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EVENT
ON ISLAND OF RAB
Some 50 corporate lawyers from Croatia and abroad
spend the time period from 4th to 6th April 2008
on the Island of Rab. The event was organised by
the Association of the Corporate Lawyers of Croatia.
Ms. Ajka Ševerdija, the head of the Legal, General
and Human Resources Department in company Rapska
plovidba d.d. (in English: Rab Navigation Inc.) from
the town of Rab played the host to the participants
during the event.
A special guest of the event was Mr. Francesco Benigni,
the secretary of the European Company Lawyers Association
(further on referred to as: ECLA) who talked about
the position of corporate lawyers in Europe, about
current activities of ECLA and its members, and emphasised
that such a "young" association such as the Association
of the Corporate Lawyers of Croatia succeeded to
achieve such significant results during only a year
of its existence. Namely, in Dublin on 16th November
2007 it became a member of ECLA together with the
In-House Lawyers Chamber of Portugal. It also succeeded
to organise monthly workshops comprising actual and
practical themes adjusted to the needs of corporate
lawyers not only form the field of domestic law,
but also from the field of international law, it
published professional publications. It informed
its members quickly and professionally at the Association
Web Site, it took an active participation in the
International Bar Association, Europaische Rechts
Akademie and the International Chamber of Commerce.
It responded promptly and immediately to all significant
events in the Republic of Croatia and in Europe.
Within the frame of professional events the largest
interest was attracted by the workshop organised
by deliverer of the introductory address, Ms. Josipa
Jurinić, the main legal counsellor of the company
Ericsson Nikola Tesla Inc. from Zagreb. Workshop
was supplemented with two presentations: The Corporate
Lawyer - Importance of the Role and the In-House
Lawyer. In her first presentation Ms. Jurinić emphasised
and referred to the potential of value of the legal
function in every company, to its essential elements
and the role of the corporate lawyer. In the presentation
In-House Lawyer, Ms. Josipa Jurinić, M.Sc.Iur. emphasised
the importance of the role of corporate lawyers in
the process of contracting and making of contracts
as well as accompanying documentation, in education
of negotiating teams, participation in negotiations
and in corrective activities during performance of
contracts, taking part in resolving of conflicts
in the first line in an amicable way, as well as
of active participation in protection of the company
at courts in cases of disputes arising form a concluded
contract and/or agreement.
All participants welcomed more significant involvement
of younger colleagues in activities bound to presentation
of our programmes and making a paper for professional
conference of lawyers that will be held in Opatija
in May.
The host of the event introduced the colleagues
with the main features and characteristics of the
economy of the Island of Rab resulting form a rich
history of that Croatian Island having a 120-year-long
tradition in tourism. With its successful organisation
of living and working, this Island has achieved a
permanent increase of its population. Therefore since
1910 the population increase of 81% has been registered.
It is clear that such a good organisation of the
economy requires an adequate organisation of the
performance and an adequate quality of performance
of legal regulations on Rab. As a result the Island
of Rab has not been selected at random to be the
destination of the first associating of corporate
lawyers in organisation of the Association of Corporate
Lawyers.
Corporate lawyers interchanged their experiences
and confirmed the attitude that the amendments to
the Civil Procedure Act should prescribe corporate
lawyers as power of attorneys of trade companies
and prescribe the right to achievement of costs in
favour of trade companies represented by corporate
lawyers in disputes. The Association of Corporate
Lawyers has already informed the Ministry of Justice
of the Republic of Croatia thereabout.
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE EVENT
9th April 2008
"Dear Gordana and dear Daniela,
thank you very much for a very pleasant event and for many nice moments.
By the new event I send you my kindest regards,
Božica Kezele"
8th April 2008
"Dear Marina and Ajka,
I would have liked to write to you before (am in full immersion with
the Manchester meetings!) and try to do it now.
Let me thank you and, by you, all for the very warm welcome and for the
very effective programme in Rab over the last week end. I really enjoyed
it, together with Margaretha.
I had also the possibility to realise, eventhough I had no doubt about
it, how lively and efficient is your "young" association! And
last, but not least important, how many good singers you have!
Coming to the subject of your seminar, as I already said to Marina and
others among your associates, I believe that it is a very important one
for a profession, such as that of the in-house lawyer, neglected in many
countries in Europe, including Italy I am afraid!.
The career of the in-house lawyer and the role, function and organisation
within the company is of utmost importance, not only for the in-house
lawyer himself, but for the company she/he works for. The company needs
the in-house lawyer! And we should never forget it, when discussing with
our outside counterparts.
The first president of ECLA, dr.Walter Kolvenbach, wrote a famouse book
entitled "The company legal department" (1979, Kluwer) which
is considered a "Bible" for the in-house lawyer. In his book
he reported a famous answer from a head of a company when asked what
he expected from his legal department:"the impossible" And
he also reporte a sentence from Martin Lther, which i have always remembered
during my long career as an in-house lawyer:"A jurist who is only
a jurist is a poor fellow"!
Many thanks again and see you soon!
Francesco Benigni
Secretary General ECLA"
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