Englishman in Helsinki

I had never visited Finland or the Nordics before I came here to visit my girlfriend. I decided I would like to stay a bit longer – now it's been 13 years. A while ago I started to look for something new after staying with the same company for 12 years. That led me at Bird & Bird. What comes to the recruitment process it felt more like they want to find the right people to this environment and then the role can come to the person.

It doesn't feel like you're working in a big firm with a 100-and-something people. Bird & Bird seems a personable employer: people here are just people and they are allowed to be themselves. I would describe us as open, friendly and 'soft' – it's almost like a family feeling, you pick on that quite quickly. What comes to self-development possibilities here, I don't like to stand still and stay in a box. I like to make my own path.

My view of a law firm was probably from some TV series, so I thought everyone here works around the clock. Looking around, the reality seems quite balanced, though.”