PRIVATE MEDIATOR

PIRITA VIRTANEN

Mediator and Founder

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

Pirita Virtanen founded the first commercial mediation firm in the Nordic countries, Private Mediator Ltd.

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Pirita has the most experience in mediating highly complex and high-value commercial disputes in the Nordic countries. 
 

Her success rate is over 95 %. 

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

EXPERIENCE

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• Founded the first commercial mediation firm in the Nordic countries, Private Mediator Ltd. Mediates commercial disputes in the Nordic countries and internationally.

• Before founding her own firm, mediated some of the largest international disputes with the leading mediator in the U.S. and a pre-eminent mediator internationally, Daniel Weinstein. These disputes include: ​

• a damages case worth over 3 billion euros. The case was mediated in one day.

• 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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• The first person from the Nordic countries having mediated at JAMS, the largest commercial mediation provider globally. At JAMS, participated as a mediator at 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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• Before starting to mediate, was a litigator and repsesented clients in one of the largest damages trials in Finland (the asphalt cartel litigation) for 7 years and in other complex litigaton and arbitration.

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

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• Is a graduate of University of Turku Law School and Harvard Law School. At Harvard, focused on mediation, negotiation and leadership. For example, 

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

  • 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, 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.

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.