GBL News Archive

GBL Alliance began when a group of friends and respected lawyers wanted a network focused on real business instead of expensive gala dinners. One of the founding members shares the key lesson: have fun together and the business follows, because trust grows from genuine connection. From seven firms to around fifty, the alliance now aims to expand into Africa, Asia and the Americas. His invitation to firms abroad is simple: come and join.

GBL Alliance turns 10. Founder and former president Umut looks back on a journey from seven founders to nearly 60 firms and almost 2,000 lawyers worldwide. He shares what makes GBL unique: trust, friendship, and a carefully selected network of one firm per country. His message for the future stays true to his name, which means hope. Solutions, not problems. Watch the full interview to hear his story.

Nine years ago, a handful of lawyers sat down together around a table in Paris. No formal meeting, no PowerPoint, just a good dinner and an honest conversation about what was broken in the world of legal networking. From that evening grew something that has since become one of the most distinctive international legal networks in the world: GBL Alliance. I sat down with Ramy Torbey, one of the founding members of GBL Alliance and managing partner of the Lawfirm Eptalex. His st

On trust, friendship, and the quiet engine behind cross-border legal work Some lawyers build their practice on reputation. Others build it on relationships. Olav Andriese, experienced business lawyer based in Amsterdam and long-standing member of the GBL Alliance, will tell you without hesitation that the two are inseparable — and that the second almost always comes first. Olav has been part of GBL for roughly six years, and for a good stretch of that time he served on the GB

Dakar 2026, A Historic Step for GBL Alliance For the first time in its history, GBL Alliance will gather on the African continent. From May 6 to May 8, members and invited guests will meet in Dakar for what promises to be an important milestone in the continued growth of the alliance. In this exclusive full interview, Rolf Trijber speaks with local host Léon Patrice Sarr about why Dakar is the right location, why the timing matters, and what makes this conference different fr

Dakar 2026, A Historic Step for GBL Alliance For the first time in its history, GBL Alliance will gather on the African continent. From May 6 to May 8, members and invited guests will meet in Dakar for what promises to be an important milestone in the continued growth of the alliance. In this exclusive full interview, Rolf Trijber speaks with local host Léon Patrice Sarr about why Dakar is the right location, why the timing matters, and what makes this conference different fr