How does it feel to celebrate 30 years of the law firm’s work?
30 years of professional activity is a long period of both professional and private life. It is practically a whole adulthood. At such moments, most, including me, tend to analyze, summarize, close certain stages, but also plan and look for new challenges and areas of activity.
I believe that any closure of a stage of work should be accompanied by some rational evaluation of what was accomplished during the period, what failed and why. This evaluation is not only about successes, but also about failures. This allows you to rationally verify where the Law Firm is, in what direction it should go, what to do to grow and in the next period also celebrate more successes.
As a team, we are already at the level where we need to bet on specialization – on the one hand, a strong team to handle certain areas of complementary business, while on the other, in the organizational sphere, to automate management and executive processes.
Law is an area that is constantly changing. What have been the biggest challenges you have faced to keep your law firm in business these 30 years?
The challenges have been many, of a common nature. This is what happens when you build a law firm from the beginning. I am the founder of the law firm, so I share the decision-making, but I also share the responsibility for the decisions made. These decisions have not always been right, but have always been accompanied by risks, which you also have to get used to in this profession. Of course, most often they came down to a choice: whether to build a team or rather run a sole proprietorship; whether to buy premises for the law firm’s operations or rely on renting; and finally – whether to work on specific projects, assignments, and above all, take on difficult assignments or focus on small and repetitive ones. I believe that the right strategic decisions have been made in this area.
The second type of challenges are those posed by the Client, or the project or matter entrusted to us by the Client. We have always focused on difficult, non-standard projects with high legal and business risks. This required a lot of work, commitment, knowledge and determination from the team. In retrospect, however, these challenges profiled the law firm and ensured its growth.
What changes in the legal field do you see as key for the future of the law firm?
In 2023, we have chosen specializations and it is around these that we want to build the development of the law firm. In all these areas, the reality, the perception of certain issues, the business environment are changing so fast that it is difficult to plan anything for the next 5-10 years. Let me give an example.
In the area of real estate, we used to have trends related to the construction of shopping malls, commercial parks, and now we are dealing with the construction of storage warehouses, development activities, construction of office buildings, but there is also already rapid acquisition of land and execution of investments related to green energy or construction of large leisure and entertainment complexes. In my opinion, it is necessary to quickly define these trends, acquire knowledge and participate in their implementation. This is just one example. It is the same in every specialty.
Do you have any advice for young male and female lawyers who are just starting their careers? How to be successful?
Maybe my advice to young lawyers who want to realistically practice this profession will be unconventional, but from the perspective of the time I have worked in this profession, it will certainly be sincere. A positive result from the professional exam alone is not enough to responsibly practice the profession of advocate or attorney.
In order to achieve lasting success in these professions, it is necessary to invest a lot in learning, self-improvement, work in the first years, and the results of these actions are not always quick, tangible and visible. This is a long-term investment, but this is how you work for a brand and stability in the future.
What does the future of the Law Firm mean to you and what is your vision for the next 30 years of business?
The law firm’s future is its growth, building its team and taking on more and more challenges, implementing important and interesting projects. The coming years are also about succession and supporting the next generation of lawyers in achieving their goals. I am not planning another 30th anniversary at the law firm, but I would like the next generation to celebrate.