Tackling margin pressure

Attila K Csongrady, now Head of Central and Eastern Europe English Law Debt Finance at Schoenherr, shares his perspective on how firms can respond to margin pressure in challenging times. Drawing on his experience, he highlights three key areas: cost management, revenue growth and financial discipline – while maintaining performance and smooth operations. He also emphasises the importance of continuing to invest in and value talent within the firm, as well as developing fee structures that demonstrate alignment with clients’ success. Finally, he points to the need to make better use of increasingly sophisticated tools to manage and analyse financial data, helping firms respond more effectively to client needs and ensure operational success. The interview was recorded at the 2025 IBA conference ‘Building the Law Firm of the Future – CEE Conference’ in Warsaw, Poland. At the time of recording, Attila was leading the CEE English Law Debt Finance practice at A&O Shearman out of Bratislava.