Laura Pesonen

Project Coordinator

Contact details

I work as a project coordinator in our dispute resolution line. I assist the Dispute Resolution, International Construction & Projects, and Restructuring & Insolvency teams in resourcing and resourcing-related development projects. In addition, I work as a project coordinator in dispute resolution assignments.

The Dispute Resolution team handles complex court and arbitration proceedings for international and domestic clients. The International Construction & Projects team advises clients in demanding international and domestic projects, such as power plant construction, large infrastructure projects and the procurement of equipment, machinery and systems. The Restructuring & Insolvency team handles even the most challenging insolvency situations in a cost-efficient and reliable manner from start to finish.

I am motivated by versatile and challenging tasks. My strengths are my proactive approach to work and my ability to work under pressure. I have the capability to see the big picture and to learn new things quickly. My colleagues have praised my efficiency, diligence and eagerness to develop matters.

I joined Castrén & Snellman as a trainee assistant in the autumn of 2013 and continued as an assistant to the Dispute Resolution team in the autumn of 2014. I graduated from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences as a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2015.

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Latest references

A. Ahlström Real Estate – Acquisition of an office complex

We advised A. Ahlström Real Estate Ltd in its acquisition of an office complex in Pasila, Helsinki, from Avain Yhtiöt Oy. The office complex is part of a new block area that will also include three tower blocks. Construction of the block has started in early 2025 and the office building is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The office building is located in Central Pasila, in the immediate vicinity of the Tripla shopping centre, with excellent transport connections. The office will provide modern and adaptable office space for up to 450 employees. The anchor tenant in the new premises is Avain Yhtiöt. A. Ahlström Real Estate manages the real estate and forest assets of A. Ahlström Oy. Avain Yhtiöt is a Finnish housing provider specialising in developing, constructing, and managing residential properties and housing services. Under the Avain Asunnot brand, Avain Yhtiöt and Avain Asumisoikeus own over 12,000 rental, right-of-occupancy, and service housing units across Finland.

OP Corporate Bank – Real estate financing arrangement

We advised OP Corporate Bank plc in a real estate financing arrangement relating to DHL Express logistics centre under construction near Helsinki Airport. In the arrangement Nrep (acting on behalf of NSF III Fund) and Pontos Group acquired Finavia’s stake of DHL Express logistics centre under construction. LEED Platinum certification will be applied for the project, and as a result of the certification, the facility is contemplated to qualify as a green loan after the construction completion date.

Gasum – Chartering a new bunker vessel

We advised Gasum in chartering a new LNG and bio-LNG bunker vessel. The vessel called Celsius will serve Gasum’s customers starting 2027. The investment is part of Gasum’s strategy to secure the availability of LNG and bio-LNG to its customers in the Northwestern European area as demand increases in the coming years. Gasum is a Nordic gas sector and energy market expert. Gasum offers cleaner energy and energy market expert services for industry and for combined heat and power production as well as cleaner fuel solutions for road and maritime transport. The company helps its customers to reduce their own carbon footprint as well as that of their customers. Sirius is a Swedish shipping company founded by the Backman family. Sirius operates 11 product/chemical tankers and 2 LNG tankers and has a further 3 product/chemical tankers under commercial management.

Castren & Snellman Ebrands funding round

eBrands – Funding round

We assisted eBrands Holdings Oy in its latest funding round, during which the company raised 7.5 million euros. The new funding brings the company’s total raised capital to 50 million euros. The latest funding round was mainly led by the family investment company Veikko Laine, Varma Pension Fund, and operational shareholders. The funding will be used to develop eBrands’ AI-based Apollo market growth tool, which helps brands expand into sixty different markets and sales channels without local infrastructure or heavy investments. eBrands is an export platform that grows consumer brands globally through e-commerce and major retail channels. Specializing in the US and European markets, eBrands enables brands to internationalize with an export service model that reduces the risk and complexity associated with expansion by leveraging advanced technology. Founded in 2020, the Helsinki-based company’s team includes 75 people, and the company’s revenue exceeds 35 million euros.

Nrep – EUR 100 million construction project in Herttoniemi, Helsinki

We advised the real estate investor and developer Nrep in a EUR 100 million construction project in Helsinki, which combines build-to-rent housing and care homes within the one scheme. A fund managed by Nrep (NSF V) purchased the plot of land in Herttoniemi, Helsinki and subsequently secured planning consent to deliver a hybrid living scheme. The modern complex will offer high-quality housing and care facilities for the elderly alongside rental accommodation. We advised Nrep in both the purchase of the plot and the contracting of the care and housing complex. A total of 425 apartments and 108 care homes will be delivered across four buildings on the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in autumn 2025, with delivery targeted in 2028. The project will be implemented in accordance with Nrep’s principles of sustainable construction. The buildings will be equipped with solar panels, geothermal heat will be used throughout, and low-emission green concrete and steel will be used as materials.

Ugly Duckling Ventures – Investment in Skyfora

We represented Ugly Duckling Ventures in the EUR 4 million seed funding round of Skyfora. The investment will support the deployment of Skyfora’s advanced weather intelligence solutions, including their state-of-the-art Telecom GNSS Meteorology solutions. Ugly Duckling Ventures led the funding round alongside LUMO Labs, and other investors included, among others, Voima Ventures and EIC Fund. Ugly Duckling Ventures is a venture capital fund based in Copenhagen, Denmark, that focuses on seed and pre-seed stage investments in Nordic ventures. Skyfora is a Finnish weather intelligence company that provides next-generation AI-powered weather forecasting and data collection solutions. Their innovative Telecom GNSS Meteorology solutions are designed for optimizing the performance of AI weather forecasts improving global climate change resilience and weather-insight across industries.

Neste – EUR 200 million Green Term Loan

We advised Neste as it signed a EUR 200 million bilateral green term loan agreement with Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ). The proceeds of the loan will be used to finance eligible assets and projects in accordance with Neste’s Green Finance Framework. The loan has a tenor of five years. Neste published a renewed Green Finance Framework in February 2024 to align future financing activities with market best practices and standards. In addition to renewable and circular solutions, Neste’s renewed framework includes renewable energy as an investment category. Longer term actions on Neste’s climate roadmap include scaling up new technologies and innovations, with focus on renewable hydrogen. Renewable hydrogen and other new technologies are estimated to have a reduction potential of 20% or more of the 2019 scope 1 and 2 emission baseline by 2030.

Verne Global – Data center project in Mäntsälä

We are assisting Verne Global Ltd, the leading provider of sustainably powered HPC data centers in the Nordics, in developing a data center in Mäntsälä, Finland. We advised Verne in acquiring the real estate company managing the Mäntsälä site, as well as in the subsequent acquisition of the site itself. Our assistance extends beyond real estate transactions to include permitting and tax-related matters. Additionally, we advise Verne on grid connection and electricity supply matters. The acquisition of the project site in Mäntsälä marks Verne’s fourth data center in Finland, reinforcing its position as a leader in sustainable and scalable data center solutions. The Mäntsälä campus, spanning 10 hectares and located just a 40-minute drive from Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, will initially offer a capacity of 70 MW. The facility is designed to support data-intensive enterprises and AI innovators running HPC, machine learning, and other high-intensity workloads, all while operating exclusively on renewable energy. Verne’s new facility will adhere to the company’s best practice design principles, focusing on maximizing efficiency and minimizing environmental impact. The campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources, and waste heat generated by the data center will be utilized for local community heating projects. The company is working closely with the Mäntsälä Municipality to ensure the new facility benefits the local area, including plans to harness waste heat for district heating. Construction of Verne’s Mäntsälä data center is set to begin in mid-2025 and is expected to take two years to complete. This expansion is a strategic move in Verne’s long-term plan to build out its sustainably powered data center platform, which was acquired by Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, in early 2024. Ardian has already invested over EUR 1.6 billion in the Nordics, focusing on energy transition and digital infrastructure projects, and is working with Verne to drive sustainable growth across the region. Read Verne Global’s press release.

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