Interviewer: Rohit Pradhan
1. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
I am Vincenzo Senatore, dual Italian/English qualified lawyer with over 14 years of combined experience representing and advising clients on matters involving corporate law, Italian and English law, domestic and international business transactions, business litigation, international criminal law.
I have had the opportunity, during my academic and working career, to interface with different legal systems that have allowed me to deepen and greatly increase my knowledge of the law in both Civil and Common law arena. After obtaining my Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Business Transactions and Trade Law at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Washington DC (USA), I worked as an associate in large American law firms (Wilkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP; Bryan Cave LLP; Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP) in the Milan and Rome offices, Italy and, then, joined the international law firm Giambrone & Partners LLP as a Resident Partner in the London and Naples offices.
2. Can you please give us a brief description of your journey to become an Italian Avvocato, an English solicitor, and a qualified lawyer to practice before the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
The journey that led me to obtain the dual qualification as a Lawyer and Solicitor was extremely challenging. For an Italian lawyer it is quite unusual to obtain a foreign qualification and to approach different legal systems, since the legal profession in Italy is still very traditional. In this sense, my great willingness to interface with realities different from the more traditional Italian one, has, undoubtedly, played a key role. On the basis of this, after my studies in Italy, I first approached the Austrian legal system and then the United States and finally the United Kingdom.
I am very proud to be qualified as a Solicitor but I always consider it only as a starting point in my professional growth, I want to expand my knowledge of law in other jurisdictions and, in light of this, I am studying in order to get qualified in the state of California and to get the Higher Rights of Audience in the UK.
My great passion for international criminal law then led me to undertake the tortuous route to obtain the qualification to practice with the ICC, acknowledgement of the hard work done over the years.
3. We were very excited to know about your practice in the International Court of Justice. We were wondering the nature of work you deal with while appearing there. Can you elaborate on that.
The ICC is the world’s only permanent international court with a mandate to investigate and prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. My involvement before the ICC was attending for just one day the most famous trial against Slobodan Milošević (President of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), who was indicted in May 1999, during the Kosovo War for having violated the laws and customs of war, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions in Croatia and Bosnia and genocide in Bosnia were added a year and a half later. Currently my involvement is quite limited as I am permanently based in London and running an international law firm takes a huge amount of time in the management.
4. Currently, outsourcing legal work as “freelance” is becoming a common practice, especially when firms do not have the capacity to practice in jurisdiction. What is your stance on that? Do you believe it is beneficial?
Nowadays, the legal profession has developed a lot from the past, once working as a lawyer outside of a structured firm was very difficult; today, however, the freelance lawyer is becoming a new way of practicing law increasingly on the rise.
In my opinion, the freelance lawyer is a very controversial figure, let me explain. On the one hand, it can be an added value to deal with if you don’t have in-depth knowledge of a certain area of law or of that specific jurisdiction, but on the other hand, it is always very difficult to identify a freelancer who is really very skilled and experienced in the issues presented to him. Again, this is essentially because, not being part of a structured law firm, it is difficult to identify a good freelancer on the basis of his or her resume and references alone. Having an established firm behind you is always a guarantee for both colleagues and clients also in term of insurance covered.
5. As an international firm, does Giambrone & Partners outsource work or cases to legal freelancers? If yes, why? And what is the extent of this collaborative effort?
At Giambrone & Partners we adopt a much more ‘all-encompassing’ policy. Through a great expansion in recent years we have opened offices in major European cities and desks in many other countries, always trying to put at the service of our clients, lawyers and legal professionals as complete and competent as possible in the areas of domestic law of that country. In this sense, our goal has always been to provide a service to our clients that is efficient and that can be carried out by the firm itself in all its aspects. Of course, in particularly complex cases, especially overseas where we don’t have offices, it may be necessary to cooperate with a freelancer from outside our law firm, but our goal is always to provide our clients with an increasingly complete team capable of meeting all their needs.
6. With the rise of legal work outsourcing, there has also been a rise in legal freelancing websites as a digital evolution of the practice. What is more preferable? Freelancing websites or an individual’s personalised request.
In my personal opinion, relying on a freelance website can always be a greater guarantee of the outcome of the work you will be doing. The personalized request can make sense when you personally know the freelance lawyer who will be giving advice on that particular matter, since, precisely because his skills are already known, a possible client or colleague will know in advance that the work will be done at its best. If this is not the case, it is always a great risk to rely on a freelancer whose direct references or knowledge you do not have.
In light of the above, a freelance lawyer’s website can be a greater guarantee precisely because the freelance lawyer’s abilities presuppose an upstream analysis, since the website will act as a kind of agency and the abilities of its consultants will enhance both its reputation and that of the freelancer himself, drawing both a double benefit, especially in terms of advertising.
7. How should one approach a law firm or a practitioner to seek legal freelance work?
Personally, I believe that when approaching a law firm or practitioner to seek legal freelance work, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the client’s background and situation. In this sense, it is very important for the client to provide clear, precise and timely information about his or her requirements and ultimate goal; only in this way will the legal professional be able to take the best course of action based on the interests the client wishes to pursue. In the same way, the law firm or practitioner, if provided with accurate and detailed information, will be able to provide its own advice or, in case of need or procedural uncertainties, especially with regard to sensitive cross-border issues, seek legal freelance work.
It is important to consider that a law firm tends to seek to have a professional staff to meet all possible client needs and, based on this, will always try to resolve any given matter through its own resources and is unlikely to seek legal freelance work elsewhere, except in cases of extreme necessity.
8. Any parting advice for legal freelancers?
In my view, it is essential for legal freelancers to be well-prepared and to have a very strong and well-structured track record, as well as a good reputation and promotion. In this sense, it is very difficult today to build a solid career in the legal industry without having a well-structured law firm behind you, which more often than not also acts as a guarantor of the lawyer’s work. However, for a legal freelancer who cannot rely on this “guarantee“, it is undoubtedly essential to have good advertising, excellent references, and to perform his or her work in the best and most professional way possible, considering that his or her work represents his or her only “guarantee” to clients.
9. Finally, for our aspiring readers, what is the one thing you would like to tell your younger self about making your way in the profession?
Persist and keep it straight, sacrifices always bring results and will be rewarded always.
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