With preparations for the 2025 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Oppenheim Partner Istvan Szatmary shares his thoughts about the upcoming event and what he’s looking forward to the most.
CEELM: Why did Oppenheim decide to participate in the CEE Legal Matters GC Summit in Hungary?
Szatmary: An easy answer, we’ve done it before! We had a really good experience on multiple levels: the venue was excellent, the technical side ran smoothly, and the organization was impeccable. Having so many people to connect and engage with was great. GCs like this event, and so do we.
CEELM: What are you most looking forward to at the GC Summit?
Szatmary: Right off the bat, connecting with many GCs and having meaningful discussions on up-to-date topics, reconnecting with contacts we haven’t seen in a while, and meeting new people. And, of course, doing it in person rather than via screens is a big plus.
What excites us most, though, is seeing GCs meet each other. External lawyers have plenty of forums and associations where we cross paths; GCs, by contrast, are often immersed in intra-company matters and don’t have many opportunities for cross-industry, cross-sector networking. This summit creates that space, where they can exchange best practices, compare how they keep their teams running, and realize they’re not alone in their challenges. That kind of peer-to-peer exposure is invaluable.
CEELM: And what about the panels and the content of the summit themselves – what are your expectations?
Szatmary: Technology-related topics, AI and legal technology in particular, remain as compelling as ever; you can’t attend a conference today where they don’t come up. We’re keen to hear about the latest developments and how GCs are incorporating them into their daily routines. The market’s expectations of external counsel and in-house teams differ, so it will be interesting to see how GCs integrate new tools into their workflows and how that, in turn, shapes engagement with external providers.
We’re also seeing a significant volume of new legislation across fields, both EU-wide and member-state-specific. We’re eager to hear their perspectives on compliance: how to ensure it, whether it’s truly possible to keep pace with detailed rules, and, if so, by which methodologies.
CEELM: Why should General Counsels make sure to attend this summit?
Szatmary: It’s a fantastic opportunity for GCs to meet one another. Our goal is to help them connect during the event and stay in touch afterwards. As one example, Oppenheim’s Korean Desk works with many Korean companies, yet there isn’t a single forum pulling those threads together and signaling to Korean GCs in the region that they can engage with peers and exchange best practices. The same applies to other heavily regulated sectors, such as pharma and beyond, where GCs can broaden their pool of trusted professionals.
And, frankly, meeting in person has renewed value. Simply showing up, striking up a conversation with a colleague, and talking face-to-face rather than over video is a refreshing, and productive, change.