From 10 to 13 of May we got together in Stockholm. Our goal: the exchange of legal and business practices, specialised training, and networking. Of course, we did not want to miss the opportunity to see more of Stockholm, ‘the Beauty on Water’.
The Welcome Gathering took place at the Rooftop Bar at the Clarion Hotel. Quickly, the terrace was crowded with participants saying hello to each other: some familiar faces, some new, and some cultivating a friendship of many years. One long-term member shares, ‘I have been friends with certain Eurojuris members for over ten years. We gained experiences in many cities all over Europe. That is unique!’
As the evening progresses, all participants meet, multi-lingual discussions take place. One group of people converses about the upcoming Eurojuris Congress in Dubai while two lawyers discuss a trans-national joint case. Another duo is thinking up their ideal business venture, just for fun.
On Friday, the Practice Groups were in session. The specialists worked on: Corporate Law, Employment Law, Insolvency, Restructuring and Banking Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Litigation and Contracts, International Trade Transport & Insurance Law, and Real Estate Law.
In a joint session, the Corporate Group & Insolvency Group welcomed guest speaker Stephanie Zrinyi, CEO of LilO – the Entrepreneur Boutique. The businesswoman presented her company, and her way to entrepreneurship: ‘LilO works on investments in people and partners looking for M&A with a real cultural and strategic fit.’ The company focus on value-driven M&A deals. Stephanie explains, ‘after working in the private sector on an international level, I decided to found my own company. Already as I child, I always wanted to become a boss’. Following her presentation, the group divided into three teams to work on a case study.
The Litigation, ADR & Contracts Group was in session with 16 participants from 9 countries, including new participants, interested in joining the group. Chairmen Thierry Clerc and Christian Schlemmer report on the group’s topics: 1) E-justice, based on a presentation by Martijn Maathuis, and reports from Germany, UK, Monaco, Spain, and France. 2) Anti-bribery legislation and contracts, presented by Jonathon Moore (USA), Alistair Rustemeyer (UK), Christian Schlemmer (Germany), Thierry Clerc (France) and reports from Monaco and Spain. 3) GDPR in law firms, presented by Christian Schlemmer (Germany) and Thierry Clerc (France)
In the evening, the Fem Sma Hus, a first class restaurant serving a mixture of Swedish cuisine with a French touch, awaited us. Remarkably, the restaurant’s seven beautiful vaulted cellars extend under five houses, where a restaurant already existed in the 17th century. Everyone not having visited the romantic and yet modern city during the day could experience the charm of the city’s setting during a peaceful walk back to the hotel.
The General Assembly and the International Business Group (IBG) met on an exceptional sunny Saturday morning. In the afternoon, the plenary session addressed the topic: 'Improving Financial Performance'. Robert Mowbray, an expert on law firm profitability and management, talked about 1) the impact of competition on margins and productivity, 2) matter profitability, and 3) fee negotiation. With funny quotes and first-hand accounts, Robert interacted with his audience: ‘billing = taking the client a step closer to never seeing you again.’ He also pointed out the difference between ‘lawyers doing a good job vs lawyers making good money’. ‘I know many lawyers doing great work, but not making any money. The goal is to create more income, by not increasing our workload but your profitability.’
Concluding the meeting, the Eurojuris community visited beautiful Vinterviken, outside of Stockholm. There lays the old factory of Alfred Nobel, which was an excellent location for our closing dinner.
Thank you all for joining!
Links:
Eurojuris International Practice Groups: www.eurojuris.net/en/node/41697
Are you a legal specialist? Join us.
LilO – the Entrepreneur Boutique: www.liloventures.com
Visit Stockholm: www.visitstockholm.com/
Vinterviken: www.winterviken.se/
