Highlights from the 13th Balkan Legal Forum
Stephanie Zarb Adami
Ganado Advocates, Valletta
The 13th Balkan Legal Forum took place on 25–26 June 2026 in Vienna, Austria. Organised by the International Bar Association (IBA) Law Firm Management Committee, the IBA European Regional Forum (ERF) and the Legal Development Foundation, the Forum is a much-anticipated fixture in the calendar of lawyers operating in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and beyond.
Caption: Panellists for the session ‘Building a Legal Career Under Pressure: Skills, Ethics and Resilience. What do our Associates want?’ at the 13th Balkan Legal Forum, Vienna, 25 June 2026. Courtesy of Stephanie Zarb Adami.
This year’s Forum brought together approximately 150 delegates and speakers from 34 countries. A welcome reception at the majestic, historic Palais Esterházy opened the Forum in style. Over the following two days, a series of insightful and engaging panel discussions focused on the theme ‘Beyond Business as Usual – Advising Clients and Building CEE Law Firms in a Changing World’.
Caption: Panellists for the session ‘How are Private Equity and Private Credit viewing Central and Eastern Europe in the current environment’ at the 13th Balkan Legal Forum, Vienna, 25 June 2026. Courtesy of Stephanie Zarb Adami.
A unifying takeaway was clear: law firms must continue to evolve and adapt to a fast-changing world. On the first day, the discussions covered the current geopolitical environment in CEE; artificial intelligence (AI) and legal tech; environmental, social and governance (ESG); foreign direct investment (FDI), business development, legal careers and law firm mergers. The second day centred on investment, disputes and clients, including M&A and restructuring deals in a high-risk regulatory environment, realistic routes to partnership and changing partnership models, the key drivers of law firms, cross-border financial services, arbitration and litigation. Highlights of the second day included Norman Clark’s TED-style talk on the evolution of law firms from legal advisers to strategic risk partners and the final session, in which clients provided invaluable insight into what they expect from law firms in today’s ever-evolving world.
Caption: Panellists for the session ‘Should law firms in the region be actively considering a merger?’ at the 13th Balkan Legal Forum, Vienna, 25 June 2026. Courtesy of Stephanie Zarb Adami.
In his welcome remarks, Borislav Boyanov, Member of the ERF Advisory Board, Founder and Chair of the Legal Development Foundation, and Founder and Co-Chair of the Balkan Legal Forum, commented that ‘BLF’ stands not only for ‘Balkan Legal Forum’ but also for ‘Best Lawyers and Friends’. In this vein, networking opportunities were plentiful, with lunches, coffee breaks and a much-anticipated gala dinner, all taking place at the majestic Park Hyatt Vienna. For first-time attendees, the rakia tasting and the uplifting performance by the Singing Lawyers Budapest truly encapsulated the warm and collegial atmosphere of this event and left participants eagerly anticipating the next Balkan Legal Forum!