Oscari Seppälä – Leading Maritime, Transport & Sanctions Lawyer in Finland

Recent legal expertise and assignments

• Maritime insurance & recourse claims. Advised a Finnish insurance company on complex recourse claims arising from a ship grounding in the Helsinki region, combining maritime, tort and insurance law expertise.
• International arbitration & sanctions disputes. Represented a foreign corporation in arbitration concerning the applicability of EU sanctions and contractual termination rights. Experience includes sanctions law, export control and cross-border enforcement.
• M&A in Finland. Guided foreign corporations through the Finnish M&A landscape, including due diligence, contract structuring and regulatory analysis. Learn more: Mergers & Acquisitions advisory.
• Litigation & contractual interpretation. Successfully represented corporate clients in Finnish courts in tort claims, contract disputes and commercial litigation. Oscari regularly acts in dispute resolution and arbitration.

Contact our team

Languages

• Finnish
• English

Career

• LKOS Law Office (2015–present) – Specialist Partner advising clients on transport, maritime, insurance, sanctions, customs and international trade matters.
• Borenius Attorneys at Law (2011–2014) – Worked with transport, maritime, tort and commercial law assignments for Finnish and international clients.
• DSV (2007–2011) – In-house legal and operational roles within international transport and freight forwarding.
• Public Legal Aid Office (2015) – Litigation and public law experience before Finnish courts.

Education

• European Lawyers Programme, University of Edinburgh (2011)
• Master of Laws (LL.M.), University of Helsinki (2008)

Memberships

• The Federation of Finnish Enterprises – Helsingin Yrittäjät, Itä-Helsinki – Chairman
• The Federation of Finnish Enterprises – Helsingin Yrittäjät – Member of the Board
• Authorised Attorneys at Law
• Industrial Lawyers Association
• The Association of Finnish Lawyers
• The Association of Finnish Insurance Lawyers
• The Finnish Maritime Law Association (CMI)

Professional Background

Oscari Seppälä advises Finnish and international clients on all aspects of maritime, shipping, transport and logistics law, tort and insurance law, customs, and international trade & sanctions compliance. He is a practicing maritime lawyer whose assignments cover both domestic and international dispute resolution, including litigation before Finnish courts and arbitration tribunals.

Oscari provides business-oriented, practical and solution-driven legal advice. His expertise extends to contract law, commercial negotiations, liability allocation, and complex interpretation of contractual frameworks in cross-border matters. He also regularly supports clients in corporate governance, ownership structures and compliance frameworks.

In addition, he advises clients on EU and Finnish sanctions, export control, trade compliance, dual-use goods, customs processes and international supply chain regulation. He provides training to companies on the EU Customs Code, sanctions enforcement, and transport law, combining legal expertise with deep industry experience.

Before joining LKOS Law Office, Oscari worked at another leading Finnish law firm, in an international freight forwarding company, and as a Public Legal Aid Attorney. He holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki and a European Lawyers diploma from the University of Edinburgh.

Areas of Specialisation

Oscari Seppälä is recognised for his deep expertise in Finnish and international transport, logistics and maritime law, sanctions compliance, international trade regulation and commercial dispute resolution. His work integrates regulatory knowledge with practical business insight, supporting companies operating in Finland and across borders.

• Maritime, shipping & transport law – vessel operations, logistics, cargo damage, multimodal transport and maritime disputes.
• Insurance & recourse litigation – cargo claims, liability allocation, tort matters and complex recovery processes.
• International trade, customs & sanctions – EU sanctions, export control, dual-use goods and cross-border trade compliance.
• Commercial contracts & risk allocation – drafting and interpreting contracts in procurement, logistics, supply chain and general B2B operations. More about our contract services: Commercial Contracts & Agreements.
• Dispute resolution & arbitration – litigation before Finnish courts and international arbitration. See our full service offering: Dispute Resolution & Arbitration.
• Corporate governance & business compliance – board responsibilities, internal controls, compliance frameworks and ESG requirements.
• M&A advisory – due diligence, transaction structuring and support for international companies entering the Finnish market. Explore our services: Mergers & Acquisitions.