Maria Korkala

Legal Assistant

Services

Contact details

I work as a Legal Assistant in the Real Estate Investment & Transactions as well as the Banking & Finance teams. I have extensive and diverse experience from both large expert organisations and startups, which has provided me with a strong foundation for demanding assistant and administrative responsibilities, as well as a solid understanding of different operating environments.

My role as an Assistant at Castrén & Snellman offers excellent opportunities for continuous learning and professional development while working alongside top-tier experts on interesting client assignments. I find it meaningful to contribute to the smooth day-to-day operations of the teams and to play my part in supporting the successful delivery of projects.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from JAMK University of Applied Sciences and a BBA degree from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, the Netherlands.

Language+

Latest references

G&W Electric – Acquisition of Safegrid

We advised G&W Electric with its acquisition of Safegrid Oy, a leading provider of intelligent grid monitoring solutions based in Finland. The acquisition accelerates G&W Electric’s long-term strategy to integrate intelligent monitoring and predictive analytics into its power distribution portfolio, strengthening its offering to utility customers worldwide. Founded in 1905 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, G&W Electric is a global leader in innovative power grid solutions, with a presence in over 100 countries. The company is known for advanced load and fault interrupting switches, reclosers, sensors, system protection equipment, power grid automation, intelligent grid monitoring, and transmission and distribution cable accessories. Safegrid is a Finnish technology company headquartered in Espoo, Finland. The company develops the Intelligent Grid System®, a grid monitoring solution that combines instant-on wireless sensors with advanced analytics to deliver real-time insight into grid conditions, enabling utilities to identify emerging issues, anticipate failures, and reduce outage duration across medium and high voltage distribution and transmission networks.

Kiwa – Acquisition of Sertio

We advised Kiwa in its acquisition of Sertio Oy, a Finnish notified body designated by the authority in accordance with the EU Regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR). Sertio provides conformity assessment services in accordance with IVDR. Kiwa is one of the world’s leading testing, inspection, and certification companies, operating in over 35 countries.

Metsäkonepalvelu – Acquisition of Junnonen Forest and the business operations of Lamerit

We advised Metsäkonepalvelu Oy in its acquisition of the entire share capital of Junnonen Forest Oy, a Finnish timber harvesting services company, and the timber harvesting services business of Lamerit Oy. The acquisition supports Metsäkonepalvelu’s growth strategy and strengthens the company’s position, particularly in southeastern Finland. Metsäkonepalvelu is a portfolio company of A. Ahlström Oy, a Finnish family-owned industrial owner. The company provides mechanical timber harvesting services to forest companies, large private forest owners, and the public sector in Finland and Sweden. Metsäkonepalvelu Group employs nearly two hundred forestry professionals.

Scanreco – Acquisition of CrossControl

We acted as Finnish counsel to Scanreco in its acquisition of CrossControl. Mannheimer Swartling (Sweden) acted as lead counsel for Scanreco. CrossControl, founded in Sweden, is a high-tech supplier of advanced display computers and central vehicle computing solutions for industrial vehicles and machines. Scanreco is a world leading supplier of professional radio remote control systems to international machinery, heavy equipment, and crane manufacturers. The combined group comprises approximately 600 employees and generates annual revenue of around SEK 1.4 billion.

NATO Innovation Fund – Kelluu’s EUR 15 million Series A funding round

We advised the NATO Innovation Fund as lead investor on Kelluu’s EUR 15 million Series A funding round, with participation from Keen Venture Partners, Gungnir Capital, and Tesi. Kelluu is a Finnish deep tech company operating the world’s largest autonomous airship fleet. We advised NIF on this transaction alongside global law firm Latham & Watkins.

Nscale – Data centre project

Castrén & Snellman advised Nscale, a European AI infrastructure company, in connection with its planned data centre project in Harjavalta, Finland. The facility will be located in the Sievari industrial area. Castrén & Snellman’s advisory role encompassed the negotiation and execution of a site securing and development agreement (SSDA) with Fortum, as well as the preliminary land sale process for the Sievari site with the Town of Harjavalta. Under the SSDA, Fortum supports the advancement of Nscale’s project development, including grid connection design and permitting.

Taaleri – Acquisition of a majority stake in Nordic Science Investments

We are acting as legal adviser to Taaleri Plc on its acquisition of a 51 per cent ownership stake in Nordic Science Investments Oy (NSI), marking Taaleri’s expansion into deeptech-driven venture capital. Through the transaction, Taaleri broadens its private equity offering into early-stage venture capital funds as well as the commercialisation and scaling of research-driven innovations. NSI is a Finnish venture capital fund manager operating across the Nordic and Baltic regions, focusing on early-stage investments in research- and science-based technologies. Its portfolio companies develop, among other things, health technologies, life sciences, advanced materials and AI-driven solutions. In addition to providing growth capital, NSI supports spin-out companies with strategic guidance, access to networks and assistance in building teams during the early phases of business development. NSI’s first fund, the EUR 45 million NSI Nordic Science I Ky, was established in 2024 and has to date invested in 22 early-stage companies in Finland, Sweden and the Baltic countries. Taaleri is a specialist in investments, private asset management and non-life insurance, with a strong position in renewable energy, bioindustry and housing investments as well as credit risk insurance. Taaleri has EUR 2.7 billion of assets under management in its private equity funds, co-investments and single-asset vehicles, employs approximately 130 people and is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. The founders of NSI will continue in their operational roles following the transaction. The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the FIN-FSA.

Finnish Centre for Pensions – Information design workshop

We delivered two information design workshops for the legal department of the Finnish Centre for Pensions, with participants from both legal and other professional backgrounds. In the sessions, we applied the principles of legal design thinking to the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ field of operation and background materials, also utilising AI as a design tool. The participants found the tailored training highly useful and commended the trainers for their in-depth familiarisation with the Centre’s opinion drafting process and operating environment. As a result of the workshops, our experts proposed a new structural and linguistic model for the legal department of the Finnish Centre for Pensions for drafting opinions and guidelines. The proposal was well received as clear and applicable to the participants’ everyday work. In addition, we presented tailored AI use cases to support experts, allowing for a more efficient AI-assisted way of working. Our experts who delivered the workshops combined their legal expertise with their leading experience in legal design. The participants appreciated this versatile expertise, which enabled a knowledgeable, creative and applied approach to legal writing. ‘C&S created a well-structured training tailored to our needs, providing clear direction for our organisation and concrete takeaways for our experts in their day-to-day work,’ says Mari Kuunvalo, Head Of the Legal Department at the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

Get to know our other experts in the field

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 50 303 0459 antti.kaakkola@castren.fi

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 50 300 7172 rami.laatsalo@castren.fi

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 40 769 4301 elina.marttala@castren.fi

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 40 574 6366 lauri.ylonen@castren.fi

Senior Associate

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 20 776 5141 salla.koskela@castren.fi

Samuli Jestilä

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 40 734 1390 samuli.jestila@castren.fi

Mickael Miettinen

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 45 657 3435 mickael.miettinen@castren.fi

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 45 112 0345 milla.pakkanen@castren.fi

Real Estate Investments & Transactions

+358 40 732 6315 jessica.salmia@castren.fi

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