Career Stories | Wilma Montonen, Associate, M&A

Wilma Montonen advises clients on mergers and acquisitions as well as general corporate, commercial, and contract law. Wilma joined the firm as an associate trainee and was appointed as an associate lawyer upon her graduation in 2023.

Could you tell us about your Hannes journey?

My journey started in August ‘22 as an associate trainee in the M&A Team. I really enjoyed my traineeship and thus continued as a thesis trainee for a couple of months before starting as an associate in May 2023 upon my graduation.

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

It really depends on the day and what active projects we have going on. In general, you never really know what kind of a day you have ahead, but often it is a mix of larger projects and ongoing corporate governance. During this spring, for instance annual general meetings of both public and private companies have taken up some of my working hours in addition to the active projects.

How would you describe the Hannes culture?

For me, the great thing about working at Hannes is the mix of always striving to do our best taking into consideration the clients’ needs and having fun at the office/enjoying our work.

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?

Yes of course! The moot court in question is quite unique due to many reasons and has been the single most educational experience during my studies. In addition to learning about human rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and case law of the European Court of Human Rights, it was a practical practice in writing argumentative texts, pleading your case, and understanding the other Nordic languages (since all teams plead in either Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish). The team consisted of six ordinary members and a junior member, and it was also really fun to concentrate and put all your energy into one project as a team during the spring. Furthermore, the moot court is an excellent opportunity to meet likeminded students, lawyers, and judges (from the European Court of Human Rights and the highest national judicial instances). I participated in the moot court in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we got to experience the moot court over zoom, which was quite a unique experience in itself. After that, I have coached the team in 2022, and last year, together with some other alumni and colleagues, we arranged the practicalities of the moot court in Helsinki.

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?

Probably the decision to apply for law school in the first place, even though this is a somewhat boring answer. Another important decision would probably be the decision to hand in my application for the traineeship at Hannes.