The one thing that comes across when Shai Kuttner speaks is his enthusiasm for other people. This is true whether he is talking about his latest international M&A deal or his volunteer work with Ethiopian immigrants in Tel Aviv. This facet of Shai’s personality has been invaluable throughout his career as an international M&A lawyer; working with clients in places as diverse as Russia, Chile, Singapore, China, Japan and Africa.
He says: “In each country I have had serious dealings with local people and local cultures, while managing deals for my clients. Bridging between cultures is the biggest challenge in doing these deals, and over the years I’ve learnt that listening and respecting other points of view is the best way to solve problems.”
Shai was born in Israel and studied law at the University of Jerusalem, before moving to New York as a young man. He passed the New York Bar and practised in the city for five years before taking up the challenge of setting up a European office for his firm BWK Partners. He chose Amsterdam as the location for that office 25 years ago and now splits his time between The Netherlands and Israel, where his wife and two grown-up children live.
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