Ari Kaarakainen advises on banking and corporate finance as well as on M&A related questions.

Prior to joining B&K, Ari worked as a legal adviser for the Helsinki Chamber of Commerce and at various corporate finance functions at Leonia Bank (now Sampo Bank), including as a lawyer and as a credit analyst. During 1997-1999 he worked as a legal counsel at the New York branch of Leonia Bank.

Ari is a member of the board of directors for Finnish subsidiaries of international companies. He also lectures at the University of Helsinki and for business organisations on financial law.

He holds a master of business administration from Columbia University in New York in addition to his law degree.

Ari has been a B&K partner since 2006 and also heads the firm's Transactions practice group.