Career Stories: Benjamin Bade

Benjamin is a partner in Castrén & Snellman’s Mergers & Acquisitions team. He advises clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, but cross-border transactions are his expertise and he has worked on several international deals during his career. Benjamin has recently had a central role in advising our clients in the merger of Ahlström Capital’s portfolio company Enics Group and GPV International A/S as well as in the separation of F-Secure’s Consumer Security business and Corporate Security business.

‘Thanks to our firm’s experts and international experience, we are able to handle complex cross-border assignments. Despite the small size and location of our country, we can handle our clients’ international transactions together with our global network of partners’, he says.

Success through project management

‘International deals are usually extensive and challenging as they involve several jurisdictions. It is particularly critical to see the big picture, which is often extensive and complex. But that is the appeal’, Benjamin says.

Due to their size and demands, cross-border deals are usually handled by a large team of experts who are specialised in different fields of expertise. Castrén & Snellman’s strength is that it has one of Finland’s largest M&A teams and as a full-service firm, it has experts in all the relevant fields.

‘The transactions can be massive, but fortunately they are always a team effort. We have a highly skilled and experienced team in the firm as well as an excellent network of long-term business partners abroad.’

Awareness of global trends

One feature of international transactions is the opportunity to work closely with colleagues from around the globe. This is a great opportunity to get a perspective on the profession from different parts of the world.

‘Working in international circles keeps you continually up to date on global trends and teaches you how colleagues in different countries approach relevant issues. It makes work very interesting and rewarding’, Benjamin says.

‘Another good part about cross-border deals is that they allow you to benchmark yourself and the team against big multinational firms and their practices.’

Supportive work culture

Benjamin joined Castrén & Snellman in 2010 as a senior trainee and became partner in 2019. He particularly appreciates that the firm actively encourages its employees to develop their expertise and widen their networks.

For example, as a young lawyer, Benjamin was given the opportunity to study for an LLM degree in International Business Law in IE Law School in Madrid with the support of the firm.

‘Whenever I suggested a course or studies abroad, my supervisor and the firm in general supported and encouraged me.’

Benjamin encourages students and young lawyers to seek out international experience if they have the opportunity and interest to widen their network.