A Journey in Energy and Environmental Law: Introducing Counsel Hanna Tuominen

Hanna Tuominen

Attorney-at-Law Hanna TuominenHanna Tuominen was appointed as Counsel as of 1 March 2026. Hanna specialises in contract, energy, and environmental law, and she has worked as part of Lieke’s Energy and Construction team since 2018. What is Hanna’s work like, and what makes it fascinating?

The path to expertise in energy, environmental, and construction law

Hanna began her legal career at Lieke as a trainee already in 2010. She found the work enjoyable due to its variety and her colleagues at the time (many of whom are still at Lieke today). Later, after studying abroad, Hanna moved to another law firm, where she worked for just under five years before returning to Lieke in 2018.

Although Hanna’s career has developed in a straightforward way within law firms, the direction of her future was not initially clear during her studies. “At first, I was interested in constitutional law and human rights, and I studied, for example, military law and legal philosophy. However, with working life and financial realities, business law ultimately became more appealing. I then wrote my thesis on competition law, which I had the opportunity to explore in depth both at Lieke and at another law firm.” While working at the other law firm, she specialised further in environmental and energy law and has since expanded her expertise, particularly in contract and administrative law.

Today, Hanna works in Lieke’s Energy and Construction team. Her work focuses especially on permitting, regulation, and administrative law, often as part of large-scale projects and developments.

When she began her career at Lieke in 2010, the energy transition did not yet dominate public discussion in the same way it does today. “What particularly interests me in energy law is how closely legal work is connected to broader societal discussions. It’s fascinating to follow how themes from my desk also appear in the news and public debate.”

According to Hanna, contract, energy, and environmental law form an excellent combination, as energy and infrastructure projects practically always require an understanding of these areas (not to forget many other fields as well!). She believes that expertise in these fields will be needed even more in the future due to changes in the operating environment: “The green transition and the continuous growth of EU regulation have ensured that work in this field will not be running out anytime soon.”

Memorable lessons from her career

When asked about memorable lessons from her career, Hanna returns to one sentence that has stayed with her: “A more experienced colleague once said, ‘assumption is the mother of all f**‑ups,’ which, in my view, captures the essence of high-quality legal work. You shouldn’t rely on assumptions.”

“The most interesting assignments have been those where I have had either a major role throughout the entire project—from start to finish—such as the Naistenlahti 3 power plant project for Tampereen Energia, or cases involving the application of legislation for the first time in Finland, such as an appeal concerning the state’s right of pre-emption.”

Tips for law students: make your interests visible

For students and early-career lawyers, Hanna offers practical advice on how to stand out: “In trainee programs and job interviews, it’s worth clearly expressing your genuine interests. It’s also a great advantage to follow the field beyond just legal perspectives. For example, in project law, you don’t have to be an engineer, but familiarity with industry terminology, types of projects, and current developments demonstrates genuine interest and increases credibility.”

Looking ahead, Hanna is interested in continuing in roles similar to what she does now. “I imagine that issues related to security of supply and cybersecurity will remain central topics in the energy sector, and it will be exciting to see what kinds of cases will emerge around these themes in the future.”

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