Programme

Welcome remarks: Borislav Boyanov, Founder and Co-chair of the Balkan Legal Forum, BOYANOV & Co., Sofia

Opening remarks: Prof. Joerg Menzer, Noerr, Bucharest

Keynote Presentation

Speaker: Rob Millard, Cambridge Strategy, Cambridge (Recorded)

Moderator:
Prof. Joerg Menzer, Noerr, Bucharest

Panelists: 
Natascha Doll, Freshfields, Hamburg
Panagiotis Drakopoulos, Drakopoulos, Athens
Timur Bondaryev, Arzinger, Kyiv
Gus Papamichalopoulos, Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm, Athens

Moderator: 
Alex Birsan, Filip & Company, Bucharest

Panelists: 
Prof. Dr. George Dimitrov, Dimitrov, Petrov & Co. Law Firm, Sofia
Tijana Kojovic, BDK Advokati, Belgrade
Sebastien Bardou, LexisNexis, Vice President of Strategy for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Paris
Oguzhan Arslan, Microsoft, Istanbul

Moderators:
Karolis Kacerauskas, Ellex, Vilnius

Panelists:
Judit Budai, Szecskay, Budapest
Marcin Maruta, Rymarz Zdort Maruta, Warsaw
Yoanna Stefanova, K&L Gates, Luxembourg
Dr. Roman Heidinger, Cerha Hempel, Vienna

In this interactive session, speakers and panelists will discuss the growing importance of ESG to the future success of law firms.  All key elements of an ESG strategy for the legal profession will be covered, from ESG fundamentals and the key drivers of an ESG strategy (i.e. clients, talent, and many other stakeholders) to ESG in relation to the current geopolitical tumultuous environment and the impact on a firm's organisation and operations.

Moderator: 
Robert van Beemen, DRB Group, The Hague

Panelists:
Visar Dobroshi, Recura Financials, Kosovo
Radina Tomanova, International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA), Sofia
Eftim Eftimov, 1% Change, Sofia

Moderator: 
Viktoria Szilagyi, Lakatos, Koves and Partners, Budapest

Panelists: 
Mia Kalas, Selih & Partners, Ljubljana
Darko Jovanovic, Karanovic & Partners, Belgrade
Erik Seman, Barger Prekop, Bratislava
Diana Dimova, Kinstellar, Sofia

Timur Bondaryev, Arzinger, Kyiv 

Armchair discussion

A client and a law firm consultant:

Velko Dzhilizov, Member of the Management Board and Legal Director of UniCredit Bulbank; and
Stefanie Hoogklimmer, Venturis Consulting Group, Frankfurt

Moderator: 
Ingeborg Edel, Binder Grosswang, Vienna

Panelists: 
Boris Savoric, Savoric & Partners, Zagreb
Simel Sarialioglu, Paksoy, Istanbul
Atanas Valov, Penkov Markov & Partners, Sofia
Dr. Dogan Gultutan, Baker McKenzie, London

Moderator:
Stephen Revell, Making Change Happen, Singapore/London

Panelists:
Willibald Plesser, Attorney at Law, Vienna
Mike de Luca, The Legal 500, London
Anthony Notaras, MD Communications, London
Stefanie Hoogklimmer, Venturis Consulting Group, Frankfurt

Panorama Restaurant, Hotel Marinela, Sofia. 

Admission by ticket only. 

This session will be in the form of a workshop in which participants will actively explore some of the practical skills of the Professional Well-being advocate.  It will look at opportunities for creating Professional Well-being communities even in organisations with a fundamentally different dominant culture. It is a session in which we will explore why the advocate to become effective at engaging with others, first of all, has to explore their Professional Well-being.

Moderator: Chris Owen, London

Moderator: 
Aku Sorainen, Sorainen, Tallinn

Panelists:
Malcolm Hochenberg, Proskauer, New York
Alexandra Doytchinova, Schoenherr, Sofia
Dora Petranyi, CMS, Budapest

Moderator: 
Anthony Notaras, MD Communications, London

Panelists: 
Arthur Bombard, Fidal, Paris
Florian Klimscha, Freshfields, Vienna
Anne MacDonald, Harper Macleod, Glasgow
Andrea Fluture, SunjkaLaw, Novi Sad

Ted Talk

Mike de Luca, The Legal 500, London

Armchair discussion 

Herman Knott, Kunz Lawyers, Cologne; and 
Gerard Tanja, Venturis Consulting Gorup, Wassenaar

Moderator: 
Robert Gawalkiewicz, Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak, Warsaw

Panelists: 
Adina Chilim-Dumitriu, NNDKP, Bucharest
Kristijan Polenak, Polenak Law Firm, Skopje
Peter Petrov, BOYANOV & Co., Sofia
Marcell Nemeth, DLA Piper, Vienna

This session will look at the increasingly critical role of Professional Wellbeing in the legal workplace and its central role in building and maintaining a high performing and resilient workforce (as well as assisting in recruitment and retention).  As the workplace becomes a more complex environment and with a changing set of expectations amongst the workforce, the traditional focus on individual self -care and a series of standardised HR welfare policies have become less relevant.  The session will look at new approaches to Professional Wellbeing built around a more organisation-centred integrated strategy with a greater emphasis on actively promoting within the workplace a less hierarchical series of relationships and on building a greater sense of psychological safety and belonging.

Moderator: Chris Owen, London

Moderator: 
Stephen Revell, Making Change Happen, Singapore/London

Panelists: 
Attila Csongrady, A&O Shearman, Bratislava
Lena Marcinoska-Boulange, Wardynski, Warsaw
Zdravka Ugrinova, DGKV, Sofia
Gerard Tanja, Venturis Consulting Gorup, Wassenaar
Andrea Miskolczi, InterAlia Consulting, Vienna

Moderator: 
Ema Mendjusic Skugor, Divjak, Topic, Bahtijarevic & Krka Law Firm, Zagreb

Panelists:
Alin Grapa, Filip & Company, Bucharest
Ema Tasevska, Polenak Law Firm, Skopje
Nina Vukmirovic, MARIC & Co, Saraevo
Rumen Cholakov, Barrister, London

Moderator: 
Borislav Boyanov, BOYANOV & Co., Sofia

Panelists:

Mirona Bengescu - Legal & Corporate Affairs Manager JDE South Central Europe
Oleg Roibu, eMAG Group
Milena Vaneva, Eurobank Bulgaria, Sofia
Michail Petrov, Schwarz IT Bulgaria, Sofia

Stephen Revell, Senior Co-Chair of Law firm management committee of the IBA, Singapore/London