European Legal Expertise Association

Legal expertise for matters that cross borders

ELEA brings together independent lawyers and legal experts across Europe and beyond. We assemble the right expertise for each matter, coordinate work across jurisdictions and languages, and deliver it through a shared professional framework.

Areas of practice

ELEA's priority practice areas

These are the fields in which the Association actively develops its expertise, publications and client services. Members also offer services in further areas of their own practice.

Cross-border estates
Property, bank accounts and shareholdings abroad, foreign wills and beneficiaries in different countries.
Trusts and family foundations
Establishment, governance, recognition across jurisdictions and the rights of beneficiaries.
Business and assets
Foreign shareholdings, corporate disputes, ownership structures and cross-border assets.
Foreign law before courts
Independent opinions on foreign law for courts, tribunals, notaries and public authorities.
Recognition and enforcement
Enforcing judgments and arbitral awards where debtors or assets are located.
Members' specialist practices
Residence and relocation, family law, banking compliance, cryptoassets, sanctions, extradition and international protection.

One matter, several legal systems

A cross-border matter in practice

Consider an estate involving a person who lived in Germany, a flat in Berlin, a villa in Cyprus, an apartment in Dubai, a shareholding in Poland and investments held by a Lithuanian bank. The will was made in Ukraine. The surviving family live in Germany and Canada, and the will is contested.

How a cross-border estate is co-ordinated
Who and where	Scoping	Legal analysis	Proceedings and formalities
GermanySuccession lawyer	Estate and beneficiaries	Applicable law and reserved shares	European Certificate of Succession
CyprusProperty lawyer	Title to the villa	Recognition and local tax implications	Land Registry formalities
United Arab EmiratesSuccession lawyer	Document requirements	Treatment of the foreign will	Transfer of the apartment
PolandCorporate lawyer	Company documents and share transfer	Heirs' rights in the company	Register filings
LithuaniaFinancial services lawyer	Accounts and securities	Beneficiaries' access to assets	Transfer of investments
UkraineLegal expert	Evidence concerning the will	Opinion on its validity	Expert evidence in the dispute
DocumentsTranslators and editors	Organise and translate records	Consistent terminology	Documents for each authority
ELEACase co-ordinator	One engagement and a suitable team	Shared facts, timetable and oversight	Final checks, filing support and reporting

Several jurisdictions, one co-ordinated engagement. The client deals with one contracting organisation, one budget and one point of contact.

How we work

What ELEA takes care of

A demanding legal matter needs more than specialist knowledge. ELEA provides the organisation, people and systems that allow independent professionals to work as a co-ordinated team.

Support for clients and members
Process	For clients	For members
01Intake and conflicts	The matter is scoped and conflicts of interest are checked	Enquiries arrive with initial screening completed
02Terms and fees	An engagement tailored to the matter, with an agreed estimate	Shared contractual and payment arrangements
03Team selection	Experts chosen for the relevant legal systems, fields and languages	Opportunities to work with trusted colleagues
04Case management	One point of contact and a co-ordinated timetable	Shared tasks, deadlines and case materials
05Documentation	Organised evidence, translations and consistent terminology	Document tools, glossaries and language support
06Quality assurance	Appropriate substantive and editorial checks before delivery	A structured review process for work produced under ELEA engagements
07Secure records	Protected handling and retention of case materials	Shared secure infrastructure

Working arrangements

Two ways to instruct a specialist

Members maintain their independent practices. Clients may engage ELEA for a fully managed assignment or instruct an individual member directly.

Engagement options
Arrangement	Through ELEA	Directly with a member
Contract and payment	With the Association	With the individual professional
Case management	Provided by ELEA	Arranged by the professional
ELEA quality procedures	Applied as specified for the engagement	Not part of the direct engagement
Professional opinion	Determined and signed by the expert	Determined and signed by the expert

Expert services

Ways to work with us

Choose a focused piece of expert work or an engagement that spans several stages and countries.

ILegal opinionsIndependent written analysis of the law of one or more jurisdictions.Enquire → IIExpert evidencePreparation for and participation in court or arbitral proceedings as an independent expert or witness.Enquire → IIICross-border case supportOne team, one engagement and a dedicated case co-ordinator.Explore → IVSecond opinionsAn independent review of an opinion, legal position or proposed strategy.Enquire → VConsultationsIdentify the legal questions, relevant jurisdictions and practical next steps.Enquire → VIDocument servicesOrganising records, legal translation, editing and document review.Enquire →

Priority areas: Cross-border estates · Trusts and family foundations · Business and assets · Foreign law in proceedings · Recognition and enforcement. Members' further practices: Relocation · Family law · Banking compliance · Cryptoassets · Sanctions · Extradition and international protection.

Our network

Members of the Association

Join ELEA

A professional home for independent experts

ELEA welcomes individual practitioners, professional firms and specialists in related fields. Membership provides access to case management, shared tools, a directory listing and a member profile site.

Full member

A practising lawyer or independent expert with demonstrable professional competence.

Organisational member

A law firm or expert institution whose participating professionals meet the same standards individually.

Associate member

Researchers, translators and other specialists whose work supports the Association's activities.

Application and credentials
Two member references
Committee review
Acceptance of the Code of Practice

Discuss membership Code of Practice →

Standard paid membership covers the directory entry, member profile site, workspace and core tools. Arrangements for additional services are agreed separately.

Professional standards

A shared approach to legal expert work

Members undertake to follow ELEA's Code of Practice. Individual experts reach and sign their own professional conclusions; the Association organises delivery and checks work against the procedures applicable to each engagement.

Professional principlesELEA Code of Practice

Code of Practice

Independence of professional judgment
Conflicts of interest
Confidentiality and secure records
Document review and quality assurance
Fees, deadlines and reporting
Complaints and their resolution

Read the code Association rules

Useful tools

Practical resources, open to all

Tools to help you plan an enquiry, check a professional contact and assess legal documents.

Fee estimatorAn indicative calculation based on service type, jurisdictions and document volume.Estimate → Check a legal contactScreen a lawyer's website, telephone number or email address for signs of impersonation and fraud.Check → Legal-text analysisExamine indications of AI-generated content in a contract, opinion or letter.Analyse →

For members: workspace tools to compress and recognise large PDFs, assemble documents from page photographs and split case bundles into individual files.

Knowledge and analysis

Methods and developments in practice

Members contribute research, practical guides and comparative analysis arising from their professional work.

Practice guide

Trusts and family foundations in cross-border succession

Private client practice group

Case law review

The European Certificate of Succession: recurring practical questions

Comparative perspectives

Professional method

Instructing an expert on foreign law: questions that matter

Professional standards

Enquire

Tell us about your matter

A few sentences are enough to begin. A co-ordinator can help refine the questions and identify suitable specialists.