People

Maija Päivinen

Counsel | Helsinki

Maija assists our clients in internal investigations, criminal investigations, as well as criminal and civil proceedings.

Maija is an expert in criminal litigation as well as criminal and procedural law. She has extensive experience of criminal proceedings both as a prosecutor and through working as senior officer in the Office of the Prosecutor General and Senior Specialist in the Ministry of Justice. Maija has trained on the bench and  acted as a referendary before the Helsinki Court of Appeal. Maija has acted as a prosecutor for nearly eight years and is intricately familiar with how criminal investigations are conducted by the Finnish police. She has had a leading role in a number of various types of court proceedings in the District Court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court. Maija is experienced in cases concerning protection of personal privacy and freedom of speech, discrimination, offences against democracy, administration of justice, public authorities and public order, money laundering, forgery, endangerment, fraud, data and communications offences, offences in office, and forfeiture.

In addition to her legal degree, Maija also has a master’s degree in Nordic philology, and she has completed extracurricular studies in investigative and legal psychology.


Education and Professional Background

  • Counsel, Hannes Snellman, 2022
  • Senior Specialist, Ministry of Justice, 2022
  • District Prosecutor, National Prosecution Authority, Prosecution District of Southern Finland, 2018–2022, 2014– 2015, 2011–2013
  • Senior Officer, Office of the Prosecutor General, 2016–2018
  • Referendary, Helsinki Court of Appeal, 2013–2014
  • Post Graduate Diploma, Criminal Psychology, Åbo Akademi, 2021
  • Post Graduate Diploma, Investigative and Legal Psychology, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, 2016
  • Trained on the Bench, Vantaa District Court, 2012–2013
  • Master of Laws, Helsinki University, 2011
  • Master of Arts, Jyväskylä University, 2007