V preteklosti smo gostili kar nekaj odmevnih gostov, ki so se v svojih predavanjih dotaknili tem iz najrazličnejših področij. Leta 2011 nas je mag. Anja Strojin Štampar, takratna članica uprave KAD, seznanila s pomenom delovnih izkušenj in mentorja pri prehodu iz študija v prvo službo.
Leta 2012 je mag. Goran Klemenčič, takratni predsednik Komisije za preprečevanje korupcije RS, predstavil delo KPK, posebno pozornost pa je namenil vlogi bančnega sistema v slovenski korupcijski shemi. Z nami je delil tudi nekaj besed o svoji zanimivi študijski in poklicni poti.
V letu 2013 je klub organiziral dvodnevno delavnico pogajanj, ki jo je vodil Branko Čevriz, ki je bil v tistem času odvetniški kandidat v Odvetniški pisarni Wolf Theiss. V istem letu smo se povezali s Klubom TopEF in skupaj obiskali eno izmed vodilnih slovenskih podjetij – Akrapovič.
Leta 2015 sta dr. Peter Merc, takrat zadolžen za zagotavljanje funkcije skladnosti poslovanja v Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank d.d. in mag. Miha Štepec, takratni vodja upravljanja terjatev v Družbi za upravljanje terjatev bank (DUTB), študentom predavala o konceptu slabe banke v slovenski normativni ureditvi in nas seznanila s primeri prestrukturiranja v praksi DUTB.
V marcu 2016 smo v društvu organizirali predavanje s področja kriptovalut. Miha Grčar, takratni COO pri družbi Bitstamp Ltd., in Ervin Uršič Kovač, takratni predstavnik pravne službe pri družbi Cashila, sta prikazala delovanje dveh vodilnih družb s področja kriptovalut v Sloveniji in hkrati predstavila določene pomembne vidike pri razumevanju in uporabi kriptovalut. Predavanju se je pridružil tudi dr. Miha Šepec, takratni asistent na Evropski pravni fakulteti v Novi gorici ter Fakulteti za varnostne vede, ki je predstavil potencialne kazenskopravne vidike uporabe kriptovalut.
Poleg tega smo izvedli dva dogodka na temo priprave kvalitetnega življenjepisa, saj mnogi študenti ob koncu študija, kljub obilici akademskega znanja, ne znajo prepričati potencialnih delodajalcev, da so pravi kandidati za zaposlitev. Predavali so Miha Sušnik, takrat sodelavec centra RS za poklicno izobraževanje, verjetno edini človek, ki je poslal eno prošnjo za zaposlitev in dobil dve službi, Aljoša Krdžić, takrat odvetniški pripravnik v pisarni Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik in partnerji in Jernej Bergoč, takrat finančni analitik pri Wieland Capital, skladu zasebnega kapitala.
Novembra 2016 je Ženevski klub v okviru Okrogle mize Pogled lastnikov, managerjev in zunanjih investitorjev na vodenje podjetja zopet gostil zanimive goste: Marjana Batagelja, večinskega lastnika in direktorja družbe Postojnska jama d.d., Roberta Ličena, nekdanjega izvršnega direktorja družbe Akrapovič d.o.o. ter Gregorja Rebolja, investitorja v Silicon Garden Funds. Uroš Slak je goste soočil z namenom predstaviti poglede različnih udeležencev poslovnega okolja na vodenja podjetja, zlasti, ali se njihovi interesi in delovanje pri vodenju podjetja razlikujejo. Marjan Batagelj in Robert Ličen sta izpostavila pomen vrednot pri vodenju podjetja: lastnik išče managerja, ki deli njegovo vizijo in vrednote. Robert Ličen je opozoril, da je pri vodenju podjetja ključna vzdržna in ne hitra – ne ozirajoč se na ceno – rast. Pravi: “Na vrh stolpnice lahko prideš z dvigalom ali peš. Kdor se bo na vrh stolpnice podal z dvigalom, bo tam seveda hitreje, a stolpnice ne bo poznal do potankosti.” Prav to pa je po njegovem mnenju ključno za uspešnost podjetja na dolgi rok – poznavanje “vseh kotov” podjetja, namenjanje pozornosti podrobnostim in tudi tistim področjem, ki na prvi pogled morda ne prinašajo dobička. Razprava je pokazala, da – kljub nasprotnemu večinskemu prepričanju – interesi različnih deležnikov v podjetniškem okolju, če ti ravnajo odgovorno in zasledujejo dobro podjetja, v veliki meri sovpadajo.
Za uvod v novo študijsko leto je Ženevski klub v oktobru 2017, pod skupnim naslovom Dnevi odvetništva, organiziral tridnevni sklop predavanj in okroglih miz na temo prihodnosti odvetništva, odvetniškega pripravništva, pravniškega državnega izpita ter mnogih drugih povezanih vprašanj, ki se tekom študija zastavljajo bodočim pravnikom. Pridružili so se nam pravniki z izkušnjami in dobrim vpogledom v navedene tematike in razbijali mite ter podajali zanesljive informacije, ki bodo udeležencem po koncu študija še kako koristile za dosego zastavljenih ciljev.
Na okrogli mizi z naslovom Pripravništvo v praksi so tako na vprašanja o sodniškem in odvetniškem pripravništvu odgovarjali:
– Špela Remec LL.M. (UPenn), takratna odvetniška kandidatka v Odvetniški družbi Šelih & partnerji,
– Svit Senković, LL.M. (UCL), bivši odvetniški kot tudi sodniški pripravnik,
– Luka Švab, takratni predsednik zbora odvetniških pripravnikov Odvetniške zbornice Slovenije in odvetniški pripravnik v Odvetniški pisarni Tischler.
Naslednjega dne se je na okrogli mizi Prihodnost odvetništva s principali odvetniških pisarn zbrali nekateri vodilni akterji slovenskega odvetništva in razvila se je vroča debata o trenutnih trendih v odvetništvu, v luči globalizacije, konsolidacije in hitrega tehnološkega razvoja. Sodelovali so:
– Mag. Uroš Ilić, principal Odvetniške družbe Ilić & partnerji,
– Aleš Rojs, principal Odvetniške družbe Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & partnerji,
– Nina Šelih, principalka Odvetniške družbe Šelih & partnerji.
Za zaključek smo na okroglo mizo Pravniški državni izpit Miti in resnice, povabili:
– Jakoba Ivančiča LL.M. (Harvard), takratni odvetniški kandidat v Odvetniški družbi Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & partnerji,
– Boruta Leskovca, odvetnik v Odvetniški pisarni Jadek & Pensa,
– Meto Bevc, bivšo predsednico zbora odvetniških pripravnikov Odvetniške zbornice Slovenije in takratno odvetniško kandidatko pri Kirm Perpar.
Od izkušenih kolegov so tako študentje iz prve roke dobili informacije o tem kako se lotiti priprav na pravniški državni izpit, kako izpit poteka, iz kje in kako se učiti ter kaj je ključ do doseganja dobrih ocen. Vse dogodke je povezoval Miha Babič, takratni predsednik zbora odvetniških kandidatov Odvetniške zbornice Slovenije in odvetniški kandidat v Odvetniški družbi Ilić & partnerji.
V nadaljevanju študijskega leta smo februarju 2018 v sodelovanju s PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) organizirali predavanje o delu pravnika na področju davčnega in finančnega svetovanja ter o izzivih, s katerimi se soočajo v globalni svetovalni družbi. Kakšne so zaposlitvene možnosti pravnika v globalni organizaciji, ki ponuja revizijske, svetovalne in davčne storitve sta nam predstavila vodja pravnega oddelka Sanja Savić in sodelavec v pravnem oddelku Jure Žavrlan.
LECTURES
In the past, we have hosted quite a few distinguished guests who have touched on topics from a wide variety of fields in their lectures. In 2011, M.Sc. Anja Strojin Štampar, then a member of the Board of Management of KAD, briefed on the importance of work experience and mentors in the transition from studying to a first job.
In 2012, M.Sc. Goran Klemenčič, then President of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption of the Republic of Slovenia, outlined the work of the CPC and paid special attention to the role of the banking system in the Slovenian corruption scheme. He also shared some words about his interesting study and career path with us.
In 2013, the club organized a two-day negotiation workshop led by Branko Čevriz, who was a lawyer candidate at the Wolf Theiss Law Firm at the time. In the same year we connected with the TopEF Club and together visited one of the leading Slovenian companies – Akrapovič.
In 2015, dr. Peter Merc, then responsible for ensuring the compliance function of Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank d.d. and mag. Miha Štepec, then Head of Receivables Management at the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), gave students a lecture on the concept of a »bad bank« in the Slovenian regulatory framework and informed us about examples of restructuring in BAMC’s practice.
In March 2016, we organized a lecture in the field of cryptocurrencies. Miha Grčar, then COO of Bitstamp Ltd., and Ervin Uršič Kovač, then legal representative of Cashila, outlined the operation of two leading cryptocurrency companies in Slovenia, while presenting some important aspects in understanding and using cryptocurrencies. The lecture was also joined by dr. Miha Šepec, then assistant professor at the European Faculty of Law in Nova Gorica and the Faculty of Security Sciences, who presented the potential criminal aspects of using cryptocurrencies.
In addition, we conducted two events on the topic of preparing a CV, since many students, despite having a wealth of academic knowledge, do not know how to convince potential employers that they are the right candidates for employment. The lecture was given by Miha Sušnik, then an associate of the Center for Vocational Education and Training, probably the only person who sent one job application and got two jobs, Aljoša Krdžić, a lawyer trainee at the office of Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik and partners, and Jernej Bergoč, then a financial analyst at Wieland Capital, a private equity fund.
In November 2016, the Geneva Club hosted, once again, an interesting guest at the Roundtable View of Owners, Managers and External Investors on Managing the Company: Marjan Batagelj, the majority owner and director of Postojna Cave dd, Robert Ličen, former CEO of Akrapovič d.o.o. and Gregor Rebolj, an investor in Silicon Garden Funds. Uroš Slak confronted the guests with the aim of presenting the views of different participants in the business environment on the management of the company, in particular whether their interests and activities in managing the company differ. Marjan Batagelj and Robert Ličen emphasized the importance of values in running a business: the owner is looking for a manager who shares his vision and values. Robert Ličen noted that sustainable and not rapid – regardless of price – growth is the key to running a business. He says: “You can reach the top of the building by elevator or on foot. Whoever goes to the top of the building with an elevator will, of course, be there faster, but they will not know the details of the building. ”This, in his opinion, is crucial for the company’s success in the long run – knowing “all the angles “of the company, paying attention to details and even those areas that may not be profitable at first glance. The debate has shown that – despite the overwhelming majority belief – the interests of different stakeholders in the corporate environment, if they act responsibly and pursue the good of the business, largely coincide.
To start the new academic year, the Geneva Club organized an event in October 2017, collectively entitled »Lawyer Days« – a three-day series of lectures and round tables on the future of law, the law traineeship, the state bar exam, and many other related questions posed to prospective lawyers during their studies. We have been joined by lawyers with experience and good insight into these topics and debunking myths and providing reliable information that will further help participants after graduation to achieve their goals.
At the round table, entitled »Traineeships in Practice«, the following professionals answered the questions about Judicial and Attorney Traineeships:
– Špela Remec, LL.M. (UPenn), then an attorney candidate at Šelih & Partners Law Firm,
– Svit Senković, LL.M. (UCL), a former attorney and judicial trainee,
– Luka Švab, then president of the Association of Attorney Trainees of the Slovenian Bar Association and a trainee at the Tischler Law Office.
The following day, some of the leading Slovenian lawyers gathered at the »Round table on the Future of Law Firms« with the principals of law firms and a heated debate on current trends in the law, in the light of globalization, consolidation and rapid technological development, developed. Participants were:
– Mag. Uroš Ilić, Principal of Ilić & Partners Law Firm,
– Aleš Rojs, Principal at Law Firm Rojs, Peljhan, Prelesnik & Partners,
– Nina Šelih, Principal at Šelih & Partners Law Firm.
To conclude, we invited the following professionals to the round table, named »The State Bar Exam Myths and Truths«:
– Jakob Ivančič LL.M. (Harvard), then an attorney candidate at Law Firm Rojs, Pelhan, Prelesnik & Partners,
– Borut Leskovec, a lawyer at the law firm Jadek & Pensa,
– Meta Bevc, the former president of the Association of Attorney Trainees of the Slovenian Bar Association and then an attorney candidate at Kirm Perpar Law Firm.
The experienced colleagues thus provided students with first-hand information on how to prepare for the State Bar Exam, how the exam is conducted, where and how to study, and what is the key to achieving good grades. All the events were narrated by Miha Babič, then the president of the Association of Attorney Candidates of the Slovenian Bar Association and an attorney candidate at the Ilić & Partners Law Firm.
Later in the academic year, in February 2018, we organized a lecture in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The lecture was about the work of a tax and financial advisor and on the challenges which the global consulting firm then faced. What are the employment opportunities of a lawyer in a global organization that provides audit, advisory and tax services, was presented to us by the head of the legal department, Sanja Savić, and an associate in the legal department, Jure Žavrlan.