18 www.lawyer-monthly.com involve clients expressing their vulnerabilities, and in some cases, this can be very personal. In this sense, our professional ethics mean that we are not just like other service providers; we take an oath and are governed by bar associations. I would like to share the case of the acquisition of a Swiss family business. I was on the buying side. The emotional aspect of this kind of business transaction is never sufficiently appreciated. In this case, the selling company, which had been prospering for decades, wanted to hand over the business, but right up until the closing, we were not sure whether the deal would go through. I was unaware of this emotional aspect of the seller, and I did not realise how important the emotional side of the transaction could be on the seller’s side. An aspect that could have led to the transaction not going through. Since then, I have ensured that both parties communicate as much as possible beforehand. How does Kiavila Avocats stay at the forefront of adapting to changes in legal regulations in Switzerland? Through continuing education we are both consumers of continuing education and providers of it. We want to go even further by providing more on-site legal training in Bern and e-learning. We already train our clients on-demand, but we want to take it to the next level. As a female legal professional, could you share some of the obstacles you’ve encountered and describe how you’ve successfully manoeuvre through them? I will not share one obstacle because there are too many, especially when I was starting out. I have had a couple of unsympathetic comments from people who did not believe in me. This lack of belief stemmed from their own anxieties, which are not mine, and I consciously decided to rise above this type of behaviour. I just decided at some point not to be afraid of displeasing people and to assert myself. The first few years of a business are always a little fragile, which is why such questions are so important. What unique or distinctive approach does Kiavila Avocats bring to its clients and their legal needs? My career path is unusual for a lawyer. I completed a full course in law, with a few optional courses in management, economics and accounting when I was at university, before going on to do a Master of Science in financial economics at one of the world’s top business schools in the world, HEC Paris. I started out in Switzerland as an auditor in a Big Four company and then as a consultant in the financial services sector. It’s clear that these experiences completely changed my vision of law. Therefore, we use audit tools, particularly in the context of due diligence and consultancy tools, in our work. Is there a challenging case or client situation that resulted in a significant learning experience or triumph for you and your team? All the cases we encounter are challenging because they Tax Law Firm & Civil Law Lawyer of the Year “The first few years of a business are always a little fragile, which is why such questions are so important.”
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