Career Stories | Annika Lampela, Associate, Dispute Resolution

Annika Lampela works in the Dispute Resolution Group. She advises clients mainly on various commercial disputes and assists in advocating commercial cases before arbitral tribunals and state courts. Annika joined the firm as an associate trainee in 2023 and was appointed as an associate upon her graduation. Prior to her traineeships at Hannes Snellman, Annika gained work experience mainly at other Finnish law firms working in the fields of mergers and acquisitions and insolvency law.

Could you tell us about your Hannes Snellman journey?

I joined the firm as an associate trainee in the Dispute Resolution Group in 2023. It was my first job specifically in the field of dispute resolution, and I was over the moon to get to work in my dream field at Hannes Snellman. When my associate traineeship ended, I was lucky enough to continue in the firm as a thesis trainee. I then worked as an associate trainee for a while until my graduation, when I was appointed an associate in the Dispute Resolution Group.

How would you describe your normal workday? What kind of matters have you been handling?

My workdays vary. Recently I have been involved in advising clients in construction-related disputes, as well as post-M&A disputes. I also have some sanctions-related work on my table. No two days are the same, but typically my tasks include for example drafting legal submissions, managing the exhibits to be submitted along with these submissions, and investigating specific legal questions relevant to our clients. Our team handles a mixed bag of cases, however, and what I do in my workday might be completely different from what another associate in our team does in theirs.

You took part in the Vis Moot when you were a student. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience?

Taking part in the Vis was without a doubt the single best decision I made in my time as a law student. During the journey, I learned so many skills that I still use every day, both in my work as a lawyer and otherwise. I took part in my fourth year of law school after having completed my studies for my bachelor’s degree. No other course I had taken before in law school included such in-depth research, feedback, and practice in written and oral advocacy. While the work was hard and included long hours at the library, it was also extremely gratifying. I was lucky enough to have a great team with whom to complete the project, as well as a dedicated group of coaches who pushed us to strive to be the best we could be. Ultimately, the hard work paid off, as our team made it to the Round 32 in Vienna and the Round 16 in Hong Kong. I ended up enjoying the experience so much that I decided to continue my Vis journey as a coach for the Helsinki University team, a role I have had the honour of holding now for the third year in a row.

This year’s Vis Moot competition will be held under the Arbitration Rules of the Finland Chamber of Commerce. Based on your Vis Moot experience, what advice/greetings would you give to the students who are participating in the competition?

I would advise the Mootees to take the competition seriously, but not too seriously. The Vis Moot is an amazing learning experience, and the more effort you put into it, the more you will get out of it. So set your ambitions high and work hard to meet those ambitions. That being said, although the Vis Moot can feel like your whole world while you are competing, ultimately the problem is still a fake case, with no real-life consequences if you make a mistake. Therefore, give yourself the grace to make those mistakes, and don’t beat yourself up over them. They will help you learn and develop as a legal professional in the long run.

What was the best thing in participating in the Vis Moot? How about the most challenging thing?

By far and away the best thing in participating in the Vis Moot was all the people I met along the way, but especially my teammates. I could not imagine having completed the journey without them. The most challenging was writing the Claimant’s Memorandum. I had very limited experience writing legal submissions prior to the Vis, so there was definitely a steep learning curve involved. We essentially ended up rewriting almost our entire memorandum in the final week before the Claimant Submission—something I cannot recommend to anyone.

Hannes Snellman is cooperating with Päätös, a podcast focused on decision-making, for its fifth season this spring. Inspired by the podcast, we would like to conclude this interview by asking you about decision-making — what would you say is the most significant decision you have made when it comes to your professional life?

Honestly, taking part in the Vis Moot is probably the most significant decision I have made thus far in my professional life as it sparked my passion for international arbitration and eventually led me to apply to Hannes Snellman’s Dispute Resolution Group. Without the Vis Moot, I don’t know whether I would have ever found myself working in dispute resolution. I love my job, so I am forever grateful that I applied to Helsinki University’s Vis Moot team on a whim one rainy day in September 2021.