The solicitor who switched to commercial law
Her career was set: top grades, published master’s thesis and an employment at a highly regarded law firm. However, when the time came to consider a partnership, Bita Pourmotamed changed course and became a commercial lawyer at AkzoNobel.
After almost eight years at Mannheimer Swartling, the largest law firm in the Nordic countries, Bita Pourmotamed wanted to try something else. Even though she was happy with life and work at the firm where she mainly worked within the group for business transfers, she was interested in coming closer to commercial decision making within a business.
“When you contribute as a consultant, the commercial decision has often already been made. Your role is to identify the risks and reshape the commercial agreements in legal terms. I was curious about getting closer to corporate decisions, but also seeing the results of my work. So I applied for a job as a commercial lawyer,” says Bita Pourmotamed.
A job with many roles
She has now worked at her new job for over a year. AkzoNobel is a global group with its head offices in Amsterdam. The legal team is made up of around 80 people, and Bita Pourmotamed works in close contact with colleagues around the world.
“I have a diverse role and many different issues come my way. Often, it is a case of negotiating commercial agreements, where a solution-oriented, pragmatic approach is the key. I also act as a representative in disputes, or work in a legal area where I am not a specialist. I work independently and take on different challenges, which I enjoy,” says Bita Pourmotamed.
Broader education at the School
She started her law degree at Lund University, but Bita Pourmotamed found that the School of Business, Economics and Law offered a broader type of education.
“There was more focus on commercial law here, and the School had better contacts with industry. I was fully prepared for my future professional life”.
BITA POURMOTAMED
Graduated from the School of Business, Economics and Law in 2008, then worked at Mannheimer Swartling law firm until 2016. Her Master's thesis about the dual registration of ships was published by a German company in 2011. Has been board secretary for several companies in industry. Was nominated for Young Alumni of the Year in 2013, and has worked as Senior Legal Counsel at AkzoNobel since 2016.