PRIVATE MEDIATOR

PIRITA VIRTANEN

Mediator, Founder & CEO

LL.M., Harvard Law School and University of Turku

Pirita Virtanen ends your dispute cost-efficiently and quickly.

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She has more experience in mediating highly complex and high-value commercial disputes than any other person in the Nordic countries. 
 

Her success rate is over 95 %. 

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Pirita mediates with the leading mediator in the U.S. and a preeminent mediator internationally, Honorable Daniel Weinstein. 

Pirita is also part of the Weinstein JAMS International Fellows' worldwide network of mediators,
and thus, available to co-mediate with mediators from over 70 different countries.

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EXPERIENCE

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• As a Weinstein JAMS International Fellow, participated as a mediator in over 30 highly complex mediations at JAMS, the world's largest mediation and arbitration provider. The first person from the Nordic countries to have mediated at JAMS.  

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• For example, participated as a mediator in 

  • a highly complex international securities breach case worth over 800 million euros. The case involved over 50 persons from 10 different corporations. The case was mediated in one day. 

  • an international intellectual property case worth over 500 million euros. The case was mediated in one day.

  • several class actions and other complex cases worth 100 - 500 million euros from the fields of consumer protection, construction and banking. The cases were typically mediated in one day. 

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• In addition, participated as a mediator in several commercial contractual disputes, insurance coverage disputes, engineering and construction disputes, a product liability dispute and intellectual property disputes. Further, participated as a mediator in several employment disputes, property disputes and a highly complex sexual harassment case. 

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• Mediates with the leading mediator in the U.S. and a preeminent mediator internationally, Honorable Daniel Weinstein. Daniel Weinstein has mediated many of the high-value civil disputes in the U.S., such as the ENRON litigation and the Lehman Brother's Bankruptcy. Daniel Weinstein also mediates commercial and political disputes all around the world. Further, he is a former U.S.'s Envoy to Bosnia, then mediating $ 14 billion transfer of funds between Muslims, Serbs and Croats. ​​​​​​

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• Has extensive experience in dispute resolution. For example

  • represented clients in one of the largest damages trials in Finland for 7 years (the asphalt cartel litigation)

  • represented clients in another high-value antitrust damages trial for 4 years (the motor vehicle spare parts cartel litigation) 

  • completed a clerkship at the highest court of the European Union

  • worked pro bono for a peace mediation organization CMI, founded by Finland's former president and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Martti Ahtisaari. At CMI, participated in facilitating meetings of high-profile Iraqi actors developing a reconciliation strategy for Iraq – how Iraq could tackle problems concerning for example the rule of law, transitional justice and constitutional reform.

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• Has completed a Master of Laws degree both at University of Turku and at Harvard Law School. 
  At Harvard Law School, focused on mediation, negotiation and leadership. For example, 

  • designed a conflict resolution framework for the conflict in Syria for a former Nobel Peace Prize Nominee advising parties in peace negotiations. 

  • wrote her final paper on women peace negotiators and the Iran Nuclear Deal, focusing on how to use perceptions on women beneficially while negotiating peace agreements. For this purpose, Pirita interviewed, for example, Ambassador Wendy Sherman, U.S.' lead negotiator in the Iran Nuclear Deal Negotiations and the fourth highest ranking official in the Obama Administration.

  • completed the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program and Harvard's flagship course in negotiation, "the Negotiation Workshop"​.

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS

Kilpailuoikeudellinen vahingonkorvaus asfalttikartellituomion valossa [Antitrust Damages in Light of the Asphalt Cartel Judgment]. Publisher: Defensor Legis, 2014. 

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• A legal analysis of the Helsinki District Court's judgment in the precedent-setting Asphalt Cartel antitrust damages litigation. Co-authored with Toni Kalliokoski. 

• The Helsinki District Court made reference to the article in the Timber Cartel antitrust damages judgment. 

• The Finnish Bar Association granted the authors of the article a writing award and regarded the article as a particularly high level legal writing. The article was selected as one of the best articles of Defensor Legis in 2014. 

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Korko kilpailunrajoituksella veloitetulle ylihinnalle - kuinka paljon rahaa on aika? [Interest to a Cartel Overcharge - How Much Money is Time?] Publisher: Defensor Legis, 2016. 

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• Financially, interest is often the most important legal question to be answered in antitrust cases.

• Based on years of extensive research on interest, uncovering the general principles behind the Finnish Interest Act in calculating interest and how these principles should be applied when calculating interest to a cartel overcharge.  

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Women Negotiating Peace - The Iran Nuclear Deal. Publisher: Harvard Law School, 2017.

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• Based on interviews of the leading women negotiators, including Ambassador Wendy Sherman, the U.S.'s leading negotiator in the Iran Nuclear Deal Negotiations and the 4th highest ranking person in the Obama administration, focusing on how to overcome barriers for women to be included in peace negotiations and how to use beneficially perceptions on women negotiators in negotiating peace agreements. 

• Based on vast literature in negotiations, findings are transferrable to other male dominated environments.