Maria Aholainen
Maria Aholainen
Maria advises our clients with privacy and data protection law, telecommunications law, and commercial contracts. She advises on all aspects of data protection issues, including multi-jurisdictional GDPR projects and data transfer projects, contract negotiations, data protection disputes, and strategic advice.
Prior to joining Hannes Snellman, Maria worked in a data protection group of a global law firm (2016–2022). Before transitioning into private practice in 2016, Maria worked as a lawyer at the Ministry of Transport and Communications and was responsible for data protection in electronic communications.
Maria is recognised as a rising star in the Legal 500 EMEA 2023, TMT and holds an international certification in privacy and data protection (CIPP/E) awarded by IAPP.
References
Parties
Patria Oyj
Transaction
Hannes Snellman acted as counsel to Patria in relation to its data regulation project. Our team assisted Patria in navigating the EU’s new data regulations, particularly the Data Act and AI Act, to ensure compliance and leverage strategic advantages. The project involved a comprehensive review of Patria’s operations, an analysis of Patria’s alignment with the EU’s data regulations, and the development of a roadmap to ensure compliance.
Deal Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to Patria Oyj
Counsel to Sibanye-Stillwater’s European operations with their GDPR implementation project, including drafting and implementing governance framework, privacy policies and processes, global transfers, and GDPR trainings.
Parties
Cargotec Corporation and Kalmar Corporation
Transaction
Cargotec’s partial demerger and separation of Kalmar
Deal Value
Approx. EUR 2.0 billion (illustrative carve-out sales)
Role
Counsel to Cargotec Corporation and Kalmar Corporation
Counsel to a Finnish delivery company in an appeal under GDPR to the Helsinki Administrative Court and the Supreme Administrative Court in Finland *
(*=references from prior to joining Hannes Snellman)
Seconded Counsel to an airline in a multi-jurisdictional privacy compliance project in Hong Kong aiming to achieve compliance with both GDPR and data protection law in Hong Kong*
(*=references from prior to joining Hannes Snellman)
Counsel to a US-based technology company in a GDPR implementation project in Europe, including all mandatory GDPR documentation*
(*=references from prior to joining Hannes Snellman)
Counsel to a media company in a contract and data transfer project*
(*=references from prior to joining Hannes Snellman)
Counsel to a global IT company in a cross-border data transfer project (BCR project)*
(*=references from prior to joining Hannes Snellman)
Rankings
- Rising Star, TMT, Legal 500, 2024
- “Counsel Maria Aholainen has notable expertise in data protection work.”, Legal 500 EMEA 2023, TMT
Memberships and Positions of Trust
- Member of the Finnish Bar Association
- Member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
- Member of the Finnish IT Law Association
- Certified information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E)
Education and Professional Background
- Counsel, Hannes Snellman, Helsinki, 2022–
- Senior Associate, Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd, 2019–2022
- Associate, Bird & Bird Attorneys Ltd, 2016–2022
- Senior Officer / Lawyer, The Ministry of Transport and Communications in Finland, 2015–2016
- Master of Laws, University of Helsinki, 2015
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Helsinki, 2014
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Helsinki, 2013