Borenius Attorneys Ltd has won the Member of the Year award at this year’s Amchampion Awards due to their activeness in providing their expertise, networks, resources and insights to the community. They know how to get the most out of Amcham. Congratulations!
We met up with Casper Herler, Managing Partner at Borenius, to speak about the Amcham community as well as the crucial and proactive role a lawyer can have in international business today.
“Amcham Finland is a business network through which we not only stay up-to-date on what’s going on in international business, but also meet new and old clients. Law firms provide trusted advice, and it is through Amcham that firms can come into dialogue with the business community,” says Casper.
According to Casper, lawyers as trusted advisers are growing into ever-closer cooperation with members of the business community. The lawyer of the future will not only be great at lawyering, but will also take on a leadership role on behalf of companies that he or she represents. Through well-honed interpersonal skills, the lawyer can analyze the business world’s risks and opportunities and give cool-headed advice.
Leadership is a quality that Borenius sees as crucial for a law firm; being a steady beacon in the tumultuous waters of international business is at the core of their principles.
To have a such a holistic, collaborative leadership role with their clients, lawyers must have excellent negotiating and communication skills. Casper gave his top three tips for negotiating like a lawyer:
1) It’s important to deeply understand the viewpoint, background and intentions of the other party; what drives them? It’s easy to get caught up in trying to win instead of trying to solve the problem.
2) The skill of true listening is essential. Listen openly instead of thinking about your next move or retort. You lose track of what the other party is saying.
3) Step back to get a view of the whole picture: what are the obstacles in the way to a solution? It may help to put those issues into another basket and build up a solution that goes around them, working on what you can agree on. Don’t try to find a ‘final truth’.
For many international companies, Borenius is the first port of call when entering the Finnish market. Borenius has worked closely with Amcham Finland’s Launchpad USA program as a founding member, as well as our NYC office, where they are also located, and the Defence Industry Dialogue and the Legal Committee.
“Through adept leadership and its innovative manner, Amcham Finland has taken responsibility for the important role of providing broad support for the international business community here in Finland. Having been active in the organization for many years, it has been amazing to see that specialized, topical issues are constantly being brought to the discussion,” concludes Casper.