New CCBE leadership elected for 2026

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) has elected a new president. Roman Završek, an advocate from Slovenia who currently serves as the organization's first vice president, was elected to the position.

The vote took place on November 27 during the CCBE plenary session. The new head will take office on January 1, 2026.

Alex Tallon from Belgium, Imbi Jürgen from Estonia and Noemí Alarcón Velasco from Spain were elected vice presidents of the organization.

Roman Završek is the founder and managing partner of the law firm Završek & Šnajder L.L.C., as well as the founder of the Adria Legal Group association.

In 1997, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ljubljana and specialized in civil and commercial law, as well as human rights law.

He was involved in the activities of the Slovenian Bar Association. From 2012 to 2021, he was its president.

Since 2012, he has been actively involved in the work of the CCBE as the head and member of the Slovenian delegation.

Since June 2020, he has headed the CCBE Platform for Exchange, Cooperation and Outreach (PECO).

The Ukrainian National Bar Association congratulates Roman Završek and his colleagues on their election to high office and expresses its gratitude to the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe for its consistent support of the Ukrainian advocacy and the protection of its independence in the context of full-scale war.

It should be recalled that in recent years, the CCBE has repeatedly demonstrated solidarity with its Ukrainian colleagues, condemning the Russian Federation's armed aggression against Ukraine and calling on European bar associations to take practical steps to support those fleeing the war. Under the coordination of the CCBE, European advocate associations raised funds to purchase generators and portable charging stations, which were donated to Ukrainian advocates for the operation of support centers in the regions. The CCBE also adopted special recommendations on the qualifications of Ukrainian advocates, which facilitate Ukrainian advocates' access to legal services markets in EU countries.

The organization consistently advocates for the swift ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Advocate's Profession and publicly defends the rights of Ukrainian advocates, in particular through appeals to the President of Ukraine and statements on the investigation of attacks on advocates and guarantees for their professional activities.

The CCBE was founded in 1960 as an international association promoting the views of European advocates on the protection of the legal principles on which democracy and the rule of law are based.

Today, this organization represents more than one million European lawyers before European and other international institutions. The most important missions of the CCBE are to regulate the profession and protect the rule of law, human rights, and democratic values. Issues of access to justice and the digitization of justice processes are also included in its areas of special focus.

The CCBE's members are advocacy and law societies from 46 countries in the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Europe. The organization consists of 32 member countries and 14 associate members and observer countries.