Event information
The Legal 500 proudly presents the Diversity & Inclusion Forum Switzerland 2024, in collaboration with key partner Schellenberg Wittmer, scheduled for September 24th, 2024, in the picturesque city of Zurich.
Join us for a day of unparalleled learning and networking as we explore the themes of diversity and inclusion. This event is specifically designed to equip general counsel and senior in-house legal professionals with the tools and strategies needed to overcome legal challenges and foster a culture of inclusion, ensuring that their companies not only meet legal standards but also thrive in a diverse global market.
Guided by an expert panel of speakers, the Diversity & Inclusion Forum Switzerland 2024 will provide actionable insights and practical solutions to help you lead the charge for positive change within the legal industry.
Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in a conference tailored for Switzerland-based in-house counsel eager to elevate their professional growth and drive transformative change within their organisations.
Agenda
5.00pm – 5.30pm Arrival and Registration
5.30pm – 5.35pm Welcome Address
- Sara Maggi, deputy editor GC Powerlist Series, Legal 500
5.35pm – 6.25pm Unlocking talent and innovation through diversity and inclusion: strategies and best practices in legal departments
- Anya George, partner, Schellenberg Wittmer
- Markus Lang, general counsel, Europe West, EY
- Valérie Collaudin, general counsel, head of sustainability, Gurit
- Aziz Aidaros, vice president, associate general counsel, Europe, Philip Morris International
- Nina Cronstedt, group chief legal and compliance officer and general counsel, Verisure
6.25pm – 7.15pm Bridging generations and cultures: the power of age and background in the legal teams of the future
- George Ayoub, partner, Schellenberg Wittmer
7.15pm – 7.20pm Closing Remarks
7.20pm – 9.00pm Drinks and canapes
Speakers
Sara Maggi, deputy editor GC Powerlist Series, Legal 500
Sara Maggi joined the Legal 500’s editorial team, specialising on the in-house legal community, in 2022; since then, she has led the research for several editions of the GC Powerlist Series, aimed at highlighting the expertise of in-house counsel worldwide.
In researching for the GC Powerlist Series, Sara has had the opportunity to interview a large number of globally acclaimed general counsel, chief legal officers, and heads of legal using English, Italian and Spanish. Sara’s passion and interest in corporate governance have allowed for conversations, reports and write-ups concerning hot topics in the area such as ESG, legal tech, diversity and inclusion and changes to the role of general counsel in years to come.
Sara holds a BA from the University of Westminster and an LLM in International Corporate Governance from the University of Law in the United Kingdom. She was a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2022.
Anya George, partner, Schellenberg Wittmer
Anya George is a trilingual and dual qualified lawyer (Switzerland and England and Wales). She represents clients in complex international commercial and investment arbitration matters, as well as in enforcement and setting-aside proceedings before the Swiss Supreme Court. Her main areas of expertise are energy infrastructure, natural resources, insurance and reinsurance contracts, and manufacturing and sales agreements. She is ranked as one of the best of her generation worldwide in several legal directories.
Anya also advises clients on ESG-related disputes and co-heads Schellenberg Wittmer’s ESG practice group. As one of the firm’s four diversity officers and a member of the taskforce SW IDEA, Anya coordinates various initiatives to promote diversity, inclusion, equity and awareness within the firm and across its activities.
George Ayoub, partner, Schellenberg Wittmer
George Ayoub is a partner in Schellenberg Wittmer’s dispute resolution, white-collar crime and compliance, and internal corporate investigations groups in Geneva. His key areas of expertise and practice focus on white-collar crime, international mutual legal assistance, extradition, asset tracing and recovery, and internal corporate investigations. George is also specialised in regulatory and compliance issues as well as in matters of trade sanctions, embargoes and export controls.
As one of the firm’s four Diversity Officers, George coordinates various initiatives to promote diversity, inclusion, equity and awareness within the firm and across its activities.
Markus Lang, general counsel, Europe West, EY
Valérie Collaudin, general counsel, head of sustainability, Gurit
Aziz Aidaros, vice president, associate general counsel, Europe, Philip Morris InternationalAziz Aidaros, vice president, associate general counsel, Europe, Philip Morris International
Nina Cronstedt, group chief legal and compliance officer and general counsel, Verisure
In association with...
Schellenberg Wittmer is a leading Swiss Business Law firm with offices in Geneva, Zurich, and Singapore. The firm has been practicing in its current form for 20 years. Schellenberg Wittmer is recognized and respected internationally for its legal excellence and its progressive stance in an otherwise conservative market.
Schellenberg Wittmer is the leading firm in Switzerland for diversity and inclusion, having one of the highest numbers of women in management positions, and in 2019 Caroline Clementson was elected to the Management Committee as the first female partner in Switzerland. Moreover, the firm is the first to promote specialized LGBTQI+ initiatives and has diverse representation at all levels, including within the firm’s Management Committee.
The SW IDEA task force – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Awareness – aims to support the firm’s values that all LGBTQI+ individuals should feel accepted and valued, and grow within the Schellenberg Wittmer family and beyond, independently from their sexual orientation and gender identity; and translate those values into actions.
Schellenberg Wittmer has in recent years partnered with multiple organizations that promote diversity and inclusion, including non-profit associations: The Women in Business Society, Frauenarbeit, Le Refuge, and Regenbogen Familien.