The European Company Lawyers Association’s 38th General Assembly

On 9 November, The European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA) held its 38th General Assembly at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol in Berlin, Germany. Hosted biannually, the highlights of the General Assembly include the re-election of Jonathan Marsh as President of ECLA and Giovanni Cerutti as Treasurer of ECLA, respectively, and the admission of representatives from Slovenia as ECLA’s 20th member association.

Attendees of the General Assembly met on the previous evening, joining a dinner reception at the Museum für Naturkunde, hosted by one of the two German member associations “Arbeitgemeinschaft der Syndikus Anwälte im Deutschen Anwaltverein (DAV)”. Surrounded by bones and fragments of dinosaurs was truly a sight to behold. The reception enabled representatives of national member associations to connect with German company lawyers and hear what issues they regard as essential on a national level. We would once again extend our warmest welcome to the DAV for inviting and hosting us during our stay in Berlin.

The 38th General Assembly started with Jonathan Marsh, President of ECLA, congratulating Dr. Clarissa Freundorfer for being elected as the President of Company Lawyers at DAV the day before. This was followed by a unanimous re-election of Jonathan Marsh and Giovanni Cerutti as President and Treasurer of ECLA, respectively. Both members of the executive board are looking forward to further excel ECLA’s activities in the upcoming two-year-terms that both will serve.

Another major development during the General Assembly was the admission of ECLA’s 20th national member association – Sekcija korporacijskih pravnikov Slovenije from Slovenia was unanimously admitted as ECLA’s newest member association. Represented by Elma Buljko and Ana Jasna Gamulin, we are certain that ECLA has gained yet another invaluable member association, solidifying our mission in giving company lawyers a voice on a European level and sharing best practices throughout the continent.

ECLA also organised a workshop for all participants in the General Assembly, with the central topic being legal professional privilege. Based on a comprehensive survey ECLA conducted in Fall 2018, member associations were divided on the basis of their national recognition of legal professional privilege for company lawyers.

The 38th General Assembly was a great success – a unanimous re-election of the President and Treasurer and a unanimous admission of a new member association – with more on the horizon – shows that ECLA has inherent value for national member associations and will continue organising exciting events and workshops in 2019. The 39th General Assembly will take place on 22-24 May in Brussels.

Impressions