Members’ Network – Connecting the Community
A strong defence is built on collaboration. ECBA connects Europe’s leading criminal defence lawyers, fostering knowledge-sharing and cross-border cooperation to enhance client representation.
Stronger together for the rights of our clients
In an era of increasing cross-border cases, defence lawyers must have a network they can rely on. ECBA brings together top practitioners to exchange strategies, share expertise, and navigate complex legal landscapes.
Through events, working groups, and resources, we strengthen the profession and improve outcomes for clients.
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Our Next Conferences
Your Resources
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What we offer
Connecting
like-minded people in Europe and beyond
Sharing
expertise through toolkits, knowledge databases and webinars
Providing
access to hundreds of legal experts through Find a lawyer database
Growing
as a lawyer and getting experience through membership activities
Benefitting
from reduced rates to our conferences and our connected associations
Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
Join us Friday 15 May, 2026 for the upcoming Extradition Challenges webinar
A Brussels court ordered Belgium to negotiate the return of a wrongly extradited person to the US — a landmark case discussed with Belgian defence lawyer Christophe Marchand.
EFCL Annual Conference 2026, 12 June 2026 in London, United Kingdom
Join the next EFCL Conference which will be a joint conference with the FLA in London!
ECBA Autumn Conference 2026, 2 and 3 October in Tirana, Albania
Join the next ECBA Autumn Conference in Tirana, Albania!
We’ve got all the latest updates from our association — don’t miss a thing!
Get involved!
Participate in our Working Groups
Shaping the organisation
Advocacy before the European lawmaking
Find a lawyer
Latest Posts
Writing a new Statement on the Directive on Combatting Corruption
Preparing an ECBA follow-up position on the final EU Anti-Corruption Directive, assessing reforms and remaining defence-rights concerns in Europe’s evolving enforcement framework.
Strategic litigation and court interventions
The HRC files third-party interventions and amicus briefs in landmark cases before European and domestic courts, ensuring the criminal defence bar shapes the law that governs it.
Drafting and Publishing Statements
The HRC publishes expert statements on judicial independence, lawyer-client privilege, and fair trial rights – driving policy reform and solidarity across Europe and beyond.
Day of the Endangered Lawyer
Every January 24th, ECBA’s HRC stands with persecuted lawyers worldwide coordinating advocacy, public outreach, and legal interventions to defend those who defend others.
Mutual Legal Assistance WG Webinars
The purpose of the MLA working group webinars is to increase knowledge and awareness amongst defence practitioners about the various MLA instruments as well as procedural and other ECHR safeguards in that context.
Engaging with INTERPOL on Policy aspects
The Interpol WG seeks to engage with Interpol on policy, addressing governing shortcomings. We drive dialogue on transparency, fairness, and human rights safeguards, promoting continued improvement in its practices.
EPPO Webinar
The webinar hosts defence lawyers and academics or magistrates that discuss practical issues and experiences regarding EPPO cases from different countries. Their scope is to describe relevant defense issues and to advise the members of the ECBA on how to handle them.
Global Legal Community Calls for the Release of Nasrin Sotoudeh – April 2026
On 10 April 2026, the ECBA and a coalition of 30 international legal organisations issued a formal call for intervention concerning the judicial harassment...
ECBA backs call for implementation of ECtHR and CJEU judgments
The ECBA joined call for the implementation of European Court of Human Rights / Cour européenne des droits de l’homme (ECtHR) and Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) judgments.
ECBA Meets ECtHR on Case Processing and Expansion
Chair Vânia Costa Ramos and Human Rights Officer Alexis Anagnostakis attended the European Court of Human Rights’ Meeting with NGOs and Litigators in Strasbourg.
ECBA & LATR Submit Joint Response to INTERPOL’s CCF Statute Amendments
The ECBA and Lawyers Against Transnational Repression have submitted a joint response to INTERPOL’s Committee on the Processing of Data (CPD) regarding proposed amendments to the CCF Statute.
ECBA & LATR Joint Submission: Reforming INTERPOL’s Oversight – March 2026
The ECBA and Lawyers Against Transnational Repression (LATR) have submitted a joint response to INTERPOL’s Committee on the Processing of Data (CPD) regarding proposed amendments to the CCF Statute.
Get to know our network
What makes this network special is not only the outstanding legal minds from across Europe, but the way they work together: collegially, openly, and united by a shared commitment to the rule of law. In this interview series, we take a closer look at the people behind this network.
Peter Csemiczky (United Kingdom)
I am a partner at Hickman & Rose – a boutique litigation firm in London dedicated to solving criminal, regulatory, and civil law issues arising out of the criminal justice system. Running through all our work is the determination to hold the state to account…
Clara Poglia (Switzerland)
I am a Swiss-based lawyer, practising in Geneva, with a strong focus on dispute resolution. My focus is on white-collar crime, asset tracing, compliance and internal investigations…
Jean-Christophe de Block (Belgium)
I am a Belgian criminal defence lawyer based in Brussels, with a practice focused on criminal law with a strong European and International dimension…
Giulia Raona (Italy)
I am a criminal lawyer based in Milan, working across Italy, with a focus on economic criminal law. My practice primarily covers corporate, financial, and tax-related offences, assisting individuals as well as domestic and international companies…
Jan Rysinski (Poland)
I am a Polish lawyer with more than 15 years of experience, specializing in white collar crime. I lead a team that handles the full spectrum of commercial and corporate criminal matters, including cases with complex international elements…
Yuliia Kuznets (Ukraine)
I am a counsel at VB Partners, No. 1 legal boutique in White-Collar Crime in Ukraine and the undisputed leader in Dispute Resolution. I am based in Kyiv, Ukraine…
How do you want to connect with our Community?
This is what you can expect even as a Non-member
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest news and insights from our community.
Visit our website to learn more about how we are driving legal change in Europe and beyond. Stay informed about our projects with European and global institutions, policymakers, and legal professionals, through which we help shape legislation that truly serves the protection of the legal profession and human rights.
And finally, make use of the extensive expertise we share to support your everyday professional practice – explore our Resources page and discover valuable knowledge and tools.
This horizon opens up for you as a Member
If you want to be part of the go-to organisation for European criminal lawyers, engage in meaningful projects and initiatives aimed at improving criminal justice, and gain hands-on experience on high-impact issues, ECBA is the right place for you.
If, for you, being part of a highly qualified expert community goes hand in hand with building friendly and trusted professional relationships, then ECBA is made for you.
Curious to learn more or ready to get involved?
If you would like to get to know our organisation or are thinking about getting involved, our four Ambassadors are happy to support you.
You will find their names and bios below (pictured from left to right) – feel free to contact them here or reach out directly on LinkedIn.
Whether you have questions, are unsure where to start, would like to contribute, or have an idea or project you would like to explore with us, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
No hesitation needed – we welcome every contribution and every voice that supports our mission.
Contact: secretariat@ecba.org
Rebecca Niblock
is one of the ECBA Vice Chairs and a partner at her London firm, with extensive experience in extradition, criminal law and human rights, advising in sensitive and high-profile cross-border matters.
Katarzyna Dabrowska
is an Advisory Board member and a specialist in international criminal law, covering extraditOur on issues and all matters related to international cooperation in criminal proceedings. She is based in Warsaw, Poland.
Alexis Anagnostakis
is a Supreme Court Barrister and Criminal Lawyer from Greece. He chairs the ECBA Human Rights Committee as Human Rights Officer, focusing on European criminal justice and human rights.
María Barbancho
is a Spanish Criminal Law specialist from Barcelona, and ECBA Advisory Board Member. She handles complex transnational cases for corporations and high-net-worth individuals, often serving as an expert witness on Spanish law.