Collaboration, solidarity and seeing things from a broader perspective. In today's society these things are often rare, but they are crucial for restoring trust in the rule of law. These were the words of Joost Linnemann, CEO of Kennedy Van der Laan, at the opening session of the annual conference of TerraLex, the prominent worldwide network of law firms that gathered in the Amsterdam Krasnapolsky Hotel this week. Kennedy Van der Laan, an affiliate of TerraLex since 2017, hosted the four-day event in the Dutch capital.
TerraLex was founded 33 years ago, with the mission of helping law firms serve their clients' legal needs around the world. The network now has over 135 member firms in more than 125 countries. They share knowledge and work together where necessary.
Linnemann praised the international solidarity and collaboration between the TerraLex partners and urged the 250 guests always to keep an eye on the bigger picture. “We see great turmoil in the world today, which is partly caused by the absence of a broader perspective. Tensions are growing not only on geopolitical, but also on personal levels. Due to the algorithms of social media we have all ended up in individual bubbles and hardly get in touch with different views anymore. Our own profession too is becoming more and more splintered into isolated specialisms, which makes us lose the broad outlook on our field.”
“We must have the courage to look beyond the boundaries of our own discipline. Only then can we place ourselves in someone else's position. It is the only way to emerge from our own bubbles, listen carefully to others, and engage in an open dialogue.”
What is most alarming is that the belief in the rule of law is eroding, giving way to political movements with non-democratic and extreme views, Linnemann said in his speech. “This trend must be reversed. I think that we, as lawyers, can play an important role in this.”
A broader perspective is crucial to achieve this, Linnemann said. “We must have the courage to look beyond the boundaries of our own discipline. Only then can we place ourselves in someone else's position. It is the only way to emerge from our own bubbles, listen carefully to others, and engage in an open dialogue.” This may all sound a bit abstract or far-fetched. But thinking out of the box, constantly engaging in dialogue, and appreciating the perspective of others is characteristic of how we work and what we stand for at Kennedy Van der Laan.”
