Paula Airas

Counsel, Dispute Resolution & Insolvency , Helsinki

Corporate Investigations & Compliance, Dispute Resolution

Contact

Paula Airas is a Helsinki-based Counsel specialized in commercial dispute resolution and insolvency law. Paula’s practice includes civil and criminal litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, including strategic advice for dispute avoidance. She is also a trusted advisor on EU sanctions related questions.

Due to her background in working with transactions, she has special emphasis on M&A and other transactional disputes, as well as shareholder agreements. Paula is also particularly experienced in complex insolvency matters with international aspects and supports clients both in insolvency related disputes and by providing strategic insolvency law advice.

Paula also has strong experience in various other areas such as corporate law and white collar crime, as well as industrial projects, where she has also gained valuable in-house experience from her secondment.

In addition, Paula has litigated and arbitrated disputes relating to international trade, product liability, business leases, international transport and agency & distribution matters, etc.

Apart from representing clients before courts and arbitral tribunals, and acting as arbitrator, Paula advises clients on strategic and compliance matters. She also regularly advises on various contractual matters and supports clients in drafting and negotiating their commercial agreements.

In addition to holding an LL.M. degree from the University of Lapland, Paula has studied law at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada. Paula has also trained at the Bench.

Recognitions

Paula is a core member of Roschier’s dispute resolution team, which has been top-ranked by leading international independent legal directories, including Chambers Europe, The Legal 500, the GAR 100 and Who’s Who Legal. She is also recognized as a future leader in commercial litigation by Who’s Who Legal.

Paula is the exclusive winner of the 2024 and 2022 Client Choice Litigation awards for Finland.

This is what clients say about Paula:

“Paula was an invaluable resource to me and the company in a large and high-profile project over the last year.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2024

“Paula was incredibly responsive and worked hand in hand with the company team to quickly understand the nuances of our issues and to achieve our goals.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2024

“Paula’s subject matter knowledge along with her connections and ability in front of government regulators, and strong network to find outside experts when needed was the key to our success.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2024

“Paula has a deep understanding of the various areas and parties of the case, the client’s business and business in general as well as the corporate agreements and regulations applicable on the case.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2024

“Paula has a great attitude, excellent communication and negotiation skills, great project management skills, and is easy to work with.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2024

“Paula Airas stands out.”
– The Legal 500 2023, Dispute Resolution

“Paula Airas is highly professional and always reliable when we need her most.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2022

“Paula is always very well prepared and gives good constructive feedback.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2022

“Paula always covers both pros and cons, and has always been flexible to meet our needs.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2022

“If you need sensible and practical advice, then Paula is always available to provide it.”
– The Client Choice Litigation Award for Finland 2022

Work highlights

Paula Airas’ experience includes advising:

  • The Province of Quebec in the acquisition of the Helsinki Shipyard;
  • The Bain Capital led consortium in the share price dispute following the EUR 2.1 billion public cash tender offer for all shares in Ahlstrom-Munksjö;
  • Various domestic and international companies (both industrial and PE) acting as counsel in various shareholder agreement disputes, and their post M&A disputes relating to e.g. purchase price calculation, preparation of closing accounts, earn-out rights, warranty matters, call-/put-options, walk-away rights, etc.;
  • Large foreign conglomerates in several complex insolvency related disputes, with multinational links;
  • Clients in matters relating to insolvency proceedings, impacts of threatening or actual insolvency (e.g. adviced the restructuring and later bankruptcy administration of Top-Toy in various insolvency related matters relating to the Finnish branch of the Danish company);
  • Clients and representing them before Finnish courts in matters involving company law, board liability and white collar crime;
  • In arbitration proceedings and acting as counsel and arbitrator under a variety of arbitration rules such as FAI, SCC and ICC, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. Acting as counsel and representing clients in ancillary court proceedings;
  • Clients and representing them in interim relief proceedings before the national courts, including asset seizure and injunctions as well as their cross-border enforcement, etc.;
  • Foreign and domestic clients in questions relating to EU sanctions regime in e.g. trade compliance and exit processes;
  • Clients in matters relating to product liability.
Career

Roschier (2008-)
Fennovoima Oy, Visiting Lawyer (1-3/2019)
Law clerk, trained at the Bench (2012)

Memberships

Member of the Finnish Bar Association
Member of the Finnish Arbitration Association
Member of the Swedish Arbitration Association (SAA)
Member of the Finnish Insolvency Law Association
Member of INSOL International
Member of Lex Mundi Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution Practice Group
Member of the International Sanctions and Export Control Society (Finnish society)

Education

FAI Finnish Arbitration Academy (2015)
University of Lapland, LL.M. (2008)

Languages

English, Finnish, French, Swedish

Highly professional and always reliable when needed the most; very well prepared and provides sensible and practical advice.

Client Choice