Laura Karkimo

Language Specialist

Contact details

I translate communications and legal texts between Finnish and English and proofread texts in both languages. I particularly enjoy working with English texts as I have studied and worked in several English-speaking countries. Creative marketing texts appeal to me the most, but I also enjoy translating demanding legal texts that call for accuracy.

Before joining Castrén & Snellman I worked as a project coordinator and senior linguist at an international translation company, where I was the Finnish lead translator for a global music industry company. In addition, I coordinated and translated projects for clients in various fields, and over the years I have translated texts ranging from marketing campaigns to terms and conditions. I am especially experienced in UI translations, and I’ve been happy to discover that this experience has also come in handy in the world of business law.

I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the legal field. The texts we translate can relate to any aspect of the corporate world and I am constantly learning new things. To balance things out, I enjoy rock climbing, where the focus required leaves no room to worry about anything else.

I have a master’s degree in English translation from the University of Helsinki.

Language+

Latest references

Excelerate Energy – Chartering an FSRU to Finland

We advised Excelerate Energy on the conclusion of a lease agreement with Gasgrid Finland Oy for the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) Exemplar. The Inkoo LNG terminal project will have a significant impact on securing the supply of gas to Finland and Estonia as imports of pipeline gas from Russia cease. The Exemplar is the first FSRU in Finland and the Inkoo LNG terminal project is legally unique. Moreover, the project, which is critical for Finland’s and the Baltics’ gas supply, was completed in an exceptionally short timeframe. Our experts assisted the company in a wide range of areas including contracts, energy legislation, licensing, labour law, taxation and structuring.

Fraktal – Legal design of terms of service

We drafted and designed new terms of service for Fraktal Oy’s DevSecLab learning platform. In this legal design project, we created a new, clearer structure for the terms of service, rewrote the terms from scratch and presented them with a fresh visual look. The final result was a completely new product, not just a redesign of the earlier terms. Fraktal’s goal was to have terms of service that are easy to understand and simple to accept. The project was carried out in our multi-professional legal design team consisting of experts in legal technology, linguistics, graphic design and the law. The new terms, which are both clear and in line with Fraktal’s visual brand, were presented as an interactive prototype in Figma. The key to successful legal design projects is understanding the client’s needs and wishes. In this project, efficient project management and an open line of communication increased our team’s understanding of the client, resulting in a product that fits the purpose perfectly. Active dialogue with the client was an important quality factor in this agile and iterative project. “Our previous terms of service were difficult to understand, which usually led to lengthy negotiations. This created an obstacle for increasing sales. We believe that the new, designed terms of service will increase sales, make the agreement process faster and reduce the need for administration and constant negotiations,” says Iiro Uusitalo, product owner of DevSecLab. “Implementing the new terms is currently Fraktal’s top priority.” Founded in 2019, Fraktal Oy is a young and agile cyber security company. Fraktal has served organisations with hundreds of assignments across the continents. In 2021 the company had a turnover of EUR 2 million and employed 25 people.

Neste – EUR 500 million refinancing arrangement

We advised Neste Corporation on the refinancing of its EUR 500 million term facility by way of two EUR 250 million bilateral term facilities provided by OP Corporate Bank plc and Danske Bank A/S, Finland Branch. Each term facility has a maturity of three years with extension options.

Prisma Properties – Sale and leaseback of ten grocery retail properties

We are assisting Prisma Properties AB in a sale and leaseback arrangement with Kesko Oyj comprising ten grocery retail properties. The transaction value is approximately EUR 59 million, and the properties are located in Sastamala, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta, Vihti, Oulu, Saarijärvi, Liminka, Imatra, Loviisa, and Eurajoki. As part of the arrangement, the properties are leased back to Kesko Oyj under lease agreements with a weighted average lease term of 11.6 years. The portfolio includes well-known store concepts such as K-Citymarket, K-Supermarket, and K-Market.

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.

Rabobank – Financing arrangement for Olana Energy

Castrén & Snellman acted as legal advisor to Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. in its capacity as sole lender and hedging bank providing senior financing to Olana Energy for a Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) portfolio in Finland. Our advice included preparing a legal due diligence report on the projects as well as advising on the negotiation of the various finance and project agreements. Olana Energy is a management-owned fast-growing independent power producer with an international pipeline of over 1 GW. The diversified portfolio of assets ranging from 5 to 30 MW reinforces the Finnish grid at a granular level.

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.

Ministry of the Environment – Report on the promotion of circular economy aspects in public procurement

Castrén & Snellman was commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment to carry out a study on how the Circular Economy Act could be used to promote circular economy aspects in public procurement. Our report provides valuable information to the working group tasked with preparing the new Circular Economy Act. The report includes an overview of relevant strategies, action programmes and policies, a look at relevant legislation and case law, an assessment of the current state of circular economy procurement and examples of integrating circular economy aspects into public procurement from around the world. We end the report with concrete conclusions and a proposal for a new circular economy provision with justification. The proposal aims to maximise the regulation’s effectiveness and minimise any adverse side effects. The final report is available on the Circular Economy Act project’s Gateway to Information (in Finnish). The study was carried out by Anna Kuusniemi-Laine, Sanna Aalto-Setälä, Lotta Huhtamäki, Marja Ollila, Laura Vuorinen, Paavo Heinonen and Anna Ylitalo.

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