Corporate counsel – delivering results while facing global demands
About ACC Europe
What is ACC Europe?
The Association of Corporate Counsel Europe (ACC Europe) serves the needs of lawyers practising in corporations and other organisations throughout Europe. ACC Europe, with more than 1600 members, promotes the common interests of its members, contributes to their continuing legal education and seeks to improve the understanding of the role of in-house counsel.
ACC Europe is a chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), which since its founding in 1982 has grown to over 28,000 members in more than 75 countries, representing more than 10,000 corporations and organisations.
ACCE President Statement
Dear fellow members,
After 18 years of experience in the legal arena, I am proud to have been elected last September as president of ACC Europe to serve the interests and needs of our community.
I am also pleased to announce our newly elected Officers and Board Members who have started assuming new leadership opportunities on October 1, 2011 for the 2012 fiscal year.
Why has the number of ACCE members increased every year since 1994?
ACCE is a truly pan-European in-house counsel association that brings a unique perspective to in-house counsel: whether they belong to small, medium or large law departments, they have the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with their peers across European countries representing companies from same or other industries.
At ACCE board level, a variety of 10 nationalities and languages are represented: diversity is no longer a concept but an enriching reality as each Board member has the invaluable opportunity to contribute country-specific views and perspectives, which become pan-European to address the needs of the broader membership.
ACCE reflects a great combination of a group of senior European-based in-house counsel (Board members and Country Representatives) who are volunteers , and the powerhouse of ACC with a dedicated staff of professionals to support the provision of on-line educational materials to ACC members on a global scale.
Together we are poised to provide access to a wide range of legal resources and Best Practices in countries where our in-house members may be called to operate. With more than 80% of laws enacted in EU countries stemming from regulations adopted by EU bodies, the resources and the networking opportunities provided by ACCE are an invaluable tool for benchmarking and for exchanging thoughts among peers.
ACCE recognizes the escalating importance of the European/EMEA legal jobs market and one of the goals for the coming year is to facilitate the meeting of job offers and demands, particularly during these difficult economic times.
ACCE is thus a “must-join association” for all European in-house counsel. Being cross-border, ACCE does not compete with national associations and provides a valuable complement to the members. In fact, it can open the door to possible cooperation for advocacy partnerships on key topics like the status of in-house counsels and the legal privilege. A collective voice can only be beneficial to the legal profession as the European status of in-house counsel needs to become a reality tomorrow.
Why should you attend the ACCE Annual Conference this year in Amsterdam on May 13/15th 2012?
As we live in a fast-pace environment, deal with an increased regulatory framework and troubled financial times, in-house counsels are expected to provide more legal services and faster but with stable or less resources (“more with less”).
The ACCE Annual Conferences continue to address topics of interest to the in-house legal profession and offer invaluable networking and development opportunities with European peers.
Be sure to mark your diaries for the Amsterdam conference: it’s a great opportunity to learn from great speakers from a broad range of industries who are keen to share their expertise and experience.
ACCE and Social Media
In order to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge management on topics per country and/or subject of expertise among in-house counsels, irrespective of their country, all ACCE members are invited to join the on-line group set up on LinkedIn.
As a member of ACCE, you enjoy free of charge access to practical on-line tools as well as webinars enabling you to grow the skills of your choice and to enhance the quality & efficiency of legal support. No other in-house association in Europe can match the depth and breadth of materials made available to its members.
Why do we need more volunteers at country level to become the ACCE ambassadors ?
ACCE has members in the following countries :
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
They are represented by Country Representatives who act as “ambassadors” for ACC Europe by organizing local events, networking with members in each country and showcasing the benefits of belonging to ACCE.
The Country Representatives are also invited to participate in Board meetings where they can exchange their countries’ perspective and activities in an open forum discussion with the Board of Directors.
ACCE recognizes the importance of the Country Representatives and encourages everyone who might be interested to join this active group to reach out to their country peers and highlight the benefits of joining ACCE, especially in countries where new members only joined ACCE quite recently, like for example in Eastern Europe.
I look forward to this new year with you and hope ACCE will help you in your professional development.
Why should I become a member of ACC Europe?
By joining ACC Europe, you enter a large community of in-house counsel in Europe, and take part in an open exchange with approximately 1,600 in-house legal professionals.
As part of this community, you can both learn from and teach your colleagues who face similar challenges in their capacity of corporate counsel. In addition to being a member of this extensive in-house network, you gain access to a number of helpful tools and opportunities to help fulfil continuous legal education requirements. Membership of ACC Europe includes membership of ACC.
ACC Europe’s main event is the Annual Conference, which for nearly two decades continues to be the traditional highpoint in many European in-house counsels’ calendar.
Over two days the conference combines sharing of experiences, education, networking and having a good time. Through ACC Europe, you can make your voice heard within the in-house legal community and beyond.
Our members are empowered to share their “war stories”, and sometimes funny or frustrating experiences in embracing the challenges that are part of their role as corporate counsel.
We share our experiences in an atmosphere of professionalism, sincerity and friendship.
ACC Europe continues to lobby, or cooperate with, other bodies or authorities, whenever occasions arise in Europe to help enhance the position of in-house counsel.
ACC Europe: where the in-house legal practice comes alive.
By in-house counsel for in-house counsel®
Further information is available at www.acc.com/chapters/euro/
