Partner Patrick Trostle to act as a liaison between Finland and U.S. entities in Connecticut
HARTFORD, CT (April 16, 2024) – Robinson+Cole partner Patrick J. Trostle has been appointed Honorary Consul to the Republic of Finland for the State of Connecticut. In this new role, Honorary Consul Trostle will serve as a liaison promoting and facilitating commercial and diplomatic relations between Finland and companies located in Connecticut.
As Honorary Consul, Trostle augments Finland’s network of diplomatic missions, fostering economic and cultural relations between Finland and the United States. He will also advise Finnish companies on local Connecticut business culture to expand upon the many commercial connections between Finland and Connecticut.
Trostle’s appointment is particularly significant given Connecticut’s many ties to the defense industry. Finland joined NATO as its 31st member on April 4, 2023. Finland’s accession to NATO more than doubled the alliance’s border with Russia. Finland and the United States are also parties to a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement that was signed last December. The bilateral agreement builds on more than three decades of security cooperation between the two nations.
“Today, the ties between Finland and the United States are closer than ever before,” according to Jarmo Sareva, Finland’s Consul General/Ambassador in New York City. “Not only are our two countries now military allies, but the United States has become our largest trading and economic partner. In an ever-closer relationship, with expanding collaboration across a wide spectrum of areas, Honorary Consuls have an important role. They act as a force multiplier for our diplomatic missions, help strengthen our country brand and build bridges between Finnish and US stakeholders. For that reason, I am excited about having added Connecticut to the list of US states with an honorary consul, and even more excited about having someone of Patrick’s caliber in that role. His experience, drive, and networks will serve Finland and Connecticut well,” said Ambassador Sareva.
Rhonda Tobin, Managing Partner of Robinson+Cole, added: “Congratulations to Patrick on this impressive appointment, which deepens the services of several of our practices that support global companies seeking to do business in the U.S.”
“It is a tremendous honor to be appointed Honorary Consul to Finland for the State of Connecticut,” said Honorary Consul Trostle. “I look forward to advocating for greater cooperation between Finland’s and Connecticut’s innovative business sectors, particularly in the areas of aerospace/defense, green energy, bioscience, digital health, and dualuse technology in general. In the green-energy space alone, Finland leads the world in smart-city technology that maximizes efficiencies in energy use, construction, and transportation. There is no doubt that advanced Finnish technology can add significant value right here in Connecticut. And Connecticut’s Pratt & Whitney, the manufacturer of the F135 engine, is already working together with the Finnish Air Force following Finland’s purchase of 64 F-35 fighter jets. I see the F-35 program as the tip of the iceberg in terms of sophisticated contacts between Finland and Connecticut.”
Honorary Consul Trostle said that he looks forward to working with Business Finland and AdvanceCT to accomplish Finland’s business development goals in Connecticut. “The B2B infrastructure Finland needs already exists here. My job will be to connect Connecticut development experts like AdvanceCT’s John Bourdeaux to his counterparts at Business Finland, most significantly, my friend Juhani Sirén.”
The United States receives honorary consular officers pursuant to the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Foreign Missions may approve the establishment of consular posts in the U.S. upon the request of a foreign government.
Trostle has 30 years of experience representing clients in a wide variety of high-profile matters, including international restructurings, investigations and examinations, and litigation. He has served as lead counsel to investment funds, banks, multinational corporations, energy companies, bondholder committees, derivatives counterparties, and insurance companies in a variety of complex financial, commercial, regulatory, and compliance matters. Trostle has served as appellate counsel in bankruptcy cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and as counsel to the courtappointed examiner in Lehman Brothers chapter 11 case, the largest bankruptcy case ever filed.
Trostle helped found and continues to serve on two academic boards in the U.K. regarding commercial law, including restructuring law: the Commercial Law Centre at Oxford University (Harris Manchester College) and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) at the University of London (Queen Mary). His work for the CCLS includes coordination with UNIDROIT, a Rome-based entity that seeks to harmonize international commercial law.
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