Skills versus knowledge – which one is more important for lawyers?

A. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1. Chief People Officer - DLA Piper Budapest • employment market intelligence with CEE regional focus • people strategy development and implementation • leadership development 2020 - 2. Head of Professional Development - DLA Piper Budapest • learning and development, legal tech and legal process related solutions, talent management, knowledge development 2016 - 3. Senior Associate (attorney at law) • focus areas: regulated markets; life sciences, administrative law, employment, data protection, corporate transactions 2011 - 4. International L&D Manager - DLA Piper UK LLP 2017 - 2021 5. Head of legal program - Mathias Corvinus Collegium - 2009 - 2020 6. Public service leader - Ministry of Justice 2007-2011 7. Trainee lawyer - Allen & Overy Budapest 2006-2007 8. Paralegal - Constitutional Law Department, Ministry of Justice 2005-2006 B. EDUCATION • Team coach | International Coaching Federation certified 2021 • Certified facilitator of Hogan and DiSC assessment methods 2020 • Business coach | International Coaching Federation certified 2018 • Creative photography | Moholy-Nagy Art University - 2017 • Lawyers’ Bar Exam 2010 • Public Service Bar Exam 2009 • European Senior Civil Servants’ Academy | Scuola Superiore della Pubblica Amministrazion, Caserta, Italy 2009 • LL.M in comparative constitutional law | Central European University, Budapest, Hungary 2007 • Law Degree - summa cum laude, and best student in class 2006 | Eotvos Lorand Science University, Faculty of Law - Budapest, Hungary 2006 • Erasmus scholarship | Lunds Universitet Juridiska Fakulteten, Lund, Sweden 2004-2005 • High school graduation | János Neumann High School of Economics, Eger, Hungary 2001 C. AWARDS AND PRIZES • Lifetime Quality Award - DLA Piper 2022 • Quality Awards - DLA Piper 2020 • Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (winner of national round, qualified to world finals) 2006 • Pro Scientia Gold Medal (Awarded by the president of the Hungarian Science Academy for outstanding professional activity; maximum of 2-3 law students may receive the Medal in every second year) 2005 • Scholarship of the Hungarian Republic (Scholarship for the best 1% of university students) 2003, 2005 • Winner and special award of National Scientific Student Conference (“OTDK”) 2003, 2005 D. SKILLS • Languages: English (fluent); German (beginner); Swedish (beginner) • IT: Microsoft and OS environment; data visualization, project management tools • Sports: triathlon (Ironman – Busselton, Australia, 2016); waterpolo • Hobby: photography, philosophy, psychology

Desi is a senior lecturer of the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the Australian College of Applied Professions in partnership with the Law Institute of Victoria. She is an Australian Legal Practitioner and experienced practical legal training mentor for emerging practitioners. She is also the CEO and Founder of Wellceum, a workplace consultancy supporting legal and professional services integrate strategy to manage psychosocial risk, improve employee resilience, and create visible social impact. Admitted in 2005, Desi has practiced in mid-tier, suburban and private firms. In 2013, Desi completed a Graduate Diploma of Education with a focus on legal studies and literature. As a certified mental health first aid trainer, Desi is a strong advocate for mental health, the wellbeing of new lawyers and the profession as a whole. In 2019 she contributed to a book chapter on time perspective in relation to wellbeing and productivity in Lexis Nexis’ ‘Wellness for Law: Making Wellness Core Business.’ Desi is a director of the Minds Count Foundation in Australia and a Commissioner on the IBA Professional Wellbeing Commission at an international level. She holds the seat of APAC liaison for the IBA Academic and Professional Development Committee. Most notably, Desi was named Australia’s Lawyer’s Weekly Women in Law Wellness Advocate of the Year for 2021 and again in 2022.

Sajai is the Co-Chair of the Firm’s Corporate Practice. His practice focuses primarily on Mergers, Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, strategic alliances, restructurings and financings (whether debt or equity), with particular emphasis on cross-border transactions. He is an acclaimed transactional lawyer with more than 29 years of experience representing a wide variety of industries, businesses and sectors funnel investments into India. This wealth of experience means that he understands the issues that arise in major transactions and can provide solutions to resolve these issues, providing advice that goes well beyond legal and contractual matters, and into the technical and commercial heart of the success of the transaction.

Aaron Muhly is a founder of Evelaw, a training provider for European law firms. He helps junior lawyers with legal writing skills and senior lawyers with business development challenges. He also organizes the Training Roundup, a networking group for law firm L&D professionals. Aaron started his career as an associate at Jenner & Block in Chicago and subsequently worked for Baker McKenzie in Budapest as a professional development officer.