Juha Aalto-Setälä

Associate, Master of Laws

Services

  1. Intellectual Property
  2. Data & Technology

Contact details

I assist both domestic and international clients in various assignments related to intellectual property and technology.

I graduated as a Master of Laws from the University of Helsinki in 2023, and I also have a Master in Music degree from Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts. Before joining Castrén & Snellman, I gained experience working in education and as a musician, among other things. I am interested in intellectual property rights in general, and in particular in copyrights, on which I wrote my master’s thesis.

Latest references

General Catalyst – ICEYE’s EUR 150 Million Series E Funding Round
We advised General Catalyst as lead investor on ICEYE’s EUR 150 million series E funding round, valuing the company at EUR 2.4 billion. ICEYE is the world leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite systems and operates the largest SAR constellation globally. Its technology delivers objective, near real-time Earth observation in any weather or light conditions, enabling governments and institutions to manage risks and respond faster. General Catalyst is a global investment and transformation company, partnering with leading entrepreneurs to build toward global resiliency and applied AI. Its portfolio includes companies such as Airbnb, Snap, Stripe, Mistral AI, Hubspot, Anduril, Helsing and Legora. We advised General Catalyst on this transaction in collaboration with the US law firm Goodwin. 
Case published 8.12.2025
Nomios – Acquisition of Intragen Group
We advised Nomios, a portfolio company of the European growth buyout investor Keensight Capital, with its cross-border acquisition of Intragen Group, a leading European expert in digital identity and access management. The acquisition marks a major milestone in Nomios’ growth strategy and further strengthens its position as the global trusted partner for cybersecurity across Europe. Nomios is one of Europe’s leading providers of cybersecurity services. Keensight Capital is a European growth buyout investor with deep expertise in technology and healthcare.  
Case published 17.11.2025
Arctic Biomaterials – Patent litigation over bioactive biomaterials for orthopedic implants
We successfully represented Arctic Biomaterials Oy before the Finnish Market Court in an extensive dispute concerning alleged patent infringement and invalidity of the patent-in-suit. Our client has invented next-generation bioabsorbable composites that are engineered with Arctic Biomaterials’ X3 bioactive natural mineral fibers, offering robust, bioactive reinforcement for orthopedic implants. These advanced composites empower customers to create high-strength bioabsorbable solutions for the most demanding applications. Back in 2019, Purac Biochem B.V. alleged, among other things, that our client’s Evolvecomp product had infringed Purac Biochem B.V.’s European patent validated in Finland protecting a biocompatible composite and its use. Purac Biochem B.V. filed a preliminary injunction against our client under the Act on Securing the Provision of Evidence in Civil Cases Concerning Industrial Property Rights and Copyright (344/2000). The Finnish Market Court issued an ex-parte injunction against our client on 2 April 2019 (MAO:150/19) and a final injunction on 19 February 2020 (MAO:59/20). Our client had disputed Purac Biochem B.V.’s patent infringement claim from the beginning and claimed that the patent-in-suit was invalid. After five years of litigation, the Finnish Market Court handed down a ruling in the joined invalidity and infringement cases on 10 October 2024 (MAO:560/2024 and MAO:561/2024) declaring Purac Biochem B.V.’s patent invalid and dismissing Purac’s infringement action against Arctic Biomaterials. Also, the preliminary injunction based on an alleged patent infringement imposed against Arctic Biomaterials was cancelled. The Market Court declared Purac Biochem B.V.’s patent invalid due to a lack of inventive step. The Market Court applied the could-would method for determining whether the patent-in-suit is inventive or not. The could-would method is based on determining whether a person skilled in the art would (not simply could, but would) have made a specific improvement to prior solutions, based on the available prior art. The Market Court ruled that it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art to solve the objective technical problem of the patent-in-suit in the manner presented in claim 1, using as a starting point the closest prior art (prior patent publication) and combining it with the teaching of another prior art publication. The decision is final.
Case published 29.1.2025
Fortum – Sale of recycling and waste business
We acted as the lead counsel to Fortum in a cross-border transaction in which Fortum sold its recycling and waste business. The business was sold to thematic impact investing firm Summa Equity through its portfolio company NG Group. The debt-free purchase price is approximately EUR 800 million.  Fortum’s recycling and waste business to be sold comprises municipal and industrial waste management and end-to-end plastics, metals, ash, slag and hazardous waste treatment and recycling services. These businesses are located in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway and currently employ approximately 900 employees.
Case published 18.7.2024
Zendesk – Acquisition of Ultimate Enterprises
We acted as Zendesk, Inc.’s Finnish legal counsel in its acquisition of Ultimate Enterprises Oy, an industry leading provider of service automation using AI technology. The cross-border acquisition was completed in cooperation with the transaction’s lead counsel Allen & Overy. Zendesk is a leading global technology company that provides software-as-a-service and customer experience (CX) products based in the US. The acquisition of Ultimate expands Zendesk’s AI-powered CX offerings.
Case published 26.3.2024
Neoen – Sale of data centre
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
Jolt Capital and Tesi – Investment in VEV
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 – Intellectual property matters
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

Get to know our other experts in the field

Kim Parviainen
Position: Partner
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 40 568 2766
Sakari Salonen
Position: Partner
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 50 336 0209
Tiina Orre
Position: Counsel
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 20 776 5261
Piia Raappana
Position: Counsel
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 20 776 5466
Hilma-Karoliina Rozell
Position: Counsel
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 40 566 7256
Karla Kallela
Position: Senior Associate
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 40 842 8862
Olli Erkko
Position: Associate
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 50 470 4361
Janne Koivisto
Position: Associate
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 20 776 5124
Katri Kiviniemi
Position: European Trademark and Design Attorney
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 50 572 5003
Anne Laukkasuo
Position: European Trademark and Design Attorney
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 40 725 9724
Nina Mikander
Position: Head of IP Prosecution, European Trademark and Design Attorney
Primary service Intellectual Property
 +358 40 093 0778