Maria Carlsson

As a Finnish senior corporate partner and the firm's Partner Head of Business Development in the Nordic Region, I have in-depth experience of complex cross-border M&A transactions and corporate and commercial work. I am also a member of our Finnish Management Team and a Board Member of OXYGY, the management consulting firm offering a multi-disciplinary offering with Bird & Bird.

Specialising in M&A, I have over 20 years' experience of structuring and negotiating complex transactions, with a focus on private M&A deals and both inbound and outbound cross-border work. You'll find me ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 legal directories, in the fields of both Corporate and Commercial law.

In recent years, a large part of my work has revolved around mergers & acquisitions with a technology sector angle, as well as advisory in the fields of automotive and infrastructure. I have a background in technology licensing and intellectual property, with previous responsibilities including steering group work with Business Finland.

In addition to M&A, I have longstanding experience in strategic contracting, advising clients on matters including joint ventures and co-operation contracts. A special interest area of mine since my studies in London is Civil vs. Common law contracting, and how the small but intricate differences play out in practice.

I enjoy lecturing and writing and am a regular speaker on topics including M&A and commercial contracts, as well as being the author of five books in my areas of interest. Before joining Bird & Bird, I was a partner at another leading law firm.