Career Stories | Juuso Lumilahti, Associate, Dispute Resolution

Juuso Lumilahti works in the Dispute Resolution Group. He advises clients mainly in the field of construction as well as general contract and company law disputes and assists in advocating commercial cases before state courts and arbitral tribunals. Juuso joined the firm as a trainee in 2020 and was appointed as an associate upon his graduation.

Could you tell us about your Hannes journey?

My journey at Hannes began in 2020 as a KM Trainee in the Knowledge Management Team. I quickly fell for the firm’s way of doing business, its assignments, and its way of impacting the society around it. After the traineeship, I was lucky enough to be able to continue as a trainee in the Dispute Resolution Group, for which I also wrote my Master’s thesis and where I eventually started working after graduation.

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

My normal workday consists mostly of e-mails, meetings, and drafting. Our Dispute Resolution Team advises clients both before and during disputes, and we also often offer general counselling, even if a specific dispute may not be in sight. Personally, I am especially interested in construction projects and disputes related thereto, and I have been fortunate to have been involved in several such projects and disputes. Lately, I have also been involved in minority shares’ redemption proceedings. Disputes related to various kinds of supply contracts are also of everyday nature in my work.

How would you describe the Hannes culture?

My conception of the Hannes culture is threefold: We 1) work as a team, 2) aim high, and 3) take ownership of the client’s case and project.

You took part in the Nordic Moot Court Competition on Human Rights when you were a student. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience?

Gladly! For me, taking part in the competition was absolutely one of the key experiences during law school and one of the experiences that clearly paved the way for my career to this moment. The competition showed a glimpse of what it might be to be an attorney and how one takes care of the client’s case. And of course, pleading in the Norwegian Supreme Court before European supreme court justices and European Human Rights Court justices was a unique experience for a law student – and for clarity, such opportunity has not yet presented itself for me again. In 2023, we also had the honour to host a hundred-something delegation of Nordic guests at Hannes and around Helsinki, for example at the Supreme Court, as the competition’s oral hearing rounds were held in Helsinki. I am glad to have been able to take part in the competition and its alumni work in this way and hope that I and the competition will have many more years and experiences together in the future.

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?

I would not say that I believe in destiny, but I strongly believe in intuition and coincidence. So, with regards to my professional life, I believe it is a mix of several factors, actions, and circumstances that have taken place during the journey. However, applying for a traineeship at Hannes (by the way, I was not chosen when I applied the first time) and applying for the competing team in the Nordic Moot Court Competition in 2017 have both turned out to be significant decisions during my career thus far.