GBL News Archive

The Story Behind the Name: Joachim Maiss on Founding GBL

Interview with Founding Member Joachim Maiss Every network has an origin story. For Global Business Lawyers, that story starts with a member of an old school legal network who wanted change, a short list of twenty possible names, and a firm belief that things could be done differently. We sat down with Joachim Maiss, one of the founding fathers of GBL and the man who came up with its name, to look back at how it all began. From Frustration to a Fresh Idea Before GBL, Joachim

"Have fun and the business will follow": a founding member on the early days of GBL Alliance

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.

Foudning member interview with Umut Metin

Ten Years of GBL Alliance: A Conversation with Founder Umut

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.

“Authentic” Ramy Torbey on Building GBL Alliance: A Legal Network on Friendship and Trust

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

The People behind the Alliance : Olav Andriese

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

Register, Book Your Flight and Come to Dakar.

The GBL Spring Conference 2026 will mark an important milestone for the alliance. For the first time in its history, the event will take place on the African continent, in Dakar, Senegal. “For Daniel Engel, GBL Alliance Vice-President and partner at BeeLegal in Switzerland, this conference represents exactly what makes the alliance special” Having attended many GBL conferences over the years, he knows that every meeting has its own atmosphere. But what truly makes these gathe

Africa is calling.

Why the GBL Spring Conference in Dakar Is an Opportunity You Should Not Miss For the first time in its history, the GBL Alliance Spring Conference will take place outside Europe, on the African continent . The 2026 conference in Dakar, Senegal marks an important milestone for the alliance and reflects its truly international character. According to Tim Steininger, this year’s conference is more than just another gathering of legal professionals . It is an opportunity to ex

GBL Autumn Conference 2025 – Ljubljana

A Celebration of Excellence, Insight and Global Connection The GBL Autumn Conference 2025 in Ljubljana has come to a memorable close, and we are proud to share the official aftermovie capturing the energy, professionalism and shared ambition that defined this year’s gathering. Hosted in the heart of Slovenia’s capital, the conference brought together legal professionals, industry experts and GBL members from across the globe. Over the course of several days, participants enga