London Associate Ben Tansey’s ongoing secondment with Nordic Capital is helping the Firm gain invaluable insights and an even closer relationship with this strategically important private equity investment client.

Ben explains: “I joined the Firm in May 2022, so the idea of going out on secondment soon after arriving wasn’t exactly in my plan, but Nordic Capital needed someone to join their team as a transactional lawyer working on live deals while they filled a vacancy and, having worked on several deals for them, I was asked if I’d be interested.

“It was a strategically important secondment and a chance for us to strengthen the relationship, so I was happy to take the opportunity.”

Ben had to pass a series of tests and interviews to get the role. He began the secondment in January working out of Nordic Capital’s Stockholm headquarters five days a week.

He says: “White & Case ensured the move went smoothly and the Nordic Capital team were incredibly welcoming. It is a highly collaborative and friendly place to work with a high-performance culture.

“Everyone is working towards the same strategic vision. I’ve enjoyed working here.

“It also helped that, while the company allows remote working, it’s usual for everyone to be in the office every day. It was good to work so closely with senior team members and to see how things run.”

Ben has spent most of his time on secondment working on transactional matters and assisting deal teams to ensure all legal angles are covered.

He says: “Ultimately the legal team’s role is to reduce noise for deal teams while working alongside external counsel to flag up risks or issues. It’s a high-pressure environment and we’re often working on several deals at the same time.”

One example was when Ben worked with Nordic Capital’s Head of Transaction Team Jonas Lagerroos (himself a former White & Case partner) on a highly sensitive and time critical transaction.

Ben says: “We were essentially an extension of the deal team, helping with term sheet and transaction document mark-ups. It was challenging but rewarding and it’s good to see the tangible difference we were making as a team.”

During his time at Nordic Capital, Ben has also worked extensively with external counsel, including White & Case.

He says: “I worked with every law firm on the Nordic Capital panel, which gave me a good perspective of what they expect from external counsel, the good points and the frustrations.

“I’m happy to say the Firm is highly respected and appreciated at Nordic Capital. We’ve achieved a good balance of providing high-quality and commercial legal advice, while also encouraging investment professionals to stick to Nordic Capital policy positions on transaction documents where appropriate.

“That’s something not all law firms did consistently, but it’s a great way to add value by flagging up problems that Nordic Capital might have missed. While raising issues can impact a deal and be frustrating, the fact it helps them avoid potentially costly mistakes or precedent creep is hugely appreciated.”

Ben also says that knowledge of the client and its industry is an important differentiator. He explains: “Our commercial understanding and responsiveness can set us apart, as can remaining cognisant of the framework within which Nordic Capital’s legal team want us to approach documents and interactions with them and their deal teams.

“If we can do that, I think our broad geographical and cross-practice expertise means we’re well placed to keep building the relationship as they expand internationally and introduce new and bigger fund products. There’s a lot of potential.”

The move from London to Stockholm was straightforward but was complicated when Ben discovered shortly after accepting the secondment that he and wife Emma were expecting a baby.

He says: “That meant I spent a lot of time in the airport flying back to London at weekends to be with Emma, but Nordic Capital were very understanding and, when the baby was due in August, they were happy to let me work from London so I could be at home in good time for the birth and for a few weeks afterwards.”

Following the birth of his son, Cillian, on 27 August, Ben has returned to Stockholm and expects to be with Nordic Capital until the end of the year as their search for a permanent hire continues.

He says: “I think my secondment has been important, because the client is very appreciative that we’ve helped them out when they needed us most.

“The secondment has also been brilliant for building relationships and understanding and, from my perspective, it will be useful for my personal development when I return to the Firm.

“I’ve found it inspiring to work with legal and deal teams operating at such a high level, but I’m looking forward to getting back to the Firm and rolling up my sleeves on our side of the fence.”