Q&A with Pekka Keloneva
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Q&A
Q & A with Pekka Keloneva
As an Attorney-at-Law/Specialist Counsel at Magnusson in Finland, Pekka Keloneva focuses on insolvency matters and insolvency-related dispute resolution. He also works with matters related to real estate, corporate law, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to his law degree, Keloneva also holds a master’s degree in administrative sciences from the University of Lapland.
Q: Before becoming an attorney, what was your first job?
A: My roots are in northern Finland. I lived in Rovaniemi before I moved to Helsinki. Rovaniemi is located right at the Arctic Circle. In Rovaniemi, we have a Santa Claus village, and during high school I worked as an assistant Santa Claus. My task was to wave at the tourist buses passing by. It was a sight as I am 6 feet tall and 150 pounds, and I had to wear a pillow under my coat.
Q: What motivated you to pursue a legal career?
A: When I was pondering on the options for my life, I concluded that I want either to become a pilot or an attorney. My legal career fulfils my thirst for knowledge and provides me with challenging enough questions to solve. I think of society as a big machine and working as a lawyer allows me to learn how everything works.
Q: Who was your chief mentor and how did he or she influence your career?
A: There have been several people influencing my career. One key person during the last few years has been Attorney-at-Law Arto Hyvönen. His extensive knowledge on multiple fields of law and his ability to focus on key questions and analyze the matter in the big picture has been taking my legal thinking forward by a giant leap.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: My work as an Attorney-at-Law keeps me very busy, but after having kids of my own, I’ve been advised to have a work-life balance. No matter how interesting a legal question might be, it won’t be nearly as good as going swimming with your kids or playing in the park with them.
Q: What is one thing you would like to learn to do?
A: I’ve never learned to play an instrument. It has been on my bucket list to learn to play some instrument.
Q: What is your proudest career achievement?
A: My proudest career achievement is not necessarily related to my legal career. Before joining Magnusson, I lived several years abroad. I’ve lived in the U.S. (in Michigan to be exact), Romania, Germany, South Korea, and Sweden. Along with my studies in Sweden, I worked as a part-time swimming teacher. I was able to teach kids swimming in Swedish. As people in Nordics are very modest in giving positive feedback, I thought that it was a success that I did not hear any negative feedback and the number of kids did not change during the lesson.
Q: What other career path might you have chosen?
A: I could’ve become a pilot. It was actually very close that I would’ve gone to a pilot school after law school, but there were some comments from home that maybe almost 10 years at the university is enough. I do also have bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social sciences.
The beauty of Finland’s winter months captivates attorney Pekka Keloneva.
Q: What do you do to give back to your community?
A: The Finnish Bar Association organizes the pro-bono on-call service in local libraries once a week, and I’ve been trying to book a shift from there as often as possible. During these shifts, ordinary people can book 20 minutes of time with an attorney-at-law and ask about any legal problems they might have. It has been good to give back to the community.
Pekka Keloneva
Q: Can you share a positive referral experience within Primerus?
A: Our firm Magnusson has recently joined Primerus and I am looking forward to positive referral experiences within Primerus. I am mainly working with insolvency and real estate matters, but we at Magnusson provide full-service legal support.
Q: What is your most treasured material possession?
A: I am an active forest owner. With my family, we own several forest estates mainly in northern Finland and take care of the forest. During my spare time, I often go take care of our forests. This includes some actual forest work in the woods, like thinning the forest and planting new trees, but also negotiations, e.g., with buyers of the wood, and planning for future actions with the forests.
Q: What is your happiest childhood memory?
A: I grew up with three siblings, two brothers and one sister. We were active! I am very fond of the memories at our summer cottage, just swimming for the day on the lake and enjoying the sauna.
Q: What is your favorite movie and book?
A: Movie: “Inception.”
Book: “Under the North Star” trilogy by Väinö Linna. The trilogy comprises the Finnish sisu, which I would define as a mix of determination, tenacity, bravery, and resilience.
Forest management is one of the leisure time pursuits for Magnusson attorney Pekka Keloneva.
Q: What is the most awe-inspiring place you have visited?
A: I really liked Antelope Canyon in Utah. The colors and the shapes with the light coming from the top were astonishing! If you invite me for a visit, there is a high risk that I might show up.
Q: What are your favorite leisure time pursuits?
A: Most of my leisure time is spent with our 2-year-old and 4-year-old boys. We are very active in sports (swimming, skiing, cycling, and hiking). If we’re not travelling somewhere, the forest estates will take the remaining of my leisure time.
Q: What is your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
A: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ~Oscar Wilde
Q: Who is on your guest list for the ideal dinner party?
A: My family.
Q: What are the top three items on your bucket list?
A: Travel with our kids around the globe. Finish my dissertation. Get a pilot license.