On the career path of an energy lawyer: Introducing our new Partner Panu Vasama

Panu Vasama

Attorney-at-Law Panu Vasama was appointed as Partner at Lieke, effective as of 1 September 2025. Panu has been part of the Lieke team since 2020 and specialises in demanding and complex energy production and green transition projects, as well as legal and contractual matters in the energy, construction, and circular economy sectors. How did Panu’s career path lead to partnership, and what does his work involve?

From in-house lawyer to law firm partner

Panu’s interest in law began at school, drawn to social studies which eventually led him to study law. During his studies, he gained internship experience at an insurance company and a law firm. Towards the end of his degree, the energy sector caught his attention: “I thought about which future-proof industrial sector would be essential and whose development would be inevitable regardless of economic cycles. The energy sector seemed the right choice.” His thesis focused on pricing mechanisms in long-term energy supply agreements, and he began his career as an in-house lawyer for an international energy company.

Panu worked as an in-house lawyer for three years and describes the role as invaluable: “Right from the start, I was drafting contracts and handling negotiations. I was responsible for the legal matters of certain business segments. As an in-house lawyer, you often get to challenge yourself outside your comfort zone, learning and solving issues largely on your own. Of course, colleagues were there for support, but I worked very independently. That gave me confidence and accelerated my development. The experience also taught me fundamentally why commercial law exists: ultimately, the work must serve business profitability, and also lawyers play a role in creating effective partnerships and business relationships.”

Although Panu truly enjoyed his in-house role, he saw law firm experience as important in the long term. His next step was Lieke, where he started in 2020: “The advantage of a law firm is the support of several experienced colleagues and the firm’s broad expertise across different areas of law. In-house work prioritises time allocation based on the significance of manageable risks, which makes sense. This applies to law firms too, but in practice, law firms combine top-level expertise from various legal fields to achieve the highest quality outcome. Both approaches complement each other well. The key is understanding what level of legal detail is proportionate to the matter at hand.”

Partnership came as a natural progression from independent work, growing assignments, and increased responsibility: “It’s fantastic to help develop the firm and the skills of our lawyers, and to have an even greater influence on what kind of workplace we are and where we’re heading.”

Tangible and meaningful energy sector law

Panu’s work focuses on the legal matters of major projects during both preparation and implementation phases. His desk is often filled with energy production and green transition projects, advising clients on project development, contract negotiations, and legal risk management. He also has extensive experience in energy and commodity purchase and sales agreements.

Panu has unique expertise in agreements for the procurement and delivery of natural gas and biogas, as well as in thermal energy trading and waste heat solutions, which often rely on bespoke contractual structures. In addition, he has worked on energy-sector M&A and on issues related to market regulation.

Panu has comprehensive experience in several significant energy and industrial investment projects, covering everything from project development to contracts essential for commercial viability, construction, and international project deliveries.

What makes these matters so fascinating? “The energy and construction sectors are critical to society, and the legal work is highly diverse. In project law, you can see what is being built: tangible projects that will serve society for decades, if not longer. The climate perspective and enabling the green transition make my work meaningful. These themes recur not only in projects but also in other contractual arrangements within the energy sector.

Law remains interesting because projects and contracts are almost all unique. Contract practices in the sector are not fully standardised. In this segment, you handle truly challenging and varied assignments. The energy sector is, in fact, a cross-section of many areas of law, combining construction and environmental legislation, complex contract law, and market regulation. It’s an incredibly diverse field.”

Seeing clients’ projects and arrangements come to fruition is motivating for Panu: “It’s always rewarding when an investment decision is made on a project that has been in preparation for years, or when a complex contractual arrangement is finalised and a long-term partnership begins. I genuinely want to see clients’ matters successfully concluded.”

Future outlook and tips for aspiring energy lawyers

The energy and circular economy sectors are becoming increasingly diverse, with new solutions for energy production, storage, and distribution emerging constantly: “The sector will continue to employ lawyers. Alongside technological development, regulation is steadily increasing, and projects and arrangements are becoming more complex. The workload required of lawyers will keep growing, and evolving AI tools will support our work even more.”

The construction sector typically offers numerous career opportunities for lawyers: “In addition to major green transition projects, there is plenty of work in conventional construction. Although the construction industry is still recovering from the economic cycle, large public-sector building projects provide significant employment, and societal development has certainly not come to a halt.”

Panu advises young lawyers to learn the basic structures of the industries they work in: “You don’t need to master university-level chemistry, for example, but you must understand the fundamental operations to grasp what matters to the client, the contract structures, and the necessary agreements. An energy lawyer should understand the basics of electricity and heating systems and have a general view of Finland’s energy market. Understanding the client’s business makes discussions smoother and enables you to comment matters more quickly. For all new lawyers, my advice is: the sooner you start doing things yourself, the better.”

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