WHLS in Barcelona

JUNIOR LAWYERS DIVISION

WHLS in Barcelona

As a member of the Westminster and Holborn Law Society (“WHLS”), I was delighted to be a part of this year’s visit to the Barcelona Bar Association from 6 to 7 October, organised by the WHLS International Committee. Many years ago, this twinning agreement was signed between the respective organisations in the hope that it would build on the already strong links of friendship between London and Barcelona. Well, it has certainly achieved that!

This year, the Barcelona Bar Association opened its doors and welcomed me along with several other WHLS committee members at the Il-lustre Collegi de l’Advocacia de Barcelona (“ICAB”)! They had organised a range of activities for us to promote collaborations and networking and provided us with a unique opportunity to strengthen our relationships with lawyers in Barcelona.

The event kicked off with a glorious breakfast and welcome by leading Council Member who shared details about the work that they do at ICAB and their passion for the institution and profession. We were told ICAB is the “casa” (home) of Spanish lawyers and that this was our “casa” (home) too.

We were lucky enough to receive training sessions on the legal system in Spain by experienced Spanish lawyers, covering a range of topics including Spanish civil procedural law, criminal procedural law, employment and family law, and doing business and investing in Spain. The session was followed by a cocktail networking session with ICAB lawyers and a visit to the incredible ICAB library, which is considered to be one of the most important private law libraries in Europe, with more than 300,000 volumes. It remains truly remarkable. The afternoon was filled with tapas and visits to local law firms in Barcelona. Both a delightful taste of what Barcelona has to offer and a great way to sample the local talent!

The second day of the event started bright and early with a visit to Barcelona’s City of Justice. This is a recent architectural development hosting most of Barcelona’s legal departments, which were previously scattered around the city in 17 separate buildings. We received our very own private tour of the City of Justice and were fortunate enough to attend a live trial. Great to see a trial in action! A visit to the Palace of Justice, built in 1908, took place afterwards and demonstrated such beautiful architecture. The closing dinner was attended by a number of Spanish lawyers and took place in the district of ‘Barceloneta’ overlooking the port. A great opportunity to reflect on the time spent together and the opportunities each of us would take away from the event.

I feel so lucky to be a part of this international network and the event was arranged perfectly by ICAB and the WHLS to reinforce contacts and create synergies. It was brilliant to meet so many interesting and experienced Spanish lawyers and I look forward to crossing paths in the future. A special thanks goes to those involved in ICAB and WHLS for your involvement in organising and participating in such a successful event. The pressure is certainly on for ICAB’s next visit to London – I, Dawson Cornwell and WHLS look forward to welcoming our Spanish colleagues!

I would strongly encourage members of all age to get involved with WHLS – it presents a plethora of possibilities! Hasta la vista!

Felicia Munde

Felicia Munde

Solicitor

Dawson Cornwell