Katja Perätalo
Katja Perätalo
Katja Perätalo advises clients on large-scale industrial construction and investment projects on a full lifecycle basis, capturing all phases from contract negotiations to implementation and navigating through strategic issues with contentious interfaces during and after execution. Katja has particular expertise in EPC & EPCM projects, procurement contracts, and supply and maintenance agreements related to power plants, wind power projects, production facilities, equipment deliveries, and other works and deliveries especially within the heavy industries, construction, and energy sectors. Her experience ranges from complex standalone investment projects to advising on construction issues in a transactional context, dispute resolution processes, and contracts & claims management on a global corporate level in this sector.
Katja holds a Doctor of Laws / LL.D. degree from the University of Helsinki and a M.Sc. (tech) degree from Aalto University. Her doctoral dissertation covers the interface between tort and contract law in the context of liabilities between parties of a large-scale construction project.
Before joining Hannes Snellman, Katja was in charge of contracts & claims management and a member of the management team of the procurement organisation at one of the largest industrial companies in Finland. She also has several years of experience from working in another leading Finnish law firm, during which time she also went on secondment to a leading international law firm in London. Katja has previously also gained experience as an analyst in the real estate sector.
Katja is a former international-level athlete, a European Championship finalist, and World Championship semi-finalist. She held Finnish national records in swimming for over a decade.
Exceptionally good in her line of expertise. Thorough understanding of both legal aspects as well as the real-life challenges that the client is facing. Always available, easy to work with.
IFLR1000, 2023
References
Parties
Keliber Oy, Metso Outotec
Transaction
Counsel to Keliber in respect of the construction and supply contracts pertaining to the company’s lithium project in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland. The project is one of the most significant battery chemical projects in Europe. Keliber has now signed a contract with Metso Outotec to supply a concentrator plant in Kaustinen and a lithium hydroxide plant in Kokkola, which is one of the key deliveries in respect of the project.
Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to Keliber Oy
Katja Perätalo
Maria Landtman
Emmi Nuutila
Kristina Leibssle
Janne Veneranta
Parties
State of Finland and its Defence Forces
Transaction
Counsel to the State of Finland and its Defence Forces in the project to procure a fighter aircraft system to replace its current fleet of 64 F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.
Deal value
EUR 10 billion
Role
Counsel to the State of Finland and its Defence Forces.
Rabbe Sittnikow
Maria Landtman
Katja Perätalo
Janna Pihanurmi
Emmi Nuutila
Jesper Nevalainen
Markus Manninen
Olli Mäkelä
Mikko Huimala
Antti Nyberg
Matias Moberg
Anni Ollus
Nora Mansikka
Jessica Riipi
Counsel to OX2 in respect of the construction contracts for full grid and balance of plant (including transmission line, balance of plant works, substation, and transformers) in respect of the 145,2 MW Niinimäki wind farm in the municipality of Pieksämäki, Finland.
Maria Landtman
Katja Perätalo
Emmi Nuutila
Counsel to Exilion in the Construction and Financing of Isokangas and Palokangas Wind Farms. The projects will be constructed in Ii in northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, and will have an aggregate capacity of 100MW. The estimated yearly production of the two wind farms will be around 320,000 MWh. Our team advised Exilion in respect of negotiating turbine supply and services, balance of plant and financing agreements.
Maria Landtman
Katja Perätalo
Heikki Majamaa
Janne Veneranta
Katja Heikkinen
Valerie Wårvik
Julia Ranta
Tiia Mäki
Parties:
Veolia Services Suomi Oy, Metsä Fibre
Transaction:
Veolia Services Suomi Oy’s project to build a crude methanol processing plant in connection with Metsä Fibre's Äänekoski bioproduct mill plant in Äänekoski
Deal Value:
Value not public
Role:
Counsel to Veolia Services Suomi Oy
Katja Perätalo
Maria Landtman
Emmi Nuutila
Kristina Leibssle
Anna-Maria Tamminen
Klaus Metsä-Simola
Päivi Tammilehto
Acted as counsel to OX2 in respect of the construction contracts for full grid and balance of plant (including transmission lines, balance of plant works, substations and transformers) in respect of a 455 MW wind farm in Lestijärvi, Finland. Once operational, the wind farm will be the largest in Finland.
Maria Landtman
Katja Perätalo
Emmi Nuutila
Parties
Keliber Oy, Sweco
Transaction
Keliber signed an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract with Sweco in respect of a project, which comprises a concentrator plant and lithium mines in Kaustinen, Kokkola and Kruunupyy, and a lithium hydroxide plant in Kokkola.
Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to Keliber Oy
Juha Lindström
Maria Landtman
Katja Perätalo
Klaus Metsä-Simola
Janne Veneranta
Parties
YIT Oyj, Ålandsbanken Wind Power Fund
Transaction
YIT Oyj's wind power development project with Ålandsbanken Wind Power Fund, where YIT agreed to sell the project, deliver the balance of plant construction works and manage the construction of the wind farm until commencement of the operation. The aggregate maximum production capacity of the project is 90 MW.
Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to YIT Oyj
Tapio Teräkivi
Maria Landtman
Katja Heikkinen
Katja Perätalo
Janne Veneranta
Rankings
- "Katja Perätalo is superb with her wide understanding of the construction business, same as Maria Landtman. They provide excellent expertise through their argumentation and understand the business logic very well. So with them it is fluent to manage even the toughest and longest of negotiations.", Real Estate And Construction, Legal 500, 2024
- "Cheerfulness. Proactive and constructive. Exceptionally good in her line of expertise. Thorough understanding of both legal aspects as well as the real-life challenges that the client is facing. Always available, easy to work with.", IFLR1000, 2023
- Ranked as Next Generation Partners, Real Estate And Construction, Legal 500, 2023-2024
- "Excellent communication and negotiation skills. Sharp legal mind and very good project management. Availability, even temper and disposition. Solution-oriented and very diligent and detail-oriented while keeping in mind the need to reach a resolution and balance competing interests. Well liked by operational teams.", IFLR1000, 2022
Memberships and Positions of Trust
- Urhea (Pääkaupunkiseudun urheiluakatemia), Member of the Board, 2009–2013
Publications
- Rakentamisen vastuut murroksessa: uusi kaavoitus- ja rakentamislaki ja teollinen rakentaminen. Teoksessa Hemmo, M, Hoppu, K, Norros, O & Pönkä, V (eds) 2022, Yksityisoikeus ja oikeuskulttuuri: Juhlajulkaisu Heikki Halila 1952 - 26/5 - 2022, s. 373-836. Edita, Keuruu.
- Vastuumuotoerottelu ja rakennusurakka - Velvoiteoikeudellinen tutkimus sopimuksen ja deliktin väliselle rajapinnalle sijoittuvista vahingonkorvauskysymyksistä rakennusurakan vastuuasetelmien kontekstissa, Alma Talent 2020
- Lectio praecursoria: Katja Perätalo, Vastuumuotoerottelu ja rakennusurakka, Lakimies 7-8/2020
- Joint and several liability in the context of construction projects, Oikeustiede–Jurisprudentia L:2017 (Suomalainen Lakimiesyhdistys, the Finnish Lawyers' Society) 2017
- Tort liability between parties to a construction project, Oikeustiede–Jurisprudentia XLVII:2015 (Suomalainen Lakimiesyhdistys, the Finnish Lawyers' Society) 2015
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Construction - Country Guide Finland (Co-author),
IBA International Construction Projects Committee 2014 - Liability of principal designer towards special designer in a builder-driven construction design project, Business Law Forum (University of Helsinki) 2013
Education and Professional Background
- Partner, Hannes Snellman, 2024-
- Specialist Partner, Hannes Snellman, 2021-2024
- Counsel, Hannes Snellman, 2020–2021
- Manager, Contracts & Claims, Neste Corporation 2016–2020
- Senior Associate, International Construction & Projects, Castrén & Snellman, 2012–2016
- Seconded Lawyer, Projects, Simmons & Simmons, 2015
- Analyst, Mrec, 2011
- Junior Analyst, Asuntoturva, 2009–2011
- Doctor of Laws, University of Helsinki, 2020
- Master of Laws, University of Helsinki, 2012
- Master of Science (Technology), Aalto University, 2010
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Teollisten rakennushankkeiden erityispiirteet, Finnish Bar Association's 'Rakennushankkeiden sopimukset ja erimielisyydet' seminar, February 2023
- Rakennuttamisen sopimukselliset erityispiirteet vihreän siirtymän investoinneissa, Rakennuttaminen 2023 Seminar, January 2023
- Energiamurros ja vihreän siirtymän investoinnit Suomessa: projektirakentamiseen liittyvien erimielisyyksien erityispiirteet ja niiden ehkäisy projektin eri vaiheissa, Lakimiesliitto, Alma Talent Rakennusriitapäivä seminar, November 2022
- Wind power construction – how to mitigate disputes before, during and after construction?, Wind Finland, October 2022
- Liabilities in wind power construction – how to mitigate disputes before, during and after construction?, Wind Finland Goes Construction, March 2022
- Energiamurros ja investoinnit Suomessa - teollisten rakentamissopimusten erityispiirteet, Alma Talent Rakennusjuridiikka 2022 seminar, March 2022
- Vastuumuotoerottelu ja rakennusurakka, Asianajajaliitto, Raksajuridiikkaa konkareille seminar, September 2021
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