Krista Gusev

Senior Associate, Member of the Finnish Bar

I assist both domestic and international clients in matters relating to employment law and dispute resolution.

Prior to joining Castrén & Snellman, I worked for an international audit firm, where I gained experience in questions related to company law.

I have a Master of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki. In addition, I have studied law at Stockholm University in Sweden. I have also completed court training at the District Court of Helsinki.

I’m on secondment at a client company until April 2025.

Latest references

Relacom Finland Oy was declared bankrupt in 2019 upon the company’s own application. Relacom Finland Oy was one of the leading telecommunication services companies in Finland, and it had activities across Finland. The company offered, for example, installation and maintenance of telecommunication networks and power grids. When bankruptcy was declared, the company had around 400 employees. The bankruptcy proceedings were concluded in approximately three years, and the creditors approved the final settlement of accounts in December 2022. Attorney Pekka Jaatinen served as the administrator of the bankruptcy estate. After the beginning of the bankruptcy, the bankruptcy estate examined the company’s unfinished projects and finished them to the extent that was profitable. The rest of the projects were shut down in a controlled manner and handed over to the customer. Some of the projects were also socially important. The bankruptcy estate hired 112 of the company’s employees for fixed-term employment to finish projects and to ensure that the shutdown was carried out in a controlled manner. However, the bankruptcy administration did not continue the company’s business. The company’s fixed assets and inventories consisted of, among other things, various tools, equipment and several vehicles. The bankruptcy estate identified different options for efficient ways to liquidate assets, and selling was carried out in cooperation with an external liquidator. The liquidation result from finishing projects and selling the company’s movable property was significant and higher than the book value. Unsecured creditors accrued approximately 41% disbursements in the bankruptcy.
Case published 11.1.2023
We are advising Nevel Oy in the implementation of energy infrastructure services in Veitsiluoto in Kemi, northern Finland. Nevel will purchase the area’s district heating business from Stora Enso. The acquisition will ensure the continuity of the service for the local households and real estate. Nevel has signed a contract to supply the energy to the Stora Enso Veitsiluoto sawmill and plans to invest in a new 11 MW biofuel boiler plant and flue gas condenser at the Veitsiluoto sawmill, which will reduce emissions from heat production. Nevel has also agreed to supply renewable textile and fashion technology company Infinited Fiber Company with energy and water utilities for their new processing plant at the Veitsiluoto site. Infinited Fiber Company is planning to convert a paper factory previously operated by Stora Enso on the site into a textile fiber production plant. This will be the company’s first commercial-scale plant. The fiber production processes require steam energy and water purification. Among other services, Nevel is set to supply Infinited Fiber Company with energy and water utilities. Energy provided will be renewable, reducing emissions from heat production. Nevel is a utility infrastructure company offering advanced industrial and municipal infrastructure solutions that are fit-for-purpose and future-proof. Nevel operates more than 130 energy production sites and manages over 40 district heating networks. The company has an annual turnover of EUR 100 M, and employs 150 experts in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. Infinited Fiber Company is a fashion and textile technology company. Its breakthrough innovation turns cellulose-rich materials – like worn-out clothes – into InfinnaTM, a premium textile fiber.
Case published 23.6.2022
We advised Lassila & Tikanoja in the acquisition of the entire share capital of Spectra Yhtiöt Oy. The acquisition will significantly strengthen L&T’s service offering in the retail segment. In addition to the conventional property and recycling services, the offering will now also include guard, bottle return and shelving services. Spectra Yhtiöt Oy is a Finnish family-owned company that offers a variety of services to the retail sector in Finland, mainly to shopping centres and large to mid-sized supermarkets. Spectra’s turnover is approximately EUR 6 million and the company has 200 employees in Southern Finland and in the Kuopio region. ‘This deal will make us an even more interesting and agile partner in property services within the retail sector. Our comprehensive service offering will enable us to serve as a true one-stop shop for retailers. We aim to be the most attractive partner in Finland in the retail sector’, says Antti Niitynpää, Senior Vice President, Facility Services Finland.
Case published 16.8.2021
We advised Lassila & Tikanoja in the acquisition of the entire share capital of Sihvari Oy. The acquisition strengthens L&T’s recycling and waste management services in the Jyväskylä and Turku regions as well as the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The acquisition includes Sihvari’s subsidiary Turun Seudun Hyötykuljetus Oy. ‘We are happy to now be able to offer our customers Sihvari’s agile, local expertise in the same package with L&T’s circular economy services. This deal will enable us to provide even better access to circular economy services to small and mid-sized companies’, says Petri Salermo, L&T’s senior vice president of environmental services. Sihvari is a waste management services company established in 2002. It participates in the circular economy through the efficient collection and transport of materials. The company’s operations are focused on the Jyväskylä region, South-West Finland and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. ‘It is important to us that our operations continue steadily and at a high level of quality. We believe that working with L&T is the right solution to providing our customers even better and more versatile services in the future’, says Janne Andersin, Sihvari’s managing director. Our advice in this deal was part of our long-standing relationship with Lassila & Tikanoja. Our client team included experts from our M&A, Employment and Procurement services. Sihvari was founded in Central Finland in 2002. It has grown into one of the largest Finnish transport companies operating in the circular economy. The parent company and its subsidiary Turun Seudun Hyötykuljetus employ over 80 people and operate approximately 70 collection vehicles. The company has branches in Jyväskylä, Helsinki, Turku, Kuopio and Lahti. Lassila & Tikanoja is a service company that makes circular economy a reality. With operations in Finland and Sweden, L&T employs 8,100 people. Net sales in 2020 amounted to EUR 751.9 million. L&T is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
Case published 29.6.2021
We acted as Finnish counsel for Fjordkraft Holding ASA in its acquisition of Switch Nordic Green AB from Troms Kraft AS. The purchase price was based on an enterprise value of the target of NOK 375 million on a cash and debt free basis and assuming an agreed normalised level of working capital. The acquisition of Switch Nordic Green positions the Fjordkraft group as the owners of an established retailer in the Swedish and Finnish market with potential for further growth in the Nordics. Switch Nordic Green, with its brand Nordic Green Energy, is a Nordic electricity retailer perceived as a green and renewable focused supplier. Switch Nordic Green has around 60 employees with operations in both Sweden and Finland. Fjordkraft is the largest end-user company in the Norwegian electricity retail market. The company supplies electricity to an estimated 1.8 million people through more than 900,000 electricity deliveries within households, businesses and public entities across Norway.
Case published 13.1.2021
We advised SRV Group plc when it sold its 50% holding in the Pearl Plaza shopping centre in St. Peterburg to CP Invest Limited. The sale was the final part of SRV’s actions to exit from all of its operations in Russia which began in 2022. The sales price of SRV´s ownership of the shopping centre was approximately 11 million euros. SRV is a Finnish developer and innovator in the construction industry. SRV was established in 1987 and is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
Case published 17.2.2025
We advised Valio Oy in its acquisition of Raisio Oyj’s plant protein business, related fixed assets and the Härkis® and Beanit® fava bean brands. The fixed assets include, among other things, the production equipment of the factory that makes plant protein products in Kauhava. The transaction supports Valio’s strategy to grow from a dairy company to a food company. This business acquisition will make us an even more significant developer and producer of plant-based protein products. The demand for these products will grow in the long term, and a great deal of growth potential still remains. In 2022, we acquired the Gold&Green® business and, since then, we have been carrying out strong product development and renewed the brand. Following successful product launches, sales in the last quarter of 2024 increased by about 50% from the previous quarter. With this acquisition, we are building our own production capacity. The production equipment of the Kauhava factory is just right for our needs and situation. says Kimmo Luoma, Valio’s Senior Vice President. Valio is a Finnish dairy and food company founded in 1905 and owned by Finnish dairy cooperatives. Valio has subsidiaries in Sweden, Estonia, the United States and China. In 2023, the Group had a turnover of EUR 2 278 million and more than 4 000 employees.
Case published 14.2.2025
We successfully represented Trety AB in a dispute and settlement negotiations concerning an agreement for development and production of communication devices for the healthcare sector. Eventually, the parties reached an amicable settlement to the full satisfaction of our client and thus the parties avoided an extensive arbitral proceeding. Trety AB is a global company that provides its customers with solutions for development, industrialization and production of electronics. Trety AB has over 30 years’ experience from IT, electronics and telecommunication industries.
Case published 11.2.2025