Paula Aura

Director of Knowledge Management & Innovation

Contact details

I am in charge of knowledge management and innovation at Castrén & Snellman. I head our legal technology and legal design teams as well as our KM and translation functions, and as a member of our Management Group I take part in developing our firm’s business and strategy. I find motivation in the diverse tasks and challenges of my work.

I have extensive experience in integrating legal technology with legal practice. I lead our firm’s AI projects in which we pilot and roll out AI solutions that genuinely benefit our lawyers. With the AI revolution, change is faster than ever before. My main task is to ensure that our chosen legal technology solutions and new ways of working meet the demands of the evolving business environment and are successfully integrated into the lawyers’ work. As a change leader, I encourage innovation while ensuring that our development work continues to serve a practical purpose.

I am social by nature, and I thrive in our dynamic and forward-looking work community. I collaborate extensively with a wide range of people, both within and outside the firm. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is to witness how my talented team excels in their work.

I obtained my law degree in 2004 and have since furthered my expertise with a qualification in legal informatics and a degree in project management. Before I joined C&S in 2007, I worked in the KM team of another large law firm for several years.

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My latest blogs

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

Blog Legal Technology Improves Efficiency – But Not by Itself

Blog Quality Contracts Faster than Ever – Kicking Our Services into High Gear with Automation

Latest references

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.

Finnish P&C Insurance – Design of Insurance Terms

We carried out a legal design project in which we designed insurance terms for Finnish P&C Insurance Ltd according to the client’s wishes. Legal design is all about multi-professional dialogue and cooperation. In this project, our team included experts in legal technology, the Finnish language, graphic design and the law. In line with the principles of legal design, the process was agile and iterative. In the first phase of the project, we delivered a prototype for commentary. The comments we received from the client enabled us to better address the client’s goals. The visual appearance of the final product was based on the client’s wishes and graphical guidelines. We kept the end-user in mind when designing the insurance terms – after all, user-centricity, or taking the target group’s needs into account, is one of the main principles of legal design. In addition to a legal review of the insurance terms, the goals for this design project included clarifying the terms and cutting down on legalese. During the project, the client’s initial draft was completely transformed. The end result was insurance terms in a compact, practical and clear format. Finnish P&C Insurance Ltd is a modern Finnish non-life insurance company that provides customised insurance services for the brands POP Insurance and Savings Bank Insurance. The digital aspect of the company was key from its foundation in 2012. The company currently has over 170,000 customers and more than 100 employees. Finnish P&C Insurance Ltd is owned by the financially sound POP Bank Group.

Foundation Clinic – Funding Round

We advised Foundation Clinic in connection with its funding round backed by a group of prominent Finnish technology entrepreneurs and investors, including founders behind Supercell and Wolt. Foundation Clinic is a Finnish healthcare company developing a new approach to private healthcare focused on preventive, data-driven and continuous care. The company aims to combine comprehensive health data with ongoing medical care to identify and address health risks at an early stage.

Delta Capacity – Project financing of two battery energy storage systems (BESS)

We advised Delta Capacity AG in a project financing of two battery energy storage systems (BESS). The financed projects are among the largest BESS developments in Finland to enter construction with 250 MW / 600 MWh combined capacity. The financing was provided by Société Générale with support from Finnvera. Construction of both projects, located in Lapinlahti and Teuva, has already begun and the commercial operations are targeted to commence in late 2027 with partial tolling agreements already in place for both assets. The project in Lapinlahti is executed in partnership with Covenergo, while the project in Teuva is executed in partnership with Strioga Family Foundation. Delta Capacity is a Swiss developer of utility-scale battery storage systems. The projects strengthen Delta Capacity’s growing Nordic portfolio and support the flexibility of Finland’s electricity system by adding energy storage capacity, enabling production optimization as well as participation in electricity markets and reserve services.

Martela Corporation – Directed share issue and combination of share series

We acted as legal adviser to Martela Corporation in its directed share issue, through which Martela raised gross proceeds of approximately EUR 7.2 million to strengthen the company’s financial position and liquidity and to create headroom for continuing the necessary development and efficiency measures. In connection with the directed share issue, Martela’s unlisted series K shares, which carried greater voting rights, were combined with its listed series A shares. Following the combination, the company has only one share series, which is traded on the regulated market maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd, with each share carrying one vote and otherwise identical rights. Martela is a Nordic leader specialising in user-centric working and learning environments. With over 80 years of experience, Martela creates the best places to work and offers its customers the Martela Lifecycle solutions which combine furniture and related services into a seamless whole.

Banyan Software – Acquisition of Carus Ferry

We acted as legal adviser to Banyan Software on its acquisition of Carus Ferry, a Finland-based provider of reservation, check-in and port operations software for ferry and passenger shipping operators. The acquisition further strengthens Banyan Software’s presence in the Nordic region while providing Carus with a long-term partner to support its continued growth and development. Carus was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mariehamn on the Åland Islands, Finland. The company develops mission-critical software for ferry, cruise and passenger shipping operators, covering the full passenger journey from booking and ticketing to capacity management, check-in and boarding. Carus also provides port automation, onboard sales systems and business information tools. The company serves approximately 30 operators across four continents and is the largest vendor by customer count in ferry reservation and departure control. Banyan Software is an acquirer and long-term operator of mission-critical software businesses serving specialised industries. Founded in 2016, Banyan follows a buy-and-hold-for-life approach and supports the long-term growth and development of its portfolio companies. Banyan operates more than 130 portfolio companies across North and South America, the United Kingdom, Europe and APAC. Following the acquisition of Carus, Banyan operates three businesses in the Nordic region.

Move Energy – Combination of 3North Partners and Steady Energy and related private placement and IPO

We advised Move Energy as an investor in connection with the combination of 3North Partners Plc and Steady Energy Oy and the related private placement and initial public offering of the combined company on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. In connection with the transaction, 3North Partners received approximately EUR 69.8 million in investor commitments from a group of institutional and other investors, including Move Energy, to fund the combined company. Steady Energy is a Finnish nuclear technology company developing a new generation of small modular reactors (SMRs) particularly suited for district heating. Its LDR-50 reactor is designed to provide cities and utilities with a scalable and low-carbon alternative to combustion-based heat production.

Efima – Sale of AI business

We advised Efima Oyj on the sale of its AI business to Better Care Technologies Oy. The transaction included Efima’s Moiva AI platform developed for the care sector, the related technology and brand, customer contracts, and the experts working in the business. Efima is a Finnish digital company that supports the sustainable growth of large and mid-sized companies by streamlining their business processes and by creating competitive advantage through the innovative use of artificial intelligence and data. The company has nearly 200 experts based in Helsinki and Tampere.

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