Helsinki

I find great joy in helping others and finding solutions together.

Written By

Heidi Gröndahl

Heidi Gröndahl

HR Assistant
Finland

I joined Bird & Bird as a Legal PA in 2015

I joined Bird & Bird as a Legal PA in 2015. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work in different fields of law, providing support for corporate acquisitions, finance-related matters and finally real estate transactions. The Real Estate team has now been my home base for the better part of a decade.

I graduated from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in the programme of Modern Languages and Business Studies for Management Assistants. What led me to Bird & Bird, for one thing, was the international approach and my desire to partially work in English. Even though Finnish is my working language, I am happy to say that my work has included a great deal of communication with clients and colleagues all across the world.

As a PA, my job description is broad by definition. I assist lawyers in their assignments, which typically include carrying out transactions, editing documents and managing schedules. On a large scale, my duties also include managing client relationships, financial administration and developing processes related to assistant work.

The variety of tasks is something I’ve come to appreciate as it has kept my work interesting throughout the years. I have also learned that almost any issue can be tackled with the help of your colleagues. The Real Estate and PA teams are packed with resourceful people, and I immensely enjoy sharing thoughts with them.

When organisations face change, the assistants are often on the frontline finding new working methods and sharing information. This is another meaningful aspect of a PA’s role. In the fast-paced digital environment, it sometimes requires wit and in-depth knowledge of your field to keep up - or preferably stay one step ahead of the game. The good thing is that if your field of work is fickle by nature, it allows you to learn and develop endlessly. As they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss.

At best, the people around you are like a safety net you can always rely on. The things I value the most at Bird & Bird, in the end, are the support, mentoring and friendships I have been fortunate enough to gain.

Contacts

Heidi Gröndahl

Heidi Gröndahl

HR Assistant
Finland