary name Wasaline, were owned by Kvarken Link, a company jointly owned 50/50 by the cities of Umeå and Vaasa. Wasaline is the world’s northernmost shipping company, operating daily passenger and freight services between Vaasa, Finland and Umeå, Sweden, and is the first carbon-neutral ferry operator in the Baltic Sea with its hybrid vessel, Aurora Botnia, which runs on biogas and batteries. Stena Line is one of Europe’s leading ferry operators, with 20 routes across the continent. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg, with 6,550 employees and an annual turnover of 19.6 billion SEK. The transaction is conditional to the approval of the respective municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa as well as customary closing conditions such as authority approvals. The completion of the transaction is expected to take place in the beginning of the year 2026. Castrén & Snellman is collaborating with CMS Wistrand, Stena Line’s advisor on Swedish law matters in connection with the transaction.
Case published 4.11.2025
Prisma Properties – Acquisition of a retail property
We advised Prisma Properties in a real estate transaction in which the company acquired a retail property in Helsinki from Hartela.  The acquired property was built specifically for the discount retailer Jula. Completed in October 2025, the property is modern and very energy-efficient, and it is fully leased to Jula under a 10-year lease agreement. The property located in the Konala district, adjacent to the busy Ristikko shopping centre, spans 2,600 square metres. Prisma Properties is a fast-growing developer and long-term owner of modern properties for discount retail, grocery retail, and quick-service restaurants. The company operates across the Nordics and manages a property portfolio valued at approximately EUR 650 million, primarily consisting of newly developed properties with long lease agreements.
Case published 29.10.2025
SRV – Sale of SRV Infra
We advised SRV Group Plc in its sale of SRV Infra Ltd to Kreate Ltd. The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. The parties expect the transaction to be closed by the end of 2025. SRV, established in 1987, is a Finnish developer and innovator in the construction industry. The company is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. In 2024, SRV’s revenue totalled EUR 745.8 million.
Case published 27.10.2025
Suomen Aurinkovoima – Financing arrangement to build solar parks
Castrén & Snellman acted as legal advisor to Suomen Aurinkovoima Oy and its owners in a financing tender process and a financing arrangement implemented with Danske Bank to secure financing for the company’s future solar park projects. Suomen Aurinkovoima, established by Oulun Seudun Sähkö, Oulun Energia, Vantaan Energia and Savon Voima, is a company focused on increasing domestic solar power. The company manages solar park projects from planning to implementation and maintenance, and its goal is to build dozens of new solar parks across Finland by 2030.
Case published 22.10.2025
DNB Bank ASA – Lease and development of premises
We advised DNB Bank ASA in its agreement with Fennia Mutual Insurance Company on the development and lease of the premises at Fabianinkatu 8, Helsinki. With the lease agreement, DNB Bank ASA will focus all its Finnish operations at the Fabian 8 office. The other tenants at the renewed premises will be DNB Carnegie Investment Bank AB’s Finnish operations and DNB Auto Finance Oy. In connection with the long-term lease agreement, the parties also agreed on a major renovation project to completely refurbish the premises. The object of lease will be completed in the second half of 2027.
Case published 10.10.2025
Yellow Film Studios – Merger of Yellow Film Studios and REinvent Studios
We advised Yellow Film Studios, the largest independent film and television production company in the Nordics, in its strategic merger with Danish film industry sales and financing studio REinvent Studios. Together they form Reinvent Yellow, a unified hub for television and film production, sales, financing and innovation, combining over three decades of production experience and a vast catalogue of titles.
Case published 8.10.2025
International reinsurance companies – Ad hoc arbitration proceedings
We successfully represented a panel of reinsurance companies in an international ad hoc arbitration. The dispute arose out of a reinsurance treaty under the terms of which the reinsurers had reinsured a portfolio of risks underwritten by the cedent. The parties disagreed as to whether the reinsurance provided coverage for a certain loss that had occurred because of the market turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The case involved highly complex legal and contractual questions requiring special expertise on reinsurance law and practice. The arbitral tribunal rejected the counterparty’s claims for reinsurance compensation against our clients in full. The amount in dispute was approximately EUR 34 million.
Case published 16.9.2025

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