GBL ALLIANCE, A NEW CLIENT SAVVY GLOBAL LEGAL NETWORK ENTERS THE MARKET IN 2017
GBL ALLIANCE, A NEW CLIENT SAVVY GLOBAL LEGAL NETWORK ENTERS THE MARKET IN 2017
A group of 9 prominent independent business law firms have joined forces to form the Global Business Lawyer (“GBL”) Alliance (www.gbl-alliance.com), a “new breed” international legal network focused on the evolved needs of today’s global business players.
Conscious that clients now more than ever, seek greater value from their legal advisors, more transparency and an adaptable and flexible approach, GBL Alliance is embracing these changes by offering high quality and cost-competitive global legal services, and a delivery model in line with clients’ needs.
GBL Alliance’s approach aims to fill a gap in the landscape of global legal networks. With its primary focus on clients’ business goals, GBL Alliance combines agility and pragmatism, enabling clients to do business their way and get deals done. The network has purposefully put in place a lean infrastructure, and prides itself as a no frills and client-driven operation.
With a core base of 9 member firms and 2 “best friend” firms, principally based in Europe and the Middle East, the network boasts over 300 lawyers covering 33 jurisdictions, including key financial centers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Members:
- EPTALEX, Middle East, Italy & South Africa (eptalex.com)
- Ferdowsi Consulting, Iran (ferdowsi-legal.com)
- Galatea Advocatuur, The Netherlands (ofcounsel.nl)
- Hedman Partners, Finland (hedman-attorneys.com)
- Legal Again, Hungary (legal-again.com)
- MTN Law, Turkey (mtnhukuk.com)
- UP12 Rechtanwälte | Fachanwälte | Notare, Germany (up12legal.de/1-1-Home.html)
- France, Vaughan Avocats (vaughan-avocats.com)
- Wiewiórski Law Firm, Poland (wiewiorski.pl)
Best Friends:
- Borissov & Partners, Bulgaria (borissov-law.com)
- PRK Partners, Slovakia & Czech Republic (prkpartners.com)
“What really makes us different is our focus on clients, says Thomas Fernandez-Boni, the President of GBL Alliance and partner at Vaughan Avocats (France). Unlike other networks, where the focus tends to be on members, we are really making a conscious effort to draw the focus to the clients we serve across the network. We use our resources carefully and are developing practical tools and programs to facilitate cross-selling and cultivate the best possible level of client service.”
GBL Alliance’s members, many of which have already worked together for many years, share the same level of excellence, responsiveness and commitment to clients. The Members and Best Friends are consistently recognized for their expertise by leading international legal directories (Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal, Legal Experts, etc.). Potential new members go through a thorough vetting process before their admission can be approved.
GBL Alliance has ambitious plans to grow in 2017. In addition to presenting the framework for the future of GBL Alliance at its inaugural conference next March in Amsterdam, the founding members have also invited a select group of potential new member firms currently under consideration.
“We expect GBL Alliance to grow even more this year, adds Umut Metin, Vice-President of GBL Alliance and partner at MTN Hukuk (Turkey). We already have a significant global footprint that now covers 33 jurisdictions, and we aim to further expand to include other local players, particularly in Asia and in the Americas. Our clients are active globally and as a network we need to consistently provide high value local expertise with coordinated multi-jurisdictional solutions, so that our clients can get their deals done wherever they may be.”
GBL Alliance facts:
- GBL Alliance includes over 300 business lawyers from 9 member firms and 2 “best friend” firms based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
- GBL Alliance combines 26 offices, covers 33 jurisdictions and has 15 working languages: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Slovak and Turkish.
- GBL Alliance advises on all areas of business law, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial, restructuring, distribution, IP, litigation, real estate, employment, and related tax law matters.
- GBL Alliance has its own website (gbl-alliance.com) and operates as a French association (for administrative reasons). GBL Alliance is governed by the GBL Alliance Board which includes a President, a Vice President and representatives from member firms.