Edyta Knizewska Founder of FIT Legal Solutions Dr Geertje Tutschka CLP Academy Rosemary Stone-Dougherty Law Offices of Rosemary Stone-Dougherty Kathy Ortega Goldberg & Rosen, P.A
PARTNER AT TUTSCHKA LAW FIRM, CLP – CONSULTING FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS PAGE 22 LEGAL COACHING - GERMANY DR GEERTJE TUTSCHKA
KATHLEEN M. ORTEGA ESQ. PAGE 82 PERSONAL INJURY - USA ATTORNEY-AT-LAW GOLDBERG & ROSEN, P.A
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ROSEMARY STONE-DOUGHERTY, ESQ LAW OFFICES OF ROSEMARY STONE-DOUGHERTY, ESQ., LLC REAL ESTATE & LAND USE LAWYER OF THE YEAR - USA PAGE 90
Women in Law Awards 2021 INTRODUCTION - 7 - Women I N L A W A W A R D S 2 0 2 1 MONTHLY Welcome to the 2021 edition of the Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Awards. As the world tentatively approaches the prospect of a return to normalcy, it is time to take a moment to pause and reflect on the work of lawyers who have gone to exceptional lengths in overcoming the challenges of the past year. It is also paramount, with law remaining a traditionally male-dominated profession, to recognise the work of those women whose achievements on behalf of themselves and their clients mark them among the most impressive practitioners in their respective specialisms. The result of several months of research and preparation, the Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Awards shine a spotlight on female legal experts who have influenced the wider legal profession in their jurisdiction. The winners range across all areas of the sector, from high-achieving associates to longserving barristers. The awards publication also includes exclusive interviews from the winners, where they share the secrets to their success and their plans for the further development of their legal careers. A full list of this years winners can be found on page 102. We hope you enjoy this publication and extend our heartfelt congratulations to all winners.
E: edyta@fitlegalsolutions.com W: www.fitlegalsolutions.com and www.derivativeslab.co.uk Women in Law Awards 2021 BANKING & FINANCE UNITED KINGDOM - 8 - EDYTA KNIZEWSKA FOUNDER OF FIT LEGAL SOLUTIONS “I grew up watching women around me - my mum, older sister and my grandmothers taking on the world. Although this was very empowering, I felt that there was a predetermined role women ought to play in the society in Poland at the time - homemakers, wives and mothers rather than businesswomen or lawyers. I was reluctant to conform to these stereotypical, society-imposed gender norms.”
- 9 - BANKING & FINANCE UNITED KINGDOM Women in Law Awards 2021 MEET EDYTA Edyta Knizewska is a derivatives documentation expert and founder of FIT Legal Solutions, a boutique legal consultancy business, and Derivatives Lab, the first online educational platform dedicated to sharing unique knowledge about the banking and finance industry. Edyta is a duly qualified (English and Irish) derivatives lawyer, negotiator and describes herself as an ex corporate girl turned entrepreneur. She is a legal and business consultant to high profile asset and investment management firms, FTSE 100 companies and broker dealers. Is the era of having to stay in a corporate job for years, working 70 hours a week to build a successful and impactful career in a banking and finance industry now gone? Perhaps. Edyta has certainly done a fantastic job showing us that it is possible to achieve great success outside of the traditional corporate framework, as a woman and even if your native language is not English. With a mission to positively disrupt the existing status quo in the banking, finance and legal industry, she is committed to sharing an empowering and inspiring message - it’s time to stop holding yourself back by what we have been conditioned to believe that we can or cannot do in our own careers and burst through that society-imposed glass ceiling. THE JOURNEY From being born and raised in Wroclaw, Poland, to heading-up global legal derivatives teams first for Credit Suisse and then for Man Group, the world’s largest listed hedge fund, Edyta has come a long way. She was almost six when communism fell in Poland. She remembers her world becomingmore colourful, uniquely exciting and filled with possibilities in the early 90s. She also remembers how the reality she was born into defined her, no matter how much she fought it, and how she had to learn to embrace it. She recalls the ever-so-apparent lack and how she became obsessed with the limitless potential of the outside world. Leaving Poland to explore the world and pursue international opportunities became her goal at a very young age. Watching her parents working hard 7 days a week to secure a better future for the family has shaped her character immensely and helped develop a work ethic that has served her ever since. As a child, Edyta quickly realised that learning languages was the best time investment she could make, and that working hard and excelling at school were her best bets to make her dreams of studying abroad happen. Edyta was the first generation in her family to go to university, her grandfather was illiterate and both sets of grandparents have lived through the hardship of war and poverty. “I grew up watching women around me - my mum, older sister and my grandmothers taking on the world. Although this was very empowering, I felt that there was a predetermined role women ought to play in the society in Poland at the time - homemakers, wives and mothers rather than businesswomen or lawyers. I was reluctant to conform to these stereotypical, society-imposed gender norms.” When in high school, Edyta got accepted to an Ivy League university in the USA, unfortunately her family was unable to fund her education. She did not give up on her dreams though. Before Poland joined the European Union, Edyta won an international scholarship in the United Kingdom at the University of Plymouth, then being a “sister city” and partner university of the University of Wroclaw where she was studying. She successfully completed her Batchelors degree in International Relations and commenced her legal studies in the same year. Edyta is a rare example of funding herself throughout the university and earning a degree debt free. She has been awarded with scholarships throughout her studies and worked three different jobs to be able to pay for books, additional modules and living expenses. She remembers this time being tough, but extremely important and character building. During her Graduate Diploma in Law studies, Edyta secured a sponsorship with a local law firm called Foot Anstey, who agreed to support her financially throughout her degree and hire her as a Trainee Solicitor following graduation. However, the stakes were high, as not only she had to show consistently high grades across all modules every year, but also should she fail any of her exams she would be liable to repay the course fees. “During that time, I’ve built certain resilience and discipline. I felt the pressure I took on myself, but I knew it was the kind of pressure that creates diamonds and not one that bursts pipes.” Foot Anstey hired Edyta in 2006 and she qualified into Commercial Litigation working predominantly in Exeter and Devon. Having completed corporate, family and intellectual property seats. She remembers feeling slightly embarrassed and uneasy about people struggling to pronounce her surname and having a sense of accomplishment when she was the only women being offered a full-time employment contract in the commercial litigation department. She even simplified her name to “Edie” during that time, so that it was more English sounding and easier to remember. “It is now so clear to me that by creating this “alternative identity” and becoming someone else I was moving away from my true self. It is so important, especially for young people just starting their careers in the industry, to feel accepted. When I left Exeter I returned to my original name and embraced it fully, when you find and accept your inner self, you can no longer compromise on your authenticity.”
Women in Law Awards 2021 BANKING & FINANCE UNITED KINGDOM - 10 - Although Foot Anstey was an amazing experience and a great start of her professional legal career, Edyta knew that the rigidity of private practice was not something she could fully embrace. To gain more perspective and experience, she decided to take a gap year and focus on discovering her true passions whilst travelling. She found that time invaluable, but also discovered very quickly that she was missing the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, which led her to a decision to “try and make it” in London. Returning to London was not easy, all her friends were already fully embracing their new careers and to Edyta it felt like she was back to square one, but she did not give up on pursuing the career she has always dreamt of and continued searching and applying for jobs in the city. “The interesting thing is that I didn’t quite knew at the time what kind of role would be best suited for me. I had some litigation and corporate experience, and I was always attracted to the idea of having “a Wall Street career”. I trusted my intuition and kept sending CVs to places that triggered my interest.”. “When searching for my next adventure, I came across a niche of lawyers specialising in trading agreements and derivative negotiations; like tax lawyers, they seemed to be representing a very different breed. Soon enough, the vision of becoming a legal counsel working for a global investment bank became an attainable goal and I decided to pursue a career in this field. Opportunity met with preparation, and I joined Credit Suisse as their legal counsel and negotiator shortly after leaving private practice. I will never forget the day I was told I got the job – I was ecstatic!” Edyta spent a couple of years heading Credit Suisse’s OTC documentation team in Poland and then returned to London to continue working as their legal counsel within the global prime advisory group. At that point, she says she was totally hooked and new that banking and finance was her niche and where she wanted to develop and grow her career. Hungry to explore more opportunities within the industry, Edyta then decided to move to the buy-side and joined Man Group plc, the world’s largest listed hedge fund manager. She describes her time at Man as “absolutely fantastic - this is where I grew and developed not only as a derivatives lawyer, but also as a person, strategist, project manager and leader co-heading the Prime Brokerage and Trading Legal team in London. Man has given me an amazing opportunity to build a platform of contacts and ability to access an array of industry experts from all over the world. It’s people that matter the most in this industry and if you look after your network, it will look after you. I am grateful and proud to have built long-lasting friendships and strong working relationships worldwide in the industry that has the unfortunate reputation of being cutthroat and highly competitive”. Although Man Group was a genuinely great experience, Edyta’s entrepreneurial spirit soon took over. “I hit a point where I started realising that if I don’t make some brave decisions, I will always be building someone else’s dream. I craved the freedom of creating a life by my own design more than the comfort and safety of a corporate job. Becoming my own boss was the only way I could make this happen.” FIT LEGAL SOLUTIONS – FIT FOR PURPOSE Deciding to leave Man Group was a very difficult decision, says Edyta. “When I told my friends, bosses and family that I was going to leave my comfortable corporate job to pursue the unknown and “setup my own consultancy business”, I received very mixed feedback to say the least. Nonetheless, I persevered and followed my intuition, as they say – only those who can see the invisible can do the impossible.” FIT Legal Solutions was born out of years of Edyta’s experience and desire to help market participants navigate through the myriad of derivatives documents and trading relationships. The company has grown to specialise in providing bespoke derivatives documentation and business consulting solutions to market participants globally. With over a decade of hands-on experience working in the legal, banking and finance industry, Edyta was able to secure her first clients almost immediately after leaving her corporate job. Her diverse and extensive international experience in derivatives practice and a well-rounded understanding of a wide range of trading documentation, as well as unique approach to legal negotiations and charismatic persona were some of the key factors her clients considered before hiring her. Throughout her professional career, Edyta managed a number of high-profile strategic launches, including single investor mandates and sovereign wealth funds. She also led negotiations of legal documentation templates and headed successful implementation and delivery of various transformative, cross- “During that time, I’ve built certain resilience and discipline. I felt the pressure I took on myself, but I knew it was the kind of pressure that creates diamonds and not one that bursts pipes.” “When I told my friends, bosses and family that I was going to leave my comfortable corporate job to pursue the unknown and “set-up my own consultancy business”, I received very mixed feedback to say the least. Nonetheless, I persevered and followed my intuition, as they say – only those who can see the invisible can do the impossible.”
- 11 - BANKING & FINANCE UNITED KINGDOM Women in Law Awards 2021 border regulatory projects. She specialises in negotiating complex trading arrangements and throughout her career has built strong relationships and has a vast network with the brokers, other asset managers, institutional investors and service providers. Edyta’s experience working with the buy-side, sell-side and asset allocators makes her company a very unique and attractive proposal. She is a known and recognised subject matter expert within the industry, participating in roundtables, forums and consistently sharing valuable know-how. Edyta’s commercial approach to derivatives documentation negotiations and excellence in delivering savvy business solutions has been quickly recognised by the industry and she was a finalist in the prestigious 2020 Women In Law Awards in the first year of her entrepreneurial career. Edyta’s professional profile makes FIT Legal Solution a particularly attractive proposal for buy-side clients who are looking for a cost-effective solution to their legal documentation negotiations, delays and bottlenecks. Edyta offers a one-stop-shop solution where all on-boarding, KnowYour-Client and negotiations are handled by a single point of contact. “I am on a mission to positively disrupt the sell-side / buy-side collaboration and I have created FIT Legal Solutions to help market participants navigate through the maze of trading relationships. I strive to achieve quicker time to market for my clients by delivering more structured and tailored solutions to trading documentation negotiations always in accordance with their individual business strategies and objectives. “I hit a point where I started realising that if I don’t make some brave decisions, I will always be building someone else’s dream. I craved the freedom of creating a life by my own design more than the comfort and safety of a corporate job. Becoming my own boss was the only way I could make this happen.”
Women in Law Awards 2021 BANKING & FINANCE UNITED KINGDOM - 12 - I know from experience that a more personalised approach allows the buy-side to launch their products more seamlessly and the sellside to better understand, often delicate intricacies of the buy-side processes, hence be more accommodating. I believe that by finding synergies between various organisations (with often conflicting priorities) and by fostering better communication, I can achieve extraordinary results for my clients.” Edyta believes that people are the true force behind the success of any venture and organisation. Her relationship driven and people-oriented approach to what can be an impersonal business of trading derivatives is what makes FIT Legal Solutions a truly unique consultancy business. “Bringing people together and finding the common ground is what I have tried, tested and perfected over the past decade. To me, FIT consulting means providing fit for purpose specialist solutions and industry best practices to counterparty trading arrangements in the most cost-effective way. FIT Legal Solutions is not a law firm, it’s a business delivery consulting company.” Although Edyta has always worked in the financial services and banking industry as in-house legal counsel, the services her company offers go beyond legal advice and are designed to deliver commercially viable solutions. FIT Legal Solutions offers a unique holistic perspective – a combination of a hedge fund / asset management insight and the understanding of the oftencomplex sell-side processes. “Negotiating trading agreements is our sweet spot”, says Edyta. FIT Legal Solutions specialises in negotiation and review of a broad range of trading agreements – ISDA, Prime Brokerage, Custody, Repo, Futures & Options, Clearing documentation and many more. Edyta is a subject matter expert in negotiating complex trading arrangements and has experience across a wide range of products and investment strategies. From peer benchmarking, reviewing your existing ISDAs to ensure they’re still “FIT for purpose”, preparing internal policies, templates and checklists, to managing fund launches and on-boarding with broker counterparties. To avoid any potential conflicts of interest, FIT Legal Solutions only represents the buy-side in any bilateral training documentation negotiations. FIT’s sell-side clients, however, can benefit from a range of consulting services. From sharing the buy-side’s perspective on in-house templates, reviewing the negotiation “playbooks”, to bespoke training sessions on how to negotiate with the buy-side. Edyta has great managerial experience and has also been consulting on developing and building in-house legal teams. FIT Legal Solutions is also experienced in providing “health and risk checks” of service providers terms to ensure alignment with internal policies of the asset allocators and institutional investors. Edyta regularly delivers bespoke training sessions on product launch processes and buy-side / sell-side interaction. “I’ve built FIT Legal Solutions with people in mind and a vision to make complex derivatives documentation negotiations quicker and more efficient. Unravelling some of the most common mistakes, myths and pitfalls, helping my clients understand the intricacies of this niche and sharing my industry knowledge is FIT’s ongoing mission.” DERIVATIVES LAB With FIT Legal Solutions becoming a great success in under 2 years, Edyta has built up more courage to unleash her entrepreneurial spirit and launched a new business venture called Derivatives Lab. “Derivatives Lab is what I wish I had access to when I was starting my career! I remember feeling completely stuck, not understanding the industry jargon, relaying on a self-made list of investment banking abbreviations and an 800-page long book on how to master the ISDA “I’ve built FIT Legal Solutions with people in mind and a vision to make complex derivatives documentation negotiations quicker and more efficient. Unravelling some of the most common mistakes, myths and pitfalls, helping my clients understand the intricacies of this niche and sharing my industry knowledge is FIT’s ongoing mission.” “I’m on a mission to positively disrupt the buy-side / sell-side collaboration by providing FIT for purpose specialist solutions and industry best practices in the most cost-effective way. FIT is not a law firm, it’s a business delivery consulting company.”
- 13 - BANKING & FINANCE UNITED KINGDOM Women in Law Awards 2021 agreement. Don’t get me wrong, everyone was friendly and supportive, but no one had time to sit down and explain how things work in real life and in layman’s terms.” Derivatives Lab (or “DLAB” as its online followers call it), is a new educational platform founded by Edyta and sponsored by FIT Legal Solutions. It is a first of its kind online platform created for all derivatives enthusiasts and those either already working in the industry or aspire to. When asked about who is DLAB most suitable for, Edyta says “This platform is dedicated to all those hungry for more knowledge in the legal banking and finance field and interested in exploring different viewpoints. I believe that there is a certain power in learning from each other. Derivatives Lab offers access to know-how which cannot be acquired through traditional academic means. We live in the information overload era, constantly distracted and pulled in different directions, feeling like there is not enough time in a day to consume it all. Ignorance is no longer a bliss, it’s a decision. We have to be selective. You get to choose what and how to learn, and at what pace. DLAB is where I share my unique insight and knowledge acquired through years of working in the financial services industry, both on the sell-side and the buy-side. By joining DLAB, you gain access to a wealth of know-how, tips and hacks for how to negotiate derivatives documentation and step-by-step, real and tested strategies to excel in your career in this industry.”. As part of the DLAB venture, Edyta is also coaching and mentoring a number of young aspiring derivatives lawyers and graduates. “I am committed to paving the way for others who are looking to build careers in this industry.”. In addition to sharing free valuable content online, Derivatives Lab will soon be launching its first online course – the ISDA Lab. “With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, I’ve taken everything I’ve seen and learnt and turned into the ISDA Lab – your ultimate set-by-step practical guide to understanding and negotiating ISDA Master Agreements. The ISDA Lab is the first online course of this kind that not only teaches you all ned to know about this most frequently negotiated derivatives agreement but gives you all the information you need to negotiate it like a pro, even if you’re new to the game, have no idea what an ISDA is and are nervous about derivatives!” To find out more about DLAB and join the ISDA Lab waitlist visit www.derivativeslab.co.uk WHAT’S NEXT FOR EDYTA? “I am incredibly honoured to receive the LMWILA 2021 award – thank you! There is no greater feeling then the sense of achievement that this award gives me. I am proud to be able to represent small business owners, women in law, banking and finance and every single individual who has dedicated their career to this truly fascinating industry. As for the next steps, 2021 has been a kind year for me professionally and personally, I am getting married later this year and am very excited about some new global ventures I’ve recently become involved with. It feels like I am just getting started!” Indeed, for Edyta this is only just a beginning, we know that she is currently working on her first book and an industry dedicated podcast with a more personal twist, which will be launching later this year! CONTACT You can connect with Edyta on social media or via email: Email: edyta@fitlegalsolutions.com Company websites: www.fitlegalsolutions.com and www.derivativeslab.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fit-legal-solutions and https://www.linkedin.com/company/derivativeslab/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/derivativeslab/ and https://www.instagram.com/fitlegalsolutions/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/DerivativesLab/ “Derivatives Lab is what I wish I had access to when I was starting in the banking and finance industry. “DLAB” is dedicated to all those hungry for more knowledge and offers free access to unique industry know-how, which cannot be acquired through traditional academic means. I believe there is a certain power in learning from each other and I’m committed to paving the way for others who are looking to build careers in this fascinating industry.”
Dr. Andrea Kůs Považanova Čermak a spol. Frederique Chaillou LPA - CGR Avocats Maike Tallen TALLEN Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB Dr. Geertje Tutschka CLP Academy Andrea Mangold Armedis München Anne O’Connell Anne O’Connell Solicitors Jolene McElhinney McElhinney & Associates Solicitors Elisabeth Moskric Walder Wyss Attorneys at Law Kim Simmods Law 365 Sarah Hadland S.H. & Associates Aleksandra Kowalik Kowalik Adwokacka Law Firm Hatti Suvari Red Bar Law LLP Chrissie Cuming Walters Keystone Law Christina Warner Goldsmith Chambers Danielle Bentley Clifton Ingram Vanessa Ganguin Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law Amy Rose ClientEarth Juliet Redhouse Mathys & Squire LLP Helen Clifford Helen Clifford Law Julie Norris Kingsley Napley LLPFF 17 18 21 22 26 27 28 29 30 33 34 36 37 39 40 42 43 44 46 47
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Women in Law Awards 2021 - 16 - CZECH REPUBLIC UNFAIR COMPETITION
Women in Law Awards 2021 CZECH REPUBLIC - 17 - DR. ANDREA KŮS POVAŽANOVÁ ČERMÁK A SPOL. T: +420 296 167 111 | E: intelprop@apk.cz | W: www.cermakaspol.com ABOUT DR. ANDREA KŮS POVAŽANOVÁ Dr. Andrea Kůs Považanová - Slovak and Czech attorney-at-law. In 1993 – 1998 she studied at the Faculty of Law of Komensky University in Bratislava. She participated in expert trainships with the Constitutional Court in Kosice (1997), the Council of Europe in Strasburg (1999), the International Institute for Public Administration in Paris (1999), and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg (2002 – 2003). In 2001 she successfully defended the thesis “European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg and Procedure Before It”. In 1998 – 2002 she was legal adviser of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. Since 2003 she has been legal assistant in the Law and Patent Office Cermak a spol. In 2005 she was admitted to the Bar not only in the Czech Republic but also in Slovakia. Since 2010 she has been a partner with Cermak a spol. law office. FIRM PROFILE Čermák a spol. is a law and patent office specializing in Intellectual Property Law. Its services are highly sought after particularly in this area, especially when industrial property law matters, such as Trade Marks and Patents. Formally Čermák a spol. is incorporated as a public commercial company of attorneys and thus provides legal advice according to the Act no. 85/1996 Coll., on Attorneys, as amended. This means that the clients are assured that they will be provided with best available advice by qualified and registered practitioners, that their matters will be maintained confidential, and that the company will not act against their interests. Čermák a spol. has a team of more than 40 experts in industrial property law, including more than 8 attorneys at law and five patent attorneys. Čermák a spol. has been active since 1990 and in that time has acquired invaluable in-house knowledge that is not available to less specialized firms. Čermák a spol. has been awarded numerous domestic and international industry awards and the company is recognized locally and internationally as one of the leading IP firms in the Czech Republic. Čermák a spol. is also active in Slovakia. AREAS OF EXPERTISE • Intellectual Property Law • Industrial Property Rights • Inventions – Patents, Utility Models • Brand Protection/Trade Marks • Designs • Unfair Competition • Commercial Law • Civil Law UNFAIR COMPETITION
T: +33 (0)1 53 93 30 00 E: fchai l lou@lpalaw.com W: www. lpalaw.com FRÉDÉRIQUE CHAILLOU LPA-CGR AVOCATS Women in Law Awards 2021 ENVIRONMENT LAW FRANCE - 18 -
ABOUT FRÉDÉRIQUE CHAILLOU Frédérique Chaillou is a partner at LPA-CGR avocats and has worked in the field of environment law for nearly twenty years. Individually ranked and recognized in international Legal Guide among the best Lawyers in Environmental law since many years (Band 1 in Chambers Europe and Legal 500 EMEA), she advises major French and foreign industrial groups, real estate operators and professional bodies. She assists them in environmental law, both in terms of regulatory aspects and in litigation before administrative, civil and criminal courts. She intervenes regularly on environmental issues in mergers and acquisitions and real estate transactions. Frédérique has also developed a specific expertise in technological risks. In this context, she regularly participates in seminars and working groups on this subject, often in relation with France Chimie. As the leader of the Environment practice, she is regularly involved in the law making process, contributing to advisory bodies to the public authorities: since 2016, she is a member of the Polluted Sites Experts Working Group (GTSSP), an advisory body to the Ministry of Ecology. Moreover, always willing to participate and influence the development of international law reform and shape the future of the legal profession throughout the world, she has recently been appointed regional representative for Europe of the International Bar Association’s Environment, Health and Safety Law Committee in January 2019 for a term of 2 years. Committed, determined with strong leadership skills, Frédérique heads the Environment/Renewable Energy Department of the Firm. She pays particular attention to her team of 16 lawyers and law professionals to allow everybody to share their experiences and expertise in Environment but also in Renewable Energies, two main complementary practices. She has thus succeeded to establish a relationship of trust with them, creating a group spirit based on common values. Areas of Expertise • Environment What Clients Said About Her Frédérique chaillou “has finesse in her analysis and she is intelligent on the strategy,” [...] She is a fine negotiator and is very subtle in her approach, which makes her a real asset to have with you in a negotiation.” (Chambers Europe 2020) “She provides us with the best legal alternatives from an environmental standpoint”. She “adapts solutions to each file’ and ‘has a good understanding of her clients’ needs while continuously striving to improve quality service and customer satisfaction’”. Her clients recognize that the team provides “Good knowledge of environmental law and of their clients, great speed and quality of work” (Legal 500 EMEA 2020-2021) FIRM PROFILE LPA-CGR avocats is a leading full-service French law firm with an international reach born in 2016 from the merger of Lefèvre Pelletier & associés and CGR Legal. Our team of over 230 lawyers and professionals in 13 offices (Paris, Algiers, Casablanca, Douala/Yaounde, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo) is located in key business centers to advise locally and abroad on strategic projects. Recognized on the Environment, Real-Estate, and Energy markets, the firm develops also its offer in order to resolve complex problematics in the main sectors of economy. To anticipate changes in the legal environment, LPA-CGR avocats has created the Smart Law concept. Each industry has specific issues that require cross-expertise, anticipation and communication in order to build today the legal practices of tomorrow. LPA-CGR avocats is also particularly committed to promoting gender and diversity which has always been at the roots of the firm. It is one of the only business Law Firms in France to have reached full gender parity (50% women equity partners). In fact, in January 2019, for the second time a woman has been elected as chairwoman, Sidonie Fraiche-Dupeyrat,; Martine Blanck Dap had this position for 2 years and belonged to the Direction committee for more than 7 years. To illustrate parity in the firm, here are relevant figures: • 50% of partners are women • 50% of the committee executive are women, including one chairwoman • 50% of support department managers are women Even in our foreign offices, we have a few women partners which is an honor for us as in some countries the women rights is not as well recognized as in France. Several measures are taken to keep the value as: equal-wages policy, meeting time organization, mobility access, disconnecting right, maternity leave replacement etc. Finally our firm joined different projects to maintain this value: we have a partnership with the Women Foundation and we have participated several times to “La Nuit des Relais” whom the goal is to fight against violence to women. The firm’s objective is to preserve this DNA so that all the women in the firm can reveal their talents, just like men. Maintaining this parity within the firm and enabling women to take on responsibilities by ensuring that the balance between professional and private life is respected is a daily challenge successfully met. - 19 - ENVIRONMENT LAW FRANCE Women in Law Awards 2021
Women in Law Awards 2021 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MEXICO - 20 -
Women in Law Awards 2021 - 21 - MAIKE TALLEN TALLEN PARTNERSCHAFT VON RECHTSANWÄLTEN MBB www.kanzlei-tallen.de ABOUT MAIKE TALLEN Attorney and Notary Maike Tallen is in particular specialized in the following fields: Corporate Succession Asset Protection Strategies Notarial Activities Execution of Wills Through the German Association for Inheritance Law and Asset Succession eV (DVEV) lawyer and notary Maike Tallen is additionally trained and certified executor and is included in the list of executors of the DVEV , which is available to all probate courts in Germany. CAREER • Studied law at the University of Osnabrueck Business and Economics additional training, specialized foreign language training (English), employees at the Department of Commercial Law in Osnabrück • Experience abroad in law firms in Great Britain during her studies • During the legal preparatory service at the Oldenburg Higher Regional Court, worked for an international business company • Worked in an insolvency administration firm in Karlsruhe • Founded TALLEN Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB in 2012 • Since 2013 regular appointment as insolvency administrator by the local courts - insolvency courts - in the Weser-Ems region. • Since 2014: Specialist lawyer for labor law • 2015 - 2016: Event management at the Osnabrück Insolvency Law Day • 2016: Founding of the Institute for Insolvency Law and Restructuring in Weser-Ems and Bremen eV • since 2017: Specialist lawyer for insolvency law • March 2017: Appointment as a notary in the district court district of Meppen • November 2020: Certified executor of the German Association for Inheritance Law and Asset Succession eV ( DVEV ) FIRM PROFILE We are a national law and notary firm with a focus on business law. TALLEN advises in cases that require special expertise, creativity and innovation. The law firm’s competencies lie particularly in the pillars of: • Notarial activities • Advising companies in all core areas of business life • Structuring, restructuring, reorganization • Insolvency administration & receivership • Execution of wills Efficient and competent advice requires a high degree of specialization. We have a network of national and international contacts and, through our teamwork, guarantee comprehensive support for our clients. CONTRACT LAW GERMANY
T. +49 (0) 89 206054 272 E: info@geertje-tutschka.com Websites: www.geertje-tutschka.com www.consultingforlegals.com www.clp-academy.com www.kanzlei-tutschka.at/de www.dav-oesterreich.at DR GEERTJE TUTSCHKA PARTNER AT TUTSCHKA LAW FIRM, CLP – CONSULTING FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS CONTACT Women in Law Awards 2021 LEGAL COACHING GERMANY - 22 -
ABOUT DR GEERTJE TUTSCHKA Dr Geertje Tutschka is a lawyer for Germany and an European lawyer for Austria. She has successfully founded, led and managed law firms in Germany, Austria and the USA. For almost ten years, she has been advising lawyers with “CLP – Consulting for Legal Professionals”, based in Salzburg and Munich, on topics such as strategic law firm development, leadership and communication, positioning, team development and conflict management throughout the German-speaking world and internationally. In doing so, she can draw on her own 25 years of professional experience, but also on her many years of experience as an entrepreneur as well as a certified trainer and coach for the legal industry. Since establishing it in 2016, she leads the Legal Coaching Training Program of the CLP Academy, the world’s first coaching training course specifically developed for lawyers, which is based on the quality standards of professional coaching associations and combines the best of both worlds: the legal industry and the coaching industry. With this postgraduate training for lawyers, Dr Tutschka specifically focuses on the development and professionalisation of so-called “typical” female characteristics such as empathic communication, diplomacy and negotiation skills, inclusiveness and cooperation - and thus responds as a pioneer of the legal industry to the future study of the German Bar Association, “The future of the legal profession is female”. Dr Tutschka’s LeadershipModel LEAD (Learn. Create. Care), as well as the strategy method “5 Steps to success” – which she originally developed for the special challenges of leadership and business development in the legal sector and in NGOs – are now being applied in many industries. She is a sought-after author for specialist books, articles and study materials. She is also a speaker for the DAV and the ÖRAK, as well as for various universities (University of Luxembourg, Master’s Program in Law at the University of Hagen, Germany), especially on her special topic of leadership in the legal sector. The second edition of her book “Strategic Law firm Development” (DeGryuter 2018/2021) has just been published. Dr Tutschka led the German chapter of the largest professional association for coaches, the International Coaching Federation, as President from 2016-2019, during which time she developed it into the global top 10 chapter out of approximately 150 chapters worldwide. She received the Gift of Coaching Award from the ICF Foundation (2017) and the ICF Chapter Award (2019) for her work with her board team, as well as the Team Recognition Award (2020) from ICF Germany. During this time, she was a delegate in the Global Leaders Forum (GLF represents over 140 national coaching associations) as well as in the Round Table Coaching (RTC represents over 15 German-speaking coaching associations) and was instrumental in the further development and establishment of legal standards for the coaching profession. Since 2017, she has been responsible for awarding the Prism Award for outstanding coaching programs in companies and has already had the pleasure of awarding companies such as adidas, Vodafone, SAP, Volkswagen and CMS TaxLegal for their “coaching leadership style”. Born south of Berlin in the former GDR, Dr Tutschka experienced what it means not to live in a democracy. For her socio-critical commitment in the GDR, she ultimately received her own so-called Stsii file and a study ban from the State Security on her 18th birthday, despite having passed her Abitur with distinction. The “legal craft” of reunification two years later finally motivated her to study law in West Germany, which she completed in record time among the top 30% of her class. She wrote her dissertation on equal rights in German alimony law during the three years she had her three girls. The initiative “Breaking Through” therefore included Dr Tutschka in the legal industry’s “Role Models” for future female lawyers. Today, Dr Tutschka offers support to young female colleagues in the PANDA Law, Legal Geek (UK), Women in the Law Section (NL), AG Anwältinnen des DAV, and Juristinnenbund initiatives, but also campaigns for diversity with ALICE. At Lawyers 4 Future and the Legal Revolution, but also at the Hackathon of the German government #Wirvsvirus 2020, she pushes the overall social responsibility of lawyers. At MentorMe, Frauen in die Aufsichtsräte, Frauen im Management and UN Women Deutschland she advocates gender equality. She is also involved in the selection of the first German female astronaut. During the time of the automotive crisis, Dr Tutschka lived and worked in Detroit, where she was closely involved in the rights of the so-called expat wives of the international automotive industry and founded the First International Round Table. Her expat novel “Home Far Away from Home” was shortlisted for the Indie Award at the Leipzig Book Fair even before it was finished and was initiated by her as a project to support Detroit’s street children. In 2020, after 150 years, she founded the German Bar Association Austria as a sister association to the large German professional network (more than 65,000 members) as the 12th foreign association to support cooperation and exchange between the two German-speaking professions, especially in times of troouble such as the refugee crisis and the pandemic. She is the 1st president of the DAV Austria. On LinkedIn and Xing, but also on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Facebook, Dr Tutschka is followed by more than 50,000 due to her diverse commitment to the international legal industry. Today, Dr Tutschka lives with her husband and three almost grownup daughters on the border between Salzburg and Germany. She passionately cooks, makes music, paints and writes as a synesthete and is on the move with her Australian Shepherd in every free minute on one of the hiking trails in Salzburger Land or somewhere else in the world. With her extensive professional and honorary commitment to social change and responsibility in all areas, and especially for the equality of women in all respects - arising from her special responsibility as a lawyer but also as a mother of three daughters - across national borders, Dr Tutschka hopes her path will encourage other female lawyers to consistently pursue their own life plans and not to be pigeonholed by others. She is a role model for female individuality and a prime example of the LEAD method she developed: Learn, Create, Care - never stop learning, creatively making things happen and taking responsibility. - 23 - Women in Law Awards 2021 LEGAL COACHING GERMANY
Here, Dr Tutschka discusses the practice of legal coaching and what it can provide for clients. Legal coaching describes an operating method in legal consultancy in which coaching skills are employed to support an individual. Legal coaching is thus exclusively practiced by legal professionals during or instead of their legal support during a mandate. A lawyer providing legal coaching will be booked and paid by the client as a legal and coaching professional to explore and achieve the ideal legal solution. In this context, similar to medical coaching by a medical doctor, legal coaching is used in legal counselling by a lawyer. Legal coaching is thus coaching performed by lawyers and is to be distinguished from coaching of lawyers: In the latter case, lawyers are coached on career topics (business coaching) by a coach who is not necessarily a lawyer but has experience with legal careers. The term “legal coaching” (like legal counselling or legal advice) used in the sense of “career coaching for lawyers” is therefore misleading. Legal coaching is particularly helpful when the client seeking a (legal) solution to a (legal) problem is still undecided as to which solution fits best for their individual situation and personal life. Legal counsels in organisations also use legal coaching to accommodate and navigate differing and potentially opposing interests in different departments within a company in order to come to a consensual legal solution. In strong contrast to mediation, the lawyer involved in the legal coaching process will retain their partiality to their client and will be not the “third person” in a conflict of two. Due to the borrowings from arbitration and negotiation, legal coaching can be used to manage conflict and negotiation situations in a structured, moderated and solution-oriented manner where the legal coach is on the side of their client. Method On one hand, the method of legal coaching is an adaptation of the increasing professionalisation of the coaching profession and caters specifically to legal professionals to provide a high-end specialised coaching experience in contrast to low-budget and standardised coaching through digital platforms or artificial intelligence. On the other hand, professional legal coaching and the certification as such may be used by legal professionals to promote their own profile through specialisation and thus provide clients with unique tools on an ever more competitive market. Legal coaching can also aid legal professionals in responding to the increased demand for legal support through human interaction in times of easily accessible and inexpensive legal tech solutions (e.g. legal portals). It thus closes the gap between the mere legal consulting of a mandate, negotiation and mediation. The objectified legal consultancy is therefore replaced by an individual development process with professional legal support. In addition to the facts of the case concerned, the lawyer employing legal coaching techniques will also, for example, aim to grasp motives, systemic interdependencies, and the overall life goals of the client. Last but not least, by picking up the intrinsic motivation and the crisis stage of the client in a differentiated manner, above all with empathy and emotional intelligence (EQ), the lawyer will seek to partner with the client to develop individually sustainable solutions together with them. The legal coaching process thus allows the “human component” of the lawyer to emerge: their human presence in the conversation. Areas of Application Legal coaching is primarily established in the Western world—such as in the EU and in English-speaking countries such as the UK, Canada and the US. Unlike Europe, the number one reason in the US and Canada to include legal coaching as part of legal consultancy was to find a way of providing affordable legal support and easier access to justice. To do so, legal coaching in this context is practiced by a lawyer before or instead of a regular legal mandate to allow for lower legal fees. The legal professional will support the client as a “behind the scenes” legal coach to provide guidance and mentorship, to develop strategies and share knowledge and practical tools, and to provide tips about courtroom etiquette and decorum. Legal coaching thus also commonly implies that a lawyer will offer assistance throughout the case on all issues or will provide that support at key moments in the court process. Legal coaching is usually practiced by lawyers who have completed a professional coaching training course. Such training may be specifically tailored to lawyers or more general coaching training. In the latter instance, lawyers have each adapted their coaching methods individually to fit the specific needs of legal professionals. This can lead to subjective differences in the application, implementation and quality of the legal coaching. The method of mediation historically went through a similar process until Acts concerning the practice of mediation were passed in several countries to ensure a standard of quality (for example, Mediationsgesetz in Germany). It is debatable whether lawyers who have completed only general coaching training may also call themselves “legal coaches” and whether they may declare the activity they are performing as “legal coaching”. It is at least recognised that the same standards as in professional business coaching must also apply in legal consulting, i.e. in legal coaching: coaching training should be accredited by a professional association, should be business-related and the legal coach should seek certification to prove professional implementation. Women in Law Awards 2021 LEGAL COACHING GERMANY - 24 -
As long as the profession and the practice of coaching are not regulated by law, the quality standards of professional coaching will continue to be set and controlled by professional associations for coaches, such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF), AC or EMCC, which were established 25 years ago. They are currently regulating the professional coaching market and are well-recognised in business and academic education all over the world across all industries (including in master’s degree programs in communication science at universities). In this respect, the legislature does not see any need at the moment to claim a state monopoly on education or to intervene in a regulatory manner to avert danger, as opposed to the situation with medical or legal education, e.g. by imposing minimum requirements for training and licensing. However, in fields where coaching is practiced by persons of a profession with a training monopoly, such as legal coaching by lawyers, the corresponding professional codes of conduct and licensing requirements apply anyway, including the obligation to have professional liability insurance as well as meet the special requirements for diligence, confidentiality, and marketing. In this respect, legal coaches are more likely to be found on lawyer portals and lawyer search services rather than in the otherwise common coach databases or coach referral platforms. Like mediation, legal coaching is used primarily in family law and business law, especially in divorce law and in the area of mergers and acquisitions, but also in criminal law. It is also used not only in pure legal counselling but at the interface between human resources departments, the executive level and recruitment and outplacement processes. In addition, it is also used in the run-up to extensive or complicated litigation for the development of strategy and tactics. Both internationally and in the German-speaking world, there are now quite a number of lawyers and law firms who use this method and employ it as an additional qualification. The first legal technology application based on this – My Legal Coach, or My Legal Case Coach – has also appeared on the market. In this context, legal coaching, similar to design thinking, is also suitable as a method for developing legal tech products and other technologybased applications: For example, this method was used during the world’s largest hackathon, #WirvsVirus 2020, when the German government called on startups and developers to develop solutionfocused products to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Compensation Legal coaching is generally remunerated in accordance with a private law agreement on remuneration between the lawyer and the client. However, in many countries, the minimum renumeration for legal coaching services is subject to the same regulations that also apply to the renumeration of lawyers for their regular legal consulting services. A legal coach, similar to a specialist lawyer, is considered an expert and can usually charge an increased hourly rate of at least €200. Training Postgraduate training in legal coaching for lawyers, like any other training in professional coaching, is carried out in accordance with the quality standards for coaching training, such as the accreditation process for coach training programs by the International Coaching Federation or the Legal Coaching Training Program certified by the CLP-Academy, founded in 2016. Thus, on one hand, the respective national legal rules and regulations for coaches, coaching training and the practice of coaching have to be complied with. On the other hand, compliance with the professional regulations for lawyers and legal education has to be ensured as well. Since 2021, a so-called Certified Legal Coach (CLC) certification is available in Canada, which is provided by the Certified Coaches Federation. It entails an online weekend training course and a membership in the Legal Coaches Association. Legal coaching training courses, with their combination of theory and practice, are roughly comparable to the training required to become a specialist lawyer or a mediator. Similar to these courses, legal coaching training costs several thousand euros (more than €5,000). After completion of the training, the trainee will receive a training certificate from a licensed institute identifying them as a legal coach. “Dr Tutschka hopes her path will encourage other female lawyers to consistently pursue their own life plans and not to be pigeonholed by others.” - 25 - LEGAL COACHING GERMANY Women in Law Awards 2021
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