Astrid Krüger: Injecting new brain power

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Having recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in Germany, Allen & Overy’s managing partner talks about the challenge of handing over from one generation to the next

You joined the firm back in 2008. In your opinion, what’s changed most since then? A&O has seen significant growth in Germany since I joined. This is certainly the most relevant change as it has meant that, as a firm, we had to design and implement more elaborate structures and processes to manage a larger …

Marta Colomar-Garcia: Diversity is our strength

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Diaz, Reus & Targ’s administrative managing partner shares her candid thoughts on her work, the impact of diversity, and what she thinks sets them apart

As administrative managing partner you lead the administration of Diaz Reus’ 27 global offices. Can you tell me a bit more about how you came to be in the role? I have had this title for two and a half years now. I started as an associate at Diaz Reus in 2009. When I started …

Per M. Ristvedt: The benefits of being ‘first’

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The Oslo-based partner and head of dispute resolution talks about the recent Schjødt-Hamilton merger that is set to create a one-stop for clients in Scandinavia

As a business, how has Schjødt evolved since you have been at the firm? What has changed most over the years in Schjødt is that there is a need for the firm to be organised and run in an optimised manner, since the response time in regards to many of the assignments are often quite …

Katrina Edge: Our focus on innovation, collaboration and flexibility is a key differentiator

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Katrina Edge, head of Ogier’s banking and finance practice in Europe and Jersey, on why offshore firms need a global approach

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients? Our focus is on delivering market-leading client service by being the most advanced offshore firm in digital service delivery and innovation. We have rolled out an award-winning, cross-jurisdictional initiative to streamline our transaction processes, promote a culture of continuous improvement and ultimately …

Michael Padarin: There’s creativity in law

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The Hong Kong-based head of Carey Olsen’s corporate practice on why lawyers must continuously think outside of the square, why there is more to the offshore world than sun, sea, and palm trees, and why you should think quality over quantity when it comes to client interactions

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients? We’ve made two major changes recently, both of which will be of great benefit to our clients. The first main change has been the launch of our Hong Kong corporate practice. We were previously an insolvency, restructuring, and litigation practice only from …

John F Wilson: We have a culture of efficiency

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Senior Partner John F Wilson discusses why timely, efficient, and excellent client service is his firm’s competitive advantage

What do you see as the main points that differentiate McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes (MBH) from your competitors? Firstly, responsiveness. All of our lawyers are under strict directives to respond to every client email within 24 hours. We can say we have excellent attorneys, while we believe our attorneys are the best in the Bahamas, …

Gavin Farrell: The offshore world is still a shady place? Just not true

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Ferbrache & Farrell advocate and partner talks about unfair perceptions, cybersecurity and innovation, and working in a family minded partnership

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients? We have tried to change and adapt to the constant evolution of technology, whilst maintaining our traditional partnership ethos (based on the collective of all our individual members of our team of just under 20 people). Those changes have seen us adopt …

Suzanne Liversidge: Leaders should be true to themselves

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Kennedys’ first global managing partner discusses the priorities of her new role, highlights the firm’s recent international expansion, and reveals what gives her the most job satisfaction

What will you be focusing on as global managing partner, and what do you hope to accomplish or change at the firm that will benefit its lawyers, staff, and clients? As global managing partner, I will be working closely with Nick Thomas, our senior partner, on the strategic and operational management of Kennedys’ global network …

Simon Ward: The importance of local knowledge

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Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle’s Oman managing partner discusses collegiality, why the Middle East shouldn’t be a training ground, and advises junior lawyers on why they shouldn’t solely focus on getting ahead

How would you define your firm’s culture and how important is firm culture to you? Curtis is the world’s longest established international law firm. It is New York headquartered, but extremely international in its outlook. Curtis recruits the brightest lawyers from diverse backgrounds a large proportion of our partners in the US and elsewhere are …

Dr Barbara Mayer: Lawyers develop best if given freedom

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Responsibility and independence at an early stage is a great way to retain talent and also sets you apart from the competition, says Friedrich Graf von Westphalen’s managing partner

How would you define your firm’s culture? How important is that culture to you? Every individual in our firm trainees, assistants, associates, and partners – shows a high degree of responsibility and independence; we define management as a coordination and service point for our partners; our leadership works bottom up instead of top down; we …