Interview with: Joni Painilainen, Partner, Head of M&A Legal

Partner, Head of M&A Legal, Joni Painilainen explains how PwC Legal is adapting to clients’ changing needs and differentiating itself from competitors through innovative practices and global collaboration.

 

What do you see as the main points that differentiate PwC Legal from your competitors?

Unlike traditional law firms, we collaborate closely with other deal teams, such as Corporate Finance, Transaction Services, and M&A Tax. This provides comprehensive services to clients, eliminating the need for multiple providers and streamlining due diligence. Additionally, PwC’s global legal network includes over 4,000 lawyers in more than 100 countries, enhancing our service quality through international collaboration.

 

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

M&A, particularly in technology transactions. Lower interest rates and increased defence budgets are driving growth in the M&A market, especially for tech firms in the defence sector.

 

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

Emphasis on GenAI. We engage in regular discussions with our London and other EMEA-based legal-tech teams to exchange information on the most useful tools for our firm and clients, optimal training methods for team members, and projections for the next 12 months or five years. This approach enables us to advance in legal-tech and improve client service.

 

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

AI agents and assistants are transforming work by handling time-consuming tasks. This allows us to focus on important work, improves service quality, reduces time spent on assignments, and lowers costs. Everyone benefits.

 

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

We offer legal tech consulting to help clients identify focus areas, select the best tools, and train staff. Clients report significant time and cost savings by integrating GenAI into daily work. We lead in this field in Finland.

 

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

Given the current market conditions and rapid technological advancements, achieving stability soon may be challenging. This highlights the importance of advisors in guiding clients in making appropriate decisions regarding business direction and technology selection.