Opinio Juris - support in accelerating sustainability
Opinio Juris is a Finnish law firm specialising in sustainability and sustainable business. We help our clients to realise the numerous benefits of sustainability informed by regulation.
- Our expert services are based on research and strong expertise on sustainability regulation. Opinio Juris is the first law firm in Finland specialising in sustainability regulation.
- Our experts are Finland's leading experts in the "big picture" of sustainability informed by regulation, social responsibility and human rights, as well as economic responsibility and good governance.
- Through our network of experts, we are able to offer our clients top expertise in all sustainability issues.
- We serve both private and public sector actors.
- We offer our clients expert services in an agile, tailored and cost-effective manner.
Our Experts
Merja Pentikäinen
merja [dot] pentikainen [at] opiniojuris [dot] fi (merja.pentikainen(a)opiniojuris.fi), +358 40 566 6695
- I am the founder and entrepreneur of Opinio Juris Oy. My educational background is in law, and I hold degrees of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) and DES (Diplôme d'études supérieures en relations internationales, Geneva Graduate Institute).
- I am among Finland's leading experts in the broad field of sustainable business and sustainable development regulation, and a pioneer in the field of human rights responsibility as the basis for social responsibility. I wrote the first report published in Finland on the importance of human rights in business, commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Business and Human Rights, University of Helsinki 2009). While holding a professorship in international law at the University of Turku (2009-2012), I taught Finland's first course on business and human rights to law students.
- In addition to social responsibility, I also have expertise in other areas of sustainability, particularly in matters of economic responsibility and good governance.
- My work history as a researcher and teacher (including as a professor) in international law gives me a strong foundation of expertise based on researched knowledge. I have written numerous publications, particularly on human rights, and several on human rights and corporate responsibility (see examples of publications behind the link below).
- In addition to my regulatory expertise and substantive knowledge of sustainability, my strengths include the ability to articulate high-level sustainability language and the connections between the everyday lives of companies and organisations.
- I have had entrepreneurial experience since 1999, working full-time since the beginning of 2015. At the beginning of 2021, I founded Opinio Juris Oy.
- I have advised and supported numerous companies of various sizes on sustainability issues and served as an expert for organisations promoting corporate sustainability (including Global Compact Network Finland, FIBS, and the Finland Chamber of Commerce) and public administration actors (including Business Finland).
- I have served as a regulatory expert for the Finnish Parliament, ministries, the President of the Republic, the Human Rights Center, and international organisations (including the UN and the OECD). I have been asked to provide statements on corporate sustainability regulation development projects and have been invited as an expert to parliamentary committee hearings on corporate sustainability legislation.
- Check out a selection of my publications here.
Our Partners
Miia Hapuoja, Bethics Oy
Miia possesses extensive practical experience in corporate responsibility from a business perspective. Since 2006, she has held international expert and managerial roles focusing on social responsibility, human rights requirements, and HR in companies like Nokia, Microsoft, and Huhtamäki. Her work has encompassed strategic planning, social risk assessments, social audits (SA8000), and conducting trainings. Additionally, Miia has hands-on experience with responsibility initiatives, both at the factory level and within procurement organizations. Currently, she is applying her considerable skills as an entrepreneur. (See www.bethics.fi)
Eeva-Sofia Anttonen, Lawyers Designing Equality Oy
Eeva-Sofia is a lawyer and legal designer with a specialization in equality and non-discrimination issues. Her diverse legal career includes roles such as an occupational health and safety inspector, a trade union lawyer, an attorney in legal and advocacy firms, a public legal assistant, a special expert at the Digital and Population Information Agency, and as the executive director of the Women in Film and Television Finland Association (Wift ry). She brings legal principles to life in practical applications through service and legal design, leveraging digital tools.
Mika Kuisma
Mika Kuisma, holding a Doctorate in Economics, is among Finland's most experienced professionals in responsible business conduct. For approximately 30 years, he has engaged in research related to company management and business ethics, and has taught corporate responsibility at various universities and research institutes. Mika has been involved in numerous national and international research projects, focusing on evaluating the broader impacts of technologies and business activities through the lens of corporate responsibility. Additionally, he possesses expertise in the measurement and reporting of corporate responsibility. Mika's experience spans collaborations with a diverse range of industries and companies of various sizes.