THE BUSINESS OF LAW

Leadership, innovation, and the Future of Firms.

April 23rd, 6:00 PM

A great law firm needs more than great lawyers - it needs leaders who can navigate change, embrace innovation, and think like business strategists. Join us to explore how the next generation of top law firms is being built.

Topic

Breaking into international legal leadership is no easy feat. It demands not only exceptional legal expertise but also strategic vision, adaptability, and the ability to navigate the complexities of an increasingly globalized legal market. This panel brings together distinguished law firm leaders and senior partners who have successfully built and led international legal careers.

During this discussion, our expert panelists will share their career journeys, offering firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities of transitioning from local markets to global firms. They will explore the key leadership skills required to excel in international legal practice—managing high-stakes cross-border matters, leading diverse teams, and cultivating strong global client relationships.

Panelists will discuss the growing complexities of cross-border legal work, how firms are adapting to new compliance and regulatory frameworks, and what the future holds for international legal leadership. Additionally, they will examine the transformative impact of AI and legal technology on modern law firm management, exploring how innovation is reshaping legal services, enhancing efficiency, and driving new business models.

Speakers

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Kristóf Ferenczi

Firm Managing Partner, Kinstellar

Kristóf Ferenczi is the Firm Managing Partner at Kinstellar, a leading law firm operating across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. With over 20 years of experience, Kristóf has been with Kinstellar since its foundation 15 years ago. He has extensive executive management experience, having served on Kinstellar’s Firm Management Committee since 2018 and as the Managing Partner of the firm’s Budapest office. Kristóf is a renowned energy sector specialist and has served for many years as Head of Kinstellar’s energy sector team, building a successful and respected firm-wide energy sector practice. He has been consistently recognised as a top-tier lawyer by leading international legal directories such as Chambers Europe, Legal 500, and IFLR1000.

Andrea Gritsch

Managing Partner, Wolf Theiss

Andrea Gritsch is a Partner at Wolf Theiss, where she leads the firm’s Banking & Finance practice across Austria and the CEE/SEE region. She specializes in the financial industry, focusing on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, distressed situations – including non-performing loans (NPLs) – corporate and financial restructuring, banking and financial services, as well as regulatory compliance. Her clientele includes banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, strategic and financial investors, and private equity firms. Andrea is also active in the rapidly evolving field of financial technology (FinTech), assisting both regulated and non-regulated businesses in digital transformation and the adoption of new technologies. She has been a Partner at Wolf Theiss since 2013 and a member of the firm’s Management Board since 2019.