The real estate team at Bird & Bird operates jointly with the disputes and energy departments. It stands out for its work representing investment funds in green energy infrastructure and data centre development matters. The firm often works with local municipalities; it’s currently arranging an auction for the construction of wind parks on behalf of the Åland Island’s Regional Government. Jaakko Hietala, recognised for his ‘strategic foresight and negotiation skills,’ leads the real estate team. Hietala is closely assisted by Laura Huomo, specialising in energy and infrastructure, and Mikko Rajala, who excels in real estate disputes.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team is outstanding in every respect and truly the best one could hope to work with. What makes them unique is their combination of deep legal expertise, commercial understanding, and hands-on support in highly complex data centre projects.'
- ‘The individuals are very available and also nice people! All the good qualities described above apply to each individual. Special notes to Mikko Rajala and Iina Lahtinen for their exceptional work!’
- ‘Competent and congenial - both equally important and necessary’
- ‘Risto Sipilä and Mikko Rajala are both very good advisers in real estate and construction, and advise clients exceptionally well in construction cases.’
- ‘Bird & Bird established an effective international team of experts and work seamlessly, although from different countries and teams.’
- ‘I would recommend Laura Huomo, partner in Finland. Considerable knowledge and experience on energy installations and very business oriented approach. Most importantly easy and pleasant to communicate both ways.’
Key clients
- Hoivatilat Oyj
- City of Kuusamo
- Urban Partners/Nrep
- Terveystalo Oyj
- Hitachi Energy Finland Oy
- Savills Investment Management
- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
- FRV
- City of Loviisa
- Government of Åland
- Pelican Self Storage
- Slättö Förvaltning AB
Work highlights
Advised Otis in a multijurisdictional restructuring and outsourcing project, involving TUPE and non-TUPE transfers in Poland and other countries.
Supported Leonardo Group in strategic multijurisdictional project (Italy, UK, Poland) including ESOP initiative in Poland.
Advised Brose Sitech on multi-county acquisition in 2025, including complex HR advisory(involving 1,300 employees across four countries, including Poland, and covering various collective issues).
Practice head
Jaakko Hietala
Other key lawyers
Mikko Rajala; Risto Sipilä; Laura Huomo; Tuukka Korhonen