‘I believe it is relevant for Spain and its economy to have strong law firms whose decision-centres are based in the country.’ Fernando Vives, Garrigues
As part of our annual Euro Elite report, management at independent firms in Europe give their views on market challenges, talent management and technology
No fear
‘The way that I look at it, from the perspective of an independent firm, is that we are much more comfortable than 15-20 years ago about the role of the global law firms vis a vis the national champions, if you will. At that time, there was a fear because nobody really knew what was happening exactly. That they were going to take over the market. That fear has not manifested itself at all because we’ve seen over the years that there’s certainly a role to play for global firms in our market but the top tier firms in the Dutch market have really thrived.’
Hans Witteveen, managing partner – Amsterdam, Stibbe
Put to the test
‘Many companies are driving forward the digitalisation of their processes. Others are reorganising their supply chains. And the structure and organisation of companies is being put to the test. We also expect that in 2022 activist shareholders will push for a streamlining of the corporate structures and operations of listed companies and conglomerates.’
Alexander Ritvay, co-managing partner, Noerr
Robust health
‘The main drivers of activity are corporate transformations (in the form of acquisitions, divestments, capital market activity and ICT investments) and infrastructure and energy sector investments…we have already seen an issue in the mid-tier firms facing challenges in dealing with the increasingly complex business environment during the past two years. In general, though, the Finnish legal market is robust.’
Mikko Manner, managing partner, Roschier
Gender imbalance
‘We have roughly reached parity in the partnership as far as dispute resolution, regulation, tax and employment are concerned. We are very proud of that. We unfortunately struggle in the transactional practices. The result is a female partner ratio of about 25% across the board. I personally believe firms, including ours, may need to consider more affirmative action, such as temporary quotas for promotion and lateral hires in some areas (eg M&A), but this view is not necessarily shared by the partners (including within our large group of female partners). To be fair, I would not put all the blame on firms. I would say the issue around women partners in the M&A and finance practices in law firms is related to the larger issue of women in finance generally. The Spanish society as a whole may need to evolve a bit more too.’
Pedro Pérez-Llorca, senior partner, Pérez-Llorca
Good to talk
‘Sweden will most likely see the same development as the rest of the legal world as far as working from home is concerned. Hopefully, this will help our associates and staff to manage their work-life balance better than before. However, it will still be important to spend time together for reasons of corporate culture, socialising between colleagues, business development, etc.’
Jan Dernestam, managing partner, Mannheimer Swartling
Tech matters
‘We are seeing a greater demand for legal tech solutions. Clients increasingly expect holistic and technology-based project management due to highly complex issues. This means an increase of flexible and tech-based working in exchange with our clients. In addition, diversity and sustainability are playing an increasingly important role in pitches.’
Elisabeth Lepique and Markus Sengpiel, co managing partners, Luther
Proudly patriotic
‘There has been talk for a long time that Spanish law firms would be unable to withstand the thrust of competitors like the Big Four or English-speaking firms, and yet here we are, leading the sector, not only in terms of billings but also in areas such as innovation and sustainability. I believe it is relevant for Spain and its economy to have strong law firms whose decision-centres are based in the country.’
Fernando Vives, executive chair, Garrigues
People matter
‘In the end, we believe the most important lesson has been about people and their well-being. People are our greatest asset; technology is only a tool. There is no innovation without people and our creativity. In order to thrive, there has to be a greater balance and respect regarding mental health and worklife balance.’
Nuno Galvão Teles, managing partner, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados