November 2008 - Monday evening (Nov 3) saw the launch at the Hungarian State Opera House of what is being billed as the first law firm to "focus and specialize on the region." Kinstellar, which is based in Budapest, along with Bratislava, Bucharest, and Prague, has been spun off from UK-based "Magic Circle" law firm Linklaters, and is comprised of what were their offices and staff in the region.
Csilla Andrékó, the managing partner of the Budapest firm, described a child growing up and moving away from the family home: the change naturally brings elements of doubt and pain for both sides, but she added that the "kids" knew they could always "rely" on the support of their parents, and said there was a natural desire to "out perform" them. "Kinstellar is launched with huge ambitions," she said.The name itself is an anagram of Linklaters, the "kin" part referring to that family relationship, and "stellar" being a clear statement of intent, matched by the company's slogan of "Exceptional together. "John Turnbull, a member of Linklaters' board of directors, explained how the "best friend" relationship between the two firms would work.
"When a Linklaters client has a deal [in the region] that needs to be done, or a problem that needs to be solved, then we will be ringing up Kinstellar to deal with that," he said. "Our young lawyers at Linklaters and Kinstellar will be trained together, they will attend the same seminars, lectures and training programs. We will also cooperate very closely in developing technical know-how and new products, and, most important of all, ensuring our common clients will be served in the tradition of excellence [they have come to expect]."
The message to clients was obvious; the name may have changed, the company may have changed, but the people and level of service have not. Kinstellar has "a track record of more top tier rankings across the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia than any other international law firm," according to a brochure handed out at the evening, citing Chambers Europe 2008 and Legal 500 Europe 2008 law firm surveys. Earlier, Andrékó, acknowledging that this was not the easiest environment in which to launch a new business, quoted from the late US President Ronald Regan: "The future doesn't belong to the faint hearted; it belongs to the brave." The "organizational separation will give us a greater degree of liberty to focus more on local circumstances and conditions," she explained.
Jason Mogg, the Canadian-born managing partner of Kinstellar, said there would be no head office, with all four regional capitals equally important. "We are, and will remain, a single partnership operating in a lock-step system. We will not be a series of franchises or a collection of individuals working and pulling in different directions." Some of the promotional literature produced to back the launch of the new brand carries the words "Driven by excellence. That is not a strap line or a slogan; this is what we aspire to be," he said. And already there are plans to expand. Speaking exclusively to The Budapest Sun, Mogg said there would need to be a balancing act between slow organic growth and the recruitment of the right individuals or the acquisition of law firms, with the emphasis always on maintaining the Kinstellar service levels.
The current priority list for building the brand in the region is headed by Turkey, followed by Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Serbia in joint third place, and Bulgaria, although Mogg was keen to stress that offices would not necessarily open in that order. "We are not in detailed talks with anyone yet, but I would like to do two of them during 2009," he said. The program for the evening at the Opera House included a performance by renowned soprano Erika Miklósa, accompanied by the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, an air ballet performed by acrobat Bettina Mező, and a specially commissioned and choreographed dance routine, called "Exceptional together," by Levente Bajári, Ildikó Boros, Krisztina Pazár and Roland Csonka, all soloists of the Hungarian National Ballet. The evening ended with a buffet, catered by Gerbeaud, on the stage of the Opera House, and featuring local specialities from all four countries where Kinstellar is currently based.
From The Budapest Sun, 7 November 2008