Ari Kaarakainen Joins Global Law Experts as Finland’s Leading Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate Counsel

Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Ari Kaarakainen as the exclusive member for Finland in the practice areas of Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate. This announcement marks a significant milestone for the Global Law Experts network as it continues to align with leading Finnish counsel who combine deep local insight with international reach. Ari’s leadership at Kaarakainen Attorneys Ltd reinforces a commitment to delivering rigorous, transaction oriented advice for clients navigating complex corporate and property deals in Finland and beyond.

Background

Ari Kaarakainen brings a distinctive blend of academic achievement, financial services exposure, and broad transactional know how. He earned a Master of Laws from the University of Helsinki and an MBA from Columbia University, Business School, credentials that equip him to address sophisticated legal issues with a strategic business perspective. Early in his career, he served as a lawyer with the Helsinki Chamber of Commerce, laying a foundation in commercial law and regulatory matters. He then gained practical experience in corporate finance at Danske Bank, including a period working in New York, where he cultivated cross border banking and financing competencies. In 2001 Ari joined Borenius Attorneys Ltd, where he worked as an attorney and partner for more than two decades. There he built a practice focused on M&A financing, real estate transactions and infrastructure related matters, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and advising clients through complex negotiations and regulatory considerations. In 2026 Ari transitioned to Kaarakainen Attorneys Ltd as a partner, reinforcing his home market expertise while maintaining an international outlook cultivated through years of cross border engagement.

This professional trajectory—from local counsel to prominent Finnish firm leadership—reflects a consistent emphasis on practical solutions for buyers, sellers, developers, lenders and investors. Ari’s background in banking and in leading Finnish and international law firms provides a dual lens: a rigorous understanding of financial drivers and a disciplined approach to risk management in high stakes transactions. His education and career path illustrate a sustained commitment to translating complex legal concepts into actionable strategies for clients operating in dynamic markets.

Kaarakainen Attorneys Ltd

Based in Helsinki, Kaarakainen Attorneys Ltd concentrates on M&A and Real Estate Transactions while maintaining strong capabilities in Corporate Law, Commercial Agreements and Financing Arrangements. The firm offers end to end advisory for corporate transactions and property oriented deals, serving both domestic and cross border clients. Ari Kaarakainen leads the practice with a focus on delivering integrated, commercially relevant advice that supports timely and value driven outcomes. The firm emphasizes collaborative problem solving, and when necessary engages external specialists in tax, competition and IP IT matters to provide a holistic solution. This cohesive approach is designed to address the full spectrum of issues that arise in ambitious transactions and development projects in Finland.

The firm’s presence in Finland’s capital and its engagement with clients pursuing cross jurisdiction opportunities position Ari and his team to bridge local expertise with international standards. This alignment is particularly valuable for multinational investors and strategic buyers who require seamless coordination across legal, financial and regulatory dimensions of M&A and Real Estate deals.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Ari’s Mergers and Acquisitions practice centers on delivering practical, outcome oriented counsel for both sellers and buyers in Finland and for clients pursuing cross border transactions that involve Finnish assets or entities. His approach encompasses structuring transactions in the most favorable tax and regulatory framework, conducting rigorous due diligence, negotiating and drafting transaction documents, and coordinating multi party teams to ensure a smooth completion. He is adept at advising on both asset purchases and share deals, with an emphasis on transactions that integrate financing arrangements and collateral structures. In cross border contexts, Ari guides clients through multi jurisdiction considerations, including corporate governance, regulatory compliance and integration planning. The interplay between M&A and financing is a recurring feature of his practice, reflecting his banking background and his track record in coordinating complex deal ecosystems that align price, risk, and execution timelines. Given Finland’s evolving corporate and capital markets environment, Ari’s counsel is aligned with the needs of international clients seeking timely, well documented and compliant transactions that protect value.

Cross referencing Ari’s experience with cross border deals and his ability to coordinate diverse advisory teams helps clients achieve efficient closes while maintaining robust risk management. For corporate sellers and buyers alike, his M&A practice provides a disciplined framework for negotiations, due diligence, and post closing considerations that safeguard integration and long term value creation.

Real Estate

Ari’s Real Estate practice addresses complex property transactions and portfolio level investments, reflecting a deep understanding of Finnish real estate markets and regulatory regimes. He advises on due diligence, title integrity, structure of ownership, and the negotiation of acquisition and disposal agreements across office, retail, logistics and industrial assets. Real estate transactions frequently intersect with financing arrangements and development projects, and Ari is equipped to manage these intersections by advising on debt structuring, collateral arrangements, and risk mitigation strategies. His experience extends to development agreements, joint venture structures and asset management considerations that accompany sizable property programs. In addition to traditional transactional work, Ari’s background supports clients navigating property backed financings, project finance and cross border investment structures, which are increasingly common for international investors seeking Finnish opportunities.

Finland presents a dynamic landscape for real estate activity with regulatory nuance and market considerations that benefit from a practitioner who can translate complex legal requirements into actionable, business friendly terms. Ari’s combined expertise in corporate, financing and real estate matters enables him to provide integrated advice that aligns property strategies with broader corporate goals, financing plans and asset management objectives. For international clients, this means you have a Finnish based expert who can articulate local realities while coordinating with global teams to ensure consistency and efficiency across markets.

International Relevance and Collaboration

Even as a trusted Finnish specialist, Ari’s professional history includes significant international exposure that enhances his ability to serve global clients. His time with Danske Bank (earlier Postbank) in New York and his long tenure with a leading Finnish law firm positioned him to understand cross border financing dynamics, regulatory expectations and the practical realities of international investment in Finland. As the exclusive Global Law Experts member for Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate in Finland, Ari is equipped to act as a conduit between international clients and the Finnish market. He can coordinate with Global Law Experts members across jurisdictions to address multi jurisdictional transactions, complex financing structures and cross border regulatory issues. This international orientation complements Finland’s role as a gateway to Northern Europe and strengthens the network’s capacity to support cross border portfolios and strategic investments in the Nordic region and beyond.

Through his leadership at Kaarakainen Attorneys Ltd and his sustained engagement with cross border and domestic deals, Ari offers clients a rare combination of local market know how and global business sensibilities. His practice is well positioned to support multinational corporations, private equity buyers, and foreign developers seeking to acquire, finance, develop or restructure Finnish assets within a coherent, risk managed framework that respects local law while embracing international best practices.

Global Law Experts welcomes Ari Kaarakainen to the network and looks forward to working with clients and fellow professionals to foster successful mergers and acquisitions and robust real estate ventures in Finland and across borders