Knowledge of the customer’s business helps an M&A lawyer to provide added value, says lawyer Helena Wist.

”I am thankful for getting to work on projects of such a great variety. The days are never the same and the work culture is very driven”, says Helena Wist, an M&A lawyer at Procopé.

A driven work culture suits Wist as she has a past of competing internationally in showjumping.

”Competitive sports have taught me many life lessons and provided me with plenty of tools for my profession as a lawyer. Also, target-oriented competitive sports have brought a counterweight to my work as a lawyer.”

Horses are naturally still a big part of Wist’s life as she rides at her family’s horse stable 2-3 times a week.

Pressure and diversity inspire

Wist has the privilege of being involved in the entire process of an M&A deal. In this regard, Procopé differs from several other law firms, where it is common for younger lawyers to focus on more narrow tasks in the beginning of their careers.

”I have a lot of freedom to plan my own work and time use. It suits me much better than a traditional nine-to-five job.”

While being able to plan one’s own work in a way that best suits one’s own working methods, the entire team supports each other in every project.

”We work as a part of an inspiring and professional group of people where I also get to constantly challenge myself. My colleagues and the partners are always supportive.”

M&A projects are often very busy but haste suits Wist well.

”A small amount of pressure is inspiring, and it gives me energy.”

Understanding the business brings added value to customers

The process of an M&A deal is well-known to people who have already worked on similar projects before. Instead, the workload may come as a surprise for M&A first-timers.

”When we act as the buyer’s advisor in an M&A transaction, our job is to identify potential risks in the target company and other factors that might affect the transaction. In order to do this, we need the assistance of the target company’s personnel who collects a wide variety of material for us. This is something that they usually need to do in addition to their principal work and it may result in time pressure.”

Lawyers working in a law firm have the privilege of familiarising themselves with a wide range of businesses through their different customers.

”We also have many long-term customer relationships which results in the customer’s business becoming very familiar to us. Understanding the business helps us to provide added value to our customers.”