ABOUT JULIA HEROLD Julia is an extensively qualified legal practitioner in Macau. She graduated in Law from the University of Lisbon in Portugal, with a focus on Private Law areas, and has completed various courses on telecommunications and arbitration. In 2016 she also completed the Arbitration Entry Course, based on UNCITRAL Model Law of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration (CiArb). Julia practiced in Portugal with a Lisbon-based commercial and litigation law firm until 1995, after which she moved to Macau. There she started as a legal consultant with the Macau Maritime Department in 1996 and in 1999 became Legal Counsel and Company Secretary to the main telecommunications provider in Macau, Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM). In 2007 she joined DSL Lawyers, where she has remained since. As Partner, Julia currently heads DSL Lawyers’ Litigation and Arbitration practice and primarily advises institutional clients on matters of pre-litigation and dispute resolution. With her sound understanding of the procedural and practical aspects of litigation in the Macau Courts, Julia takes an active role in commercial litigation and arbitration, handling a wide range of cases including property, construction, employment and corporate disputes. She has assisted and represented several local and overseas clients across all levels of the Macau Courts, gaining a trove of experience in the process. In addition to being a member of the Portugal Bar and the Macau Lawyers Association, Julia is also a member of the CiArb (East Asia Branch). Her extensive expertise and knowledge of industry dynamics in Macau allow her to regularly act on behalf of operators in the telecommunications, IT and media sectors, extending her reliable track record for advising on major cases and projects in Macau. Did you face any challenges, as a female lawyer, to progress in this industry? I never felt that I was treated unfairly for being a female lawyer. The challenges I faced were those that every female lawyer who becomes a mother has to overcome. How did you overcome them? Raising my children in Macau (a very small place) has made keeping the balance between work and family much easier, as the distance between office and home is a 10-15 minute drive. With affordable domestic help, I was able to work and spend sufficient time with my children. What do you feel you couldn’t live without? Music and a good book to read. How do you measure your success? By the clients’ feedback and by how happy my colleagues and staff are to work for me. Do you have any nuggets of advice you would offer to those studying to become a lawyer? Get experience as early as possible by doing internships and doing them in different areas, including in-house counsel in a corporation. It is very difficult to understand what area of law you will be passionate about if you don’t see how it works in practice. Be passionate about practicing law, otherwise you will be unhappy in your job. What’s next on the horizon for you in your career? In the current environment, due to the COVID-19 related challenges that businesses have faced, litigation has escalated. I am expecting an increase in international arbitrations and hoping to be involved in some of them. “Be passionate about practicing law, otherwise you will be unhappy in your job.” - 101 - CHINA TMT, CYBERSECURITY & PRIVACY Women in Law Awards 2021
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