LAWYER PROFILE
Tom Vapaavuori

Tom Vapaavuori

Global 2026

Chambers ranking badge
Chambers ranking badge

Ranked in 1 practice area

About

Provided by Bird & Bird

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution

Career

Tom Vapaavuori is a partner in Bird & Bird’s Helsinki office and the Head of our Finnish Dispute Resolution group as well as the co-head of our international Trade Secret group. He has a lot of experience in demanding litigations and arbitrations and trade secret matters.

Tom works with a broad range of company litigations, arbitrations and white collar crimes. He also acts as an arbitrator, as nominated by parties in disputes, or by the arbitration institutes. He advises his leading domestic and international clients on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious matters in several sectors.

In addition to dispute resolution he is especially active in contractual matters such as distribution, purchase and sale, co-operation, joint ventures, leasing, employment, intellectual property, IT and non-disclosure agreements.

Professional Memberships

Member of the Finnish Bar Association

Member of the Finnish Industrial Property Rights Association

Member of the Finnish Association for Arbitration

Publications

Tom is the author of ‘Trade Secrets and Non Disclosure Agreements’, Finland’s only legal handbook on the subject. A new, totally updated third edition of the handbook came out in 2019.

Experience

From the beginning of this millennium, Tom has specialised in matters related to trade secret protection.

In trade secret matters Tom has worked as a member of a task force preparing Finland first trade secret law, and as a member of the ICC’s Task Force on Confidentiality Agreements, which created an international Model Confidentiality Agreement. He has also advised multiple companies in trade secret matters and represented clients in court in trade secret violation cases.

Tom has written many articles and he regularly lectures at legal seminars on dispute resolution, trade secrets and contract law.

Education

University of Helsinki

LL.M.

1993

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Global Guide

Dispute Resolution - Finland

Band 4
Band 4

Individual Editorial

Tom Vapaavuori heads the dispute resolution group and assists with litigation and arbitration proceedings. He has notable experience in trade secrets cases, as well as advising on insurance claims and construction disputes.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • He is a recognised expert in the protection of trade secrets.

    Dispute ResolutionChambers Global Guide
  • Tom Vapaavuori is really good and has a respected practice.

    Dispute ResolutionChambers Global Guide

Ranked Individuals at Bird & Bird (110)

Africa-wide

Asia-Pacific Region

Australia

Belgium

China

  • Profile image of Matthew Laight
    Matthew Laight

    Intellectual Property (International Firms)

    View profile
  • Profile image of Alison Wong
    Alison Wong

    Intellectual Property (International Firms)

    View profile
  • Profile image of Christine Yiu
    Christine Yiu

    Intellectual Property (International Firms)

    View profile
  • Profile image of Hank Leung
    Hank Leung

    Intellectual Property (International Firms)

    View profile
  • Profile image of Rieko Michishita
    Rieko Michishita

    Intellectual Property (International Firms)

    View profile
  • Profile image of James Gong
    James Gong

    TMT: Data Protection & Privacy (International Firms)

    View profile
  • Profile image of Wilfred Ng
    Wilfred Ng

    TMT: Data Protection & Privacy (International Firms)

    View profile

Denmark

Europe-wide

Finland

France

What success is built on

Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.

Explore thought leadership