"One of the most important factors in my career development has been finding the right people to work with"
Partner Antti Luhtala from our Mergers & Acquisitions practice reflects on his career journey from starting as an Associate Trainee at Krogerus to returning after formative years at Harvard and in London and ultimately progressing to Partner. He highlights the importance of working alongside the right people, the impact of international experience on his professional perspective, and how collaboration, consistency and commercial judgment have shaped his path.
How has your career been so far and how did you end up at Krogerus?
I started at Krogerus as an Associate Trainee in the fall of 2013, while still in law school. It may sound like a cliché, but it really was a bit of a love-at-first-sight moment. The people, the atmosphere and the way the teams worked together made a strong impression early on and I remember thinking quite clearly that this was the kind of place where I would want to start building my career once I graduated.
I was initially drawn to law because I was interested in how businesses make complex decisions in high-stakes situations. Transactional work – and M&A in particular – appealed to me because it combines analytical thinking with teamwork, negotiation and execution. You’re not just identifying risks, you’re helping clients move forward.
Looking back, one of the most important factors in my career development has been finding the right people to work with. Mentors who were willing to invest time in your development, peers who pushed you to improve and junior colleagues who were motivated and ambitious in their own right. In many ways, a successful career in a law firm is built collectively rather than individually. The environment you work in and the people you grow alongside, matter enormously.
Krogerus felt like the right place for that from the very beginning, which is ultimately why I decided to stay and continue building my career here.
You studied at Harvard and later moved to London to work at an international law firm. How did your time abroad shape your professional development and influence your career as a lawyer?
My time at Harvard and later in London was hugely formative. Studying and working in genuinely international environments forces you to adapt quickly, professionally and personally. You’re exposed to different legal systems, different working cultures and a level of intensity that raises your own expectations of what “good” looks like.
Working in London on complex private equity and strategic transactions meant being part of large, multidisciplinary deal teams where clarity, responsiveness and judgment were essential. It taught me how to communicate strategic legal advice in a way that is both technically sound and commercially meaningful.
I still draw on that experience today in Finland, particularly when working with international investors or in cross-border transactions, where aligning expectations across jurisdictions and cultures is often just as important as getting the legal mechanics right.
Your career journey at Krogerus has taken you from Associate to Partner. What enabled your progression and what did that journey require from you professionally and personally?
Progression in a law firm is rarely about one big leap. It’s more often about consistently doing the small things well over a long period of time. Putting in the hours and hard work. Wax on, wax off, as Mr Miyagi would say! At Krogerus, I’ve had the opportunity to work with excellent colleagues and clients on demanding assignments, which has accelerated both my legal and project management skills.
Becoming a partner required not only developing technical expertise, but also learning how to lead teams, manage client relationships and take ownership of outcomes. Some of the most meaningful turning points occured when I moved from executing tasks to thinking more broadly about the overall direction of a transaction or a client relationship.
On a personal level, it has also meant learning how to balance a demanding professional role with family life, which becomes increasingly important over time.
The legal field is constantly evolving. How do you stay current and continue to deepen your expertise in such a dynamic environment?
In transactional work, staying current is not just about following legal developments. It’s also about understanding market practice and how clients’ priorities evolve. Even at a partner level, a large part of learning happens through doing: working on new types of transactions, with new clients and across different sectors.
Krogerus has been supportive in encouraging specialisation and collaboration across practice areas, which helps build a more holistic view of complex transactions. Looking ahead, I’m particularly interested in assignments that sit at the intersection of technology, infrastructure and defence, areas where legal frameworks are evolving alongside strategic priorities.
Piece of advice you would give an aspiring lawyer
- Remember that being a good (transactional) lawyer is not just about knowing the law – it’s also about judgment, communication and reliability under pressure.
- Focus on learning how to think clearly and explain complex issues simply. Clients value clarity more than complexity.
- Make sure you find ways to properly disconnect from work outside the office, whether through exercise, time with family or other interests. Long-term performance depends on recovery.
Antti's career in numbers
At Krogerus since
- 2013 (Associate Trainee)
- 2015 (Associate)
- 2021 following his four-year stint in the US and London
11 years in total of working as a lawyer.
