Greetings from Alumni: Karoliina Koto, UPM ─ Passionate About Employment Law

This time in Greetings from Alumni, we hear from Karoliina Koto, Legal Counsel, HR at UPM. During her time at Hannes Snellman between 2007 and 2018, Karoliina worked as a lawyer in our Employment Team.

Hi Karoliina, how are you? What does the spring have in store on the work front?

Hi, I’m doing well, thanks! Spring at work looks quite busy but in a good way. There are a couple of big transformation projects going on, so there’s a lot happening and plenty to coordinate. It feels like an active and positive period, with lots to do and learn.

Since your time at HS, you have continued your career in employment law and now work as legal counsel at UPM. What is included in your work there?

At UPM, I work as legal counsel focusing on employment and HR‑related matters across the group. This suits me well, as employment law is (in my admittedly biased view) still the most interesting area of law. My role covers a wide range of topics, from day‑to‑day employment law questions to more complex situations such as reorganisations, executive contracts, and demanding employee cases.

A significant part of my work involves international and cross‑border issues, as UPM operates in many jurisdictions with different legal frameworks. This means balancing local employment law requirements with group‑level policies and business needs. I also coordinate, from the company side, the work of UPM’s European Works Council (EWC).

Even if it sounds like a cliché, no two days are really the same. There are always new topics, questions, problems, and situations to deal with, which keeps the work interesting.

During your time at HS, you worked as a lawyer in our Employment Team. How did that time prepare you for your future career?

A large law firm can teach a lawyer much more than just the substance of the law. You learn good working habits early on, how to work in an organised and careful way, produce solid quality, and respect deadlines even when the workload is heavy. You also learn how to handle pressure without taking shortcuts. Another important skill is learning how to think through problems and break complicated issues into smaller pieces. This becomes very practical when working on demanding cases. You also get to work with people from different areas of law, which helps you understand how different topics connect. And there is usually someone more experienced around who knows how things should be done and is happy to help. That kind of support is especially valuable at the beginning of a legal career.

Looking back, what is something you particularly cherish from your time at HS?

When I started at HS in 2006 (hard to believe it was almost 20 years ago!), a large group of newly graduated lawyers joined at the same time. I have very fond memories of that period, including many fun social events and celebrations. The atmosphere in the Employment Team was always warm and supportive and people worked well together. Many of the relationships formed back then have lasted and I am still friends with several former colleagues from the team today.

The HS x Päätös Podcast cooperation continues this year, so what better way to end this interview than to ask — what is the most significant decision you have made that has shaped your professional life?

I believe careers are built through many small decisions made over time rather than one big turning point. When I reflect on my own career, no single moment stands out as defining everything that followed.

If I had to name one decision that mattered more than others, it would be moving from consulting into an in‑house role. Working in‑house offers a high level of independence and the opportunity to work close to the business. Looking back, it feels like the right step for me.