Zen & The Art of Legal Networking : Lawyers & Attorneys in an International Legal Network for Relationships & Referrals

Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network.
For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Dato' Anad Krishnan of Anad & Noraini in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?
A full-service firm with special emphasis on banking, insurance, and property transactions.

Who would be your typical client?
Our typical clients are institutions - mainly banking, insurance, and property developers.

What would you like clients and potential clients to know about you?
That we are efficient and continually strive to provide quality legal services at competitive prices.

What has been your most challenging case? Why?
It was a case involving an ex-banker who was sued in civil proceedings in Malaysia and was involved in extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom and criminal proceedings in Hong Kong.  Being involved in this multi-jurisdictional case was most challenging as it involved Appeals to the House of Lords in the UK, the Court of Appeal in Hong Kong and the Supreme Court in Malaysia.

What has been your proudest moment as a lawyer?
Advising our client to do a particular deal against the advice of a Queen's Counsel and 7 other lawyers and subsequently discovering that when the client took the deal, the outcome was in his best interest.

What do you do when you're not practicing law?
Playing golf, traveling, and developing my business interests in commodity trading.

What would surprise people most about you?
The extent of my general knowledge, with particular emphasis on financial markets and a very practical approach to the practice of law.

What has been your most memorable ILN experience?
Meeting different people from different countries and cultivating strong personal relationships with a number of them.

What career would you have chosen if you weren't a lawyer?
I would have been very happy as an investment banker, particularly involved in commodity trading.

If a movie were made out of your life, who would you want to play you?
Ben Kingsley.

How would you like to be remembered?
A very successful person, who is also kind, considerate and generous.

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Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network.

For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Can Natan of Ozcan & Natan in Istanbul, Turkey.

In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?
Mainly working on corporate commercial matters.

Who would be your typical client?
Medium-sized and large foreign invested corporations.

What would you like clients and potential clients to know about you?
That we are a team of legal consultants with a strong, solid background to "make things happen."

What has been your most challenging case? Why?
I think it's impossible to pick one.  Each case/transaction is more challenging than the previous one.

What has been your proudest moment as a lawyer?
When we set up Ozcan & Natan Law Firm with my partner.

What do you do when you're not practicing law?
I enjoy traveling, reading, watching any kind of sports, playing football and going to the movies.

What would surprise people most about you?
I guess nothing!

What has been your most memorable ILN experience?
My first ILN meeting in Paris that I attended as a guest.  I was amazed by the warm welcome of the members and by the friendly atmosphere of the meeting.

What career would you have chosen if you weren't a lawyer?
I'd loved to be a football manager.

If a movie were made out of your life, who would you want to play you?
I think it's too early to think about that.

How would you like to be remembered?
As a good lawyer.

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It's that time of year again - the LMA Annual Conference rolls around in just a few short weeks!  It's a great opportunity to make new friends and renew relationships, so I thought I'd keep a list of those attending as I'm advised, as well as their Twitter names (so anyone interested in the conference who can't attend can follow along).  Also, don't forget to follow #LMA2010 and #LMA10.  Heather Milligan will be posting information about a tweetup only on Twitter:

Lindsay Griffiths (@lindsaygriffith)
Nancy Myrland (@nancymyrland)
Heather Milligan (@heathermilligan)
Nat Slavin (@natslavin)
Gail Lamarche (@gaillamarche)
Lance Godard (@lancegodard)
Jennifer Schaller (@natlawreview)
Nathan Darling (@nathandarling)
Megan McKeon (@meganmckeon)
Leigh George (@leighgeorge)
Caroline Baynes (@senyab)
Andre Mazerolle (@redbeardandre)
Russell Lawson (@Russ23229)
Jayne Navarre (@jaynenavarre)
Larry Bodine (@larrybodine)
Gina Rubel (@ginarubel)
John Byrne (@johnmbyrne)
Jeff Yerkey (@JeffBob)
Rebecca Wissler (@rebeccawissler)
Felice Wagner (@felicewagner)
Stephanie Thum (@stephaniethum)
Jennifer Johnson (@jjohnsonnyc)
Jonathan Groner (@jgronerpr)
Brian Pitts (@chicagoprpro)
Lydia Bednerik (@lydiabednerik)
Jill Clark Rako (@aceismyname)
Jon Holden (@holdencalgary)
Sally Schmidt (@sallyschmidt)
Ritchenya Dodd
Josephine Pope (@popejosephine)
Sonny Cohen (@SonnyCohen)
Marc Hollander (@marcthollander)
Nancy Slome (@nancyslome)
Alli Gerkman (@gerkmana)
Lisa Simon (@legalmediagirl)
Adrian Lurssen (@jdtwitt, @jdsupra)
Bill Ferdinand (@zunpartners)
Meghan Freeman (@meghanefreeman)
Corey Garver (@coreygarver)
Betsi Roach (@betsiroach)
Melanie Green (@melaniegreen)
Denise Dewling (@ddewling)
Kate Scoptur (@katescoptur)
Mark Elliott (@elliottmarkc)
Kevin Houchin (@kevinhouchin)
Jamie B. Field (@jaimiefield) *Not attending, but would like to get to know LMA members better!
Susannah BG (@susannahBG)
Alin Wagner-Lahmy (@alinwagnerlahmy)
Craig Levinson (@craiglevinson)
Mike O'Horo (@salescoach)
Patrick DiDomenico (@lawyerkm)
Caitlin Fisher (@caitlinmfisher)
Lindsay Weber (@lindsayweb)
John Stanley (@johnlstanley)
Patrick Fuller (@pjfuller)
Steve Bell (@stevembell)
Tim Corcoran (@tcorcoran)
Paramjit Mahli (@scglprnetwork)
Jeff Roberts (@jeffreymroberts)
Laura Gutierrez (@duetsblog)
Chris Fritsch (@crmsuccess)
Kate Haueisen (@kateh32)
Rachael Loper (@rachaeldc)
Chris Whitmore (@chris_whitmore)
Jenn Bullett (@hubbardone)
Tamara Bigford (@bsocialllc)

I'll add other attendees and their Twitter names as I'm advised of them!

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Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network.

For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Anita Lovell of Nigel Harris & Partners in the Channel Islands.

In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?
I'm a private client lawyer, in private practice, running a full service Family Office staffed by solicitors, accountants and investment advisers supporting members of a HNW family at a personal level and advising their international companies in complex, cross border transactions.

Who would be your typical client?
A high net worth family, probably based in Europe or the Middle East, but with business interests just about anywhere, looking to preserve and enhance the family wealth.

What would you like clients and potential clients to know about you?
That my legal firm is embedded in the largest, independent trust company in the Channel Islands (Hawksford International) and is uniquely placed, outside the UK but within a well-regulated and sophisticated jurisdiction, to suit the demands of international families.  And I bet not many would know that Jersey has signed an exchange of information agreement with the USA (and lots of other countries too) and is firmly on the OECD "white list." 

What has been your most challenging case? Why?
My most challenging case was defending the legitimacy and governance of a very big family trust against a disappointed widow who claimed it was a "sham."  We won the day, she settled and remained disappointed!

What has been your proudest moment as a lawyer?
Representing all the English Solicitors practicing in Jersey as President of our Association.

What do you do when you're not practicing law?
You need to ask a woman what she does with her time when she's not at work?  Running my home and my family takes up most of it!  But as I am trying to work part time now, I can indulge my love of travel and taste for good food and wine.  They say the former broadens the mind, but, sadly, the latter does the same for the waistline.

What would surprise people most about you?
Probably that my office has a lovely garden with rabbits, squirrels and pheasants running around it.

What has been your most memorable ILN experience?
That's a tough question because all the ILN meetings have been memorable - Christopher and I have seen some amazing places and met some brilliant people.  If I have to choose...it would be taking a (slightly shaky) helicopter ride around the Iguacu Falls in Brazil with Robert and Adrienne Bijloos.  I still can't quite believe I did that.

What career would you have chosen if you weren't a lawyer?
Well, a lady of leisure sounds good.  Failing that, I would have liked to be a garden designer.

If a movie were made out of your life, who would you want to play you?
Someone terribly glamourous please! But with a talent for comedy too - a young Kathryn Hepburn would have been wonderful.

How would you like to be remembered?
Preferably as the world's oldest woman.

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Recently, the ILN was alerted that fraudulent lottery winnings letters and checks are being sent to individuals in the United States. Someone is using stationery with what appears to be the ILN letterhead to advise them that the ILN held a drawing in November for over $200,000, which they have won. The letter also includes a check that they are to deposit and information on who to call to verify the claim.

These letters have NOT been sent or authorized by the International Lawyers Network or its members and represent a fraudulent attempt to elicit funds from individuals. A message has been posted on our website warning anyone receiving a similar letter not to deposit the checks, provide any information, send any funds, or respond to the letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the International Lawyers Network. Further, individuals should not follow any instructions contained in these letters to "confirm" their winnings. This "Advance Fee" scheme is similar to email scams often referred to as "phishing" that seek personal data and financial account information that enables another party to access an individual's bank accounts or to engage in identity theft.

The ILN is working with the United States Post Office Fraud Division to investigate this matter and disrupt these scams. If anyone receives any letters such as the aforementioned, or experiences similar attempts by someone portraying themselves as the International Lawyers Network, they are requested to notify the United States Post Office Fraud Division and/or their state or local police.

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Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network.


For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Sueli Avellar Fonseca of Nehring e Associados, Advocacia in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?
Presently, I work basically on Commercial Agreements, National and International Agreements. In the past, I was essentially a litigator and then worked on Corporate matters.

Who would be your typical client?
Companies are my typical clients.

What would you like clients and potential clients to know about you?
I would like clients to know that I have very good experience in litigation, which makes me a strong negotiator. Moreover, I have a great deal of experience in wording various kinds of agreements and it is easy for me to build relationships.  I am a perfectionist at what I do.

What has been your most challenging case? Why?
I cannot say one case is more challenging than others. The challenge is always to achieve the objectives of the client.

What has been your proudest moment as a lawyer?
 I have had many good moments in my career, which make me proud, but one I remember most was when I was a very young litigator and during a hearing, a Judge stopped and asked me how long ago I had graduated.  He complimented me in front of the lawyers of the other party, for the questions argued to more than 5 or 6 witnesses.

What do you do when you're not practicing law?
 I love to read, to go to the movies, to listen to music, to travel.

What would surprise people most about you?
It is very difficult for me to surprise people. I easily show who I am, what I like or dislike.

What has been your most memorable ILN experience?
ILN brings me many friends, all around the world.  This is fantastic.  But the most memorable is that some friends have become a family!

What career would you have chosen if you weren't a lawyer?
I would be a lawyer! As a secondary career, if I had time, Decoration could be a choice.

If a movie were made out of your life, who would you want to play you?
Meryl Streep.

How would you like to be remembered?
Someone who was able to achieve her teenager's dreams for life, with her own work and studies; a good professional; a good daughter; a special mother and a good companion.

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