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Ladies and Gentlemen:

This year’s Consulegis Autumn Conference led us to Brussels, the “European capital”, as EU representatives seated there like to call it. We booked a block of rooms in two beautiful and comfortable hotels with outstanding service: the Hotel Amigo and the Royal Windsor. Both hotels are located close to the world-famous Grand’ Place with its imposing buildings dating back to the Middle Ages.

The meeting took place with an underlying theme of the EU’s new competition laws and their impact on legal practice. In the speaker session four well-known speakers, Karel Van Miert, Anne Spiritus-Dassesse, Marie-Thérèse Peeters, and Patrick De Wolf – all from Belgium – discussed this topic from varying angles. On Saturday morning M. J. Chabert, the first Vice President of the European Parliament, gave a comprehensive and well received overview on the topic of Brussels and its place in Europe.

About 110 participants (including accompanying guests) from 25 countries represented 57 firms.

In opening the conference our Chairman, Howard Palser, was pleased to welcome two newly accepted firms. These were:

Quijano & Associates in Panama and the British Virgin Islands, as well as
Hernández Barbosa & Cuevas in Zapopan (Guadalajara), Mexico.

After greeting all guests and a brief report on finances and activities by the managing director, Dr. Roland Ermini, Mr. Jeffery Daar (Los Angeles), representing Dr. Jochen Grund (Freiburg), was able to announce that a “standard agreement” regulating Consulegis in-house business relations had been finalized. Members will receive detailed information on this project in early course.

The Chairman reported the Advisory Board’s decision to make considerably more funding resources available for the marketing of Consulegis during the coming years. The Board’s decision to engage professional assistance should enhance the awareness of our association and its members with a consequent benefit to all.

By Christmas the Board hopes to identify a suitable Marketing Consultant to present a proposal for discussion and approval by the Board at its next meeting. At the same time a steering group is to be formed with the task of coordinating implementation of the marketing and advertising measures decided by the Board. The proposed marketing plan is to take into account all sections of Consulegis and will encompass proposals advanced on behalf of the Germany-based firms.

All members are to be given the opportunity to take part in proposals for the structure of the Marketing Plan.

A long overdue restructuring and simultaneous increase in membership dues will provide the extra financial resources needed for effective marketing.
Detailed information on the revised structure is in preparation and shall be circulated shortly.

The Chairman again reminded conference participants of the ”core business“ strategy that aims to shape the image of Consulegis and its membership as a centre of excellence in selected areas of activity. Members were reminded that they all had received a detailed questionnaire to fill out, so that reliable information as to the actual strengths and resources of member firms could be compiled. Mr. Palser reminded the members that it was vitally important to the implementation of the future strategy that this survey should be completed and returned. To assist firms in making a prompt response the secretariat will send out another copy of the questionnaire.

Mr. Michael Newman (Los Angeles) explained the background of the Willis project, an initiative by the giant world-wide insurance brokers to explore whether it could provide commercially advantageous professional indemnity insurance to Member firms and to investigate the setting up of an international panel drawn from the ranks of Consulegis firms as the core of its international panel of lawyers. The Chairman emphasized that completion of the Specialists Questionnaire was essential, if firms wished to be considered for appointment to this panel. Members will have received written details of these initiatives under separate cover.

The speaker session then commenced and was followed by luncheon.

On Friday afternoon participants took part in various “specialist groups”. The minutes of these groups will be distributed in the course of the coming weeks.

On Saturday morning, delegates were addressed by the previously mentioned M. J. Chabert, Vice-President of the European Parliament, before dispersing some to play an informal golf tournament, others to take in the sights that Brussels had to offer.

Alongside the formal program, existing relationships were refreshed and new contacts cultivated. Evening meetings arranged by our hosts in local restaurants proved to be ideal platforms for delegates and guests to mingle informally.

This interesting and well organized conference finished with Dinner at the elegant Solvay library in the ”Maison de L’Europe“.

We extend our thanks on behalf of all participants to our hosts, Christine De Keersmaeker and Marinus Vromans from the law firm of De Keersmaeker and Vromans, for all their hard work in organizing a successful and most enjoyable Autumn Conference 2004.

Howard Palser
Chairman of the Board

Please note:
The Spring Conference and Annual General Meeting 2005 is to take place in Budapest (Hungary) between April 28 and 30, 2005 at the kind invitation of our hosts “Balázs & Holló Rechtsanwaltskanzlei” in Budapest. Detailed information will be distributed in due time.