This year’s Jorge Mañá Award winner is Evelien Pijfers from Everest Law in Antwerp/Brussels, Belgium! She has written the following report detailing her experience:
When I received the exciting announcement that I won the Jorge Mañá Award 2022 I was thrilled! Not only because I won, but more the less that I would have the great opportunity to take part in the placement abroad at Flood Herslow Holme in Stockholm , Sweden !
And what a great experience it was! After first acclimatizing to Sweden for a few days and mainly figuring out how transportation to the office was and meanwhile discovering the great city of Stockholm for the first time, my first day at FHH started on Monday the 30th of May!
I was very enthusiastically welcomed at the office by both partners and fellow associates. Also was I immediately assigned to my ‘buddy’ Alice Thörn, as well did I receive my own workspace and files were ready for me to do some research, review or draft an advice in.
As if things couldn’t get any better, managing partner Anna Stenson had a case for me involving a Belgian company as the counterparty, where Dutch words had simply been left in the contract. All the more reason and a pleasure for me that they gave me this file to look into and that our legal knowledge could thus be combined together. But aside from also other interesting cases, I still recall the interesting family property law (involving both UK and Sweden) case that Anna Beck-Friss Arp gave me.
Between all the legal work and experiences, it struck me that at FHH the work atmosphere is also top-notch! For example, on Wednesday afternoon they have a “fika”. This is a social custom in Sweden where work (or other daily activities) are interrupted by getting together, drinking tea or coffee and eating something (delicious and sweet!). It happens at a scheduled time and is deliberately used to take a break and maintain social contacts, as well as to eat something tasty at work!
In addition, as a team Flood Herslow Holme really connected to each other, I saw this especially through the Thursday table tennis tournament as well as the drinks/dinners after work where I was invited to participate in.
In any case, the week has flown by so quickly and I have seen some very interesting cases on the legal side, as well as what the workings of a Swedish law firm are like. And also that FHH is a very pleasant, instructive firm with even more pleasant and fantastic fellow lawyers. Therefore, a sincere thank you for giving me the opportunity within the Jorge Mana Award to spend a week with you, as well as for all the good care! I would like to thank the partner Per Nilsson specifically for the conversations prior concerning the award and about a possible placement at FHH, as well as for taking me under his wing during my interesting week at FHH!
As you readers will have gathered by now, I would really recommend all young lawyers within WLN to definitely apply for the Jorge Mana Award next time! After this experience, I can only believe that not only FHH specifically, but also all other WLN members would be open to such an exchange and all the more so because it can indeed bear fruit and create good connections! Therefore, again, a very big thank you to the WLN board for giving me this opportunity which turned in to a great experience at Flood Herslow Holme Stockholm!
For more information on this placement, contact:
Evelien Pijfers , Associate
Everest, Antwerp
e: moc.wal-tsereve@srefjip.neileve
t: +32 (0)3/3760200
For more information on the Jorge Mañá Young Lawyers Award, contact:
Hannah Mason , WLN Manager
e: moc.lagelkciwraw@reganam
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