Get to Know Us | Hanna-Mari Mudi, Legal Assistant, M&A, Helsinki

When did you start working at Hannes Snellman?

I joined Hannes Snellman in August 2016 after working at a smaller law firm for three years. At the moment I work in the M&A group in the Helsinki office. In 2018 I was on an internal secondment at Hannes Snellman’s Stockholm office for about seven months.

What kinds of skills are required in an assistant’s work?

As a legal assistant, you need to be flexible, good at multi-tasking, organised and have great teamwork skills. Having an understanding of the legal industry and constantly developing your professional skills is also essential. Furthermore, you often end up advising your colleagues or solving problems relating to different software, so being a bit of an IT nerd is always a bonus!

How does internationality show in an assistant’s work?

Having excellent English skills is naturally a must since most documents and client correspondence is in English. It is also good to have a basic knowledge of languages of the neighbouring countries, as you might find yourself searching for company documents in Danish or Estonian, for example. Furthermore, you need to remain conscious of people working in different time zones.

What did you enjoy best about your secondment at the Stockholm office?

The welcoming atmosphere, lovely colleagues, and coffee the way I like it (strong and dark!). Stockholm is a lovely, beautiful city to live in, and it was interesting to get to know the Swedish working culture.

What was challenging in working abroad?

Although my Swedish has always been quite good, it did take some time to get used to discussing without thinking too much in social situations. In addition, while the Swedish culture is quite close to the Finnish, there are still differences between the two.

What are your TOP 3 tips for secondments?

1. Actively take notes from both offices and share the best practices. Use the opportunity to increase knowledge and improve routines.
2. You will not only be going abroad to work but also to learn about the social culture and working environment and to explore what the city has to offer. My colleagues were always happy to help me with things to do and new restaurants, etc.
3. When you have the chance, go for it! You will never regret the decision, as there is so much to learn and see.

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