XXV World Conference of BGI GLOBAL: A Landmark Gathering in Berlin

From September 18 to 22, 2024, Berlin became the hub of international collaboration as it hosted the XXV World Conference of BGI GLOBAL, our renowned international network. With representatives from over 20 countries, the event marked a significant milestone in our shared commitment to excellence and innovation.

The conference was hosted by our German partner firm, vpmk Legal Services PartmbB https://www.vpmk.de/en/, which warmly welcomed all attendees. True to tradition, the first day (Wednesday) featured an informal gathering, fostering initial interactions among the participants. The working sessions on Thursday and Friday were held at the prestigious Hotel Zoo, where attendees engaged in dynamic discussions and workshops on topics such as artificial intelligence, internationalization strategies, and other pressing global issues.

Saturday offered a more relaxed agenda, as our host office organized city tours and cultural activities, providing participants with a deeper connection to Berlin’s rich history and vibrant culture.

The conference was a resounding success. Key internal matters shaping the future of our network were deliberated, and attendees had the opportunity to hear from expert speakers on cutting-edge topics. Additionally, we proudly introduced the newest firms to join our network, further enriching our global presence.

The XXV World Conference of BGI GLOBAL not only strengthened professional ties but also reaffirmed our network’s shared vision for growth and innovation in the ever-evolving global landscape.

BGI GLOBAL SECRETARIAT

​Balms Group International held its 23rd Annual General Meeting in Athens from 21 to 24 September. The event brought together all the partners and members of the firm.

As is now a tradition, the first day was marked by a welcome cocktail. At this time, all the attendees got back in touch with each other and later continued with a dinner at  Passaji restaurant.

The General Meeting was opened and welcomed by the hosts, Charalambakis and Associates. During the afternoon they enjoyed a visit to the Temple of Poseidon and dinner at Labros restaurant.

Continuing with the activities of the XXIII Annual General Meeting, a workshop day was held on Friday 23rd. Companies specialised in different fields of work offered presentations that led to interesting conversations during the networking space.

The day ended with a pleasant dinner at the Kuzina restaurant.

Saturday 24th was a day of sightseeing during which the history of the Acropolis could be enjoyed. With the evening came the Gala dinner held at the Muse Urban Venue.

​This 26th of April, Balms International Group held its XX Annual General Meeting in Madrid, where every member and partner of the firm participated at global level.

The first day kicked off with a traditional cocktail, where everybody among those present took the opportunity to rebuild comradery and professional connections; the gathering later carried on at the Fortuny Restaurant, where everybody enjoyed a pleasant evening in the Spanish capital.

Having been held between the 26th until the 29th of April, the Meeting had a very diverse Agenda which included workshop sessions, tourist activities or food tastings, turning it into a unique experience.

We were honored to have with us companies from different countries, which outlined throughout the day the competitive advantages a BGI membership poses in their countries. The IT department also delivered presentations aimed at informing us about the new solutions waiting to be implemented, and the strategies to be proposed in order to change our website in terms of marketing.

Our evening was topped off at the Nuevo Club of Madrid, where we enjoyed the presence of different ambassadors and members of diplomatic mission from more than 18 countries, leading figures, partners of the firm, clients and friends.

The second day of our XX Annual General Meeting had an early-start with a series of presentations held by various prestigious companies, focused on several areas: IT Security, Digital Marketing, Tax Refunds etc., which subsequently led to a networking session between our partners and these firms.

The event was followed by a conference held by Mr. Borja Martínez Echevarría (lawyer specialized in legal communication) which tackled the topic of Legal Marketing and its implications for our businesses in the 21st century.

Our day concluded with a well-deserved dinner at La Habanera restaurant.

The Balms Group International XX Annual General Meeting ended on the 29th of April, with a visit at The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid) which we explored in its entire splendor, while appreciating its historical value. We celebrated our evening with yet another experience of the cuisine and lifestyle of Madrid, at the famous restaurant La Taberna del Capitan Alatriste.

We expressed our goodbyes at a casual but classy gala dinner, at the renowned Teatro Real of Madrid. Among dishes bearing the seal of the prestigious Chef Ramón Freixa, cocktails and words of our president, Juan Luis Balmaseda, the 20th meeting also represented the perfect occasion for awarding our partners and organizers for their work.

Congratulations to our new partners! Welcome to the BGI BALMS GROUP INTERNATIONAL family.

Video: https://youtu.be/xj8ppWeT0K4

The XVIII Annual BGI Congress is opened with the traditional welcome cocktail, on Wednesday the 29th of April in lounge “Eleven” at Hotel Westin Santa Fe, as organized by the hosts of the BGI VILLAREAL event, BGI Mexico.

As always, greeting and seeing each other again is a very special moment. The hall is filled with gaggles of people, telling each other what has happened since the last time we all saw each other, and where we asked after everyone’s loved ones.

The working session commences on the 30th of April, with the welcoming of all the attendees by our president, Mr. Juan Luis Balmaseda de Ahumada y Díez, who then gives the floor to the host, our Vicepresident, Mr. Guillermo Villareal, who also offers a warm welcome.

The president thanks Mr. Washington Fonseca and Mrs. Daniela Ito – representatives of the firm Dantas, Fonseca y Nigre Advigados and Brazilian candidates – for their participation, and proposes a change in the agenda, if the assembly considers it appropriate, to begin the session with the presentation of said firm, so that they can thus attend the conference.

After the presentation of the prospective firm, we move to the statement of the 2014 annual accounts, and discuss diverse topics of interest regarding the maintenance of the international network of law firms, BGI, specifically stressing the marketing strategy to follow and the future development of the network. Everyone present shows their interest in expanding the network over Europe and America principally. Furthermore, the possible prospective firms in Colombia and Italy are introduced, and we are informed that there are interested firms in Argentina, the United States, Russia, Portugal and Israel.

After the conference and the work groups, Mr. Mark Summerfield proposes London as a candidate for the seat for next year’s XIX Annual General Assembly, and the President says it would be very special so commemorate 20 years of BGI there. The proposal is cheerfully approved unanimously.

The official clause of the Congress takes place on Saturday the 2nd of May in the fabulous Hacienda de los Morales, where the traditional BGI gala dinner is celebrated, and where the President and Memebers of the Executive Committee award a plaque of thanks to the BGI Villareal Firm, which is collected by Mr. Guillermo Villareal, and the traditional bunches of flowers are gifted to the ladies who participated in the organization of the Congress.

Balms Abogados celebrates its 25th anniversary and wants to celebrate it with you and theirBGI partners. For this purpose, the XVII BGI International Conference will take place in Marbella, where its first office was established. The conference will take place from the 28th of May to the 1st of June and the hotel chosen for the event is The Coral Beach Marbella.

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Following the offer from BGI Italia to hold the International Conference in their country, this year we have celebrated our XVI BGI International Conference in Milan. It took place from the 1st to the 4th of May and the hotel that was chosen for the attendees, guests and partners to stay in was the Hotel Una Cusani Milano. The conference sessions also took place in this beautiful, four star hotel, located only a short walk away from the Duomo, in a historic, recently restored building of great value.

This year, as well as almost all of the partners of the network being able to attend, we also had the presence of several guests including Malcom Smith, a professor at the Manchester Business School, representatives from Bordier & Cie bank and various law firms; potential candidates to become BGI members. The conference began with a welcome cocktail in the new offices of Cerutti and Partners, in Via Durini, after which we went for dinner in the “Posto di Conversazione” restaurant. It was a lovely evening which we used to greet each other and update one another on our latest news. On Thursday the 2nd May, after the submission of all the relevant documents, all the attendees met in the conference room. Following a welcoming from the president of BGI, Juan Luis Balmaseda de Ahumada and the host, Massimo Cerutti, we moved on to the approval of the previous minutes, the presentation of the accounts and the budget for the new year. Although both firms already gave their presentations in the corresponding international conferences, they took this opportunity of us all being together to officially introduce themselves to the partners they didn’t know. After this, the firms who were in attendance as future candidates of BGI introduced themselves. We finally have a new website. The address is still the same: www.bgi-law.com but the content and the design have changed significantly. It is now in seven languages, and although there are still some small errors that need to be corrected, we can already visit it and show it to our existing and potential clients. After presenting the website, we watched a video prepared by the communication department about the relationship between lawyers and social networks. The video also made reference to the web 2.0 and explained how getting involved and making use of new technologies can help the expansion of our brand considerably. Before the break it was decided which would be the host countries for the next continental conferences; those selected were Mexico (Mexico D.F.) which will take place on the 28th and the 29th of November, and Romania (Bucharest) which will take place during the first fortnight of October (the final date is still to be confirmed). In the afternoon, after lunch, we attended the lecture given by Mr. Malcom Smith, Professor at the Manchester Business School, on the concept of branding and its relevance in the communication strategy for businesses. We were also given a presentation about the BGI case study on Brand Challenge that was carried out in the Sao Paulo workshop, organised by the Manchester Business School. Dinner that day took place in the wonderful and stunning restaurant, “Just Cavalli”. On Friday the 3rd of May, the session was dedicated to the internal organisation of the network, of future conferences and to encouraging relationships between the partner members. For this, some 5 minute speedy datings were organised between the partners, where they talked about mutual clients, specialities in which they could collaborate and topics of common interest. On Friday we also held the election of the new vice-president of BGI; Diego Martínez Bernie, partner of BGI Uruguay was chosen. Congratulations! That night, in a more relaxed environment and away from the working sessions, we went to the “Giselle” ballet in the Teatro alla Scala. It was a performance which moved us all, because of its beauty and the context in which it was performed. We dedicated the Saturday to a guided tour around Milan: S. Maria delle Gracie, the Cenacolo Vinciano, the Galleria Emanuelle Vittorio and the catedral del Duomo. After the free afternoon which was used to relax and do the “obligatory shopping” that every tourist must do, we met for the gala dinner, which took place in the Societá del Giardino, an old club, founded in 1783, exclusively for men. Originally, the reasons for its establishment were enjoyment and leisure, with it gradually evolving into a cultural centre. This gala dinner brought the XVI BGI Annual Conference to a close, with the hope of seeing each other again soon.

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This year the chosen location for the 16th Annual Congress of BGI was the beautiful coastal city of Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará County, and one of the largest in Brazil. The conference took place between 16th and 19th May in Gran Marquise hotel, where the majority of events were held and most of the guests resided.

The conference was opened with a welcome drink at the headquarters of the Federation of Industries of Ceara (FIEC). Similarly to previous occasions, this welcome drink provided us with a perfect opportunity to greet each other and catch up, both on work-related- and on personal topics. Our relationships with each other are oftentimes more than mere acquaintance; most of us have known each other for more than fifteen years. Therefore our working relationships have evolved into friendship. After both Cid Marconi (the vice president of BGI and the organizer of this year’s event) and Juan Luis Balmaseda de Ahumada Diez (the president of BGI) had taken the floor to officially greet the attendees, we looked forward to a pleasant evening on the terrace with live music as entertainment. On Thursday 17th May, after all of the participants had registered, the conference was officially launched. In the morning, the main focus was placed on internal issues and on the organization of Balms Group International; presentation of the accounts and audit in 2011, a forecasted budget for next year, with references to cases. Also discussed was the election of new Executive Committee members, introduction of our new Mexican partners, Villarreal Cuevas and Lawyers, presentation of new members, reports on social networks and their evolution, presentation of the new issue of BGI Law Magazine as well as the new format of the website, etc. After the luncheon hosted by the Trade Federation of Ceará and Fortaleza in the restaurant “Sal e Brasa”, we resumed our work with international bodies in the form of a lively discussion, addressing a variety of issues such as marketing structure and Balms Group International’s choice of venues and dates for upcoming conferences. The next conference to take place is the European Continental Congress, which is to be held in October, in Vienna, Austria. Subsequently, the American Continental Congress scheduled for November will be celebrated in Asuncion in Paraguay. Thereafter the headquarters of the next annual conferences will be Milan (Italy) in 2013 and Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 2014. Following a short coffee-break, the talks proceeded, with the presentation the Franchising House: “An opportunity to specialize our networks and open new markets” as commented by Javier Lopez. The day ended with dinner at ‘Crocobeach’s’ restaurant in Praia do Futuro, a beautiful complex on the beachfront where we had ample opportunity to relax and enjoy our surroundings, with fresh caipirinhas in our hands, after a long, intense but nonetheless fruitful day of work. Friday 18th was devoted to various lectures by Brazilian authorities on various matters of legal interest. After the talks, the Bar Association of the State of Ceará hosted a luncheon held at Grazie restaurant. After the lunch, we enjoyed a quick sightseeing tour ended with a beautiful sunset at the Metal Bridge. The dinner on Friday was held in the nearby ‘Coco Bambu’s Seafood’ restaurant. On Saturday 19th May, both speakers and guest alike went to see the host’s (Cid Marconi) office, who kindly showed the visitors around. Afterwards, an informal family photo was taken to commemorate this year’s event. After this visit, we went to Cid Marconi’s summer house, where we spent a nice day with a delicious picnic lunch. Most of us swam in the pool and the bravest amongst us even tried zip-sliding! On Saturday evening, as is customary, the traditional BGI gala dinner took place, in the Palace of Abolition, where both the president and the vice president of BGI thanked the partners and other participants for their attendance at the16th Annual International Congress of BGI. Amongst others, he extended a special thank you to the Gobernador of Ceará, Mr. Cid Ferreira Gomes the senator of the Brazilian Republic, Pimentel Gomes, the president of the assembly of Ceará, Mr. Roberto Claudio , the minister, Mr. Leonidas Crisitino, the secretary of Administration and Planning in Ceará, Mr. Eduardo Diogo, the special secretary of the FIFA World Cup 2014, Mr. Ferrucio Feitosa, Congressman, Mr. Antonio Balmann, president of the Bar Association of Ceará, Mr. Valdetário Monteiro, president of EMAZP, Mr. Eduardo Macedo, Mr. Alexandre, APEX-BRASIL Petra, the procurator of the State, Mrs. Rita Martins, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Portugal, the secretary of tourism in the state of Ceará, Mr. Bismarck Maia, the superintendent of the Northwest Bank of Brazil, the senator, Mr. Inácio Arruda and senator of the Republic Mr. Eunicio Oliveira. With this emotional moment the XV International Congress of BGI came to a close. We hope that the next one will follow shortly.

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