Irena Kolárová

In my childhood, I was mainly interested in the helping professions. My sister and I used to play doctor or teacher. I enjoyed helping and caring. But at the same time, I was close to the artistic professions. For years I took art school, art history, and wrote poetry. In my mind, I was preparing myself more for a career as a painter or writer.

Actually, unlike my sister, who always wanted to be a veterinarian, I wasn't so clear. When it came to the critical moment of choice, deciding which college to go to, law was added to the list along with medicine, chemistry and art. In the end, the desire for justice in the world won out. I won't lie, there was a bit of pragmatic thinking involved. After all, I didn't want to become famous in the arts after I died....

In 2004, in my final year at the Faculty of Law at Palacký University in Olomouc, I went on a six-month Erasmus programme to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In my studies I focused on international business and I enjoyed it immensely. I fell in love with the land of tulips and discovered the local culinary specialties. The cumin cheese in particular left an unforgettable taste mark on me.... Then, in 2005, I became a successful graduate, left my Alma Mater and threw myself into the practice of law.

Immediately "after school" I worked as a corporate lawyer for BLATA, a well-known minibike manufacturer in Blansko, which at that time was struggling with Chinese counterfeits,so I fought too. We were also "catching" counterfeits in Malta and the counterfeiters wrote to us telling us how much they hated us and that they would cheerfully continue to infringe.

In 2007 I started working at WEINHOLD LEGAL and the profession of a lawyer captivated me permanently. For a year and a quarter I was also sent to the RED GROUP development company for a secondment (or internship) and I managed the day-to-day agenda of the project companies and the holding company for them.

From 2012 to 2019, I worked as an attorney and later as an associate manager at the international law firm KPMG LEGAL and gained absolutely crucial experience working with auditors, tax advisors, transaction advisors or accountants, right at the top level. I have had the opportunity to work on a number of complex projects, including cross-border ones. My main focus has been on M&A and corporate law. I have also handled more than a hundred complex corporate transformations, including cross-border ones.

Between 2019 and 2021, I decided to change my flagship firm and moved to ROWAN LEGAL and then made another jump to ARROWS. The start of my work in the last law firm was fundamentally changed by a meeting with Ales in the autumn of 2021, when the cornerstone of further joint work was laid, but already under the common brand of a joint law firm.

In the course of my practice I have advised major developers, energy companies, automotive and jewellery industries.

In addition to my law practice, I am a member of the controlling body of the Propolis 33 Foundation and the Foundation Against Corruption.

In my free time I practice yoga, travel, read soulful books and explore the culinary delights of Prague restaurants. And not to forget, I am an animal and nature lover. So I also have two Canadian Sphynx cats to keep me company at home.

If necessary, I can speak to you in fluent English.