On the first morning of the meeting, members paid a visit to the Hungarian Academy of Justice, where they were received a comprehensive explanation of the Hungarian court system and had the opportunity to meet some judges and trainee judges. In the afternoon, members visited the Hungarian Parliament, a spectacular building on the river Danube, where they learned about the history of Hungary. This was followed by a sightseeing tour of the city and dinner at a restaurant on the river Danube.
The formal meeting took place on the second day, at the office of the Budapest Bar Association. Before proceeding with the annual meeting agenda, members received an insightful lecture from Professor Dr. Miklós Király on civil international law, which included a discussion on the impact of Brexit. The meeting welcomed a new member, Davo & Associates, from Bucharest, Romania and discussed the associations’ first newsletter, published in April. The members also confirmed their agreement to the decision taken at the last directors’ meeting, to review the association’s articles, so that they reflect that the association is a worldwide, rather than European association.
The meeting was concluded with the election of a new president, Ansgar Rother of Rechtsanwaltskanzlei Rother in Bonn, who takes over from Evert van der Hout of Schuit Polak Van den Hout Advocaten in Amsterdam, who successfully presided over the association for 3 years.
The day was concluded with a drinks reception at the offices of the host member, Bán, S. Szabó & Partners, where members had the opportunity to meet the lawyers who work at this firm. The drinks reception was followed by a formal dinner at the Academy of Sciences, where members not only enjoyed a lovely dinner, but also a piano concert by Endre Hegedűs, an internationally renowned piano soloist.
The final day involved a visit to the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, which specialises in luxury hand painted and gilded porcelain where members could admire beautiful porcelain creations, including a dinner set especially designed for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in honour of their wedding. The meeting was concluded with wine tasting and dinner at a winery near the beautiful Lake Balaton.
The next Board of Directors meeting is set to take place in Warsaw, Poland in October 2018.
