In this month's interview, meet Frank Di Giantomasso, a lawyer from Melbourne, Australia. A proud and especially enthusiastic member of a European network at the other side of the world, he also has a very original outlook.
How did you become a member of Eurojuris?
I first read about it on the Internet and then decided to apply. We are a small firm with only three lawyers, specialised in Intellectual Property law, but we also deal with Commercial law from time to time.
Being small never prevented us from playing big, however. Some of our customers are very large international companies. This fostered our interest in joining an international network like Eurojuris.
What first attracted your attention?
There was the language dimension, first off. In my firm, between the three of us, we speak English, Italian, French, Greek, and even some Bahasa Indonesian. So we fit in perfectly with Eurojuris!
But the most important thing is the possibility to compete with big lawfirms thanks to a network that focuses mostly on small firms. This is a philosophy I totally agree with. I used to be a partner in very large firms in Australia, which keep getting bigger and bigger, even the international groups. But a lot of clients have no need for that: what they need is a close relationship, not a corporate brand. This creates opportunities for smaller firms.
There is a place for globalization; some customers need it – but if you have an excellent network of excellent people, you can compete with even the largest firms.
What are your best memories of the network?
I have a lot of good memories of the practice groups. In Marrakesh, the restaurants were mesmerising; I had dinner there in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We went around the town, and saw the final resting place of Yves Saint-Laurent along the way. But the most special thing was meeting people from different firms. I enjoy football, which seems to be a Eurojuris tradition, and in Paris I played football with fellow lawyers. That was good fun; some are so good I think that they shouldn't have become lawyers, they should have been professional players instead! We had dinner at a castle that was incredibly beautiful, and in Dublin the hotel was in another amazing castle. We saw a traditional music and dance performance there; it was fantastic.
I have to say that Eurojuris is a very nice group of people. My firm and I have also contributed some legal writings, I have written some papers for the intellectual property group.
What is your advice for other lawyers?
You need analytical skills! Find out what the real issue is, identify the real problem. Sometimes I see lawyers who don't spot the issue properly, they don't see what the real problem is here, and in the end they don't give the right advice. We must deliver a solution that really meets what the customer wants. Remember to always give a useful answer.
