"Have fun and the business will follow": a founding member on the early days of GBL Alliance
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
When you ask one of the founding members of GBL Alliance, Hans Moltmaker, how it all started, the answer is refreshingly simple. It started with friends, a shared frustration, and a clear idea about what a network of lawyers should really be about.
From gala dinners to real business
“We met up with some old friends, and we all discussed how we were each part of networks,” he recalls....
“All these networks were doing big gala dinners. It was expensive and nice, but there was no focus whatsoever on business.”
That was the spark. A group of valued colleagues and good lawyers decided to do something different. Away from the typical convention centres, offsite, in interesting locations, and with a genuine focus on business. But there was a second focus that mattered just as much: fun. “If you are having fun while you are doing business, your business is better,” he says. “That is true.”
A group of seven, and a snowball
It began with an idea from a few people he already knew from an earlier network. Over a dinner in Amsterdam, the invitation came: we are going to start a new network, do you want to join? “Sounds like an excellent plan,” he replied. The founding group came together, around seven people in total, somewhere fittingly nice in Europe.
The first convention was held in Amsterdam, and he still calls it one of the best. From there, things snowballed. What started with six or seven firms has grown to roughly 50 law firms today, and the network is still expanding. “It grew really quickly, so there was clearly a need.”
What surprised him most
Years on, the biggest lesson is also the most counterintuitive one. “It is necessary to have fun to grow your business. If you simply focus on hourly rates and on where you can make the most money, at the end of the day you will lose money, because the fun will not be there. If you work together closely and you enjoy working together, the business grows automatically, and then the money comes as well.”
Underneath it all sits trust. “It is a starting point of trust. When you work together and you see the quality of the work is good, your friends will tell you who the best colleagues are in other countries. You get to know who your real friends are, and where the trust lies, when you can also have a laugh together.”
That is why showing up in person matters so much. “If you don’t attend in person, you will never get a real connection. And without connection there is no trust, and without trust there is no real reason to do business.” Covid made that lesson painfully clear. Online seminars helped, but they were no substitute for being in the same room.
Where the alliance is heading
The members of GBL Alliance are respected lawyers in their own jurisdictions, most with more than 20 years of experience in international business and law. That quality is a given. The opportunity now is reach. After a strong convention in Washington DC, the ambition is to grow beyond Europe: Africa, with Senegal high on the list, and in time Asia as well.
“If we serve all continents, we can grow bigger and better. The borders are disappearing.”
His advice to members is direct. Come to the conferences. Talk to each other about who your friends are in neighbouring countries, and then go and visit them. “People will come to your conference, but first you need to go to them.” Spread the word, build visibility, and use the tools available, including AI, to help the alliance become more visible online.
An open invitation
For law firms in countries where GBL Alliance is not yet represented, the message is warm and clear. “If you want to grow your international business, come and join the alliance.”
The snowball that started with a handful of friends is still rolling. The goal now, in his words, is simple: turn it into an avalanche.
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