www.acq-intl.com • Legal Awards 2019
Legal awards
Best White-Collar Criminal Defence Law Firm - Brazil We examine the services of Kuntz Advocacia E Consultoria Juridica following their win in Acquisition International’s Legal Awards 2019.
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Welcome to the 2019 Legal Awards The legal environment is a fast paced and exciting market, with increased competition and innovative advancements providing a raft of challenges for many legal practices as the industry always strives to evolve. Political and economic issues have also affected the markets globally, resulting in lawyers continuously having to adapt in an industry of ever evolving legislation and regulation. In addition, as the market becomes increasingly global the rise in cross-border issues means legal professionals are having to constantly update their existing skills and acquire new ones.
Laura Brookes - Senior Editor
Contents
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Tracey Solicitors: Best Personal Injury Solicitors – Dublin
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Djakarta Legal Practice: Best Commercial Transactions Law Firm – Indonesia & Award for Distinction in Environmental Law 2019
Kuntz Advocacia E Consultoria Juridica: Best White-Collar Criminal Defence Law Firm - Brazil
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Axis Vero Incorporated: Best Investigative Support Firm 2019 – Canada
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Biazzo Simon Advogados: Public Law Specialists of the Year 2019 - São Paulo
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Dasa Law Firm: Best Judicial Recovery Specialists 2019 Brazil
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Caselex BV: Best European Merger Control Decision Database 2019
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8 Lolas - Karakasilioti & Associates Law Firm: Best Employment Law Firm – Greece & Award for Client Service Excellence 2019
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Poswa Incorporated: Best Black-Owned Commercial Law Firm - South Africa
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Petros Yiannakas & Associates LLC: Best International Tax Planning Lawyers - Eastern Mediterranean
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Soteris Pittas & Co LLC: Best Commercial Law Firm - Cyprus
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Best Travel & Tourism Law Firm 2019 – Italy: TravelAssistance
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AAMM - Abecasis, Moura Marques & Associados: Best Public Law Firm 2019 – Portugal
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360 Law Group: Most Innovative Virtual Law Firm 2019
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Ferreira dos Santos Advogados: Best Tax Lawyers of the Year 2019 - South East Brazil
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Michael Rose & Baylis Limited: Best Family Law Firm 2019 - Merseyside
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Law Office Lazarov: Best Civil Law Firm - North Macedonia
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Andrade, Lacaz & Vasconcelos Advogados: M&A Law Firm of the Year 2019 - Brazil
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Lease planners: Best Lease Planning Specialists - South East England
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Credit Intel: Debt Collectors of the Year 2019
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Dr. K. Olsen Global Tax: Recognised Leaders in Tax Consulting 2019/20 - Norway
27 Donnery & Co. Solicitors: Best Immigration Law Firm 2019 - the Republic of Ireland
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Röhrborn LLP: Best Boutique Law Firm 2019 - Germany
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PMAB Platter Ausserer Bauer & Partner: Best Civil & Administrative Law Firm - Italy
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Rosenbaum IP, P.C.: Best IP Law Practice - Illinois
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Legal Shelf: Best Legal Document Security & Encryption Company 2019
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Utumi Advogados: Best for Tax Litigation - São Paulo
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Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados: Best Labour Law Firm – Bolivia & Award for Excellence to Legal Professional Development
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Citizen Lane LLC: Best Citizenship & Residence Planning Specialists - Central Europe
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Grabar Law Office: Commercial Litigation Expert of the Year 2019 – Pennsylvania
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L-IME: Best Legal Technology Consultancy - the Netherlands
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Kuntz Advocacia e Consultoria Jurídica Best White-Collar Criminal Defense Law Firm – Brazil With a highly trained and well-matched team of experienced lawyers, the Brazilian legal firm, Kuntz Advocacia e Consultoria Jurídica, is the country’s best white-collar criminal defense provider. Dedicated to finding the best solutions, we have examined the services of the firm following its recognition at the Acquisition International’s Legal Awards 2019.
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ounded in 2012, Kuntz is a law firm boutique focused on providing strategic legal advice and services in criminal, civil and corporate areas. Taking on only a few highly complex cases at a time, which require delicate and tailor-made solutions, they work to achieve the best possible results for any client. The firm, in the words of one of its funding partners, Eduardo Kuntz, is focus on creating bespoke solutions for its clients, achieving, thus, great success and, therefore, is always aiming to work toward this goal. Regarding the aim in the best possible results for its clients, throughout tailor-made solutions, Kuntz’s team understands that the goal achievement comes down to four basic principles: quickness in the decision-making process; accuracy in such decisions; responsibility to never leave any stones unturned; and, as a result, tangible results. Often more like a marathon rather than a hundred-meter sprint, the law arena requires a steady hand that can also work time efficiently. From gathering evidence and putting the case together, to presenting it convincingly in the courtroom, all Kuntz’s lawyers implement its principles. More than profitability, the team understand that creating a reputation of credibility and reliability is equally important to maintain such high standards of work. Since the firm’s inception, they have continued to work with dignity and dedication, and this latest recognition of their efforts is just a small reaping of the seeds they have sown.
“...the law arena requires a steady hand that can also work time efficiently. From gathering evidence and putting the case together, to presenting it convincingly in the courtroom, all Kuntz’s lawyers implement its principles.” 4 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
Eduardo Kuntz
Kuntz Advocacia e Consultoria JurĂdica
Eduardo Kuntz
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Eduardo Kuntz (left) Christiano Kuntz (right) - Son and Father
team kuntz
Four decades, two generations and one specialty: FINDING SOLUTIONS!
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Kuntz Advocacia E Consultoria Juridica Christiano Kuntz
“Kuntz have established itself, by means of its through their quickness, efficiency and accuracy in obtaining tangible results, as Brazil’s most sought-after white-collar criminal defense law firms. Greatly expanding their performance, also, at the corporate market, with its commercial law area, the firm’s success seams not to have a cloud forecast in tis future.” Kuntz’s team is composed by only a few lawyers, but they are working together for a long time. This proximity, by the continuously internal communication as well as collaboration, has brought them a unique understanding of their strengths, ensuring, as a result, that their work is irreproachable. Also, by establishing solid partnerships with larger, in other areas more specialized law firms, its team is, not only, well equipped, but used to deal with a far range of legal matters & issues.
São Paulo´s view office
Under the guidance and coordination of its founding partner, Eduardo Kuntz, the firm’s criminal area is well equipped to assist both individuals as well as legal entities in a wide variety of issues. In either defending then or assisting the prosecution, Kuntz is able, not only, in simply following up police reports, but as well as understanding and acting in more complexed corporate operations. With an extremely agile, technical, aggressive and tireless team, nothing less than the best possible result is acceptable by Kuntz’s standards. By obtained numerous pioneering results, the firm has taken part in some of the Country’s most relevant cases and their view of the law have guide, thus, the country’s highest courts’ decisions. Considering the all sizes companies’ intention in reducing their financial costs as well as their mismanagement risk, Kuntz team is also hands on to assist them in better implement their criminal compliance programs. Ultimately, Kuntz have established itself, by means of its through their quickness, efficiency and accuracy in obtaining tangible results, as Brazil’s most sought-after white-collar criminal defense law firms. Greatly expanding their performance, also, at the corporate market, with its commercial law area, the firm’s success seams not to have a cloud forecast in tis future.
“Taking on only a few highly complex cases at a time, which require delicate and tailor-made solutions, they work to achieve the best possible results for any client.” Marco Antonio David - Commercial Law Partner
Contact: Eduardo Kuntz Website: www.kuntzadvocacia.com.br
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Best Employment Law Firm – Greece & Award for Client Service Excellence 2019
Lolas - Karakasilioti & Associates Law Firm Lolas – Karakasilioti & Associates Law Firm are an innovative, committed and compelling group of lawyers who have cultivated a reputation as problem-solvers. Following their double win in AI’s Legal Awards, we caught up with Panagiotis Lolas, head of corporate and employment practice, to learn more about the firm’s work.
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n years since the firm’s humble beginnings, LKALF has established itself as a ground-breaking and diverse law practice. Built on the idea that lawyering should be a high-quality experience, the team at the firm constantly and inexhaustibly pursue client needs through a personalised approach to work. Founder and owner Panagiotis Lolas tells us what it means to deliver service as part of the firm. “To act ‘above and beyond the call of duty’; to implement new ideas, initiatives and practices; to explore unknown client needs, and inspire our clients with new dimensions of our services, always trying to add an ‘wow’ factor to our service. Additionally, we strongly believe that Legal Service is an interpersonal process; it is human communication.” Successfully representing corporate clients ranging from multinational corporations to public sector entities, LKALF’s corporate practice are completely focused on contributing daily to any clients needs in handling complex legal issues in any operations. By concentrating every effort on helping clients with legal issues, the team have managed to develop and meet clients strategic objectives. At the same time, LKALF are extremely proud of their award-winning employment practice. The team have been instrumental in radically changing and forming the legal landscape of employment in the Greek public sector. With excellent legal action and court representation of numerous health professionals, the team have managed to compel the authorities to drastically change the salary scheme of the public sector with the adoption of new laws. The firm proved vital to these changes, as Panagiotis reveals the extent of their success. “The immediate result of our legal actions was the payment of a public expenditure that totalled the amount of 115 million euros. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the aforementioned legal outcome was applied to all public health professionals, represented by our firm or not. Hence, we are extremely proud that our legal actions benefitted and had a considerably favourable impact to the general public.” For this relatively small team of innovative legal minds, never giving up is key to their success. With out-of-the-box thinking and determination to get the best results possible, LKALF constantly strive to solve the unsolvable and win landmark cases. Successfully handling even the most extremely demanding cases, the team see their legal work as more
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of a responsibility than a profession. To hear Panagiotis talk about the firm’s work, one can understand his level of passion and enthusiasm. “We, lawyers, have the privilege to be entrusted with our clients’ business. This privilege, this ‘relationship of entrustment’ is the biggest asset for a lawyer…it is our duty to ‘educate’ our clients, to communicate to them this new aspect of lawyering as a responsibility, rather than a profession. Additionally, social responsibility must become a strategic choice for each law firm: we must recognize our social 'debt' and return to society the confidence it shows us. At the same time, our social profile must become an important asset, reinforcing our corporate identity.” Overall, the firm’s legal prowess is down to their ethical and committed practice that seeks to help everyone in society. Radically changing the employment landscape across Greece, LKALF’s work is the result of a team philosophy that is completely synchronised and dedicated to ensuring the very best outcomes for clients across the country.
Contact: Panagiotis Lolas Website: https://www.lolaslegal.gr/
Lolas - Karakasilioti & Associates Law Firm
“The immediate result of our legal actions was the payment of a public expenditure that totalled the amount of 115 million euros. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the aforementioned legal outcome was applied to all public health professionals, represented by our firm or not. Hence, we are extremely proud that our legal actions benefitted and had a considerably favourable impact to the general public.�
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Tracey Solicitors Best Personal Injury Solicitors - Dublin Drawing on over thirty years’ experience in providing expert advice and legal services, Dublin-based solicitor firm, Tracey Solicitors, offer clear and independent advice to help clients achieve the best possible outcomes. Having secured their spot in Acquisition International as Dublin’s best personal injury solicitors, we examine the firm in close detail to uncover the secrets to their success.
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hen navigating the maze of various legal arenas, especially following a personal injury, it is imperative that clients ensure they have the best possible legal team fighting their case. The mission of Tracey Solicitors is to consistently achieve excellence across all aspects of their business through an unrelenting pursuit of their clients’ needs. The trusted, empathetic and intelligent team are constantly supported by top-of-the-range systems and processes, to help attain client goals. Tracey Solicitors, formed in 1990, hold the exclusive title of being the only Irish solicitor firm to have achieved the Excellence Through People award in 2014 and 2015, courtesy of The National Standards of Authority of Ireland. By offering personal attention, using plain language, and providing practical and impartial advice, the company are committed to making sure that every client gets the consideration they deserve during the tumultuous period they find themselves in.
Having worked on thousands of different cases over the years, Tracey Solicitors are proud of their successful record, and their continued dedication to client care. The optimal results are achieved as a result of understanding client needs, and working tirelessly for them with compassion, fairness and empathy in all areas of any sensitive legal case. Approachable, knowledgeable, experienced and friendly, the staff team of solicitors and legal executives at Tracey Solicitors are always on hand to provide legal solutions across a myriad of areas. These areas can include personal injury, road traffic accidents, accidents at work, accidents in public places, medical negligence, and wills and probate. Understanding that making a claim can be a daunting experience, the clients experience with this Irish law firm seeks to reassure them that is doesn’t have to be quite so daunting. It can become an even scarier process if the client does not speak the language of the country they are in, but that isn’t a problem at Tracey Solicitors. Foreign clients can get in touch with the International Team, dedicating to finding a legal solution that works whilst being completely understood. The firm also have a dedicated, native Polish-speaking team and Polish solicitor, having developed strong links with the Polish community and currently holding a 25% market share in the area of legal services for Polish people in Ireland. Core values shape a business, and those at Tracey Solicitors shape them into a business which truly focuses on delivering the best possible legal outcomes for their clients. Professionalism, teamwork, systems excellence, client service, and integrity are all key aspects of their continued success. Staff work in a balanced, ethical work environment which facilitates collaboration and opportunities for personal growth and innovation.
“Core values shape a business, and those at Tracey Solicitors shape them into a business which truly focuses on delivering the best possible legal outcomes for their clients...” 10 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
The comprehensive and resounding success of Tracey Solicitors is down to their unfaltering ability to help deliver top-quality care for clients, domestic and foreign. With compassionate and empathetic legal executives and staff constantly delivering the best outcomes possible for every case, there is no shortage of success to be found at this Irish solicitor firm.
Company: Tracey Solicitors Contact: Lauren Taggart Website: https://www.traceysolicitors.ie/en/
Djakarta Legal Practice Best Commercial Transactions Law Firm – Indonesia & Award for Distinction in Environmental Law 2019 Djakarta Legal Practice (DLP) is a prominent commercial and corporate law firm with high expertise in the construction business, infrastructure, and project development spaces. We profile the firm to find out more about how it came to win not one but two coveted accolades in this year’s prestigious AI Legal Awards.
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stablished by experienced professional lawyers, DLP draws on their industry expertise to ensure excellence for every client it is privileged to serve.
These passionate lawyers combine their expertise working with many of the largest domestic and international corporations, formulating effective legal solutions, to provide a comprehensive legal service. They all take great pride in providing a high-quality, well-rounded and innovative legal service to international standards, based on the information and commercially relevant local knowledge. In providing its award-winning legal services, DLP takes into account a cross-method approach, combining the knowledge of the law and other particulars field relevant to the issue and create an attuned and workable solution for clients. With its talented team’s deep understanding of Indonesia's unique business and legal culture combined with their capacity for innovation, DLP is able to help its valued clients to execute even the most challenging deals and issues in the market. Collaboration is key to the firm’s success. By working closely with clients as well as one another and their industry peers, the firm’s team can provide a personalised solution that meets every clients’ specific needs. Working to build upon its current success, over the coming years DLP will be enhancing its service offering even further to benefit more clients throughout the corporate landscape. Currently the firm is seeking to provide legal service for healthcare industry market in connection with the Government plan to relocate the capital city of Indonesia to Kalimantan Island. Additionally, the firm is preparing to enter into the infrastructure of various sectors, such as transportation, energy, and also the oil and gas market, as these are all areas of strong growth.
Partners of DLP (Gunawan, Zaky Tandjung, and Kharisma Fitriandika).
Company: Djakarta Legal Practice Name: Gunawan/Zaky Tandjung/Kharisma Fitriandika Address: jalan Dr Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung kuningan Telephone Number: +6281553500050 Website: http://www.dlplaw.net/
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Axis Vero Incorporated Best Investigative Support Firm 2019 - Canada
When it comes to private investigation, accuracy, attention to detail and absolute discretion are a must. In Canada, one firm stands out clearly ahead of the rest, Axis Vero Incorporated, an Ontario-based investigative firm. With a proven track record for success among a broad spectrum of clients and a wide selection of investigative services, Axis Vero Incorporated, has gained the respect and attention of the market. Having been recognised as Canada’s best investigative support firm in 2019, we take a closer look at the firm and its founder to determine what makes them so successful.
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enowned throughout the industry for their high ethical standards, dedication to each assignment, consistently strong documentation and their superior reporting abilities, Axis Vero Incorporated is truly Canada’s most superb private investigative firm. As active members of the California Association of Licensed Investigators (C.A.L.I.) and the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI), the company is frequently called upon to assist in conducting investigations both domestically and globally. Axis Vero Incorporated offers a wide selection of investigative services to a broad spectrum of clients, including but not limited to corporations, lawyers, the general public, and government agencies. With clients both national and international, the firm remains openminded and client-focused. Forming a number of close relationships with various government agencies and embassies around the world has allowed the firm to gain knowledge, insight, and experience that isn’t commonly available in the investigative industry.
“the future is full of opportunities... we count ourselves fortunate to have made the connections and earned the trust of so many prominent firms around the world” Operating as a one-stop-shop for investigative support services, Axis Vero Incorporated offers superior investigative support for any type of law in any jurisdiction. As well as the traditional surveillance model, they also employ drones, mobile, marine and undercover solutions for their clients. Undercover solutions can range in scope and legal purpose; however, are frequently used by employers looking to better understand their workforce, eliminate crime or theft within their operations, or to simply test the integrity of their operations. Successful undercover operations require a flexibility and special skill set from the investigator as well as experience, understanding and guidance from the supporting firm.
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Looking to the firm’s founder and president, Axis Geffen, who brings more than twenty-five years’ worth of hands-on experience within the intelligence-gathering industry, and is frequently relied upon for consultation, strategy, and diplomatic training services, it is no surprise that foreign and domestic clients, law firms and government agencies consider Axis Vero Incorporated their preferred choice for not only their investigative needs but also for various specialized services such as Technical Surveillance Countermeasures as well.
Axis Vero Incorporated When asked about the his firm's future course, Axis responded "We are very excited, the future is full of opportunities and we have a bunch of irons in the fire. We regularly receive positive feedback from our customers and we count ourselves fortunate to have made the connections and earned the trust of so many prominent firms around the world. Many of my competitors have always reached out to me when they need help but now I feel blessed to have such great customers relying on us too." The ability to think critically, adapt quickly and be flexible on the job are the cornerstones of every successful investigator and as such, Axis continues to personally conduct investigations and have his staff work closely with him - not for him. Understanding that in the investigative arena, real-life hands-on experience always outweighs book smarts or fancy designations, the investigators at Axis Vero Incorporated are traditionally trained to rely on critical-thinking and good old-fashioned investigative work, supplemented by new techniques and modern technological methods giving them a proven strategic approach, a solid support system and a wealth of experience. Every investigation is contemplated with a fresh perspective and the team will always advise clients on options that are in their best interests, even if that means advising that a proposed investigation will not serve their intended purposes or isn’t in their best interests. This mindset often sets Axis Vero Incorporated apart from the competition, enhancing their positive reputation, high success rate, and also explains their respective returning client rate. By working closely with the investigative team, Axis integrates topquality practices, a strong moral and ethical requirement and remains fully accessible to all of his investigators. Known for exercising absolute discretion, conducting extensive investigations, preparing superior documentation, and providing consistently accurate reporting, Axis also maintains a reliable timeline and consistent level of contact with clients to ensure their needs are always met or exceeded. By sharing his knowledge amongst his staff, and through his firm's active participation in the international investigative community, both this investigator and his firm are truly top of class. In recent years, Axis Vero Incorporated has formed partnerships with major technology providers, digital and financial forensic experts, elite security providers and even a canine support provider giving all parties opportunities to expand their individual and collective offerings. As a result, Axis Vero Incorporated has increased its own offerings, technological growth and the firm now offers top-notch digital forensics and data recovery, whilst remaining at the forefront of the technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) industry. Looking ahead, the future is bright for Axis Vero Incorporated as both the United States and Canada enter into election years. In addition to his extensive works with political parties and government bodies, a number of changes are anticipated in employment law, corporate law and due diligence. Whilst the company will continue to adapt and grow in those areas, they are careful to not neglect their criminal, family, or civil law clients.
Undercover Operation – Preparation Phase
Axis also continues his private works as an artist and continues his professional growth as an author, providing articles by commission to educate and inform his clients and their clients across a number of legal platforms. From an international perspective, changes regarding Hague Law are facilitating legal actions that have previously been delayed or too complicated to undertake. As such, Axis Vero Incorporated faces increasing demand for their research and location services, which is not surprising considering they maintain a 100% success rate on process service for foreign clients throughout Canada.
Proudly Supporting U.S. Sheriffs, International Law Enforcement, and Troops
Ultimately, what makes Axis Vero Incorporated a firm success in the investigative industry is their ability to discreetly and successfully deliver on client requests, whether foreign or domestic. With a wealth of knowledge, insight and experience across a myriad of industries and agencies, this private investigation firm are the ideal partners to find the truth wherever it may be found. Contact: Axis Geffen Phone: (905) 499-3226 Website: www.axisvero.com Email: info@axisvero.com Articles: https://shulman.ca/author/axis-geffen/ Active Member:
Axis Reviews Evidence and Transcript for Large Harassment Investigation
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Biazzo Simon Advogados Public Law Specialists of the Year 2019 - São Paulo
Having been active with the government in the business sector since 1992, Biazzo Simon Advogados is a Brazilian law firm working in public law and advising clients on all manner of projects. Having been named public law specialists of the year for São Paulo in AI’s Legal Awards, we profile the firm to learn about their services and successes.
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orking primarily with the government of Brazil, and the companies that contract with them, BSA participate in the legal structuring of the infrastructure business across São Paulo and the country as a whole. Dedicated to solving legal problems related to the modernisation process of the country’s economy, the firm work in Public Law, and Public and Private Business Law. Infrastructure structuring is the company’s main focus, seeking to act on and help solve any problems arising from the services provided by their clients, especially in actions involving compliance, anticorruption and administrative misconduct. BSA’s main approach is
to not act on impeditive assertions, but rather take the time to do due diligence and understand the best ways to solve any problems with logical knowledge and clarity of thought. What separates BSA from the country’s legal competition is their ability to generate opportunities where other law firms have seen impossibilities. Able to act in an interdisciplinary manner where necessary, the firm can generate business with professionals from various industries through expert knowledge, to help arrange the best deal for all parties involved. The team of lawyers at BSA is comprised on highly-trained and knowledgeable professionals, working hard to deliver on client needs and requirements. The firm’s staff are constant embodiments of what it means to do hard and ethical work, always considering compliance methods, technical rigour and continually training to stay ahead of industry developments. Not content to simply deliver the best possible service as a firm, BSA are also keen to develop and help train the next generation of lawyers. Having established strong links with local universities in São Paulo, the firm are constantly seeking to hire the very best talent available, and in turn, deliver the very best service to clients across Brazil’s business infrastructure. With an eye on the future, the firm’s plans include increasing their already-impressive customer service capabilities. They intend to do this through incorporation of artificial intelligence and the continued interdisciplinarity of the highly-skilled team of experienced professionals.
“What separates BSA from the country’s legal competition is their ability to generate opportunities whereother law firms have seen impossibilities. Able to act in an interdisciplinary manner where necessary.” 14 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
Ultimately, the ethical, interdisciplinary, rigorous and concentrated skill of BSA has firmly established their status as Brazil’s finest public law specialists. With the inclusion of technological advancements and artificial intelligence playing a vital role in the future of the wider legal market, this firm are well-positioned to continue growing both themselves, and Brazil’s economic infrastructure.
Contact: Rebeca Cruz Website: https://www.bsad.com.br/
Dasa Law Firm Best Judicial Recovery Specialists 2019 - Brazil
Dasa Law Firm is a consultative and contentious legal advisory firm dedicated to innovation and client service. We profile the firm to learn more about how it works to support its clients and provide them with the support they need.
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ounded more than 50 years ago by law professionals Dasa Law Firm has always been focused exclusively on legal advice, combining the experience of the old with the new to modernise the legal profession. Operating across a range of practice areas, including Corporate Law, particularly in the Corporate Restructuring, as well as Mergers and Acquisitions and Agribusiness, the firm is able to offer clients expert support. Each client works directly with one of the firm’s partners and enjoys the benefits of their expertise and market knowledge.
“...a lawyer must understand in detail the business in which client operates. It is not enough for the lawyer to draw up contracts or to propose any judicial measure which is disconnected from the reality of the client company, but they must provide a bespoke service.”
Treating every client as an individual, the team work with them to ensure that they enjoy a personal service when they work with Dasa Law Firm. The firm’s team firmly believe that in order to achieve the outcome the client expects, a lawyer must understand in detail the business in which client operates. It is not enough for the lawyer to draw up contracts or to propose any judicial measure which is disconnected from the reality of the client company, but they must provide a bespoke service. As a boutique law firm Dasa Law Firm is able to offer its clients a personalised service that they can trust. Staff are always on hand to provide clients with support and offer them the advice they need to ensure the smooth running of their organisation. Looking to the future, Dasa Law Firm will remain committed to client service and innovation as it continues to offer the award-winning commercial law services it has become respected for over the past five decades.
Company: Dasa Law Firm Address: av. Magalhaes De Castro - 4.800 - 18 Andar, Cidade Jardim, Corporate - Park Tower, Sao Paulo - Sp - Brazil Telephone Number: +55 11 31156477 Web Address: www.dasa.adv.br
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Caselex BV Company: Caselex BV Contact: Marc de Vries Address: Wolfhezerweg 5, Oosterbeek, the Netherlands Phone: +31 653 897 002 Website: www.caselex.eu
Best European Merger Control Decision Database 2019
Five years ago, Marc de Vries — owner and founder of Caselex — took a leap of faith and developed a highly innovative service that opens up and links merger control decisions on an unprecedented scale. Meanwhile, the company has made its mark and serves over a hundred clients around the world, including top-tier law firms, competition authorities and large multinationals.
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nprecedented time saver “In essence, we offer online access to summaries, in English, of market definitions set out in merger control decisions from 2000 to date, including the underlying rationale relied on by competition authorities to delineate the relevant markets,” says Marc de Vries, director and owner of Caselex. “The Caselex database offers a synoptic yet full overview of merger control decisions and allows our clients to quickly and efficiently define the market in which the proposed merger is taking place and thus to lay the foundations for their subsequent analysis.” Marc says: “The service saves our clients considerable time — both input and throughput — as it efficaciously opens up and connects crucial information that was previously either unavailable or inaccessible. Time is always lacking when a deal has to be put through.” Current proposition Marc proudly explains: “At present, our current European Market Definition Module contains around 12,000 summaries (in English) of merger control decisions from 30 national competition authorities and from DG Competition, generating around 35,000 unique market definitions. As a complementary service, our Lexpress Market Update provides weekly updates on merger control decisions that contain market definitions and that were published across Europe during the course of the week. Instant traction Marc notes: “The Caselex Market Definition Module was an instant hit. Ever since the launch in 2016, we have been witnessing a quick uptake, with over 100 clients in 25 countries now using our service, both in and outside Europe. And these numbers keep growing week by week. We offer a fixed-fee subscription to the big firms and usagebased subscription options to lighter users. Furthermore, competition authorities, with limited budgets, especially those in smaller countries, are offered discounts.” Free trials and conversion “It is simple and straightforward to try out our service: we provide an (online) demo and set up a free one-month trial for any potential client knocking on our door. After a month, we happily provide a trial report and an offer.” Marc adds: “the large majority of those who try our service buy into it, as they realise its immense value and timesaving advantages. This is corroborated by the fact that so far we have not lost a client over the last three years!”
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Small agile dedicated team To connect content from more than 30 jurisdictions in 24 different languages and to serve truly high-end clients, both harmonisation and quality control are key. To meet such challenges, I believe in small and highly dedicated teams. Our core team consists of five people, working from our offices in Brussels and Utrecht; whereas, our team of around 35 legal editors works remotely. Typically, our editors are PhD students or they work for competition authorities around Europe. Obviously, we take on only the best!” Future plans Where will Caselex go next? Marc has many plans: “Our mission is to capture and connect any event that may be relevant to M&A and merger control professionals, wherever the information may come from. Accordingly, Caselex has started to cover merger control decisions from other continents — Oceania, South America, Asia — which will be introduced as new modules in the course of next year. And there is much more to come: we will soon be launching a completely new platform, adopting the concept of the ‘life cycle of a concentration’. Thus, we will cover all the events and stages a specific concentration goes through, from simple notifications to appeal decisions rendered by courts.” Marc concludes with a confident smile, “our ambition is to further expand globally and to become the ultimate source for high-end intelligence on merger control around the world within the next few years, increasing the value of our proposition for our clients.”
Poswa Incorporated Best Black-Owned Commercial Law Firm - South Africa
Partnering with clients across the corporate and public spectrum in South Africa, Poswa Incorporated is able to offer award-winning legal services that exceed clients needs and expectations. Having recognised the firm in the 2019 AI Legal Awards, as the best black-owned Commercial Law Firm in South Africa we profile it to find out more about the services it provides.
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stablished in the year 2010, Poswa Incorporated is a progressive corporate commercial law firm providing services across all aspects of commercial law, including the structuring of transactions, negotiation and drafting of agreements, legal opinions and legal due diligences. The firm also offers conveyancing and notarial expertise, litigation and dispute resolution through commercial and civil spheres, forensic investigative and advisory services as well as labour and employment law services. As a wholly black-owned corporate commercial law firm, Poswa Incorporated promotes its ethos of Brilliance, Action and Heart when rendering legal services to its clients. In 2020 the firm will be entering its second decade within the business arena and through its high value transactions and deal closures has proven to be a consistent and credible legal services provider, within the South African landscape. Through specialist insight and personalised service, the firm is able to provide tailor made legal solutions that broaden business horizons. As a result, clients can enjoy the personalised solutions they expect from a
boutique law firm combined with the knowledge and industry expertise when they partner with Poswa Incorporated. Supporting and partnering with clients across South Africa, Poswa Incorporated’s head office is situated in Sandton, Johannesburg with its provincial footprint in both Durban and Bloemfontein. Thanks to its national reach, the firm is able to service clients across the country’s corporate landscape, ranging from state owned entities to small, medium and large prominent corporate entities. All of these diverse clients are united by the exceptional standard of service they receive when they select Poswa Incorporated as their legal services partner. Thanks to its experienced, diverse and dedicated team of Attorneys the firm is able to provide clients with quality and valuable services they can rely on. Fundamentally, Poswa Incorporated is on a mission to become South Africa’s preferred corporate commercial law firm of choice for clients. Contact: Nima Gagjee Website: http://www.poswainc.co.za/
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 17
Petros Yiannakas & Associates LLC Best International Tax Planning Lawyers - Eastern Mediterranean
Supporting clients across a myriad of practice areas, Petros Yiannakas & Associates LLC is able to meet their diverse needs and offer them the benefit of its longstanding legal expertise. Having recognised the firm in this year’s AI Legal Awards we profile it to find out more.
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rawing on extensive experience in the areas of corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, international tax planning and shipping law, Petros Yiannakas & Associates has the legal knowledge and expertise to assist its clients in a range of financial transactions and private equity deals. Specifically in the tax planning space, for which the firm won one of this year’s revered AI Legal Awards, has considerable experience when it comes to advising clients on various tax matters including, but not limited to, international tax planning. The firm’s legal team is constantly alert for new developments in Cyprus and internationally on tax matters, and aims to always provide clients with effective tax planning structures. In this practice area, Petros Yiannakas & Associates emphasizes on minimising tax liabilities for clients while taking into account their international cross-border business activities and objectives. Cyprus has concluded a significant number of Double Tax Treaties with many
“Whether it is this or any other of its practice areas, Petros Yiannakas & Associates aims to consistently offer the highest possible standard of service. The firm consists of a highly trained and expert legal team with considerable experience in the specific practice areas that its specialises in..”
18 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
“...over the years the firm has been requested by a number of international law firms to advice on various tax matters under Cyprus law. In association with expert Audit Firms, it is in a position to offer to clients a full services package.” countries and the firm is always in a position to advice clients in the most tax efficient manner of tax advantages available. Thanks to its experience and dedication to excellence in this area, over the years the firm has been requested by a number of international law firms to advice on various tax matters under Cyprus law. In association with expert Audit Firms, it is in a position to offer to clients a full services package. Whether it is this or any other of its practice areas, Petros Yiannakas & Associates aims to consistently offer the highest possible standard of service. The firm consists of a highly trained and expert legal team with considerable experience in the specific practice areas that its specialises in. As such, these staff members are able to service clients’ needs by ensuring speed of execution of assignments efficiently with personalised attention. This dedicated legal team is assisted when needed by other professionals such as auditors and other financial advisors within the corporate environment. This expert team offers a true one-stop-shop for all its clients’ legal needs, and can offer a cost-effective, time efficient solution that meets all their requirements and consistently exceeds their expectations. Looking ahead, Petros Yiannakas & Associates will continue to grow as a practice and support even more clients from around the world, providing them with the award-winning legal services it has become respected for since it first began.
Contact: Petros Yiannakas Website: https://yiannakas.com.cy/
Company: TravelAssistance Contact: Saverio Cicala & Vincenzo Del Gaiso Website: en.travelassistance.it/
Best Travel & Tourism Law Firm 2019 - Italy
When travelling abroad, everybody wants a stress-free experience. To breeze through security and get to the bit that really matters; the holiday. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen for everybody, and that’s where TravelAssistance comes in. Understanding that a number of issues can affect a holiday, discover how this Italian law firm are helping holidaymakers get the compensation they deserve if their holiday has been interrupted.
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or most travellers, there is a sinking moment of dread when the flight is delayed without an estimated time of departure, or baggage doesn’t come around on the carousel after a flight. Specialising in getting compensation for flight delays, cancellations, overbooking, lost or damaged baggage, and – in general – for ruined holidays, TravelAssistance are always on hand to help protect travellers, tourists, or professional workers on a business trip. As well as assisting the travellers themselves, the firm also works with travel agencies and tour operators to establish a wide network of knowledge and expertise when it comes to building a case. Furthermore, travel agencies and tour operators receive, thanks to the partnership with the firm, a legal assistance for their issues (i.e. if a client sues the agency, or if a contract has to be drafted or signed). More than a network however, the agencies and operators offer a chance for TravelAssistance to help them with their clients in pursuit of compensation.
Lawyers by profession and travellers by passion, the legal team at TravelAssistance invite their clients to leverage both their technical and personal knowledge of the tourism industry when seeking compensation. Whether it is damage to personal luggage, or unfair legalities and terms, or complex issues with a tour operator; nothing should stand in the way of the perfect holiday or business trip. Settling for nothing less than complete victory and satisfaction for their clients, the team not only offer their services for free, but they also constantly update their own knowledge and are constantly studying to improve their legal methods. With completely rounded legal preparation, and meticulous attention to detail, every case is treated with the utmost care to ensure the greatest chance of success when making a claim for compensation. Despite the peak seasons and the busy times happening largely in the summer, there is often little respite for travel agencies who have people booking their next holiday all the time. Therefore, it is imperative for firms such as TravelAssistance that they are available every hour of the day and night. Rapid in their answering emails and phone calls, responsibility and cordiality are at the heart of the team’s service. Clients can make a simple and easy application to get their compensation through TravelAssistance in four remarkably easy steps. Firstly, clients have to get in touch with the firm, either by filling out an online form, describing the problem in an email, or chatting over the phone. From there, the legal team will then contact clients to let them know the extent of their claim and how much they could be owed. After that point on, the legal team is already handling the case and clients can get in touch at any time to find out more about what stage of the proceedings the legal firm are at. Finally, once the compensation has been retrieved, clients can enjoy the fruits of TravelAssistance’s hard labour within forty-eight hours. Ultimately, TravelAssistance are the only choice for deserved travel compensation for a multitude of reasons. With a totally-free service and no nasty hidden costs, a well-organised and powerful legal structure, and top-quality negotiation techniques, this firm’s work is invaluable in making sure that if every moment of the travel to holiday isn’t perfect, then customers can be justly compensated for it.
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 19
Most Innovative Virtual Law Firm 2019 Working to disrupt the legal market as we know it, 360 Law Group is a creative virtual law firm with over 200 consultant solicitors, barristers and overseas attorneys in over 30 countries globally. Together this expert team is able to provide its award-winning services to a wide range of clients, as we found out when we profiled it and shared an insight into how it came to win one of our prestigious AI Legal Awards for 2019.
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igitalisation is affecting all aspects of the corporate landscape today, as consumers seek even more convenient and effective ways to live their lives.
Offering clients true choice, it is the only law group in the UK to offer both regulated services, through 360 Law Services, and unregulated services through 360 Business & Private Client Law.
One company working to adapt around this trend is 360 Law Group, a dynamic international team whose unique concept has led it towards increased renown from clients around the world.
As a result, only by working with 360 Law Group can clients instruct the same lawyer either in a regulated manner, which comes at a higher cost but with increased protection, or an unregulated manner at a lower cost on a simple balanced commercial contract. Thus, the group is able to provide the same quality services, but at substantially lower rates.
Initially established as a corporate and commercial practice, over the years the group has expanded into other areas as its client base has grown, providing both employers and employees with the legal solutions they need. Currently 360 Law Group is the only law firm in the UK to have fully taken advantage of the Legal Services Act 2007, which deregulated major parts of the legal market and provided an opportunity to change the way law services are delivered. The Act was brought in to ostensibly achieve two things: to lower legal fees for businesses and more pertinently the consumer; and also, to provide high quality legal services, something that Sir David Clementi’s review of the regulatory framework recommended. This legislation has opened up considerable opportunity for innovative forward-thinking law firms and great benefits for legal consumers. Among these forward-thinking and innovative companies was 360 Law Group, which is dedicated to providing its clients with the services and support they need and using technology to change the way legal services are delivered, thereby lowering the cost of legal services to consumers.
Through this commercially astute portfolio of services, this dynamic group is able to offer a range of fixed priced legal services, that allow its clients to have total control over cost. These services include the group’s renowned subscription services for commercial contracts and employment law, which allows clients to fix their legal fees across multiple jurisdictions at a set monthly fee that is usually lower than they can employ a single lawyer in one jurisdiction. Recently, as part of its continued focus on innovation, the group introduced its International Legal Network. This unique network allows consultants to cross refer matters they are dealing with to other consultants in the network. For example, a Swedish counsel could refer a matter to a Californian counsel. This approach provides consultants with the ability to extend their local practice to a global player, benefitting the consultant and their clients. Looking ahead, 360 Law Group intends to expand this network and build its international operations, which will include opening direct operations in the United States. The group will also be enhancing its case management system and other IT systems to further improve responsiveness for clients and ensure that they continue to receive the cutting-edge support they have come to rely on from this revolutionary law group.
Company: 360 Law Group | Name: Robert Taylor Address: 377-399 London Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3HL Telephone Number: 03337720826 Web Address: www.360lawgroup.co.uk
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Ferreira dos Santos Advogados Best Tax Lawyers of the Year 2019 - South East Brazil
From its base in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados provides legal support and services to a range of discerning clients. Having recognised the firm in this year’s competitive AI Legal Awards, we offer an overview of how far it has come and the secrets behind its immense popularity.
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ounded by Luís Carlos Ferreira dos Santos Junior who, besides having a high reputation in the legal market, is focused on qualified and personalized service to his clients, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados draws on his experience and industry knowledge, as well as his bespoke approach. As a result, the firm is able to offer exceptional legal support and services to a wide range of clients. Combining its Founder’s experience with his dedication to innovation, the firm stands out in operations of great relevance in the corporate scenario through the representation of national and international companies in various areas of law. Responsible for very high complexity cases, clients describe Ferreira dos Santos Advogados as follows:
“With amazing strategies and excellent communication, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados has achieved great legal victories in favor of our group.” Focusing on corporate and financial law, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados’s practice areas include tax law, corporate law, M&A activity, litigation and estate and succession planning. For more complex cases, the practice can also undertake corporate liability management and bank debt work.
Luís Carlos Ferreira dos Santos Junior
“With amazing strategies and excellent communication, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados has achieved great legal victories in favor of our group.”
Specifically with regards to tax law, the area of expertise for which the firm was awarded in the prestigious AI Legal Awards for 2019, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados is able to assist national and international companies in resolving the most diverse tax issues. Whether advisory or contentious, administrative or judicial, including the Superior Courts, the firm is able to help and provide the benefit of its extensive market knowledge. With a highly specialized team in Tax Law, Ferreira dos Santos Advogados prioritizes integration with the other areas of the office, with the aim of always considering the corporate, banking, financial, labor and social security impacts that may arise as a result of tax planning. Alongside providing support in the case of issues, the firm’s focus is on taking preventative measures and working with the wider legal and taxation communities in order to protect its clients against undue taxation, as well as to provide a concrete tax economy. The firm achieves this both through the strict control of the edition of all normative acts and relevant administrative and judicial decisions and by identifying new tax opportunities through existing legal avenues. Overall, this drive towards creating a better tax market for clients and providing them with the tax law services they need is what sets Ferreira dos Santos Advogados apart from its competitors and marks it out as the best possible option for clients throughout Brazil. Moving forward the firm will remain focused on undertaking even more exciting cases and clients, as well as adapting around and driving new developments within the Brazilian taxation space. Company: Ferreira dos Santos Advogados Contact: Luís Carlos Ferreira dos Santos Junior Website: www.ferreiradossantos.com.br
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 21
Michael Rose & Baylis Limited Best Family Law Firm 2019 - Merseyside
Located in the iconic Liverpool City Centre setting of the Royal Liver Building, Michael Rose & Baylis Limited is a young, vibrant law firm dedicated to providing an exceptional standard of service to its corporate and private clients. In celebration of the firm’s win in this year’s AI legal Awards we profile the firm and share an insight into the work it undertakes, with special focus on its award-winning family law department.
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pecialising in Family law, Property, Personal Injury, Housing and Immigration, Michael Rose & Baylis is able to offer a wide range of services for both individuals and businesses, with an emphasis on completing all matters in a timely, professional and comprehensive fashion. Combining youth and experience, the firm is able to offer a modern service built on the traditional values of communication and transparency. This experienced and professional team believe that instructing a solicitor should be a personal, stress free and simplified process, free from legal jargon and with ever available staff happy to assist whenever needed. This is the level of excellence that everyone at Michael Rose & Baylis aspires to at all times, and this drives the team towards constant excellence for each and every client it works alongside. The team strive towards achieving professionalism by ensuring that communication is swift and constant, and that clients are kept up-todate with the latest developments throughout the legal process. By communicating with both the client and team members throughout the process, the firm’s team are able ensure that no detail, however small, is overlooked, and that every aspect of the legal process proceeds without a hitch. As a result, clients can rest assured that when they work with Michael Rose & Baylis they are in safe and competent hands and will receive the best possible outcome to their legal project.
Specifically, with regards to the firm’s family law department, which won in this year’s AI Legal Awards, Michael Rose & Baylis is incredibly proud of the success it has enjoyed over the past year. The department started a new consultation scheme in early 2019. As part of this new, enhanced process, clients attend a consultation, either face to face or by telephone, and receive detailed and bespoke written advice within 24 hours. There is a fixed nominal fee, however this is deducted from the first bill should the client wish to instruct the firm to progress the matter forwards. Since introducing this innovative new approach, Michael Rose & Baylis has received an abundance of positive feedback from clients that have taking part in a consultation, with many returning back to us for further advice and assistance. As a result of this success, the firm’s family law department has seen a marked increase in the number of clients choosing to use its services, and the team is dedicated to providing them with the expert support and service that they expect. As a multi-disciplinary firm, Michael Rose & Baylis’ family law department is able to provide advice on additional matters which may stem from family law including issues in relation to immigration, drafting and preparation of wills and residential conveyancing. By providing a one-stop-shop the firm is able to save its clients time and money. Looking ahead, 2020 will be Michael Rose & Baylis’ fifth year, and the firm has come a long way, with the team having grown from 2 to 20 to support an ever-increasing client base. As part of its drive towards enhancing this already incredible success, for this dynamic law firm the next few years will revolve around a consolidation, with the team striving to further improve and provide even greater support and service to clients.
Name: Adonis Michael Address: Michael Rose & Baylis, Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1HU Telephone Number: 01519580808 Web Address: www.michaelroseandbaylis.com
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Contact: Dragan Lazarov Company: Law Office Lazarov Email: contact@lawofficelazarov.com
Law Office Lazarov
Best Civil Law Firm - North Macedonia Adapting against a backdrop of change, the staff of Law Office Lazarov has gone from strength to strength by applying timeless principles in an uncertain world. We caught up with co-founders Nikolcho Lazarov and Dragan Lazarov to find out more.
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s a relatively new law firm, it’s surprising how much experience has been brought to the table of Law Office Lazarov. “The most important thing for us is mutual honesty with the clients,” says Nikolcho Lazarov, “which is the basis for building trust.” Trust seems to be the watchword of Law Office Lazarov. It feeds through every aspect of the business from hiring to clients to cases. “Open and sincere communication in the company is crucial in our profession,” he adds, and it seems to be paying off. From this firm foundation, the company handles all sorts of civil law cases in all areas of civil law, but especially focusing on Business Law and Financial Law. The success of Law Office Lazarov can be found within the company’s determination to educate and pass on information. “Our biggest asset is the accretion of knowledge and passing it on selflessly,’ states Nikolcho Lazarov, who used to be a judge. There’s a lot of information to pass down, especially when the knowledge database goes back at least thirty years! In a changing industry, however, it’s not just from the past that experience is earned. We learn with each new matter, with each new client, from the seemingly easy cases and from the hard ones.” It’s a worthy mission statement that has resulted in a team that is able to communicate well, clearly and to the benefit of the client. “Strong communication creates strong bonds of trust, which are vital in supporting each other so we can deliver results,” says Nikolcho. It’s this trust which builds loyalty to the company from its clients. It also means they can engage fully with the process of representing them.
“We offer quality assurance in all our services with a 360 degrees’ approach, which means each action is reviewed from all aspects before it is taken.’...” “Our philosophy is to provide for the clients a complete legal service with a clear vision ahead, in order to ensure a safe ground for their business to thrive in a complex and developing environment,” Dragan says. “We offer quality assurance in all our services with a 360 degrees’ approach, which means each action is reviewed from all aspects before it is taken.” This attention to detail and willingness to embrace each aspect of the business is part of what sets Law Office Lazarov from the rest.
Perhaps the largest uncertainty for the law office is the possibility of Macedonia attaining full membership in the EU, though recent events have stymied progress. Still, as a law office, they remain aspirational, remaining vigilant to the possible changes should membership be secured in the future. “We will have many challenges in harmonizing the legal system,” says Dragan, “introducing new institutes, communicating and learning more. We will need to take some serious leaps forward in order to achieve that level, which is not an easy task.” Even so, with intimate knowledge of the EU gleaned from time spent as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, there might be no one better positioned to comment and offer advice on European matters. “Ultimately, we are growing as a firm, as a country and we are reaching outside our borders to a stronger regional cooperation, which is a path to a stronger cooperation in Europe and the World”. Not content to rest on their laurels, they’re looking to the future with efforts made to explore the broad scope of legal support in the ICT Sector while working out how best to integrate themselves with a new, global company. ‘We are planning years ahead and starting to reshape in order to be more compatible and competitive,’ says Dragan. ‘The legal profession needs not only to adapt around the technological advancements, but also to be a part of them itself.’ If one thing has been proven over the years, it’s that Law Office Lazarov is quite willing to adapt and grow to whatever new situations arise, and more than likely, they’ll be a part of that change too. Contact: Dragan Lazarov Company: Law Office Lazarov Email: contact@lawofficelazarov.com
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Andrade, Lacaz & Vasconcelos Advogados M&A Law Firm of the Year 2019 - Brazil
As lawyers are slowly becoming more like business advisors with legal expertise, it is important for law firms of all varieties to have a keen corporate understanding. Brazilian legal firm Andrade, Lacaz & Vasconcelos Advogados (ALV) are leveraging their legal analysis skills with strategic business management to deliver key legal results for businesses across the country. We profiled the firm to learn more about their award-winning success.
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mid-sized commercial law firm based in São Paulo, ALV advise national and foreign clients in both consulting and litigation areas. Despite being mostly focused on business law, the firm do offer a full array of highly-sophisticated legal services for clients to tap into. These include M&A, corporate, contract, business litigation, real estate, bankruptcy and reorganization, employment, capital markets, intellectual property, and other commercial, transactional or individual services, depending on client requirements. Striving to build long-term relationships with clients, ALV works to understand clients and businesses in depth, offering them unparalleled knowledge and insight to ensure that every case is as watertight as possible. This can only be achieved by a collaborative team of encouraged individuals, all working together in an environment where every member is valued. This collaboration and knowledge can help ALV deliver truly unmatched legal services, some of the finest for companies both domestic and foreign. Not only does this add unique value to the firm’s service, but it establishes strong links to companies across Brazil and further afield, cementing the firm as the immediate choice for legal advice when it is needed. For legal firms today, it is not only important to be well-versed and highly-skilled in law, but also the fundamentals of business. Since lawyers are often involved in key decisions of their clients, it has become mandatory to learn about the key concepts, such as accounting, economics, marketing, project management & business management. The lawyers at ALV have adopted this approach, providing not just top-quality legal advice, but sterling business advice too. Internally, the culture at ALV is nothing short of exceptional. Encouraging growth and collaboration, the team work together on challenging cases and complex problem-solving to provide outstanding results. When looking to hire new lawyers, the firm believe a solid education is key for success, and pay extra attention to academic achievements and background. Once integrated into the firm, the challenging environment enables staff to continue their development as professionals. Business relations among companies from different jurisdictions are no longer a privilege of big commercial conglomerates, as growth-
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stage and mid-sized corporate clients are demanding services in multiple jurisdictions. In order to provide for such demand, ALV is the Brazilian member of Warwick Legal Network (WLN), an international association of law firms founded in 2001, active in around 40 countries distributed within 4 continents, and specially dedicated to mid-market clients. WLN has also formed a strategic partnership with Asean Legal Alliance (ALA), reaching over 13 law firms across 20 cities in Asia. At the heart of ALV’s success is their ability to seamlessly and effortlessly combine expert legal advice with strategic business management and compliance matters. As the future will likely see a shift in the relationships between law firms and their clients, this Brazilian firm are well-prepared for the future having already established an exemplary culture of learning a clients’ business details in depth.
Contact: Guilherme Andrade Website: http://andradelacaz.com.br/
Credit Intel Debt Collectors of the Year 2019
Supporting clients around the world, Credit Intel is recognised as a polite and discreet debt collection service committed to reducing the hassle and stress from recovering monies owed. We profile the firm to find out more about how it came to be recognised in this year’s competitive AI Legal Awards.
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nternationally renowned, Credit Intel is a professional debt collection firm operating in South Africa with group companies under the name Knight Breier Associates based in the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Germany. Together these entities are able to offer a variety of services including the collection of outstanding debts internationally, both before and during legal stage, from and for individuals, business and governments. Any client working with Credit Intel enjoys a superior level of service. The firm’s dedicated staff possess a deep level of commitment towards helping clients with their needs. They treat everyone, including those that owe with dignity and respect.
With a unique internal culture based around creative entitlement and responsibility, Credit Intel is able to offer staff the opportunity to adapt and tailor their services to meet the individual needs of each specific client and debtor. The result is a flexible process that benefits everyone. Specifically, for clients, the firm is able to reduce bad debt, increase profitability, boost cash flow and improve the quality of their debtors book. With a plethora of new laws and regulations to contend with internationally, many debt collection firms are struggling in the current market, but Credit Intel’s simple yet effective approach has earned it renown from both its clients and industry peers over the years. Unique to the market, Credit Intel has established itself as a key player in the world’s debt collection space thanks to its use of psychological, behavioural and encouragement factors in collecting debts. This combined with a highly automated system based on algorithms, has given the company a clear advantage over its competitors. Overall, having achieved strong growth over the past two years, Credit Intel has exciting plans to enhance its current success moving forward. The firm’s strategy over the medium and long term is to continue to set the technological pace, add more services to its portfolio, together with expansion into international markets. All of these developments will be conducted alongside a focus on remaining compliant with the ever-evolving debt collection laws, ensuring that clients can rest assured that they are in safe hands when they work with Credit Intel.
Company: Credit Intel Telephone Number: +27764777288 Web Address: www.creditintel.co.za
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Company: Dr. K. Olsen Global Tax Lachmannsvei 6e 0495 Oslo, Norway Email: Knut.tax@gmail.com Phone: +47 994853745 Contact: Knut Olsen Website: knutolsen.com
Dr. K. Olsen Global Tax Recognised Leaders in Tax Consulting 2019/20 - Norway
Thanks to the expertise and unique background of its Founder and Namesake, Dr. K. Olsen Global Tax is able to offer its clients from around the world and across the corporate landscape the tax advice and support they need to succeed. We profile the firm to find out more about how far it has come over the years to win one of this year’s coveted AI Legal Awards.
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ased in Norway, Dr. K. Olsen Global Tax specialises in supporting international companies to ensure that they are compliant with all relevant legislation and pay the appropriate taxes in every region they operate in. Multi-award-winning and Chartered Global Tax Advisor Knut Olsen founded the firm based on his expertise in the global tax market, which has previously included supporting international household names such as H&M, BP, Telenor, Jotun and Sevan Marine. His knowledge of the tax and VAT markets spans more than 38 years. Today, Knut works with a wide range of revered brands and companies, including Ryanair, and many more. All of these clients rely on Knut to provide them with the global taxation expertise they need to remain constantly compliant in this fast-paced and ever-evolving space. To ensure his advice is constantly ahead of emerging market developments, Knut works hard to keep up-to-date with the latest taxation changes and immerse himself in the global taxation space. This benefits his clients and ensures that the services he offers are always cutting-edge and completely innovative.
“All of these clients rely on Knut to provide them with the global taxation expertise they need to remain constantly compliant in this fast-paced and ever-evolving space.” These services are wide ranging and include Transfer Pricing, global tax risk management and mitigation, tax management for hire, tax appeals and support on tax investigation, M&A support, and due diligence as well as internal investigation and tax review of subsidiaries. Each of these services is provided to the highest possible standard, with Knut working hard to make himself available whenever a client
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needs support so that they feel comfortable throughout the process. Alongside supporting clients, Knut also shares his knowledge and expertise with the wider global tax market by publishing articles in some of the world’s most revered and respected legal journals and magazines such as LexisNexis. As a result, he is able to contribute to the enhancement of the tax market’s knowledge. Ultimately, Dr. K. Olsen Global Tax’s client-focused approach, combined with its Founder’s extensive market expertise, has helped the company to flourish in the global tax space, and going forward Knut will continue to support some of the world’s largest businesses and provide them with the award-winning services they have come to rely on and trust.
Donnery & Co. Solicitors Best Immigration Law Firm 2019 - the Republic of Ireland
Established by Elizaveta Donnery, a Russian-speaking solicitor, Donnery & Co. Solicitors is an Irish law firm offering a range of legal services to clients both foreign and domestic. Following the firm’s win in Acquisition International’s Legal Awards 2019 as the best immigration law firm, we caught up with Elizaveta to learn more about the success of both her and her business.
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or legal firms today, being well-versed and equipped to deal with many areas of law is as important as being knowledgeable about them. At Donnery & Co., the firm bring both together. Working in the areas of immigration, commercial, property, contract, employment, family, and litigation law, this Irish law firm bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to deliver outstanding results for clients all over the world. Russian-speaking solicitor Elizaveta Donnery, founder and owner of Donnery & Co., is qualified to practice across Ireland, England, Wales and Russia, admitted on various solicitor rolls across the country. Also a Notary Public in the Republic of Ireland, Elizaveta began her legal journey working with one of the largest Irish corporate law firms before going on to start her own firm over nine years ago. As for how to cultivate a successful practice, Elizaveta sheds light on her approach to that.
“I think a key to a successful practice is to be able to develop an individual approach to each client and their needs. This is now especially prevalent with the legal sector and society in general facing massive challenges in immigration law and human rights issues.” Understanding that each client who works with her firm has totally unique needs and requires a different skill set, Elizaveta applies her extensive experience and knowledge on a daily basis when dealing with clients, especially within immigration law. Collaboration and sharing information is also vital in ensuring that no matter what case comes across the desk, the team at Donnery & Co. is ready and willing to help. Elizaveta shared her thoughts on strong professional relationships with us.
future. This is relevant in many areas, especially, immigration, family, litigation. However, this also makes our profession so challenging and difficult at times!” On top of her outstanding immigration work in helping families and individuals cultivate new lives for themselves, Donnery & Co. has also benefitted the Irish economy in many ways. Elizaveta’s law firm has proven to be a prominent figure in providing legal advice to foreign clients and investors from Russia and China amongst others, injecting valuable growth into the economy. This role is one that Elizaveta is keen to develop moving forward, with specific goals in mind.
“My strategy and goal is to work on developing further economic activity and business relationships between Ireland, UK, Russia and other countries. I aim to continue providing high quality legal advice to all clients who are interested in investing either funds or highly skilled workers into the Irish economy.” For Elizaveta and Donnery & Co., the work never stops and nor does the success. Having been responsible for changing lives for the better and injecting some financial growth into Ireland’s economy through foreign investment, this remarkable Russian-speaking solicitor and her firm are set to reach meteoric heights.
Contact: Elizaveta Donnery Website: http://www.dtsolicitors.ie/
“I always though good professional relationship with competitors and peers is a key to a successful practice. I have a corporate background and it helps in running my own practice now. It’s important to learn from each other, exchange experience and knowledge. I have a unique set of skills and qualifications and this makes my firm different from other ones.” Within the more specific field of immigration law, Donnery & Co. work with both private clients and large foreign investors who are interested in the various immigrant programs across Ireland. Elizaveta also understands that she plays a vital role in shaping a person’s future. She explains,
“The most rewarding aspect in our profession, in my view, is realization when the case is finished, this made a difference to someone's
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Company: Soteris Pittas & Co LLC Contact: Marios Pittas Website: www.pittaslegal.com
Soteris Pittas & Co LLC Best Commercial Law Firm - Cyprus
Boutique in size only, Soteris Pittas & Co LLC has the expertise and international reach to be able to offer its clients the service and support they need to ensure the smooth running of their business. We profile the firm to find out more about how it came to win in this year’s competitive AI Legal Awards.
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ocusing on the areas of law related to business activity Soteris Pittas & Co is dedicated to providing its clients with outstanding, highly personalized, legal representation.
As part of this focus, the dedicated lawyers and associates of the firm their combined skills-set and knowledge can provide comprehensive legal solutions according to the clients’ particular business needs, requirements and objectives. This expert team is committed to representing clients at all stages of disputes, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation, in order to secure just compensation and legal vindication. To ensure it can offer a full service, Soteris Pittas & Co boasts a petite, but very experienced team in the M &A department. This expert team can provide due diligence reports, issue legal opinions, review and draft various corporate documents depending on the deal in question i.e., shareholders agreements, memorandum and articles, investment agreements, pledges, escrow agreements, SPAs etc.,
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The firm also has wide experience in complex transactions including escrow, both with the monetary and documentary elements. With close links and strong associations with reputable audit firms, private equity managers, and fiduciaries in Cyprus, Russia and the former CIS countries, Soteris Pittas & Co can collaborate with its industry peers to offer clients international support and the service they need in today’s global corporate market. Seeking to build upon its success, moving forward Soteris Pittas & Co will continue to work hard to provide them with top quality legal representation alongside the personal touch characteristic of a boutique law firm.
Contact: Paulo Marques Company: AAMM - Abecasis, Moura Marques & Associados Address: Praca Duque de Saldanha 1, Atrium Saldanha, 8 E Telephone: +351 211 940 538 Web Address: www.aamm.pt
AAMM - Abecasis, Moura Marques & Associados Best Public Law Firm 2019 - Portugal
Abecasis, Moura Marques & Associados (AAMM) provides legal advice and representation in Portugal, as well as supporting clients in international markets where they operate. Recently, we caught up with AAMM’s Founding Partner, Paulo Marques who provided us with further insight into one of the best public law firms in Portugal for 2019.
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stablished in 2012, AAMM acts in several fields of law, with a special interest in public law, public litigation, arbitration and public procurement. These are the firm’s key fields of expertise, and ones in which they are best known as experts in those areas in the Portuguese markets. Today, many of the clients the firm works alongside come from a vast range of industries, which includes life sciences, tourism, construction, aviation, water – even government and local government bodies. Whilst on the topic of clients, Paulo begins by informing us about the team’s approach to working alongside clients, and how they ensure that they not only meet the requirements that have been set, but also exceed their expectations.
“At AAMM, we have a strong belief in the need to deeply understand the clients’ business environment and industry, as a tool to be able to fully comprehend the relevant approaches to their needs and obtain the best possible results. That implies listening to clients’ thoughts, tailoring the legal means to their goals to be achieved through our intervention. We usually sum this idea as the need to ‘know the client’.” From the beginning, the team at AAMM have believed that having a strong legal background is a vital quality for the success of any lawyer, enabling them to learn more throughout their career, whilst using their initiative to develop new strategies and explore all opportunities provided by the law. At AAMM, the firm are fortunate to be supported by a plethora of experienced, innovative and hard-working individuals who work tirelessly to help reach the practice’s goal, as Paulo explains. “It is no secret that we have been consistently attracting some of the most brilliant young lawyers who are fresh out of university. In addition to this, we are also advocates of the concept a lawyer takes many years in the making, and therefore we tend to develop lawyers that start their career with us to in order for them to be able to climb the ranks inside the office.”
to achieving results, which transpire into their daily work. Bringing the interview to a close, Paulo signs off by revealing what the future has in store for the firm, touching on their plans to increase their presence within the market in the years to come.
“Looking ahead to what the future holds, we hope to expand in the domestic market, as well as increase our position in the international markets, focusing in particularly on Portuguese-speaking countries. Ultimately, working within this industry is rewarding, especially when you have that sense of achievement when a solution you have proposed leads to the results envisaged by the client. A feeling we hope to continue achieving going forward.”
“At AAMM, we have a strong belief in the need to deeply understand the clients’ business environment and industry, as a tool to be able to fully comprehend the relevant approaches to their needs and obtain the best possible results. That implies listening to clients’ thoughts, tailoring the legal means to their goals to be achieved through our intervention.
Fundamentally, the AAMM team strongly believe that part of their advantage in the industry is due to two key factors. The first being their fighting spirit in court, which is recognised by their track record of wins, and the second factor is that the team will go the extra mile for clients, not being afraid to create and try innovative approaches. Although AAMM is a fairly young law firm, the team are truly devoted
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 29
Contact: Sam Crozier Company: Lease planners Address: Manor House, 6-10 St Margaret's Green, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 4EQ Telephone: 0203 6370150 Web Address: www.leaseplanners.co.uk
Lease planners: Best Lease Planning Specialists - South East England
With offices in Suffolk and Central London, Lease planners are able to service much of the South-East, whilst also covering locations further afield for large-scale projects. We caught up with Managing Director, Sam Crozier who provided us with a glimpse into the best lease planning specialists in South East England.
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aunched in 2010, Lease planners started with a clear objective to deliver first-class service in the production of Land Registry compliant plans for the property industry. Today, some of Leaseplanners’ key services include, among many, Land Registry Compliant Lease Plans and Title Plans. These two areas in particular have to be produced in strict accordance with the Land Registry guidelines. More than anything, Lease planners has a strong infrastructure, which enables the firm to offer their clients a fast turnaround which is, often, critical and served to distinguish it in a highly competitive environment. Going into further detail about the services the team provides, Sam begins by informing us of the ways in which Leaseplanners ensure they deliver an exceptional service which surpasses their clients’ expectations.
“Good client service is the pillar of the company and is perhaps what sets us aside from the competitors. All orders are handled by a team specialist with years of experience in the industry, and we always ensure that we fully understand the spec of the projects and the final requirements. In addition to this, our understanding of the process means that we can also advise our clients and explain the procedure, which is crucial for people that may not have required Land Registry Lease plans or Title plans in the past.”
Aiming to make the process for clients as simple and as stress-free as possible, the team work tirelessly to ensure that they complete the work efficiently and within the deadline. Enabling the firm to do this, is the passionate, committed and experienced team which forms the backbone of Lease planners. When discussing the internal culture, Sam is keen to highlight the significant role the team plays in the overall success of the firm.
“At Lease planners, we are fortunate to have a team of in-house floorplan surveyors who visit sites across the South-East every day, we have in-house CAD operators, account handlers and administrators. This allows us to offer our customers a friendly, efficient and accurate service.” Working predominately in the conveyancing and property industries, Lease planners have established a strong client base in the area over the years. Although the slowdown in the London property market has affected numerous companies throughout the last two years, it is essential for firms like Lease planners adapt to these changes, as Sam explains.
“To date, we have found that, whilst the volume of property sales has dipped, many individuals have instead looked to develop and extend their own properties, which has opened up an additional market for us. Also, new build developments are fairly strong, and so for companies like ours it is important that we reach out to the house building sectors.” Fundamentally, the main aim for Lease planners going forward is to continue developing and growing the company in the years to come. Envisioning what the future has in store, Sam signs off by revealing the exciting plans which lie in the pipeline for Lease planners, touching on the steps the team will take to ensure that they reach their main goals going forward.
“Looking ahead, we hope to expand into new areas of the country, developing new services and integrating advanced technologies that enable us to make our service even more efficient. In the Spring of 2020, we will be starting our largest project ever, for one of the UKs top house builders.”
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Oct19167
Röhrborn LLP Best Boutique Law Firm 2019 - Germany
Röhrborn LLP is a boutique law firm for corporate, M&A, venture capital and private equity. We caught up with Dr. Raoul Müller who revealed the secrets behind their enduring success.
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stablished in 2012, Röhrborn LLP is a boutique law firm focusing on corporate transactions - predominantly M&A and financings, representing entrepreneurs, start-ups, growth companies, and Investors. With a deep understanding of both sides of the table, Röhrborn LLP are able to offer their clients a truly expert legal team. When asking their clients, what comes to mind when they speak about the firm, is entrepreneurialism, pragmatism, responsiveness, huge contact network combined with in-depth legal expertise. In addition to this, the firm also assists their clients with straight acquisitions, strategic investments, equity financing rounds, bridge financing, venture debt, asset deals, build-ups and trade sales. Going into further detail, Dr. Raoul Müller begins by informing us of how the firm is able to provide their clients with an exceptional service every time, especially one that not only meets their requirements but also exceed their expectations.
“Through our extensive knowledge, strategic business and focused legal approach, creative and out-of-the-box solution orientated thinking and broad network, we position ourselves as more than just an outsourced legal department. Additionally, we add that extra advantage and unique value to our clients by taking most of the workload and letting our clients focus on what they do best: their daily business.” As a boutique, award-winning law firm, Röhrborn LLP very rarely encounters internal challenges, compared with major law practices
who often struggle with a plethora of issues, from differing strategic views, client conflicts, internal friction due to excessive administrative requirements, as well as hierarchical thinking. The internal culture at Röhrborn LLP is extremely close, with the firm working tirelessly to ensure that they strengthen their team spirit. When discussing the internal culture, Dr. Müller is keen to highlight the significant role the team plays in the firm’s overall success, as well as how they attract the very best talent to the practice. “Here at Röhrborn LLP, each one of our lawyers is willing and incentivized to dedicate a substantial part of their lives to let the firm prosper. Prior to joining the practice, each lawyer had worked for top ranked and internationally recognized law firms or corporates, and in addition, over the years each of our lawyers has built up a large network. At Röhrborn LLP, we only hire employees with whom we have already worked successfully - be it on the same side or on the opposite side.” Ultimately, the future looks bright for the team at Röhrborn LLP as they continue to further cement themselves as key players within this competitive industry. Bringing the interview to a close, Dr. Müller signs off what the future looks for the firm, touching on how they hope to further expand their business, presence and the services they provide in the years to come. “Going forward, other than legal advice, we are eager to offer our clients a variety of project management solutions. From managing the process of buying non-German based targets to gaining required regulatory permits or even to turn around struggling start-ups, we are planning to become a trusted partner for start-ups for all their demands they cannot cover inhouse.”
Contact: Dr. Raoul Müller, LL.M. Address: HQ: Destouchesstraße 4, 80803 München Reinhardtstr. 47, 10117 Berlin Telephone: +49 89 809 902 900 Web Address: www.roehrborn.com
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 31
Oct19183
PMAB Platter Ausserer Bauer & Partner
Best Civil & Administrative Law Firm - Italy Drawing on more than thirty-five years’ experience working in the legal arenas of Northern Italy, PMAB Platter Ausserer Bauer & Partner is a boutique law firm providing high-quality legal services with integrity, professionalism and respect. Owing their hard-won success to excellence both in and out of the courtroom, discover how this bestin-class law firm have become one of Italy’s best for civil and administrative law.
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ounded in 1983, PMAB has a rich history of helping both corporations and private clients with their legal needs across a myriad of areas, from Civil and Administrative Litigation, to Arbitration and Business Transactions. Based in the Bolzano region of Northern Italy, the firm is also made unique by the lawyers that make up the team. Speaking to a person in their native tongue is a sure-fire way to maximise relaxation from an early point in what can be a lengthy, arduous and uncomfortable process for some. With that in mind, the team of lawyers working at PMAB are all bilingual and able to convey all of the firm’s services in both Italian and German, with every staff member also fluent in English. Some lawyers with the firm can also speak fluently in French and Spanish, to ensure that almost any client from Central Europe who requires their services will be able to connect with a lawyer that speaks their language, whether they are a private citizen, or municipality.
and criminal law, amongst others, and the clients are just as varied. Recognising that no two cases are the same, the flexibility on show at PMAB to deal with cases of all sorts is key to their ongoing success. Every case has its own peculiarities and pitfalls, requiring different areas of expertise which the lawyers can bring. Should the team have to deal with accidents or injury, lawyers may have to work alongside doctors and medical professionals. However, for construction-related cases, lawyers find themselves having to collaborate with engineers and architects to gain more insider knowledge. Lack of variety will not stand in the way of this firm and their pursuit of justice. In spite of the general difficulties that the Italian economy has faced in the last decade, the legal sector has demonstrably proved its resilience and ability to withstand adverse business conditions. For legal firms such as PMAB operating in the Bolzano region, the area continues to be a magnet for increasing investment, given its position as the perfect interface between German and Italian-speaking businesses.
Crucially, the team at PMAB know that the best way to resolve cases is not necessarily always through a court of law. Where possible and appropriate, the firm will work to try and find alternative solutions such as out-of-court settlements that the client has agreed to. Determined to be reachable at every hour of the day and night, these lawyers know that life doesn’t start and stop at 9am and 5pm respectively. Life goes on, and so the team at the firm try to provide their clients with the best possible advice as quickly as possible.
Perhaps the most perfect metaphor for this Italian legal firm is that they are in fact akin to doctors in a legal sense. Clients come with an issue; something that is affecting their daily life in a negative way, and they want it resolved. PMAB then do everything in their power to guarantee the relief of the client, be it through out-of-court settlements, or courtroom-based wins. Bilingually brilliant, this firm are crossing borders to deliver the best possible results for all their clients.
Having been named as Italy’s Best Civil & Administrative Law Firm in Acquisition International’s Legal Awards, the firm’s greatest successes come in the areas of civil and administrative law. The broad range of areas include civil and administrative litigation, arbitration, tenders, corporate counsel, banking, business transactions, labour,
Company: PMAB Platter Ausserer Bauer & Partner Partners: P. Platter, A. Ausserer, A. Bauer, K. Platter, A. Colorio, G. Raffl, A. Baumgartner Contact: Peter Platter (info@pmab.it) Website: https://pmab.it/index.php/en/
32 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
Company: Rosenbaum IP, P.C. Contact: David G. Rosenbaum Website: http://www.rosenbaumip.com/
Rosenbaum IP, P.C. Best IP Law Practice - Illinois
For more than thirty years, the Midwestern state of Illinois has been home to a truly outstanding example of IP law done right; Rosenbaum IP. Founded by David G. Rosenbaum, the firm has experienced great success in the decades since its formation. Now crowned Illinois’s Best IP Law Practice in Acquisition International’s Legal Awards, we profile the firm to learn more about their practice.
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stablished in 1988, Rosenbaum IP has been devoted to supporting their clients’ needs for intellectual property asset development, commercialisation, and enforcement when necessary. Expertly marrying together professional and technical skills, with sound business principles and extensive experience, the team work tirelessly to maintain an exemplary level of client service and work quality. In the last sixteen years of the practice’s existence, clients have been able to achieved upwards of $1.7 billion dollars in market value through financing rounds, M&A, licensing, or litigation awards. With clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations, Rosenbaum IP’s work stretches to both ends of the size spectrum, but never compromises on quality. Operating with a client-first culture, the firm’s philosophy reflects that of founder David in two key ways. Firstly, that every single activity undertaken is done with a clientcentric focus and serves their best interests. Secondly, David strives to make sure that he is consistently available to clients and attorneys, but also the firm staff, supporting them in accomplishing their goals to better serve the client. That way, everybody wins. Rosenbaum IP’s overarching philosophy is to establish and maintain coherence between outcomes required by the clients’ objectives and the intellectual property strategy. This all-encompassing philosophy requires clear understanding on the client’s needed outcomes, as well as any constraints that may prohibit the team obtaining those outcomes. For David and his team, building trust is the most important aspect of achieving this. Client relationships are at the centre of everything the firm does, so fostering them through constant transparency and honest communication is key. Delivering on big-firm expertise, experience and capability, Rosenbaum IP’s work includes intellectual rights procurement, product development, handling transactions, and strategic litigation amongst many other areas. As well as IP rights filing and acquisitions, the team of staff also counsel their clients on complex intellectual property matters, brand development, and global protection. From there, supervising due diligence, positioning reviews for licensing, and strategic product development are all aimed at building and enhancing the value of a client’s intellectual property estates. The team, spearheaded by David on a daily basis, is made up of big thinkers who are keen to see new products develop and help serve society. Staff develop and enhance intellectual property asset value by architecting portfolios aligned with the clients required business
“... clients of Rosenbaum IP can rest assured that David and his team will remain at the forefront of any industry changes to keep delivering best-in-class services across the whole of Illinois.” outcomes. Coupling together their big-firm experience and expertise with their small working environment, the firm are able to also serve technology companies who are at an earlier stage, as well as more established companies. Growing with the client and helping them scale their product and revenues is just another way that Rosenbaum IP deliver on their client-focused mission. Having secured constant success since the firm’s establishment in 1988, working hard through times of change is no stranger to David and the team at Rosenbaum IP. The intellectual property field is undergoing something of an evolution at the moment, with technology continuing to permeate all manner of human endeavours. IP is becoming an increasingly crucial aspects of business, as well as social, economic, and governmental arenas. Artificial intelligence will almost inevitably become a part of IP analytics, and clients of Rosenbaum IP can rest assured that David and his team will remain at the forefront of any industry changes to keep delivering best-inclass services across the whole of Illinois. For over three decades, David and his team have operating with a clear mission that is plain and simple; work with clients to develop cutting-edge technologies. Playing a pivotal role in shaping some of the technologies at use in the world today, Rosenbaum IP have refined and honed their legal craft to near perfection, aiding all manner of clients in getting their game-changing products into a society where they can make a difference. Company: Rosenbaum IP, P.C. Contact: David G. Rosenbaum Website: http://www.rosenbaumip.com/
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 33
Sep19380
Legal Shelf: Best Legal Document Security & Encryption Company 2019 Best Legal Document Security & Encryption Company 2019 Legal Shelf is a unique technological platform which combines service and innovation. Recently, we profiled the firm and caught up with Rafael Sámano Palacios who revealed more about the award-winning services the team provides that enable them to be one of the very best legal document security and encryption companies in 2019.
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ince its inception, Legal Shelf has been providing its customers with safe and secure access to their critical information. Every library is designed and implemented as per the specific needs of the client, while standardizing searches and queue.
“Our commitment to providing innovative solutions and service relies on these two main pillars. The team works through a horizontal, collaborative and functional basis where our resources interact and support each other to achieve clear and measurable objectives.”
Design, construction and development is combined with service and support, while the user´s safeguards allows for variable access to the library´s shelfs and organizational roots. In addition, mobility permits connectivity from virtually everywhere, as the machine learning features enhance the efficiency of the platform by introducing alert systems and document association. Rafael begins by going into further detail about the company, informing us of the ways in which the team ensures that they are delivering the best possible service to their clients.
Over the years, the firm’s leadership main role has been to ensure that the system that we offer performs, while retrofitting itself through the experiences generated by each process. As such, both guidance and team feedback are fundamental in the design of each library, since it lays the underpinnings for the success of the project. Adherence to their main values provides a work environment which fosters unity, mutual support and balanced loads, while upholding their main cultural drivers: equality, inclusion, respect and communication.
“At Legal Shelf, we strive to bridge the gap between technology and delivery. When we designed the solution, we identified a very relevant area of opportunity, as many IT options either provided a standardized software unfriendly or unadjusted to the client needs, or a service which required a costly external support operation. Our solution enjoins both elements through a simple, yet powerful, flexible and simple platform that cost-effectively delivers, without excess noise. It is the best of both worlds in just one stop.” At the core of Legal Shelf is creativity and teamwork, two key factors which play a large part in the success of the business, as Rafael Sámano Palacios notes.
Looking ahead, the team at Legal Shelf have a number of ideas to enhance their main product´s performance and are also working on the architecture of a couple new ones. The legal services industry is not, as many predict, on the verge of extinction, but rather experiencing a transformational process. And as in any transformation, new opportunities will emerge for the bold and the brave. Bringing the interview to a close, Rafael signs off by revealing what the future holds for the company, touching on one project in particular that the team is currently working on.
“Moving forward, we are targeting several new products, and one in particular that we expect to introduce to the market in early 2020, which will provide clients transparency, updated data and control over internal and external assets to improve organization, control and deployment. This is something which we are currently working on. Ultimately, we look forward to the future with enthusiasm, hope and social responsibility.” Company: Legal Shelf Address: Insurgentes Sur 1425, 8th floor, Insurgentes Mixcoac, Mexico City, Mexico 03920. Telephone: (+52.55) 78229593 Web Address: www.legalshelf.mx
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Oct19192
Utumi Advogados: Best for Tax Litigation - São Paulo
Drawing on more than twenty-five years of experience working with some of Brazil’s leading consultancies and law firms, former tax clerk Ana Claudia Akie Utumi founded the company Utumi Advogados. This boutique law firm has since grown to become one of the best in Sao Paulo for tax litigation, area which is headed by partner Camila Abrunhosa Tapias, so we profiled the firm to learn more, following their inclusion in AI’s Legal Awards 2019.
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ffering outstanding levels of excellence and creativity within tax consulting and litigation, Utumi Advogados’ success is measured by the growth and success of their clients. Having worked alongside some of the biggest national and multi-national companies in Brazil and beyond, this firm’s expertise stretches globally to encompass a vast wealth of knowledge that clients are encouraged to tap into.
“When it comes to offering their services to clients, the lawyers at Utumi Advogados view each case from all angles, taking a 360-degree approach. Analysing every single legal aspect and economic issue of each case, the team offer a personalised service to every client that comes through the door.”
For businesses today, navigating the murky waters of tax litigation and legislation can prove to be difficult. For those who are struggling, or have made a tax mistake along the way, Utumi Advogados are on hand to help with what comes next. The firm prides itself on advising on corporate and personal tax matters, preparing opinions, providing technical advice in discussions with authorities, as well as advising on litigation across both the judicial and administrative levels.
Not content to offer a one-size-fits-all solution, Utumi Advogados understands that every business’ tax requirements are totally unique, and therefore requires a totally different skillset or solution. The team’s vast legal and financial knowledge, along with a plethora of diverse academic experiences, combine to offer clients a professional services in which various analytical approaches can reveal the best path for each situation.
Utumi Advogados is the brainchild of former tax clerk Ana Utumi, who founded the firm after gaining more than twenty-five years’ experience working in the sector, seventeen of which were as area head for one of Brazil’s biggest full-service office-based firms. Tax has always run deep in Ana’s blood, since graduating from the university in Sao Paulo with a Law degree in 1994, right through to gaining her PhD in Tax Law in 2006.
When it comes to offering their services to clients, the lawyers at Utumi Advogados view each case from all angles, taking a 360-degree approach. Analysing every single legal aspect and economic issue of each case, the team offer a personalised service to every client that comes through the door.
Ana herself continues to spearhead the firm, getting stuck in to the work and specialising within certain areas of taxation law and litigation. Today, Ana’s passion is still as strong as it was when she started. She still acts in the areas of consulting and tax litigations, advising all manner of clients from family-run businesses to multinational companies on the complexities of Brazilian and international tax law. Alongside her, leading the firm’s litigation tax practice, is partner Camila Tapias, who has almost 20 years of experience in the area. The team of lawyers at Utumi Advogados is a cornucopia of extensive legal experience across some of the largest offices and national companies within South America. Each member of the team is well-versed in tax law and how to navigate it. Offering unmatched legal advice, the team are highly-qualified and able to deal with even the most the difficult and diverse tax and business matters, no matter the economic sector.
That service includes researching previous cases where case law may be effective, current legislation that will be used in the courtroom, and potential trends within the taxation law arena that can be leveraged for an advantage. The result is a meticulouslyprepared and watertight case which Utumi will work hard to see through to a satisfying conclusion. Utumi Advogados’ success is down to the culmination of all its moving parts. Everything works together seamlessly, from the academic and knowledgeable insight afforded by the lawyers, to the sage guidance of Ana’s leadership and network connections. Delivering meticulously researched and outstandingly-won cases in all areas of tax, this Brazilian boutique firm is one to have on your side.
Company: Utumi Advogados Contact: Ana Cláudia Akie Utumi and Camila Abrunhosa Tapias Website: www.utumilaw.com
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 35
Best Labour Law Firm – Bolivia & Award for Excellence to Legal Professional Development Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados strives to redefine the role that a firm plays in an emerging international market, in order to produce truly exceptional results for their clients. With countless accolades under their belt, we discovered more about the award-winning firm when we caught up with Benjamin Reinicke Ostria who revealed the secrets behind the company’s remarkable success.
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ounded in 2000, Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados was formed with the initial aim of providing legal excellence by offering high levels of quality and efficiency in each and every one of the legal issues they address. Today, the firm’s main priority is to establish and maintain long-term relationships with clients that are based on reciprocity, trust and the highest standards of professional ethics, as Benjamin begins to explains.
“Through the adoption of new models for the provision of legal services, we strive to redefine the role that a firm plays in an emerging international market, in order to produce truly exceptional results for our clients. The focus of our practice is to develop, as soon as possible, a solid strategy and understanding of the circumstances of each of our clients. Since our inception, we have built a reputation for being aggressive and creative on behalf of our diverse clients across the board.” Helping to maintain the firm’s reputation, whilst working hard to expand the business and the services they provide, is the experienced, dynamic and committed team employed at Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados. When discussing the internal culture, Benjamin is keen to highlight the significant role the team plays in the overall success of the firm, touching on how they have created an environment that is based on team work, diversity and inclusion.
“Here at Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados, we allow each member to have their voices heard. Alongside this, teams within a certain case, or of a certain client, are also encouraged to innovate and make cases their own, as long as they offer a compelling, fact and legal-driven case. Leaders at all levels strive to be inclusive and hide nothing from their teams.” Additionally, we focus on the best fit for both talent and clients, as well as encourage our lawyers to flourish through unique perks such as 50% tuition assistance for master degrees and executive education programs, monthly dinners, and ‘LawTalks’ from experts, both from the firm and external to it. Finally, our culture fosters a feeling that everyone is approachable and on the same side. This allows fresh new ideas to percolate through the organization, invigorating old values to be more adaptive.” As for what the future holds, one of Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados’ next goal is already underway, which is to double the size of their Santa Cruz’s office. To date, the firm have already acquired new office grounds in a brand-new building, which is under development and will be complete by June 2020. Envision what the next few years hold for the firm, Benjamin signs off by revealing what plans the team at Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados have in the pipeline going forward.
“By 2021, we would like to open a branch office either in Chile or Panama, we are still finishing the due diligence to determine which country. On a side note, one of our partners has just finished an executive education course at INCAE Business School and won a competition in which INCAE professionals will come to our Cochabamba’s office as consultants and will create a case study, based on our firm, for future INCAE law courses.”
Contact: Benjamin Reinicke Ostria Company: Reinicke Ostria - Estudio de Abogados Address: Av. Uyuni, esq. Pasaje Misael Saracho, Edif. Reinicke, Planta Baja, Cochabamba - Bolivia Telephone: (591) 60730051 Web Address: www.reinickeostria.com
36 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
Oct19144
Citizen Lane LLC Best Citizenship & Residence Planning Specialists - Central Europe Travelling is one of life’s great joys, and to be able to do it freely can be an extremely liberating experience. As such, citizenship and residence planning has become increasingly commonplace amongst wealthy individuals and families. Citizen Lane are a European firm dedicated to helping high-net-worth individuals or families find the perfect citizenship or residence for them.
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oney can buy a lot of things, but it can’t necessarily buy a guarantee that making any decision is the right one. That is why it is so important for wealthy individuals and families to enlist the services of Citizen Lane. A personal and competent partner for Residence and Citizenship by Investment, the firm are on hand to help clients through comprehensive support for the selection of the correct programme. With maximum discretion and focused attention around the clock, this firm are available to help find the best tailored solution for each client. An increasing topic of interest for wealthy individuals, more interested parties are beginning to take notice of the benefits to citizenship and residence planning for the future. From varying nations across the world are sitting up and taking notice of the advantages that come from a residential permit to reside in another country, or dual citizenship. Citizen Lane can help wealthy investors get their hands on those advantages. Operating as a member of the Investment Migration Council, Citizen Lane is a trusted name within the fields of Residence and Citizenship by Investment. Eager to meet with clients personally and understand their unique needs, the team know that these decisions are not to be taken lightly. There is a high chance that this choice will have a dramatic impact on any individual or family life, and is usually a one-time decision. As such, the team at Citizen Lane take their role incredibly seriously and strive for nothing less than perfect solutions. More than just striving for perfection within their own jurisdictions, the experienced and determined team at Citizen Lane recognise that the best solution may well exist outside their ability. Always putting the client first, the team will humbly scout or refer to experienced immigration lawyers who work in the chosen area. Not content to deliver a solution that doesn’t work best for the client for their own sake, Citizen Lane know that their continued success is entirely dependent on the happiness of the client at the end of the process. So why consider an alternative citizenship with Citizen Lane? Well, it can help guarantee safer travel. Travelling as a citizen of a small, politically-unaffiliated country can maximise anonymity and increase security. It also means that no visa is required, reducing those cumbersome complications at airports. Alongside various tax benefits, safety from hostile homelands, and smooth transitions between citizenships, these advantages are extremely helpful. When it comes to securing a Citizenship by Investment, Citizen Lane currently operate with small and politically-stable countries that have no
“Regardless of homeland or region, Citizen Lane’s Residence by Investment programs offer investors a variety of solutions. Firstly, clients can experience greater security and peace of mind during times of political and economic turmoil...” major affiliations, such as Cyprus, Malta, Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis, and Vanuatu. However, for those potentially looking for something a bit more permanent, Residence by Investment packages are also available, again with a certain degree of advantageousness to it for those wealthy enough to afford it. Regardless of homeland or region, Citizen Lane’s Residence by Investment programs offer investors a variety of solutions. Firstly, clients can experience greater security and peace of mind during times of political and economic turmoil. Brexit, as an example, would perhaps drive wealthy individuals and their families to seek independence and freedom in another country during what is sure to be a rocky period for the British economy. Placing enormous value on caring for clients at all stages of the investment process, Citizen Lane stand out as more than just a company. Knowing that gaining a new citizenship or residence permit can radically change lives, the team handle each case with grace, dignity and poise to ensure that wealthy individuals and families feel truly cared for and looked after.
Company: Citizen Lane LLC Contact: Till Neumann Website: http://citizenlane.ch/
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 37
Sep19443
Grabar Law Office Commercial Litigation Expert of the Year 2019 - Pennsylvania Grabar Law Office is a well-established Philadelphia-based law firm with a national practice dedicated to providing its clients with exceptional advocacy. With numerous accolades to its name, we caught up with the firm’s Principal, Joshua H. Grabar, who showcased the innerworkings of this commercial litigation practice and how the firm drives success in this notoriously challenging field.
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ince its inception, Grabar Law Office has commanded a welldeserved reputation of excellence in consistently delivering smart, sensible and cost-effective legal and business solutions for its clients. Today, the firm strives to form deep and lasting relationships with its clients, offering them creative, client focused flexible solutions and revenue increasing value. The boutique law firm focuses on fully understanding its clients and how-to best service their legal needs and achieve their goals. From the beginning, the team at Grabar Law Office has consistently engaged in creative processes, both within the firm, amongst its peers, and most importantly with its clients to encourage a free flow of ideas and creativity in an effort to best achieve its clients’ goals. Leading the firm is the Grabar Law Office’s Principal, Joshua H. Grabar, who has accumulated extensive experience as counsel in complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts throughout the nation over the last two decades. Mr. Grabar and his firm have gained experience, industry distinction and winning results concentrating and emphasising in both individual and class action litigation under state and federal antitrust laws, federal securities laws, and also state consumer protection laws.
Throughout the years, Grabar Law Office has been recognised on numerous occasions for the outstanding, personalised services they have consistently delivered to their diverse client base. Selected repeatedly by his peers as a Philadelphia Super Lawyer, Acquisition International’s Legal Awards 2019 recognition of Mr. Grabar as the Commercial Litigation Expert of the Year 2019 – Pennsylvania, is yet another feather to add to his cap of growing industry accolades.
“It is an honor to receive this award. Ultimately, our reputation and history of success speaks for itself and drives lasting client relationships.” Looking ahead to what the future holds for the firm, the team at Grabar Law Office hope to have continued growth in the years to come. As they expand their business, their presence and the services they offer, the Grabar Law Office team will continue to serve its clients and community, working tirelessly to provide value added services and creative legal solutions for its clients.
“It is an honor to receive this award. Ultimately, our reputation and history of success speaks for itself and drives lasting client relationships.”
38 Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards
Contact: Joshua H Grabar Company: Grabar Law Office Address: BNY Mellon Center, 1735 Market Street, Suite 3750, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: 267 507 6085 Web Address: www.grabarlaw.com
Sep19448
Best Legal Technology Consultancy - the Netherlands Only going into business two years ago, the founding team at L-IME have gone from strength to strength within the legal technology business. Entering a new field of expertise can be daunting, but a formidable force indeed has grown from those humble beginnings.
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n an ever-changing world, where technology continues to grow in power and ubiquity, it’s difficult to view it as a fad that will just ‘go away’. This might have been the case for the Netherland’s law firms, were it not for the efforts of Eva Peeters and Marjan Hermkes. Sharing the same core values of independence, honesty, integrity, professionalism and enthusiasm, they both make up the driving force behind L-IME. L-IME, in turn, helps law firms of all sizes to move into a new and exciting world of technology. Ultimately, it’s not an easy landscape to break onto. In their experience, lawyers tend towards a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude, especially when it comes to innovation in their business. That being said, movement towards the digital, especially following the financial crisis, has begun. L-IME specialises in using the optimisation of internal services to instead act as a first step into the world of legal technology. A major advantage that L-IME has is a lack of affiliation to any one vendor of technological solutions. What they offer is not based on fulfilling some quota, but on what best suits their client at that time. This fiercely kept independence is exemplified by the creation of a vendor comparison site (www.it-kieswijzer.nl) to show good, honest comparisons between the different options available to their clients.
Another advantage that Eva and Marjan bring is a considerable amount of experience from both the technical side and the legal perspective. Understanding the mentality of a law firm from years of experience, means that solutions are focused on satisfying the enduser. This ‘inside-out’ approach means that any changes consulted upon are not met with resistance and fought but welcomed and accepted as part of a process. Both Eva and Marjan act not only as a project manager for the change of system, but also as a manager of the internal change. This ensures that the processes put in place are able to satisfy any potential concerns on the part of company and employees, which leads to encourage further investigation into the world of legal technology. This is shown most successfully by the positive reception from their first few clients who kick-started the business. This spawned positive reception from other companies and a willingness to learn and explore what technology had to offer an industry that traditionally would not be willing to examine such options. So, what’s next for the world of L-IME? In the future, there are exciting plans for expansion beyond the worlds of legal companies. Already an accountancy firm has joined a formidable list of clients, with notary offices being interested in the work that L-IME offer too. It’s an exciting development which Eva and Marjan are already consider the results of. Currently, the company is small – with just Eva and Marjan - but there is consideration being given to establishing a resource pool of high-level trainers if the workload becomes too heavy. The aim would be the same for both – the introduction of innovating legal technology that perfectly matches their needs – and facilitated by the third. L-IME is a fast-growing company, with enormous potential to grow even more as time goes on. With an attention to detail in their bespoke services, L-IME looks set to continue trail-blaze for its clients. With L-IME, Eva and Marjan wanted to challenge the status quo with two women in a male dominated area being refreshingly honest about IT and innovation. Sharing the same ambition and the same goals makes for an exciting mix, one that has made for success. Contact: Eva Peeters Company: L-IME Telephone: 0031 6 44 99 53 27 Website: https://www.l-ime.nl/
Acquisition International - 2019 Legal Awards 39
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