Pirkko-Liis Harkmaa

Professional highlights

Broad view. I have 20+ years of experience in various fields of expertise. I have advised local and international clients from diverse industries in day-to-day matters and in more extensive reorganization projects and cross-border transactions. I have been focused on corporate, employment, regulatory and commercial law issues (e.g., data protection, life sciences, telecoms and media, e-commerce, marketing and consumer relations, and product safety). This enables me to have a bigger picture in mind when advising clients and helps to remember that each matter has various aspects to consider, often requiring the timely involvement of our other team members.

Employment expert. Although I have spent my career working mainly as a generalist lawyer on the advisory side, my “first love” has always been employment law and the “human touch” involved. Since 2010, Chambers Europe has ranked me as a Band 1 employment law practitioner in Estonia. To better understand clients’ concerns, I attended the Estonian Business School for a certificate course in “Development Programme for HR Managers,” which helped foster a good understanding of the issues involved in matching modern HR and talent management strategies with the rather strict employment regulations.

Active member of the Estonian Bar Association and other professional associations. The status and future of the attorney’s profession are very close to my heart, so I was a member of the Estonian Bar Association’s ethics and methodology committee from 2009 to 2023. I am also a member of its employment law committee since 2020. I’m also active in the European Employment Lawyers Association, where I have been a member and board member since 2008.

Helping others unlock their potential. In addition to helping clients, I like to dedicate time to helping future lawyers in their studies and career progression. Thus, from time to time, I get involved in conducting labour law seminars and supervising student papers at the law school of the University of Tartu. With an interest in psychology and people management, I love to work with people and figure out what motivates and affects them in their professional lives and workplaces. So, I’m happy to pass on my experience and give guidance to younger colleagues.

Educating a broader audience on employment law matters. I strongly believe that knowledge is power, and knowing how to navigate the workplace in a legally compliant manner is a key to successful employment relationships. Therefore I like to share my knowledge and experience that I have gained during my career on employment law topics with our potential or existing clients, as well as with a wider public. I frequently publish relevant articles and comment on topical issues in media, attend seminars and conferences as a speaker, and organize client webinars and trainings.