The evolving legal landscape demands much of lawyers: adaptability, innovation, ingenuity, and a penchant for constant learning. Benjamin is an exceptional example of someone who meets these challenges with ease, while being committed to helping those earlier in their legal careers. He navigates the evolving landscape of legal technology while guiding the next generation of lawyers, making sure that he adapts his teaching style to their pace of change.

Mentorship is a cornerstone for lawyers all over the world. Benjamin credits his own mentors for fostering his creativity by encouraging him to problem-solve independently, versus following a templated plan. Though legal is often seen as a rigid and traditional field, Ben is still profoundly motivated by the opportunity to solve complex legal challenges in original ways. He believes that fostering a mindset of problem-solving and innovation is crucial for success in today's legal world. 

What first drew you to the legal profession? Was there a moment when you knew law was your calling?

Well, my first real exposure to law was back in high school during a basic course in Finnish law which really grabbed my interest. I had a fantastic teacher who, at the end of the course, suggested that law might be a good fit for me based on my performance and enthusiasm. I tried out a few other fields along the way, but eventually, I felt a strong pull back to law and decided to pursue it seriously.

It's amazing how influential a great teacher can be. So once you decided on law, how did your career unfold? What led you to specialise in corporate law and M&A?

During my studies, I started working quite early. I landed a summer job at a local bank in my hometown, which was my first professional encounter with legal matters. I was a bank clerk—not practicing law per se—but it was a transformative experience. I dealt with customer service, saw various client situations, and really appreciated the value of good customer relations.

Later on, I joined the legal department of a larger Nordic bank in Helsinki. I worked there for several years during my studies and had a mentor who was instrumental in my development. Just before graduating, I joined Castrén & Snellman. I was pretty open about which team I'd join but knew I wanted something transactional. I ended up in the private M&A team, and that's where my journey in corporate law truly began. Aside from a year spent doing LLM studies in Madrid, I've been with the firm since 2010.

It sounds like Castrén & Snellman has been a great fit for you. What has kept you there all these years?

It's all about the people. I've been fortunate to work with mentors who were not just superiors but also became my partner colleagues and friends. We had great chemistry and shared values, which made me want to continue working with them. The support from colleagues and collaborative environment here has been a big part of why I've stayed.

Looking back, what would you say are some of the key milestones or achievements in your career?

There have been several. The first few years as an associate were all about learning. Everything was new, and I was constantly thrown into different situations. A significant milestone was being promoted from associate to senior associate and counsel lawyer. That came with increased responsibilities—I was leading projects, interacting more with clients, and taking on more complex tasks.

Being elected to the partnership was, of course, a major achievement. It changed my role significantly. I became responsible for leading a team of younger lawyers and mentoring them in their career development. Another highlight has been building a global network of colleagues and friends in law firms around the world, especially in the Nordics. It's been incredibly motivating to work with and learn from peers globally.

How did you go about building that global network?

Working on global projects has been a fantastic way to connect with colleagues from all over the world. We're privileged to be involved in transactions that require coordination with international teams. As I've become more senior, attending networking events, conferences, and seminars has also played a big role. Meeting peers in different settings outside of deal environments adds another dimension to those relationships.

When you think about legal practice as a craft, what aspects of your work feel the most creative to you?

That's an interesting question. Early in my career, once I understood and handled the basics of M&A and transaction processes,

I realised that what motivates me most is the creative aspect—starting new projects, tackling challenges where there's no set template, and creating solutions from scratch.

I thrive in discussing and planning with clients and stakeholders, building a project's structure, and then seeing how it evolves. Being able to create and innovate in that way is incredibly rewarding.

Legal education often emphasises the theoretical over the practical. How have mentors influenced your approach to the creative side of law?

They've been hugely influential. My mentors didn't just assign tasks; they gave me issues to solve. They encouraged me to figure out different ways to address problems rather than just executing a predefined plan. That approach really fosters creativity and helps develop critical thinking skills, which I've tried to pass on to the younger lawyers I work with.

Technology is changing many industries, including law. How do you see it shaping legal practice, and what skills do you think future lawyers will need?

Technology has already made a significant impact. When I started, we used physical data rooms—actual rooms filled with paper documents—for due diligence. Shifting to virtual data rooms was a big step forward in efficiency.

I believe that being curious and open to new technological tools is crucial. Lawyers don't need to be tech experts, but they should be willing to adopt tools that can make their work more efficient.

If you resist these changes, it might be tough to stay competitive in the long run.

Looking ahead five to ten years, what changes do you anticipate in the legal profession?

I expect we'll have even more efficient tools to support our work, which is exciting. I think younger lawyers will be able to engage in creative and strategic legal work much earlier in their careers, as technology handles more routine tasks. This will likely require us to rethink traditional career paths and find new ways to support rapid development and skill acquisition.

In your area of practice—corporate law and M&A—what opportunities and challenges do you see with this technological shift?

The main opportunity is that technology can take over repetitive tasks, allowing lawyers to focus on higher-level work sooner. The challenge is that by skipping some foundational tasks, younger lawyers might miss out on learning the process deeply. Since their path differs from what senior lawyers experienced, we'll need to adapt our mentorship to ensure they're still getting the necessary foundational knowledge which is key.

Given these changes, how can experienced lawyers like yourself best support the next generation?

We need to be flexible and open to new ways of mentoring. If younger lawyers are developing more quickly, we should support that while ensuring they build a solid foundation.

It's about rethinking career paths and being proactive in our support to the next generation of legal experts.