Schoenherr Romania has launched the "Ella" event series, a platform to promote female success stories in various sectors. Ella aims to ensure visibility for role models and to serve as a source of inspiration to event participants (and beyond), including through experience-sharing, community-strengthening and mentoring activities.

Ella is named after Ella Negruzzi, the first Romanian woman to actually practice as a lawyer. The event series is designed as a tribute to people who, regardless of their gender, have been trailblazers in their fields.

"Today, about 58 % of lawyers active in Romania are women. The days when the first attempts by Romanian women to be admitted to the Bar were met with repeated rejections are long gone, and we can no longer talk about gender imparity among lawyers in our country. But, unfortunately, this cannot be said for all sectors and all hierarchical levels, so fostering dialogue, supporting successful role models, as well as encouraging educational and mentoring activities aimed at promoting diversity are still needed" – said Georgiana Bădescu, partner at Schoenherr, who hosted the first event of the Ella series.

The first Ella event, hosted by Schoenherr partner Georgiana Bădescu, featured guest speakers Lavinia Ivas (CEO Parfumerie Douglas Romania, one of the most admired CEOs in Romania, awarded several times for her leadership roles in various sectors) and Cristiana Oprea (rally driver and founder of "Women in Motorsport", the first woman driver in Romania to compete in both the World Rally Championship and the European Rally Championship). They gave insights into their experience and discussed overcoming prejudices and obstacles, sharing lessons learned and advice for people who want to follow a similar path to theirs.

"I was delighted to attend the launch of the Ella event series, inspired by Romania's first female practicing lawyer, Ella Negruzzi. Ella is a space where every woman can find her voice, develop her potential and share her story, inspiring and being inspired by other members of the community." – said Lavinia Ivas, CEO Parfumerie Douglas Romania, on the occasion of the Ella launch.

"I am honoured to have been part of the inaugural Ella event and to meet a vibrant community of women who amplify each other's qualities and potential. I'm glad I was able to bring sport closer to the business environment, through interesting discussions designed to inspire and highlight the importance of resilience in any field." – said rally driver Cristiana Oprea at the event.

Each Ella event will be hosted by a female Schoenherr partner and will present guest speakers from a variety of professional backgrounds and sectors. Ella is inspired by Marianne, its "sister" in Vienna, launched in 2022 at the initiative of Schoenherr partners Miriam Simsa and Gudrun Stangl and named after Marianne Beth, the first woman to earn a law degree and be admitted to the bar in Austria.

Schoenherr is an international law firm, active in Central and Eastern Europe and South Eastern Europe, where it operates 15 offices. The firm entered the Romanian market in 1996. It provides legal advice in the main practice areas relevant to the activity of local and multinational companies. Schoenherr și Asociații SCA is recommended by all major independent legal market research bodies (Chambers, Legal500, IFLR1000).