Ecovis is renewed with a generational change

All but one partner are active lawyers in the restructured ownership of Ecovis Hungary Legal. Their ages represent a generational change in the life of the firm.

The professional goals, personalities and community values of the partners shape the future of the law firm in many ways, so their individual vision is as important as their commitment and responsibility. They are all experienced professionals in their own fields of law, who complement each other perfectly in decision-making. They continue to provide unique, complex, and quality solutions to their clients and long-term appreciation to their employees.

The managing partner, Kornél Jean, was the first to speak in an interview about the background of the ownership transformation that ended on July 1, 2021, about the new operating model and the vision for the future of the practice.

We have now invited the other practicing lawyer partners - Andrea Szigeti-Szabó, Ákos Bihary, Sándor Hortobágyi, Gergő Molnár, György Zalavári - to an introductory discussion on the joint plans.

The seventh owner of the law firm, Gábor B. Szabó, who is the co-owner and director of the country's market-leading trust asset management company, the Primus Trust Zrt., is taking a break from his legal practice due to his business commitments.

Let us start with personal details. How did you become a partner in Ecovis?

György: In 2014, I was a partner in another international law firm when I was asked to join Ecovis Hungary Legal as a partner. The building of international relations and the development of the foreign clientele, which had just stalled at that time, had to be given a new impetus. In addition, I was proactively involved in the process of office marketing and the development of the Hungarian companies, implementing many of my initiatives. I am especially proud that I managed to convince the tax advisory company (today Ecovis Tax Solution Kft.) to join Ecovis Hungary group and we were able to establish a close cooperation with them. Thanks to their outstanding professional knowledge and experience, their experts have since greatly aged Ecovis Hungary's reputation on an international level.

Gergő: Each partner got to their current position a little differently. After graduating from university, I started in this office building, in a law firm led by partner Gábor B. Szabó at the time. Initially, I dealt with company law and advertising law.

Due to the organizational changes of our previous office, but especially in connection with a large-scale credit institution client with Ecovis, we decided 10 years ago to merge into the organization of Ecovis Hungary. To serve this customer effectively, we also needed Ecovis' own management IT system and well-established, advanced infrastructure. At the first joint client, I managed to build on the assignment in the last 10 years, and now, as a strategic client, we work for them in a considerable number of other areas.

On the one hand, this change brought me a new professional field of law, and on the other hand, I was given the opportunity to become a partner with the support of the two leading partners of Ecovis at that time and Gábor B. Szabó. Of course, this was a completely different situation from the current one, both organizationally and in terms of my “partner” status. For me, however, it marked the beginning of my Ecovis career, and it feels good to think that the three leading partners voted for me with confidence. Over the years, I then developed a stable client base with whom I am constantly working and building my own team. And now there has been more serious progress in my status as a partner.

Andrea:  Sándor and I ran a similar curve from the lower rung, we started as an employee on the Ecovis ladder. It is no secret that we both had a point where a situation of necessity created an opportunity for professional-business advancement faster than the usual pace of career development. In the case of Sándor, a demerger and in my case, a longer need for replacement due to the birth of the second child of my former mentor was this special circumstance. I am grateful that even as a senior associate, I was able to gain the trust of Ecovis ’management which provided an opportunity to prove it. It was a watershed for my career. Confidence in its own, of course, would have not been enough, and my commitment and perseverance from the beginning have carried me forward and given me a tremendous impetus to this day. A triad of opportunities, trust, and challenging work shaped the way to partnership, taking steps in pairs. This is how I finally made partner in Ecovis at the age of thirty.

Ákos previously worked as an individual lawyer. Why did you join the Ecovis team in 2008?

Ákos: Although I formally worked as an individual lawyer before joining, I have always worked in a team since 1999. In addition, the benefits of belonging to an international network spoke in favor of this. Becoming a partner was the result of an organic, step-by-step process after 5 years of collaboration. Part of the process was, among other things, the integration of my own clientele, with appropriate guarantees, and the increasing use of the benefits offered by Ecovis' infrastructure.

Why did you decide to become an owner? What has changed in your own lives compared to your previous partner status?

Sándor: The members of the law firm, including myself - compared to the previous equity partners of Péter Balogh and Jean Kornél - have been owners with a symbolic share of ownership so far. Consequently, the extent of our share in the economic success of Ecovis Hungary Legal and our participation in making decisions related to the law firm were also limited. The fact that my business stake in the law firm is now reaching a relevant level is an important motivating factor in business success. In addition, I can take the law firm much better as my own, I enjoy working together and making decisions together, with all its positive implications.

Ákos: Let me start from the direction of the second question. For my part, as soon as I join a firm– though I am not a frequently changing type, Ecovis is my third “job” since 1994 – I feel responsible for it, even if I am not an official owner. Thus, even as a partner, I tried to participate responsibly in the life and operation of the firm. Of course, actual ownership status is a higher degree of responsibility, also carefully representing the interests of our employees and clients.

Once responsibility has raised: What do you consider to be the most important task of the new circle of owners in the short and long term?

Ákos: I consider it our short-term task to preserve the values and strengths of Ecovis so far. And in the medium term, to build and maintain a team that responds flexibly and effectively to changing and growing professional and business challenges while preserving community values.

Sándor: Complementing what Ákos said, I think the most important task - both for existing and future clients and for the market - is to convey the message and sense of life that “Here we are, we are well, we are good, we are ready for the tasks and maybe even we are even more enthusiastic than before! We have ideas, we innovate, we think, we learn, and only good things can come out of it!”

Gergő: The new ownership represents an office where our clients are accustomed to a professional standard, flexible client management, speed, and customized solutions to the problem. Preserving this and further developing it with the involvement of new colleagues is one of the most important tasks - this is where I join Ákos's thoughts.

Complemented by specifics: An indispensable condition for all this is the circle of owners and lawyers who think overall and have a real career prospect, with whose help the goals can be achieved by our colleagues. Strong HR support in the office helps us retain valuable people, as in a law firm, permanence and flexibility are also serious values in the eyes of clients.

Where do you see your own role in realizing their already shared vision? How can you contribute to the success of the office?

Sándor: We are different people, with different strengths, and with one area in which we are less good. Compared to an individual lawyer or a smaller law firm, one of the advantages of Ecovis is that it has the cooperation of getting a colleague to do something that is good at it. I can highlight two things that make me feel strong “organizationally”: one is system development (be it IT or other tasks with a bit of a “mathematical” approach) and shaping the practical approach of colleagues. If you may have seen the movie LEGO Adventure: the university teaches you to build from assembly instructions. I am (too) about being builders.

Andrea: Anyone who has experienced it knows that it is not easy to set up and maintain a multiple ownership structure. In the process of the leave of our founder partner, we have learned even more about how important and useful it is to think together, take advantage of synergies, and synthesize our interests. The strength of this line-up lies in its diversity, and it gives us the opportunity to respond more effectively than average to the ever-changing legal market and HR environment. Different generations are also represented in the newly established circle of owners, and since I am the closest of the partners to my younger colleagues and have a more emotional approach as a woman, I would like to use these strengths in internal organizational building. As Sándor pointed out, each partner also has qualities in addition to being a lawyer. In the field of marketing, I have been spreading my wings for a while by giving lectures, teaching, participating in exhibitions at events, and preparing marketing materials, and I think that overall, I want and can further promote the development of the office and individual colleagues.

Ákos: I am convinced that the legal profession is special; it is a service that must be provided to a high standard. The transposition and consolidation of this into everyday business has already begun, but much remains to be done in this area. For my part, I consider it my task to introduce and strengthen this service provider approach among colleagues and clients. An elevated level of professional work and a further increase in existing trust provide a good basis for this.

Moving on to meet diverse needs: How does Ecovis, as an employer, try to provide more than usual to its employees?

Gergő: In law firm introductory materials, we always emphasize that we work in practice groups. Typically, the group's clientele is served by team members as a team. This means a predictable, continuous, plannable workload for our colleagues, they can see into the operation of large companies, to establish a long-term working relationship with our customers' employees. If there is a temporary increase in the workload of a client, we can involve colleagues from other groups at any time. This kind of flexibility is a major advantage for us, while colleagues in the office can also deal with areas of law that they would not originally deal with in their group. So, from an employee perspective, colleagues can gain serious experience, which is an advantage in preparing for the bar exam and provides a usable practical knowledge throughout their careers. During long-term cooperation with clients, colleagues perform their tasks with great independence. In the meantime, they also experience how practitioners of other professions approach a specific legal problem or task, and thus they can give much more tailored answers to the problem. For some clients, it is even possible to perform our legal duties at the client’s premises on a regular basis so that colleagues can learn more about the corporate environment.

György: I feel that in recent years, employers’ perceptions and behaviors about employees have changed a lot to our advantage in our office. This can be attributed to the generational change in the partnership, the changed market environment, and the impact of the different expectations of younger employees. We try to appreciate our employees even better, to build long-term relationships, to present a real career opportunity. I consider it particularly important to mentor younger colleagues, which goes beyond the theoretical and practical application of the law, because it also covers other key areas of the work of a lawyer, such as business and client building, or even communication. I am pleased to mention here my volunteer presentation training for colleagues, during which each participant spoke at least 3-3 minutes a week, standing in front of the other staff. The group analyzed the presentations of all speakers, including partners, in a positive, supportive way, highlighting aspects of posture, eye contact, vocabulary or other essential elements of the presentation. I really enjoyed these opportunities, and I am confident that we have all developed a lot in these casual trainings.

What do you consider to be a necessary development step in the light of current market processes and client needs?

Ákos: The practice of law is increasingly breaking through the wall caused by the nervousness we have often experienced: if one must turn to a lawyer, it falls into the category of ‘necessary bad’. I see more clients - and colleagues - recognizing what I think is a special and important feature of this service is that it is much more preventive than follow-up. The establishment of this would strengthen the legal culture.

Sándor: Joining Ákos, people today are more „lawyer-conscious” than they used to be. At the same time, to this day, I will be confused when I experience what mistakes are made in the “legal life” of even prosperous companies, small and medium-sized enterprises. This is when I wonder how the graver consequences of this have been avoided so far. I hope that the non-use of the legal service is not since clients view the legal service as a football coach: 10 million people have access to it on a professional level. We really need to work to ensure that all our existing and prospective clients recognize that by using a high-quality legal service, they can know their cases safely and thereby achieve direct or indirect professional success. I want clients to feel that they need a lawyer with conscious image building, and the lawyer is the same service provider as e.g., the car mechanic - already in the sense of the actual service. It is not just fixing a car for us, but a more serious thing: it ensures the adequacy and security of our contractual relations and other legal relationships, which in most cases is hundreds of thousands or millions of games of chance without legal expertise.

Andrea is the only woman in Ecovis ownership: To what extent does this affect the business partnership?

Andrea: In the case of a young female partner, although I have to say that this is neither a negligible aspect for men today, the issue of starting a family and having children needs to be addressed more strongly in organizational building. The task is to put on the table how we can find a solution that satisfies and reassures everyone involved, which also ensures a smooth, continuous, prominent level of service for our customers. During our transformation, not only the tolerance and open thinking needed for compromise appeared at the negotiating table, but also clear support. Consciously planning this process, clarifying the commitments, preparing, and implementing it requires a great deal of responsibility not only from the partners who support and replace the female partner, but also from the female partner concerned. Keeping in mind that we have a responsibility to our family, business associates and clients alike. I believe that our community of owners has been able to provide a unique answer to a unique personal question that results in a solution where everyone benefits for all involved, and at the same time has laid the groundwork for further development opportunities eventually.

Turning back to this personal introduction: What moments do you like to recall in connection with your professional work?

Ákos: There are so many of these, it would be difficult to highlight one or two. For my part, I am always happier when a colleague of mine achieves personal professional success, through which it can be measured that the energy invested was not in vain. Or if an issue that is important and hopeless at the beginning of a client can be turned in a positive direction based on the legal, professional concept that has been consistently pursued. These moments make this profession, which is otherwise considered dull by superficial outside observers, beautiful.

György: In recognition of my work at Ecovis internationally, I was elected to the Supervisory Board of the Swiss center, which runs the Ecovis network in 2018. This position gave a great insight and a lot of experience in connection with the issues, problems and their solutions that arise during the construction and operation of the international network. I have met many friends and collaborators in many parts of the world, with whom I have often been able to work together and have gained insight into the daily lives of lawyers in other countries. I had similar experiences as a member of the international Ecovis Legal Task Force, to which the network’s attorneys were also invited.

Gergő: I deal with many cases that may seem like routine tasks in themselves, but at the same time help me gain extensive experience in a particular field and then be able to use them at a strategic and process level. As a concrete example, I would like to mention that, based on my 10 years of practical knowledge in the field of banking corporate workout, our client also involved us in the working group dealing with the development of banking processes in the credit moratorium. Likewise, based on my experience in financial consumer protection matters, I am a member of a project aimed at further developing related internal banking processes. Thus, the experience and persistent work of many years have matured on a professional level in many cases. I am also happy to recall the cases where, in addition to English, I was able to utilize my knowledge of German and Italian. These were cross-border cases where we did not use the commonly used English language for communication, but German or Italian. However, beyond advocacy, I have been constantly looking for and still looking for new challenges. For years, I served as chair of the Admissions Committee of the Budapest Bar Association, which is otherwise known as a rather "working" committee, as the preparation of the admissions and the hearings were a monthly activity. As the chair of the committee, I also attended the meetings of the presidium of the chamber ex officio and thus got to know the operation of the organization more thoroughly. Another challenge for me is that I am an examiner in business law in the bar exam. This requires constant preparation, expecting up-to-date knowledge, and not only do I need to know the legislation and practice in force, but I also must learn to ask questions. I would also like to share the useful information I gained with our colleagues who are before the bar exam.

Around the common vision of ownership transformation, however, some additional thoughts arose considering individual life paths and experiences. Their own example and opinions can also be inspiring for young professionals.

Which area of law would you like to try or focus on in the future?

György: In the representation of domestic and foreign companies, company law, labor law, real estate law and commercial law are part of my daily practice. With the advent of the GDPR, there has been an outstanding need to address legal issues in data protection, and I am also interested in this area, so I decided to return to the world of university education and in 2019 graduated with a postgraduate degree in data protection law. I also consider it important that I have completed the mediation training, and I like to apply what I have learned there, not only in business mediation, but in all other areas of life. It is close to my heart, and I consider it my personal mission to make the best legal practices and legal solutions and the institution of lawyer real estate brokerage as widely known as possible in connection with the problems and irregularities in the domestic real estate market.

Gergő: I have always been interested in economic law in a broader sense, including labor law, company law, banking law, advertising law, and within the latter, specific areas of law concerning medicines and medical aids. In any case, I consider myself lucky to have been able to find a law firm after graduation where I have been able to deal with these areas of law, and I also must use my foreign language skills frequently. Therefore, I have to say that I am satisfied because I have always been concerned with what is interested and I have tried to dig into these areas as much as possible. The other challenges are also basically related to the areas of law I already know, as I have been dealing with the application of legislation affecting the distribution of medicines and medical aids in many ways for a long time. This is a truly diverse area, as it includes not only advertising but also sector-specific rules applicable to everyday business relationships. I would like to gain experience in this area in more complex legal solutions dealing with health care, which already include legal issues affecting the care system.

Sándor: I started my career as an associate in a law firm with a main procurement profile, and then, when I joined Ecovis, I started to deal with claims management in a “prime time,” and the public procurement field was pushed into the background as a result. How small the world is, the market / economic processes of recent years have affected the claims management market, at least temporarily, adversely, so in cooperation with Andrea I turned my mainsail back to public procurement. Staying with the analogy I would like to catch even more slices in my sail in these areas, with the usual high-quality service provided by us, but I am not afraid of hurricanes either.

Ákos also has a special field of law. Is the title of environmental lawyer in Hungary more of a formality, or can it be actively dealt with in everyday life?

Ákos: When I started training as an environmental lawyer in 2004, I was motivated by professional and personal reasons. On the one hand, I am professionally interested in this field of law, on the other hand, as an individual, I tried to do increasingly consciously to protect the environment, and finally, I believed that this would be a dynamically developing field of law. Today’s world, full of climate change, overpopulation, and other similar problems, provides environmental users with a number of tasks for which an elevated level of professional knowledge of this area of law is essential. Based on the experience so far, it was a good decision to get involved in the training, and fortunately Ecovis has plenty of opportunities to put the acquired theoretical knowledge into practice.

Many times, you hear that at an early age you try yourself in as many areas / offices as possible. In contrast, except for two years after graduation, Sándor has been strengthening the Ecovis team for 14 years. What advice would you give to beginners: try themselves in a variety of situations, or rather have a longer experience in one place?

Sándor: The bulk of the job changes, as I see it, is not that someone consciously wants to try themselves in 3-4-5 or more disciplines, then sits down in front of an Excel spreadsheet, lists the pros and cons, and at the end says: "OK, I've tried thing X and from now on I want to deal with it." We start working, and if we feel good in one place and find our calculation, both professionally and financially, is compatible with our lives and we see perspective in it, then the idea of change is less articulated in anyone. We are all driven by one goal: prosperity in life. Therefore, the issue of switching / not switching will be mostly decided by these parameters. Respectively, one more thing should not be forgotten, which is also at least as important: that person’s basic human attitude. I am not a jumping type in my private life or at work, I consider loyalty to be an important core value. Right here, I would also like to add that you just must look through the list of partners and put a number next to everyone: the number of years you have spent here. Is it possible that this certain loyalty is a “something” that pays off? In summary, therefore, it is more fortunate to advise career starters to weigh these parameters on their own when they start working. The fact that this will result in a change, not a change, or multiple changes, is a consequence rather than a primary decision-making issue.

If it comes to advising beginners, let us go a little deeper: What are the three qualities that Ecovis is looking for in an ideal candidate - beyond the clichés of precision, team play, reliability, etc.?

Sándor: Demandingness, loyalty, humility. Demandingness does not require too much explanation. I have spoken in more detail about loyalty in connection with the above issue. As for humility, I mean all forms of it. Professional, human, social, organizational. And who knows where else you can find humility. There are a lot of things behind this concept but I am sure that the Dear Reader knows what I mean. If not, I am happy to welcome anyone for a coffee!

Gergő: Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest values for me are loyalty and perseverance. I would mention diligence as well, but it would be stenciled, though at least as important as the other two. I think professional knowledge can be mastered, everyone can learn the laws, as this ability was developed at university, but loyalty and perseverance are qualities that, if someone lacks it, it is almost impossible to develop. Moreover, they function as visions in practice and are absorbed into the personality of man.

Andrea: In addition to what has been said, I would also highlight professionalism. Those who are hesitant about being an attorney and prefer to cut into it only as a trial period, they typically deviate from this career path. Those with an intrinsic commitment to the attorney profession have a much stronger professional motivation, are more consciously built, are more daring to take responsibility for their work, and are also more valued for smaller achievements as they also drive them forward. For me, that also means a lot.

Related to professionalism, the topic cannot be avoided: Should a novice lawyer choose between a career and a family? Or is there a golden mean?

Andrea: Today, not only do I believe, but it has also been proven to me that there is an intermediate satisfactory solution. I did not jump into the work in search of the golden mean, when I was an associate and then a junior partner working hours usually ranged between 12-14 hours a day, and I did not feel the burden in the least.

Then, as with many, the moment came when I had to rearrange priorities as the need for a relationship, a family, or even just a me-time became stronger. I think compromises in a good sense should be made (but they should be) when they are timely and necessary, and not before. While I find it respectable and worthwhile for current career starters to be much more aware of maintaining a work-life balance from the outset, I had this feeling more than once that this approach is a justification for avoiding challenges and risk-taking. Like excessive careerism, I do not think that consideration that hinders professional fulfillment is an example to follow. One of the difficulties of this profession is that it is possible to show spectacular results slowly, over the years, and at the cost of a lot of work. You do not sit here in an 8-hour position that provides a million pay after college. If you are so lucky that your work is 8 hours a day, you must spend it on continuous learning, performing tasks with serious human and financial risks, and most importantly, providing direct services to people. This, if handled properly, means serious responsibility. If someone has the perseverance, the need for development, the will to do to solve the problems of others, then one of the most suitable for him or her may be the career of a lawyer. We choose and shape the conditions ourselves in connection with the work, so if someone - whether a woman or a man - feels that he or she can complete in the legal profession, then some difficulty should not be an obstacle. Paying attention to the balance between career and family may be a constant part of this profession, but just as I would not give up important family moments, I would not sacrifice the experiences and successes that come with advocacy: active joint intellectual work or the joy of the results achieved for the clients, whether it is the purchase of the first shared apartment or the winning of a multi-billion-forints public procurement procedure that will provide work for several years.

How does Ecovis support maintain a work-life balance for colleagues?

György: It is a complicated issue because lawyers are often expected to be always ready to solve problems and to meet client expectations due to market competition. During my 25 years in law firms, I may never have been able to completely turn off my thoughts on clients, cases, legal tasks to be solved for a long time. I will be half a century old next year, and in this context, I am also incredibly pleased that, during the generational change, the current circle of partners has accepted the possibility of “sabbatical leave” that has been operating in other countries for a long time. The partners of the firm can take three months of recreational leave, which is a new element in the life of the Hungarian law firms, which is characterized by constant rush. I also look forward to this period when, after 25 years of work, stepping out of the everyday squirrel wheel, I will have time to deal with myself a little more.

Andrea: As the partners have already experienced the difficulties of balancing work and private life, it is important for us that the office supports the needs of colleagues at the organizational level, as far as possible, plus with individual solutions. Ensuring short-term, daytime personal absences, creating occasional home office work opportunities, creating more flexible working hours in justified cases, and organizing recreational programs are all tools we use to support better work-life balance.