Veera Ylitalo

Associate, Master of Laws

Services

  1. Employment
  2. ESG and Corporate Sustainability

Contact details

I advise our domestic and international clients in various assignments relating to employment law.

I started my career at Castrén & Snellman as a trainee. Before that, I worked as a trainee at another business law firm and at a district court.

I have a Master of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki. In addition, I have studied law at the University of Bologna in Italy.

I’m on secondment at a client company until March 2025.

Latest references

BYG4Lab and Keensight Capital – Acquisition of Finbiosoft
We advised BYG4Lab, a portfolio company of the European growth buyout investor Keensight Capital, on its acquisition of Finbiosoft Oy, an innovative software company founded in 2011 with a mission to help laboratories reach higher quality and better efficiency. Founded in 1982, BYG4lab is a leading software company specialised in data management solutions for medical laboratories. The company is headquartered in France and employs nearly 110 people, of which approximately 40% are in R&D. Keensight Capital is a European growth buyout investor with deep expertise in technology and healthcare. Keensight Capital partners with the management teams of fast growing and profitable companies providing capital, strategic guidance and operational support.
Case published 14.3.2024
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.
Case published 9.6.2023
Korg USA – Acquisition of Darkglass Electronics
We acted as Finnish counsel to Korg USA in the acquisition of a controlling stake in the Finnish bass gear company Darkglass Electronics from the original founder Douglas Castro and other minority shareholders. Darkglass Electronics was founded in 2009 and it specialises in producing bass effect pedals, preamps, amplifies and cabinets. Korg USA was established in 1963 and its primary business is manufacturing and sale of electronic musical instruments. ‘This acquisition is aligned with our strategy to position Korg USA as a leader in the bass gear category’, says Joe Castronovo, President of Korg USA.
Case published 13.6.2022
Valio – Purchase of Gold&Green’s Brand, IPR and R&D Function
We advised Valio in the purchase of all the rights of the Gold&Green brand, Gold&Green Foods’ intellectual property and its research and development function from Paulig. Gold&Green Foods is known for its revolutionary plant-based innovation Pulled Oats. The arrangement does not include other Gold&Green Foods operations, and Paulig will continue Gold&Green Foods’ current operations and sell Gold&Green products under license from Valio. ‘Gold&Green has been a pioneer in the field of plant-based food and new product development, and Valio has successfully developed its Oddlygood plant-based product portfolio. Now, the Gold&Green R&D team joins us in reaching our strategic goal—to further strengthen our position in the growing global plant protein market. Together, we will develop the innovations in Gold&Green’s pipeline and continue the story of the brand’, says Tuomas Salusjärvi, Executive Vice President, Growth Businesses and R&D at Valio. Valio is a Finnish dairy and food group founded in 1905 and owned by Finnish regional dairy co-operatives. Valio has subsidiaries in Sweden, the Baltics, the USA and China. It had net sales of EUR 1,787 million in 2019 and employs over 4,000 professionals.
Case published 2.3.2022
Blackstone Growth – RELEX Solutions’ EUR 500 Million Funding Round
Castrén & Snellman, together with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Taylor Wessing, advised Blackstone Growth (BXG), Blackstone’s growth equity investing business, on the EUR 500 million funding round of Retail Logistics Excellence – RELEX Oy, a Finland-based provider of unified retail planning solutions. The funding round, led by funds managed by Blackstone Growth (BXG), values Relex Solutions at EUR 5 billion and is the largest funding round raised by a Finnish growth company to date. The funding raised allows the company to continue its growth path by hiring hundreds of developers and experts to grow its technical team that already stands at over 400 people strong. RELEX Solutions is a software company that automates and optimizes supply chain, merchandising, and operational decisions for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. With the rise of both regulations and corporate initiatives to reduce waste and drive social, economic, and environmental benefits, RELEX Solutions is a key partner for companies to reach their sustainability goals without sacrificing customer experience. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the company employs over 1,300 people globally. Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative investment firm with assets under management of USD 881 billion.
Case published 17.2.2022
The Rohatyn Group – Acquisition of Crown CRO Group
We advised The Rohatyn Group, a New York headquartered private equity and asset management house, and its portfolio company Optimapharm d.o.o (Croatia) in the acquisition of contract research group Crown CRO, which has a presence in the Nordics and Baltics.  The Rohatyn Group is a multi-strategy investment firm that is based in New York, NY. The firm offers multiple products across asset classes and investment approaches including hedge funds, credit, risk management, fixed income, macro and private market strategies. The firm has a presence in 15 cities globally. Optimapharm is a leading European, mid-sized, full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) that provides successful tailor-made clinical research solutions to biotech, pharma and medical device companies. Crown CRO, established in 2005, is a privately owned CRO with Finnish roots and a global network. Crown CRO specialises in customer-oriented, competitive and flexible services for clinical trials and regulatory affairs in Europe and the United States, serving the pharmaceutical, biotech, functional food, and medical device industries as well as contract research organisations. Headquartered in Finland, CrownCRO also has a strong presence in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Case published 21.12.2021
RCL Holding – Acquisition of Helsingin Pantti-Osakeyhtiö and Sefina Svensk Pantbelåning Aktiebolag
We acted as Finnish counsel to RCL Holding AB in its acquisition of Helsingin Pantti-Osakeyhtiö and Sefina Svensk Pantbelåning Aktiebolag from Aurajoki Nordic Group Oy. The acquisition was carried out by RCL Holding AB’s fully owned subsidiary. Morris Law (Sweden) acted as lead counsel for RCL Holding AB. Helsingin Pantti was founded in 1882 and is specialised in pawnbroking, auctioning and sale of second-hand jewellery. Helsingin Pantti is the largest pawnshop in Finland, being active in seven cities and having 12 pawn shops around Finland. In 2020, Helsingin Pantti employed 50 employees and had a turnover of 15.7 million euros. Sefina Svensk Pantbelåning Aktiebolag was established around 1884 and is the largest pawnshop in the Nordics, having approximately 95 employees and 20 pawn shops around Sweden.
Case published 2.11.2021
SciPlay – Acquisition of Koukoi Games
We advised SciPlay Corporation, a NASDAQ listed company, when it acquired Koukoi Games Oy, a Finland-based developer and operator of casual mobile games. The Koukoi team will take over the organic build of a new casual game concept, a key step in SciPlay’s expansion in the casual genre and revenue diversification strategy to drive long-term growth and shareholder value. Koukoi Games Oy, a mobile game company, was founded in 2015 in Oulu, Finland. Koukoi Games Oy is known for their hit game Om Nom Run which has been downloaded over 30 million times. SciPlay Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of digital games on mobile and web platforms. All of SciPlay’s games are offered and played on multiple platforms, including Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon. In addition to developing original games, SciPlay has access to a library of more than 1,500 real-world slot and table games provided by Scientific Games Corporation and its Subsidiaries.
Case published 14.7.2021

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