Trainer Directory

EULETA members can be included in the directory.  Please send a profile photo plus a short biography up to 200 words to secretary@euleta.org . Profiles of individuals should reflect you as a teaching professional and not be commercially orientated. Please note that your bio must be approved by the board before featuring in the directory. We aim to respond in a timely manner but please bear in mind that all board members are volunteers and dedicate their spare time to the organisation. 

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Sophia Barinova 

Contact: Russia / St.Petersburg  Phone: +7 (812) 963 40 62   E-Mail: info@legalenglishcentre.com     Website: www.legalenglishcentre.com

Sophia Barinova is a Legal English trainer and language consultant; director of an authorised TOLES Exams center (Test of Legal English Skills) in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sophia also holds PhD in English and German, and works for the Leningrad State University.

David Best    

David has taught ESP/Legal English/English for Economics, Management and Marketing (combined with EU Multilingualism/Translation Policy) within the Faculty of Law, Université libre de Bruxelles since 2011. He holds a BA in European Studies, Languages and Literatures (1999) and a PhD in Italian Studies (2008), both from University College Cork, Ireland.

Previous to embarking on the field of Legal English in 2011, he lectured for ten years on Italian language, literature and cultural studies at University College Cork, at the University of St Andrews, and at Trinity College Dublin; then on English Language and Translation at l’Università degli Studi di Napoli ‘L’Orientale’

He has published mainly on 20^th/21^st-century Italian literature. His latest research concerns EU legal terminology and the “untranslatability” of legal language in the supranational EU context. An article-chapter entitled “Equal respect or equal effect: the untranslatability of legal terminology and its impact on language parity in the EU” is forthcoming in a collected volume to be published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in 2015.

Mark Brophy

I graduated from Manchester University in Management Sciences and worked in the UK in industry and IT for a few years before moving to Monza, Italy in the mid 1990s. My client base includes multinational organisations as well as tax consultants and legal professionals. I teach specialized courses to the local branches of both the Law Society (Ordine degli Avvocati) and Chartered Accountants (Ordine dei Dottor Commercialisti e Esperti Contabili) as well as many local private law and tax firms. Through my role as EULETA Board member I have an extensive network of contacts throughout Europe and regularly organize international seminars with professional in other European countries.

Agnieszka A. Chojecka

A legal English tutor and language consultant

I graduated from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland (the English Philology Department). Since 1998 I have been teaching business professionals and since 2004 I have focused on legal and financial English and tutored law students, legal trainees, advocates, legal advisers, tax advisers, accountants and judges of common and administrative courts. In my Legal English Centre, an authorised TOLES exam centre, I offer workshops for lawyers, group courses and individual tuition.

I can help legal professionals to:

• work on effective legal writing and contract drafting
• prepare for the TOLES exams
• practise presentation and negotiation skills
• improve vocabulary in their areas of expertise
• increase confidence, fluency and accuracy in speech.

I have designed and published my study materials (Civil Procedure Terminology: Survival Guide for Polish Lawyers; Prepositions in Legal Use and More: Networks of Meaning, Higher level and Advanced level; Employment Law Terminology: Survival Guide for Polish Lawyers).

My students benefit from guidance on how to:

• memorise legal vocabulary most efficiently
• take advantage of their individual learning styles
• become independent language learners.

Natasha Costello 

Contact: Paris Phone: +33 (0)6 31 61 72 00 E-mail: nclegalenglish@gmail.com LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-costello

Natasha Costello LLB, PGCE is British, a solicitor (non-practising) and former senior lecturer in law at Manchester Metropolitan University. She currently works as an independent teacher in Paris, France and teaches legal English to practising French lawyers and to law students at various universities in the Paris area.

Natasha has over 16 years’ teaching experience and enjoys creating fun and practical activities to encourage student participation and interaction. Natasha offers legal English training in oral and written communication including legal writing, telephone skills, negotiation, and advocacy. In addition, she runs workshops on 'Understanding and drafting contracts in English' and 'Effective English Drafting'.

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Myriam Farhand  

Contact: Ladenburg / Germany   Phone: +49(0)6203 93 82 68   E-Mail: info@english-for-law.de   Website: www.english-for-law.de

Matt Firth

Matt Firth teaches Legal English at the University of St. Gallen, the Hochschule Vaduz, and the Management Centre Innsbruck. He is Academic Director at TransLegal, the world`s largest provider of Legal English courses and materials.

Matt has authored many Legal English courses with TransLegal, and also edits an online Dictionary of Law. He organises regular workshops for teachers, as well as training seminars for lawyers and businesspeople. His recent publications include Introduction to International Legal English, several teacher`s books in academic English, and a series of online workbooks. Matt also writes the Legal English column for Business Spotlight.

Matt has organized many training seminars for teachers of Legal English across Austria and around the world. His work as EULETA representative includes encouraging networking between teachers, supporting new Legal English initiatives in Austria, and establishing a regular ideas swap shop.

Lindsey K. Griffith    

Phone: +49 174 5773524 E-Mail: lindseygriffith@englishfortheprofessional.com Website: englishfortheprofessional.com

I am a US-educated attorney (J.D.) with years of professional experience in the US and Europe. I have both CELTA and TESOL English teaching qualifications. Before moving to Germany, I lectured for several years in business-related legal subjects at the American University in the Emirates (Dubai). In addition to teaching legal and business English, I proofread and edit legal and academic works and am authorized to administer the TOLES exam.

Olga Grishyna     

Contact: Odessa / Ukraine   Phone: 0038050-410-81-03   E-Mail: legal-english@ukr.net   Website: http://legal-english.in.ua

Olga is a lawyer-linguist having her private practice established in 2004. As a professional teacher of English (Philologist; Teacher of English language and literature) and a qualified lawyer (State Administration and International Relationships), her activity has always been closely connected with teaching, jurisprudence and translation. As a Legal English trainer, Olga delivers the course to both future lawyers and legal professionals from private and public sectors. She has participated in various international and domestic projects.

Among the courses developed and successfully implemented – Legal English (comprehensive course for legal practitioners), Legal Writing (with accent on plain English), Contract Language, Interviewing and Advising, Legal English for Secretaries.

Olga is a co-author of English-Ukrainian Dictionary of Legal Terms and an author of English-Ukrainian Explanatory Dictionary of Legal Terms Used in Maritime Law.

Tom Heaven     

Contact: Berlin / Germany   Phone: +49(0)17671287031   E-Mail: tom@tomheaven.com   Website: http:// tomheaven.com

I hold a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Cardiff University, during the completion of which I attended assessed courses at Universität Trier. I have experience of teaching lawyers and legal professionals. I also have experience of working in the fields of copyright and licensing.

Jennifer Hill

Contact: Trentino - Alto Adige/Südtirol / Italy   Phone:  +39 3318924025   E-Mail:  jennifer.hill.english@gmail.com 

Website: www.hillschoolofenglish.com

Jennifer is a US lawyer with over 10 years of legal and business experience. She worked in corporate litigation at a large firm in New York City before moving to northern Italy in 2014. Jennifer trained as an English teacher and feels incredibly fortunate to have found a second career for which she has a true passion. She has taught Legal, Business, and General English at universities and companies, one-to-one, in-person, and online. 

Jennifer holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.), a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), the Cambridge CELTA, and the Cambridge DELTA (an advanced/post-graduate diploma for English teachers). She also organises workshops and conferences for English teachers as the TESOL Italy Val d’Adige-Etschtal Local Group Coordinator.

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Agneszka Kocel     

Contact: Poland /  Phone: +48509 116 883   E-Mail: agakocel@op.pl   biuro@linglex.pl  Website: www.linglex.pl

I’m a Ph.D. holder, a university lecturer and a sworn translator/interpreter, specializing in legal translation and conference interpreting. I have graduated from the University of Warsaw in Poland, where I obtained an M.A. and Ph.D. degree, followed by two years of post-graduate training in conference interpreting and a few years of teaching experience both in Poland and England. I am particularly interested in comparing legal systems of various countries and currently I am doing research related to insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings in Poland, Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia. I have set up LingLex, a School of Legal English, which offers courses and seminars on various aspects of Legal English and I run Legal English classes, teaching lawyers and business people. At the moment, I am also working on my own Legal English coursebook, which I will have published in the near future. English, and Legal English in particular, has always been my great passion, which ensures that whatever I do in terms of my work, I also do as part of what I identify with.

Susanna Kohonen

Contact: Finland Phone: +358 50 44 22 653 E-Mail: susanna.kohonen@uef.fi Website: https://www.uef.fi/fi/web/kielikeskus 

Susanna Kohonen (PhD) works as a Lecturer in Academic and Legal English at the Language Centre of the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). She has participated in several projects to develop language teaching in higher education, for example with Flipped Classroom & Flipped Learning methods, as well as the principles of lifelong learning. Her research interests lie in the fusion of participatory and online learning by transferring the principles of Drama Pedagogy into digital learning environments. Dr Kohonen received the UEF Excellent Teaching Practitioner Award in 2018.

Louise Kulbicki 

Contact: Lecco/Italy Phone: +447711163485 E-Mail: Louise@studylegalenglish.com Website: www.studylegalenglish.com

Louise is a British Legal English teacher and founder of Study Legal English which provides Legal English resources to language learners including a free podcast. She holds a first class degree and master's in Law and following university worked in the legal field working on the development of international environmental law.

Since 2013 she has been teaching Legal English (including preparation for LL.M., TOLES, and contract drafting), to people from around the world both in-house and online, spending 2013-2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and now currently based in Lecco, Italy. 

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Patrick Mustu

Patrick is a lawyer, language trainer, translator, writer, licensed TOLES examiner and former EULETA board member. He studied law in Germany and South Africa, worked for Amnesty International in London and the United Nations in New York. He has extensive experience in providing language training to law and accounting firms. In the past, he also held several teaching posts at a number of universities, including the Euro Business College and the FOM University of Applied Sciences.

Patrick writes for Germany’s leading magazine for paralegals, and he is the author of "Realizing claims in Germany" (Hierosgamos), English for Insolvency (Business Spotlight), "Legal English" (Kiehl Verlag), “English for Tax Professionals” (Cornelsen Verlag), "English for Income Tax Returns" (Business Spotlight), "Eigenheiten der englischen Rechtssprache" (BDÜ Fachverlag), "A Guide for Language Teachers" (MELTA) and "Englische Rechtsübersetzungen" (BDÜ Fachverlag). He is also an expert for legal translations ("Sachverständiger für Rechtsübersetzungen im Sprachenpaar Deutsch <> Englisch").

Patrick won the ELCA New York Trainer of the Year Award in 2008 and served on the EULETA board from 2013-2016.

Anton Osminkin

Contact: Paris, France Email: anton.osminkin@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr

I am a Legal English trainer with ten years of professional experience both in Moscow and in France (Caen and Paris). I have a Master’s degree in Economics and Law from Moscow State University as well as from the University of Caen, France. I also have a diploma in English linguistics and Translation from the same Institutions. From 2007 to 2013 I worked as a legal English teacher and translator in the legal department of Capital Partners, a real estate company. From 2016 till 2018 I was selected as an interpreter in the Court of Appeal of Caen (Russian and French)

From 2016 until present I am teaching Business and Legal English both online and live to various companies in Paris and at the New Sorbonne University (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3), where I am conducting research in jurilinguistics. Also, I prepare online lectures on different subjects related to Legal English, based on the adopted results of my research work.    

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Sofia Parastatidou

Qualified in the UK, Sofia is a practising solicitor and former member of the New York Bar Association. She is based in Europe where she trains students, lawyers, accountants and notaries through various professional associations. She has also trained engineers, psychologists and other C-level directors in many multinational and national companies.

She has taught at various universities, both at an undergraduate and post graduate level and collaborates with various law societies to provide professional skills training for members.

She teaches Legal English, Finance and Business English as well as Contract Law, Commercial Law, Company Law, Trusts, Banking Law, Freight forwarding, Aviation and Maritime, Franchising, Accounting and Taxation. She has also taught Italian judges in UK/US practice and procedure.

Sofia is passionate not only about training up-and-coming lawyers in law and language but also in soft skill acquisition. To this end, she also runs workshops in effective plain English writing, presentation/advocacy. public speaking skills, debating, negotiation and mediation skills.

She provides consultancy and training to professionals who wish to requalify through the SQE. Sofia is the founder of British Law Academy and Globalex International Lawyers and author of Legal English (Pearson). She prepares bespoke courses for universities and clients.

Elisabeth Staels

Contact: Paris, France E-mail : eslegalenglish@gmail.com  Phone: + 33 6 25 18 46 95

Elisabeth is a lawyer (former member of the Brussel’s Bar), an English teacher and a coach. She studied Law at the University of Leuven, Belgium and holds an LLM from King’s College London. She has a TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign language) degree.

Elisabeth is based in Paris where she teaches Legal English. She works with legal professionals (lawyers and notaries) and law students at the Université Catholique de Lille. Her additional training as a coach allows her to have a pragmatic approach to Legal English teaching.

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Alison Wiebalck

Contact: Zurich, Switzerland  Phone: +41(0)44 9751270  Email: alison.wiebalck@legalenglishskills.com Website: www.legalenglishskills.com

Founder of legalenglishskills.com and co-author of The Legal English Manual (2013), Alison Wiebalck has been coaching legal professionals in legal English in and around Zurich since 2004.

Alison holds a BA LLB from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; a Doctor of Laws from UNISA, South Africa; a Masters of Applied Linguistics from the University of Birmingham, UK, and the CELTA / SVEB 1 from Zurich, Switzerland. She is an active member of the English Teachers Association of Switzerland (ETAS) and the European Legal English Teachers Association (EULETA).