We are pleased to announce the appointment of two new Partners as of the beginning of 2026, further strengthening our practices and highlighting our long-term commitment to our clients and our firm.
Niko Markkanen has been appointed Partner in our M&A practice. A home-grown talent, Niko has played a central role in the development of our transactional offering with a particular focus on the venture capital sector. He regularly advises founders, growth companies and investors on venture capital investments, exits, reorganisations and strategic transactions, and is known for his pragmatic, commercially driven approach. Niko’s appointment reflects both the strong momentum in our M&A and venture capital work and our continued commitment to fostering talent from within the firm.
Juhani Matinlassi will join us as Partner in our Defence and Security and EU & Competition practices. Juhani brings extensive experience in public procurement, large-scale projects, competition law, contracts and dispute resolution. He has a particularly strong background in defence-sector legal matters, having served for nearly seven years as a commercial lawyer at the Defence Command of the Finnish Defence Forces, where he was responsible for major strategic procurements and related litigation, including proceedings before the EU courts. He joins us from private practice, having previously worked at Roschier and most recently as a partner at Applex.
“These appointments underline our strategic focus on areas where our clients are investing and growing – from venture capital and high-growth companies to defence, public procurement and regulated markets. By strengthening both our transactional and regulatory capabilities, we are building a platform that supports clients through growth, investment and matters of strategic importance. I am very pleased to welcome Juhani to the firm and to see Niko step into the role of Partner,” says Niklas Thibblin, Managing Partner.