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Interview with…

Ari Engblom, Head of Legal Services, KPMG Law Finland

Ari Engblom, Head of Legal Services, KPMG Law Finland

What do you see as the main points that differentiate KPMG Law Finland from your competitors?

  • Result oriented, business-minded Lawyers and Advisers with high energy level working together in multidisciplinary teams understanding the potential and existing needs of the Client.

  • KPMG’s holistic approach that matches the needs of the Client’s business and aligns with their organization’s strategic objectives.

  • KPMG’s globally connected Legal Services platform – currently spanning 81 jurisdictions, with over 2,750 lawyers as wide shoulders for the next to one hundred local lawyers in Finland close to the Client with a strong Trusted Advisor approach.

    • Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

  • Regulatory: Multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional, and holistic approach combining Legal, Advisory and Technology Services creates a competitive advantage for KPMG Law and provides true solutions for regulatory intensive Clients such as Banking, Private Equity, and Insurance. In addition, the strength of this approach has been proven successful in new regulatory tsunami such as Whistleblowing, ESG, AML and the trend of different soft law transforming in hard law e.g., directive proposal of corporate social responsibility.

  • Construction & Real Estate: KPMG Law’s Construction & Real Estate Law team has been able to grow with strategic recruiting and building strong co-operation with FS Law team as well as VAT and Corporate Tax teams innovating, productizing, and proactively approaching Construction Companies and Investors with cost effective real estate development solutions. In addition, the Team has been able to provide Public Clients Turnkey-approach in their land & development processes combining sector-specific KPMG’s commercial advisory approach with continuous legal and tax services.

  • Public Law: Public Law team has had steady growth for several years. We expect further strong growth. The sales culture and integration of different KPMG Public Sector team members in each engagement are exceptionally well established in KPMG Law Finland for the benefit of the Clients. In addition, the fundamental reform of service structure of Finnish social welfare and health care, a reform of the century, is starting to take its first concrete steps.

    • What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients?

    The existing, successful matrix approaches for Enterprise and Government Clusters have been de facto widened to Financial Services Sector and Capital Markets Approach. For the Client matrix approach results in more holistic, business driven and relevant Legal, Advisory and Tax services. The deep Client understanding of both FS and Capital Markets Teams enables KPMG to provide integrated, innovative, and proactive solutions with strong project management and technology capabilities.

    Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

    KPMG Law Finland arranged together with Nordic sister practices 23.3.2022 a Nordic Summit for General Counsels with the theme “The New Era of the Legal” which focused on Legal Operations Transformation Services with Technology focus. KPMG Law Finland has wide resources to provide Tech Solutions for the Client with Finnish KPMG Lighthouse Team focusing on Data, AI & Emerging Technologies, together with KPMG Law Finland’s own Legal Tech Team. For example, to the interaction with the Global Clients KPMG has “Digital Gateway for KPMG Law” and for the local Clients “KPMG Move”.

    E-Sign, Teams-meetings, Document Automation etc. are everyday examples, where Legal services are sold, engagements are carried out and finalized for all Clients despite the size of each engagement in an effective and modern way.

    Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

    REIT & Real Estate Fund Sector specializing in Finnish Land Funds have not been able – de facto - to acquire capital stocks of Real Estate Companies, and in that structure to agree land rental agreements and exits commercially viable way. Due to different reasons also owners of REIT-Ltd:s have increasingly been willing to sell only shares.

    KPMG Law Finland has together with KPMG Tax opened up this lock up -situation by acquiring a landmark ruling from Supreme Administrative Court of Mutual REIT Ltd:s that only own land (SAC 2020:15) where after KPMG Law Finland has innovated, structured and assisted next to all of Finnish Real Estate Sector Clients to implement Land Funds and solving complex Real Estate Law, Corporate Law, Property Law, and Regulatory challenges.

    Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

    The Clients largely benefit from KPMG Law’s multidisciplinary approach that combine technology approach and our proactive way and innovative culture where we interact with the Clients before they even are aware of their Legal or Regulatory needs.

    Strategic direction of KPMG Law Finland is in line with Global KPMG Law’s short- and long-term strategy and vision which is communicated to each Client Sectors and our Lawyers as well as Advisors in accordance with the relevance.

    In three years’ time KPMG Law Finland will benefit from the growth of KPMG Law Global and especially Nordic Legal Practices, which increase our both inbound and outbound volume, plus further expand our Legal capabilities for the benefit of the Clients. Megatrends in regulatory environment provide huge business possibilities for KPMG Law, especially when Tech-solutions are combined.