ECLA Newsletter, July 2018

ABOUT ECLA

ECLA and the national associations – interviews

The European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA) is the umbrella organization for 19 company lawyer associations in Europe and represents the common interests of European company lawyers.  But what are these interests? What is the status of company lawyers in different European countries? And what are the main aspects of their day-to-day work?

We interviewed several representatives of ECLA’s national associations to depict the current challenges faced by in-house counsel across Europe.

It became clear that the status of company lawyers differs from country to country, and that legal professional privilege is one of the major topics of the national associations. And this was ECLA’s key issue from the start. It has since developed into broader discussions about the profession of company lawyers in Europe, attributes of this profession, and best practices for company lawyers in Europe. But legal professional privilege remains an important part of ECLA’s work – supporting the work of the national associations.

The second challenge that was addressed in the interviews is education and the exchange of knowledge and best practices. Companies are confronted with increasingly complex legal challenges, and the role and job description of company lawyers are changing. It is no longer just about providing legal advice; company lawyers must also have multi-facetted soft and management skills.

The aim is to unite all company lawyers, giving them a stronger voice – in general and in terms of political activities. ECLA brings together national associations to help with current challenges and to unite European company lawyers for a stronger position, one not focused solely on national jurisdictions, but with an overall perspective on common interests and rights.

You can find the interviews on our video channel. We will consistently upload new ones over the next few weeks. Enjoy watching!

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Belgium
Phone +32 2-808 54 56
info@ecla.eu
www.ecla.eu