The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, Antis Triantafyllides & Sons LLC, Cyprus! 
As one of the largest networks of experienced attorneys in the world, the International Lawyers Network is pleased to announce that Martinez Berlanga Abogados in Mexico City, Mexico have joined the association. An independent, regional law firm, Martinez Berlanga Abogados provides clients with general corporate, restructuring, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, joint-venture, cross border transactions, real estate, local and cross border trust structures and testamentary successions, as well as regulatory advice. Continue Reading
The ILN is delighted to announce the release of the fifth (and updated) edition of their corporate guide, “Establishing a Business Entity: An International Guide.” This collaborative electronic guide offers a summary of key corporate law principles in 40 countries across the globe (an increase of nine chapters over our 2017 guide), serving as a quick, practical reference for those establishing an entity in these jurisdictions.
We’ve been talking about the soft skills that young lawyers need to hone in order to become successful, and how these translate for more experienced lawyers. Another skill I reviewed for the ABA student law blog was that of presentations (and I think we can agree this is something that many of us can work on).
A quick note on this – for some, the idea of public speaking will make you want to run for the hills (and I totally sympathize). It’s entirely possible that you focus on other types of business development and professional activities in your legal career, and these are better suited for your personality. However, even if that’s the case, getting comfortable with public speaking can be an excellent talent to keep in your back pocket. It’s one of my least favorite things to do, as an introvert, but I’ve done it so frequently over the course of my career, that I’m now both comfortable speaking in front of an audience, and also speaking in other situations, like networking opportunities, on the spot in meetings, etc. So, it can really have wide-reaching benefits – I promise, it’s not that awful, even if it’s not your strong suit. Continue Reading
In addition to understanding the area of the law that you’ll specialize in, there are a variety of “soft skills” that will be essential to navigating the practice of law successfully. Your professional skills may need to be further expanded over the coming years as the industry itself changes and stretches, but for now, there are a few tried and true ones you can rely on that will serve you well regardless of where you end up practicing.
A law student recently asked his connections on LinkedIn to rank the following five skills in order of importance – networking, presentation skills, business writing, communication, and time management. I’ve been exploring these topics for law students over on the ABA Law Student blog, Before the Bar, but they’re equally valuable for more experienced lawyers as well. So let’s take a look at how we can adapt these tips for practicing lawyers. Continue Reading
The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, Acumum Legal & Advisory, Malta! Acumum’s senior management of lawyers, accountants & tax advisers, provide expert, trusted & cost efficient, bespoke services to an international clientele: individuals, family offices, corporations, Governments & other service providers. Believing in long term relationships, Acumum provides holistic, sustainable & practical solutions to clients, whilst being committed to a superb level of client service.
Centrally managed in the fiscal & tax efficient, European, jurisdiction of Malta, Acumum’s operations are overseen by Geraldine Noel, a UK barrister registered in Malta, with over 25 years international legal experience.
Specialisms: Aviation, Energy, FinTech – Crypto, Blockchain, Smart Contracts, Financial Services, Gaming, Immigration – Citizenship & Residency, Intellectual Property, Maritime, Personal & Corporate Tax Structuring, Wealth & Estate Planning.
We’re already almost mid-way through September (can you believe it?) and this time of year can feel like a new beginning! Though January is typically the time for resolutions, September can also feel like a refresh as kids go back to school, and we jump back into the grind after our own summer holidays and a quieter period with our clients away for their holidays.
Bearing that in mind, it’s also a great time to refresh your goals and business development efforts. Yes, business development is an ongoing effort, but it doesn’t end simply because the calendar year is wrapping up.
There will likely be three groups of you reading this – those who started the year with business development plans and goals, who split them up throughout the year and made progress on them; those of you who had those plans, but who may have only made some inroads here and there; and those of you who had no plans or goals set at all. But no matter where you are, think of September as your do-over month, and the opportunity to plan for the remainder of the year. (Not sure about planning? Take a look at our recent guest post from Joanne Thorud for some help.) Continue Reading
“This person doesn’t benefit me.”
“I’m not getting any business.”
Have you ever said, or thought, either of these things about a networking event or while involved in a business organization? It’s not the first time I’ve heard them, which is why they merit a mention here.
When you say these things out loud or to yourself, it’s likely that your first reaction is that you’re in the wrong place, or the organization is faulty. But consider for just a moment that maybe the networking barrier in these scenarios is actually you. Continue Reading
You may be confident that you have this “business development” thing down pat – but are you sure? In today’s guest post, we are welcoming back ILN marketing professional, Joanne Thorud, Director of Marketing with Davis Malm & D’Agostine in Boston, who is sharing some excellent and easily implemented tips for getting your business development plans right.
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Whether you are a seasoned attorney with a sizeable book of business or a younger associate just beginning to hone your technical legal skills – or somewhere in the middle – you need a strategy to develop your networks and clients.
There was a time when doing good work was enough to maintain clients and gain new work. Today’s legal landscape, however, is more competitive than ever, fueled by firms and attorneys stepping up efforts to: engage clients and prospective clients; respond to client demands and offer value-add products; and incorporate business intelligence technologies to help analyze client behavior and size up the competition. Continue Reading
If you’re a regular reader of Zen, you know that I’m a big fan of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC). They’re working to revolutionize the legal industry, and engage all facets of it to do so.
One of the ways that legal departments excel and law firms majorly lag behind is with tracking metrics. While the law is indeed a very specialized set of skills, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to track the data that matters. We’ve heard a lot of calls from law departments over the last few years, demanding that their firms institute more tracking, and many firms are doing this to a greater or lesser degree. A huge part of legal operations is managing and understanding data, so that CLOs can identify areas of inefficiency as more pressure comes down from above. Continue Reading
