Responsibility is an important part of Merilampi’s organisational culture. Our values – solution-focused approach, caring, passion and integrity – are at the core of everything we do, and they form the basis for responsible business.
We are not seeking quick wins but build our competitiveness in the long term. When we take care of our profitability and competitiveness, we are better equipped to ensure our responsibility more comprehensively. We want to create long-term value for our clients, employees and the society as a whole.
We are in constant dialogue with our key stakeholders. We want to be actively involved especially in discussions concerning business life, business law and the law firm business. In addition, we want to be an example of the power and societal importance of equal and diverse work communities.
We utilise our expertise by carrying out pro bono work for parties promoting the common good. In addition, we support various causes through donations. As part of corporate responsibility, we pay attention to the environmental effects of our work.
Further information on the various areas of Merilampi’s corporate responsibility is available below.
Employees and diversity
We believe that a good customer and a good employee experience go hand in hand. We recruit our professionals carefully and we look after them. Employee well-being combined with employees who feel their work has a purpose means that our personnel can serve our clients better and create more added value for them.
Caring is our core value and reflected in humanity in our work, both in our office and with our clients. At Merilampi, you can have a good work-life balance, and a career with us does not mean that other aspects of life are forgotten.
We believe that diversity results in broader thinking, discussion and decision-making. For this reason, we pay attention to the diversity and equal treatment of our personnel in both the recruitment processes and the daily life at the office. We lead by example.
We are constantly developing ourselves professionally as well as personally. At Merilampi, juniors and seniors work together, which enables better development and on-the-job learning and ensures the transfer of professional competence. We offer internal and external trainings to support professional development and to promote occupational and personal well-being. All our employees have the opportunity – and obligation – to participate in trainings regularly and, through that, to develop as professionals. This motivates our people and helps us provide our clients with the best possible service.
Cooperation with students
Law students work at Merilampi around the year in Junior Trainee and Trainee positions. Trainees are an important part of our teams, and they participate in practical office duties as well as in assignments. Students are genuinely a part of Merilampi, and long trainee programmes ensure that we get to know each other. Read more about our trainee programmes on the Students page.
We cooperate regularly with Finnish universities, faculties of law and student organisations. We want to share our expertise with students and support them in their studies by providing practical teaching on corporate law.
Many of our experts have experience in moot court competitions. In our opinion, participating in a moot court competition is a unique way for students to develop their skills and to promote growth into a legal professional.
Merilampi Case is a moot court competition which we organise each year. In Merilampi Case, the participants resolve a realistic client assignment, which gives the students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with practical work. The judges of the competition are experienced corporate lawyers and attorneys-at-law. Under their guidance, the students develop their legal writing and presentation skills and learn to apply the knowledge they have acquired during their legal studies. Read more about Merilampi Case.
In addition, we coach teams in the international Vis Moot court competition.
Involvement in society
We want to share our expertise and knowledge through active participation in discussions concerning business life, corporate law and the law firm business. Our experts give lectures, train and write regularly on current legal issues.
We participate in the preparation of the Finnish legislation, hold various positions of trust and are active members in organisations in the legal sector.
Merilampi’s Partner and Chairman of the Board Jussi Ikonen acts as a Media Attorney appointed by the Finnish Bar Association. The purpose of the Media Attorney function is to create new links between the public and the legal system, inform about the work of attorneys in general and to deal with common questions relating to the administration of justice, defense in court and dispute resolution.
Pro bono and charity
We want to use our expertise to promote the common good. We carry out pro bono work especially for parties promoting the well-being of children, young people and families. We do pro bono work for the following organisations:
ShedHelsinki, a foundation involved in theatre for children and young people.
The objective of ShedHelsinki is to establish in Finland a musical theatre for children and young people, with the aim of highlighting diversity and making Finland a place in which people dare to believe in their dreams and to be seen just the way they are. In 2017, to ensure and expand the operations, Elisa Corporation established the ShedHelsinki Foundation, which supports diverse child and youth work with special attention to children with special needs. Merilampi has supported the operations of ShedHelsinki from the very beginning, with plans of even closer cooperation established for the next few years.
Elämälle ry, an association working for the benefit of women and families
Elämälle ry is a Finnish association founded in 2017, that has a mission to support obstetrics and gynaecology research in Finland.
Tapiola Choir, a world-renowned and award-winning choir for children and young people.
Since its foundation in 1963, Tapiola Choir has evolved from a regular school choir into one of the world’s best-known children’s and youth choirs. The choir’s mission is to create a diverse and humane environment for growth, in which all children have the opportunity to be a professional artist. The choir consists of approximately 70 young and talented musicians.
Veikkausliiga, the men’s main football league in Finland.
The key purpose of Veikkausliiga is to develop league football, the involved clubs, players and the operational conditions of the sport and to promote the related values.
In addition to pro bono work, we support various causes through annual donations. Our desire is to promote the exercising of children’s rights and to improve the situation of children in Finland and abroad. In the last few years, we have supported, for example, the work of ShedHelsinki Foundation, Save the Children, Hope ry, and Team Rynkeby, as well as the construction of the new children’s hospital.
Environmental responsibility
Merilampi has deployed the EcoCompass environmental system. EcoCompass is an environmental system developed through the cooperation of municipalities in the Helsinki metropolitan region, and it is coordinated by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation’s Kinos Ltd. EcoCompass is based on the international environmental management standards ISO 14001 and EMAS and on the corresponding Nordic systems.
EcoCompass enables us to understand the environmental effects of our operations and to carry out purposeful work that promotes the well-being of the environment. We have identified the most significant environmental effects that our operations have and evaluated our possibilities to influence them. Based on the results, we have defined objectives and measures for our environmental work, the implementation of which we monitor regularly. We are committed to saving natural resources, and we have been granted an EcoCompass Certificate.
