Petra Fyhr, an assistant working in our Data & Technology team, is good at holding the reins. She has had a long career in the legal sector and worked at law firms of various sizes for 30 years. In her career, Petra has seen various fields of law, from environmental law to bankruptcy law.
Petra started working at Castrén & Snellman about four years ago when she found she wanted to try something new.
‘I thought for a while about applying to a new firm. After some encouragement from a colleague, I decided to go for it and got the job at C&S. It was great to see that they valued my expertise, and that being over fifty was no obstacle to joining C&S’, says Petra.
Petra’s closest colleague, Tarja Lindfors, also has had a long career as an assistant. Together this dynamic duo assists a team of approximately ten lawyers.
A Proactive and Independent Worker
In our Data & Technology team, the duties of an assistant are fast-paced and include various tasks, such as opening new assignments, invoicing, keeping an eye on deadlines, handling documents and conflict checks, and managing lawyers’ calendars and travel arrangements. The tasks also include many administrative duties supporting partners in managing the team’s work.
Petra describes her attitude towards work as proactive and independent.
‘I am very self-motivated and I aim to anticipate situations for the lawyers. I take responsibility for my work and I like to do some things completely independently. Thanks to my long career, I know exactly what my job is and what is expected of me.’
Petra previously worked in smaller firms. What appeals to her at Castrén & Snellman?
‘Even though C&S is a big firm, everyone here is really friendly. It’s the people that make C&S special and I love being a part of this bunch. Castrén & Snellman puts a lot of effort into fostering a sense of community and into joint events and sharing our successes. My team and close colleagues are also an important part of the appeal’, says Petra.
Shared challenges and successes drive Petra’s work.
‘Some of my favourite moments are when the team completes a challenging and intensive project successfully together.’
Adapting to Hybrid Work
The COVID-19 pandemic forced even assistants to work more from remote offices, and remote work is now here to stay. Petra likes remote work, because of the time she saved from her commute.
‘Assistants can work well at home. Though not everything can be done from home, there is usually an assistant trainee at the office and we also rotate office shifts among all the firm’s assistants. We have all found this to be a good way to organise our work. Our team also has Office Thursdays when the whole team comes to the office’, says Petra.
Petra feels that the firm’s values can be seen in daily work and are actively discussed. Petra says that her favourite value is Courage.
‘I appreciate it when things are done as agreed. If something is not working, I have the courage to say so and I like to take up development goals. I keep an open mind and think about whether a certain course of action is smart and sensible.’
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