The trend in recent decades has been for law firms to be viewed as a business like any other, but is it? Why is the mission of the legal profession, and its role in assuring and strengthening the rule of law, ignored or questioned? What about ethics as a strategy? These questions are of utmost importance for lawyers, law firms and their clients.
Why is the legal profession considered as privileged, not just in terms of its financial standing but also the profession’s core values, such as independence, rather than a guarantee of protecting the rights of individuals.
Organisers of this session are strongly convinced that it is vital to emphasise ethics in building law firm strategy, not only in its relation to clients and society, but also internally. Many lawyers and law firm managers may find this viewpoint challenging, but the trend we are witnessing of many companies, regarding environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing, might greatly influence the policies of the law firms they deal with.
Topics will include:
In practical terms, how would a law firm shape its competitive strategy around ethics?
The importance of integrity, transparency and ethics from the point of view of in-house counsel versus a lawyer representing his company: do they see it in the same light? How do we handle the tension between lawyers’ values and the rights of clients to be represented?
Reputational risks and threats to firms as witnessed by the backlash from Panama Papers, Weinstein debacle and the new challenge facing lawyers in light of the American elections.
Certificate of Attendance
Certificates of attendance for this webinar will be provided to all IBA members who have registered in advance and attended the live broadcast for a minimum of 30 minutes based on verified sign-in and sign-out times. Certificates can only be issued to the name provided at the time of registration.
Currently only IBA members will be provided with a certificate free of charge. IBA members should use the email address you have on file with the IBA to register for this webinar if you require a certificate of attendance.
Certificates for non-members are chargeable, please make enquiries at webinars@int-bar.org.
Katarina Cechova Cechova & Partners, Bratislava; IBA Council Member, Member Organisations
Katarína Cechová is a founding partner of Cechová & Partners with more than 35 years of continued legal practice. She actively participates on leadership of the firm and guides her colleagues to strictly comply with ethical principles and maintain personal integrity in all aspects of their profession.
She is primarily involved in M&A transactions, distressed assets, reorganization and restructuring of companies, corporate finance and project financing, litigation and arbitration. Katarina is listed as a licensed restructuring and bankruptcy trustee by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic.
Katarína serves as a permanent arbitrator for international disputes of the Arbitration Court of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Vienna International Arbitration Centre, and the Arbitration Court of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2000-2002, she was a Co-chair of the European Forum of the International Bar Association – the largest international organization bringing together lawyers and bar associations from all over the world.
Katarína has also been doing Pro Bono work for the third sector for a long time. She is a member of the Bátor Tábor Slovakia Foundation’s Board of Directors and is also active on the Board of Directors of Rotary Club Bratislava International.
Jeffrey Merk
With extensive experience in a broad range of corporate finance and commercial matters, Jeffrey offers clients a practical and business-minded approach to solving legal and regulatory challenges. He is skilled at isolating what is truly important in a complex business transaction and in identifying solutions. Jeffrey takes great care in tailoring his service to each client and providing strategic and insightful judgment to effectively further their business objectives.
Jeffrey is co-Practice Group Leader of the firm's Capital Markets Group. He is also a member of the firm's Corporate/Commercial, Mergers & Acquisitions/Private Equity and International Groups, as well as the Cannabis and Mines & Minerals Groups. He practises corporate law with an emphasis on public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and ongoing general corporate and commercial activities. Jeffrey’s experience includes numerous cross-border securities offerings (public and private), acting for U.S. buyers of Canadian entities or assets; acting for U.S. financiers of acquisitions in Canada; acting for Canadian sellers to U.S. buyers, and acting as Canadian counsel in connection with large, internationally-led transactions. He frequently advises mining, private equity, industrial, cannabis and psychedelics clients.
Jeffrey has recently been featured in the media with respect to the legal, regulatory and investment context for psychedelics in Canada.
In 2007, Jeffrey completed a six-month secondment with the Corporate Finance Branch of the Ontario Securities Commission where he was responsible for reviewing and clearing prospectuses and considering applications for relief from the requirements of the Securities Act (Ontario).
Alessandra Mourão
Founding partner of Nascimento e Mourão – Sociedade de Advogados. Current president of the Professional Ethics Committee of the IBA – International Bar Association in the 2019/2020 biennium. Creator and coordinator of the Course of Negotiation Techniques of the Fundação Getúlio Vargas Law School (FGV-SP). She is a guest lecturer in the discipline of Negotiation for the Portuguese Catholic University – Lisbon, as well as the Business School São Paulo and General Coordination of Specialization, Improvement and Extension at Pontifíca Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP). Graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo (USP-SP). Post-graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP). Specialist in Negotiations by the PIL (Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School).
In addition to collaborating in articles for collective works such as the Brazilian Journal of Law and the book “Compliance and Competition”, she coordinated the book “Conflict Resolution: Fundamentals of Negotiation for the Legal Environment” and is the author of the book “Negotiation Techniques for Lawyers “, Co-author of the book” Management of Negotiation “(Portuguese and English) and author of the audio book” Everything you need to hear about Negotiation”, the first by Editora Revista dos Tribunais and the others by Editora Saraiva. Member of the Institute of Lawyers of São Paulo, the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBCG) and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics – USA. Considered one of the most admired attorneys in the country in the financial, food and automotive sector, by the Análise Advocacia 500 guide.
Born and raised on the edge of the beach, she can’t stay away from the sea for so long. And when the schedule allows, she prefers to ride her bike to the office.
Segun Osuntokun
Segun Osuntokun has 22+ years' litigation and arbitration experience and expertise across a range of sectors with a particular focus on banking and financial services. Specialises in resolving complex disputes and claims which have elements of dishonesty, fraud or corruption.
He is Head of the firm’s Africa Group and many of his cases relate to or originate from jurisdictions in sub-Saharan Africa and head of the firm’s Energy Disputes practice with particular focus on oil and gas and power sectors.
Segun has taken six cases to a full trial or substantive hearing on the merits and has obtained a successful outcome in all of them. He has applied for or defended applications for emergency injunctions and disclosure orders in English High Court on more than ten occasions.
Segun Osuntokun was recognised by Chambers and Legal 500 as a ‘leading individual’ for banking litigation and civil fraud, as well as a ‘foreign expert’ on Nigerian disputes.
Hin Han Shum
Hin Han Shum has experience in mergers and acquisitions, setting up company start-ups, and company restructuring. Keeping abreast of technological developments, she has given practical solutions to clients in relation to cybersecurity, data collection and data breach matters, and has advised clients on legal compliance relating to new technological tools contemplated by clients in their bid to build their businesses.