Experiences from Hannes Snellman and Nordea’s Joint Trainee Programme │Spring 2026

At the beginning of this year, we have had the pleasure of offering the Hannes Snellman x Nordea joint trainee programme to three of our former trainees. Veera Lehtonen, Samu Happonen, and Niko Lassila continued their traineeships at Nordea in January 2026.

Veera Lehtonen is a sixth-year law student at the University of Turku. Veera spent a total of seven months in the joint trainee programme. At Hannes Snellman, Veera worked as corporate sustainability & ESG legal trainee and at Nordea she continued working as a trainee in the ESG Legal Team which is part of Group Legal. Samu Happonen is a final-year law student at the University of Helsinki and spent a total of five months in the joint trainee programme. At Hannes Snellman, Samu worked as an associate trainee in the M&A Team and at Nordea he continued working in the Large Corporates & Institutions Legal Team. Niko Lassila is a fourth-year law student at the University of Helsinki, though he is also studying finance at the Turku School of Economics. At Hannes Snellman, Niko worked as an associate trainee in the M&A Team and at Nordea he continued working as a trainee in the Group Corporate Legal Team.

Veera, what initially drew you to the field of corporate sustainability and ESG law?

I was initially drawn to corporate sustainability and ESG law by its multidisciplinary nature and strong connections to several areas of law. The field is highly topical and continuously evolving, so you never quite know what tomorrow brings. My interest originally stemmed from human rights issues, but over time it has expanded to encompass all aspects of sustainability. 

Samu, what kind of perceptions did you have about working in a bank beforehand?

Before starting at Nordea, my underlying premise was that the core elements of transactional work — client‑driven priorities, fast execution, and high‑quality legal work — would remain largely similar to what I had experienced at Hannes Snellman. Nevertheless, I expected that the bank’s extensive regulatory landscape, together with its own strategic approach to risk mitigation, would play a more prominent role given Nordea’s position as a potential financier with direct balance sheet exposure. I was particularly interested in experiencing this “other side of the table” in practice, as a deeper understanding of a bank’s strategic considerations and internal processes is invaluable for any future advisory work. I also anticipated — correctly — that Nordea’s LC&I team would be filled with exceptionally skilled and inspiring professionals, offering a steep learning curve and the opportunity to learn from top talent in a short period of time.

Niko, could you describe your assignments at Nordea?

I joined Nordea’s Group Corporate Legal Team just before the publication of the annual report 2025, which meant that my initial tasks focused on the finalisation and proofing of the report. Following the publication, the primary focus of my traineeship shifted to the arrangements for Nordea’s Annual General Meeting, which was notably the first-ever fully virtual AGM for a large-cap company in Finland. My responsibilities included drafting statutory materials and stock exchange releases and coordinating registration and advance voting with external service providers. As the virtual format was a first for a company of this scale in Finland, meticulous contingency planning was essential to ensure the legal validity of the resolutions. Additionally, I supported the team by conducting legal research and drafting internal memos on company and capital markets law.

How did you find the combination of these two traineeships?

Veera: I found that the two traineeships complemented each other very well. At Hannes Snellman, I was able to deepen my understanding of ESG regulation and engage closely with current legal developments in the field. At Nordea, in turn, I gained valuable insight into how these regulatory obligations are applied in practice and what their implementation requires from companies. In both environments, I found it particularly interesting to observe how professionals from different backgrounds and perspectives approach current ESG and sustainability issues. As I am currently writing my master’s thesis on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, gaining exposure to the topic from both a law firm and an in-house perspective has also been beneficial from an academic standpoint.

Samu: Combining transactional work at a top‑tier law firm with hands‑on exposure to the diverse and high‑impact matters handled by the largest bank in the Nordics created an exceptionally steep and rewarding learning curve. Working on significant transactions from two distinct professional perspectives allowed me to further deepen my technical skills and understand how similar issues are approached through different commercial and strategic lenses. Additionally, the transition from private practice to Nordea’s LC&I Team — and to the Group Legal more broadly — was seamless, as I was brought naturally into the team’s day‑to‑day work and collegial culture from the get‑go. I can warmly recommend the joint trainee programme to anyone.

Niko: The combination was highly successful, offering two distinct yet complementary perspectives on business law while providing the opportunity to work alongside so many great colleagues. My time at Hannes Snellman provided a solid foundation that translated well into the work at Nordea, making the transition feel very natural. From a legal advisory perspective, it was particularly valuable to gain an internal view of a listed company’s processes. This experience has deepened my understanding of how legal matters integrate into the organisation’s broader business operations and what truly constitutes high-quality, practical legal advice from a client’s point of view.

What surprised you most about working at a law firm versus an in-house legal team at a bank?

Veera: One of the most surprising aspects of working in-house at a bank was the sheer volume of regulation. While the current ESG discussions often focus on regulatory simplification, the reality within the banking sector appears quite the opposite. At a law firm such as Hannes Snellman, the focus is on delivering high-quality legal advice, which requires deep expertise in specific areas. In-house work, however, calls for more horizontal knowledge, where lawyers are expected to have a broader understanding across multiple topics and to integrate legal considerations into business operations and risk management.

Samu: Even with prior experience at Nordea, it remained fascinating to see in practice how a publicly listed Nordic bank balances a complex regulatory landscape and its internal risk strategies with its broader return objectives. Working at both Hannes Snellman and Nordea reinforced to me how essential close collaboration and strong interpersonal skills are — both within the team and across functions — for delivering high quality transactional outcomes. It was also particularly interesting to observe how a deeper finance background (not mandatory, but beneficial) could yield meaningful value. For example, when drafting final terms for structured notes, an understanding of financial formulas and economic objectives is essential for translating technical information into fit for purpose legal language.

Niko: What surprised me most was the significant similarity in the skill sets required in both environments. While the nuances may vary depending on the project, both positions demand strong collaboration skills, a deep understanding of the business environment, and the ability to integrate these elements with legal expertise.

How has this experience shaped your career aspirations?

Veera: This experience has strengthened my desire to work with current legal issues and within fields that are undergoing significant transformation. I am particularly drawn to dynamic and evolving areas of law, such as ESG and sustainability. In the future, I hope to contribute to advancing the green transition and innovation through my legal expertise. 

Samu: This experience has strengthened my aspiration to develop into a lawyer who understands a client’s business operations, financial incentives, and strategic drivers beyond the surface and who can deliver case-by-case legal advice that truly pushes the needle. When a client’s industry, transaction structures, or capital considerations are understood in depth, it becomes possible to craft effective, value creating solutions through details that might otherwise go unnoticed. Work across private equity, M&A, and IPO streams, and most recently financing agreements and capital markets products at the largest bank in the Nordics, has reinforced to me how essential it is to learn and take on a wide range of matters from the get-go to reach that goal. These experiences have given me both the confidence and the motivation to continue developing into a people-oriented lawyer who can identify what truly drives outcomes in each client matter.

Niko: This experience has further strengthened my aspiration to work at the intersection of law and business, where I can contribute to strategic corporate development and efficient, sustainable growth through legal expertise.

The purpose of the joint trainee programme is to offer law students the opportunity to experience what it would be like to work as a lawyer not only at a law firm but also in an in-house role at the largest bank in the Nordic countries.