Mia Ihamuotila

Legal Tech & Design Lawyer

Contact details

I specialise in data protection, legal technology and legal design and co-lead our legal technology and design team. My team produces innovative solutions that improve the quality and efficiency of legal services. As a lawyer, I am innovative and creative, focusing on change management and the implementation of new perspectives and practices, such as user-centricity and artificial intelligence, in our field.

I graduated from the University of Helsinki in the spring of 2024. During my studies, I worked in law firms and as a consultant in legal technology and legal design and also managed client projects. My master’s thesis dealt with the interpretation of data protection legislation and the comprehensibility, transparency and user-centricity of privacy statements and was based on empirical research and user experiences. My research showed that comprehensibility and transparency increase thanks to design methods.

I actively participate in the development of our business, project management and innovation processes. I speak at national and international legal innovation conferences, through which I have gained extensive insights into the topics. Additionally, I have acquired expertise in the fields of design, psychology and information processing.

My team also includes legal technology trainees, with whom we take care of our digital tools. Our team’s tasks include document automation and training our staff in the use of legal technology.

In my work, I particularly enjoy being involved in developing new solutions that meet the changing needs of the business. I am social and cooperative, and I value close and interdisciplinary collaboration both within the organisation and with external stakeholders. It is important to me to be part of a dynamic and forward-looking work community where we can create meaningful changes together.

Language+

My latest blogs

Blog Being a Part of the Legal Transformation at Castrén & Snellman

Blog Revolutionising legal services: Castrén & Snellman’s journey with AI integration

Latest references

Natural Resources Institute Finland – AI training

We delivered two tailor-made AI workshops for the lawyers at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). We discussed the AI revolution and its impact on lawyers’ ways of thinking and working, and left the participants with practical solutions for enhancing and streamlining their work with Legora. Our AI-specialist lawyers prepared use cases tailored to Luke and the needs of public administration, which Luke received for its own use following the workshops. These use cases covered topics such as: utilising legal sources and the organisation’s own data to maximise AI results building and leveraging AI workflows AI-enhanced contract drafting based on a large volume of documents. The workshops sparked wide-ranging discussion on the role and benefits of AI in legal work. Participants appreciated how clearly and comprehensively our experts were able to present the nature and benefits of AI specifically within a legal context. ‘The workshops provided excellent support for Luke’s goal of leveraging AI responsibly and gave us concrete and ready-to-use practical takeaways,’ says Hannu Laitinen, Luke’s Senior Vice President, Administrative Affairs.

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.

Fortum – AI workshop

We delivered two AI workshops for Fortum Corporation’s Mergers and Acquisitions team, with both legal and business professionals participating. The sessions combined fundamental AI principles with custom use cases for commercially available AI tools tailored to Fortum’s needs. We also presented a bespoke solution merging AI with a script-based tool developed by our Legal Tech team, enabling a more automated way of working. Our experts conducted the training drawing on their legal background and leading experience in this emerging field of legal technology. Participants particularly appreciated the clarity and relevance of the implementations demonstrated. ‘C&S delivered an excellent, well-structured series of workshops, with directly applicable takeaways,’ says Sabina Hautaviita, Legal Counsel for M&A at Fortum.

Taaleri – AI workshop

Castrén & Snellman organised a practical AI workshop for Taaleri’s lawyers, combining the basic principles of AI thinking with practical applications in a legal environment. The training utilised use cases that were designed in collaboration based on Taaleri’s own materials. Participants found the use cases particularly useful and noted that what they had learnt was readily applicable to their daily work. The training was delivered by Castrén & Snellman’s legal technology experts with a legal background, and participants praised their strong expertise in both legal technology and its application in a legal environment. ‘Our team gained valuable insights into leveraging AI, which will continue to support our organisation’s AI journey,’ says Irina Bergström, Development Manager at Taaleri.

Puhdistamo – PK Consumer Health invests in Puhdistamo

We advised the shareholders in Puhdistamo – Real Foods Oy in the sale of all shares in Puhdistamo to PK Consumer Health. Puhdistamo is a leading Nordic wellbeing company, best known for its high-quality supplements, sports nutrition products and, functional beverages. Puhdistamo employs 120 employees in Finland and Sweden. PK Consumer Health is owned by Avista Healthcare Partners and Damier Group. The sellers will make a reinvestment into PK Consumer Health as part of the transaction. Completion is subject to customary closing conditions.

Merger of Oomi and Lumme Energia

We are acting as the joint legal advisor to Oomi Oy and Lumme Energia Oy in a transaction whereby Lumme Energia will merge with Oomi. As from the completion of the merger, the combined entity will be the largest electricity retail and service company in the Finnish market. In 2024, Oomi reported a turnover of EUR 373.9 million and had approximately 110 employees. Lumme Energia’s turnover for the same year was approximately EUR 314.6 million and it had approximately 50 employees. The transaction is primarily driven by the recent developments in the electricity market and the strategic goal to develop competitive products and services. Another key objective is to further enhance the customer experience, which is a shared value between the two companies. As a result of the merger, Lumme Energia’s customers will transfer to Oomi, and Lumme Energia will become one of Oomi’s shareholders. The completion of the transaction is subject to an approval by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

Lenders and Export Credit Agencies – EUR 514.4 million green project financing for Easpring Finland New Materials’ CAM plant

We acted as Finnish law legal adviser to the lenders and the export credit agencies in connection with the EUR 514.4 million green project financing for the development and construction of Easpring Finland New Materials Oy’s cathode active material (CAM) manufacturing plant in Kotka, Finland. The borrower, Easpring Finland New Materials Oy, is a joint venture owned by Beijing Easpring Material Technology, Finnish Minerals Group and LG Energy Solution. The financing was provided by six international commercial banks, with Société Générale acting as financial adviser and mandated lead arranger together with Natixis as co-mandated lead arranger, and DNB, ICBC, ING and Standard Chartered participating as lenders, with support from the export credit agencies Finnvera and Sinosure. The project represents a significant milestone for Finland and the European battery value chain by strengthening Europe’s domestic supply of cathode active materials, a key component in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage applications. Once the first phase of the project is operational, the Kotka facility is expected to produce approximately 60,000 tonnes of cathode active material annually, making it one of the largest CAM production plants in Europe and supplying leading battery manufacturers across Europe.

Delta Capacity – Acquisition of BESS Project

We acted as Finnish legal advisor to Delta Capacity in connection with its acquisition of the ready-to-build Karppio battery energy storage system (BESS) project from Helios Nordic Energy. The acquisition was made and the project will be implemented together with Strioga Family Foundation. The Karppio BESS project is located in Teuva, Finland, and has a capacity of 125 MW / 300 MWh. Delta Capacity will lead the remaining development of the project through to commissioning, planned for 2027, and will serve as long-term asset manager. Delta Capacity is a Swiss-based developer of utility scale battery storage systems. The acquisition adds to Delta Capacity’s growing Nordic portfolio.

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