Career Stories | Markus Manninen, Partner, Dispute Resolution, Helsinki

Markus Manninen works as a partner in Hannes Snellman’s Dispute Resolution Team. Markus focuses on M&A and company law related cases, compliance, and general commercial dispute resolution. His experience also encompasses arbitration proceedings under various institutional rules, in addition to which he has unparalleled experience in sports law.

How did you become a lawyer at Hannes Snellman?

I was at a student party at the end of the 90s, when an older student asked me if I would be interested in working as a courier in a law firm, which turned out to be Hannes Snellman. The next day, I checked to see whether the offer was still valid and after a few phone calls and one interview, I began working as a courier at Hannes Snellman a few days later. Little by little, I went from being a courier to working as a trainee in the Dispute Resolution team, and I ended up signing an associate lawyer employment contract prior to my graduation in 2003. Since 2020, I have worked as a partner.

What made you choose dispute resolutions and in particular sports law?

At the beginning of my career at Hannes, I was also studying at the Helsinki School of Economics. In 2004–2005, I did my training on the bench at the District Court of Loviisa, which has since been abolished. The year at the District Court was very educational from a professional standpoint and in other ways as well, and it gave me confidence with regard to handling our clients’ matters in courts. About a year after completing my court training, I spent some time in the United States as a visiting intern. In addition to normal assignment work, I began seeking and eventually was appointed to sports law related positions of trust. I had already been so interested in sports law during my studies that I decided to make it the focus of my advanced studies. In 2009, I was appointed to the Anti-Doping Panel of the Finnish Antidoping Agency, which really kick-started my career in sports law.

You are a member of the Delegation of the Finnish Bar Association. What does it mean to you?

The Delegation exercises the supreme decision-making power in the Finnish Bar Association. As a member of the Delegation, I can have an impact on the future development of our profession. In recent years much of our work has concentrated on the technological development of the legal industry. The members of the Delegation have an essential role in this development as we need to be able to react agilely to the changes of the ever-evolving society and keep ourselves on track when it comes to the technological rupture.

You seem to have a lot of duties. Do you have any time for hobbies?

Yes, it is all about prioritisation and time management skills. I play basketball on a regular basis. I also make sure that I get to spend time with my family every day. However, this work does take a certain toll; I do not get to enjoy entertainment and culture as much as I would like to.

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