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Pamela DeNeuve

Lawyer & Law Firm Peak Performance Strategist

Lawyer of the Week – Episode # 1 – London

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Lawyer of the Week

Interview With Diana Constantinidou

Pamela DeNeuve: Hi my name is Pamela DeNeuve and I’d like to welcome you to “The Lawyer of the Week.” This week I’m so pleased to introduce our lawyer of the week which is Diana Constantinidou and she’s in London. She is a registered European lawyer. I’d like to tell you a little bit more about her. She’s also a Cyprus qualified advocate and she’s a member of the Cyprus Bar Association. She is the managing director and founder of Strattonfield Chamber and also the founder of her Rolesa. Diana has studied her law in the UK. She has LLB and LLM and LPC. And she’s also a qualified international arbitrator. A little quote that Diana says about herself is

“My presence is the gift of uncountable rejections and failures. This is who made me today.” I love that. Thank you Diana. Welcome!

Diana Constantinidou: Thank you so much for the invitation.

Pamela DeNeuve: I also want to just mention that Diana is fluent in Greek, Swedish English, conversational French and basic…I don’t know how to pronounce that.

Diana Constantinidou: It’s GUDRATI it’s one of the dialogue in India.

Pamela DeNeuve: Wonderful. Yes, she’s a very multilingual and we’re just so pleased to have you with us today.

Diana Constantinidou: Thank you so much.

Pamela DeNeuve: And I’d like to ask you the lawyer of the week questions and the first question is what made you decide to become a lawyer?

Diana Constantinidou: The reason that made me to become a lawyer is to serve the normal Justice. It wasn’t really crystallized from a very young age but as I was studying at school I kind of realized that and figured it out myself. That’s the importance of serving the normal justice and it is better to live it when you are a lawyer.

Pamela DeNeuve: So your passion started at a young age to help others.

Diana Constantinidou: Indeed. Yes, you have this feeling but you don’t know exactly what does that mean. So it’s a lengthy process of really reading not legal stuff. It could be up about anything. And through that process that you’re growing in your understanding as to what you want to do. And through that process I understood I wanted to be a lawyer.

Pamela DeNeuve: Wonderful! That’s very good. So could you tell us a little bit about your biggest wins and perhaps some of your biggest challenges?

Diana Constantinidou: The biggest wins is when since when you manage to actually settle the truth, when you manage to restore the truth in a case. And I feel that’s to be one of my biggest wins. I think one of the biggest failures is sometimes it’s hard to communicate with the clients when your views with the client it may be different. So sometimes you have to overcome that obstacle. But apart from that, it’s all part of the process of being a lawyer and we need to indulge ourselves into it and encounter these difficulties when the time comes. But bottom line is that it is a beautiful profession. And when you do it consciously and when you do it in a way that you feel comfortable then it is absolutely beautiful.

Pamela DeNeuve: That’s really good Diana because it makes me think that you are engaged with your clients. You want to somehow come to a medium where you both can be on the same team.

Diana Constantinidou: Indeed yes, exactly.

Pamela DeNeuve: That’s wonderful! What is the legacy you would like to leave for your practice?

Diana Constantinidou: I think my professional legacy is not far from my personal legacy. I would say that one legacy is to leave a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. Because I am specialized mainly in the area of international law for human rights, so my practice is to deliver it probably near to nothing now. But it may be something for the future that it may be a better tomorrow. So that’s what I’m trying to do. I try to restoring the truth of human rights of course there are major human rights violations in countries or climate change or the or any dispute in any country conflict areas etc.

Pamela DeNeuve: I imagine in the area of human rights that you see some heartbreaking circumstances and situations and violations.

Diana Constantinidou: Yes, indeed very heartbreaking. Yes. And you need to stay focused and to overcome those moments because it is important to understand that we are here to help others and not to think about ourselves and that’s the way I look at it.

Pamela DeNeuve: Oh that’s really really great! I think if more people would think about it that way and instead of going on their own it’s about helping others and what it’s about helping others. You have to rise above your own personal emotions and so forth. And I imagine being a lawyer working in human rights that’s a big order sometimes.

Diana Constantinidou: It is indeed. Yes.

Pamela DeNeuve: Great! Well, tell me one of the things that you founded was Rolesa. So that kind of comes into the next question. What kind of opportunities has your law practice opened up for you?

Diana Constantinidou: I would say that’s my practice allow me to expand an international community that means to engage with lawyers with clients from different backgrounds from diverse backgrounds. And that is sometimes challenging. Because you need to come up from your comfort zone and understand where they’re coming from. With regards to Rolesa it is really an expansion of really coming out of my comfort zone really I delivering back to the community. So I am half Cyprus and Cyprus is a divided country. In 1974 Cypress was invaded by Turkey and because of this current situation I’m trying to unify the legal training that means creating an accessible training legal training for both legal communities.

Pamela DeNeuve: Oh that’s really interesting! And so how was that? How you felt like you made some headway in successes in that area?

Diana Constantinidou: It’s still an ongoing process, it’s a lengthy process because mainly you need to overcome the current status quo of people minds. That means assisting both local communities and that means that you engage those communities together. And I found that to be challenging but it’s not impossible. And I can say that because now speaking I’ve gotten people actually being engaged in this project together.

Pamela DeNeuve: Wonderful, wonderful! That’s so fantastic hear that. Well, tell me this on a personal note what do you do with all the things that you’re doing to relieve your stress?

Diana Constantinidou: There is one thing I’d do for myself and I always try to find time is to do yoga in the morning. Even if it’s two minutes or three minutes but needs to be daily. It really helps me to stay focused and concentrate and really have my feet on the ground. And that’s how it enables me to start the day.

Pamela DeNeuve: If there’s one thing you want and the international community the global community know about you. What is maybe one thing you’d like the world to know about you?

Diana Constantinidou: I am here to protect the human rights and I will do the best in my capacity to do so. So if anyone is interested and is in the same line with me then I’ll be very happy to speak to them.

Pamela DeNeuve: OK, wonderful! Thank you so much Diana. I really appreciate you being the lawyer of the week.

Diana Constantinidou: Thank you so much. Thank you.

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Quotes from our Lawyer of the Week

  • I am here to protect the human rights and I will do the best in my capacity to do so.
    Diana Constantinidou
  • I love this work. I really do. To me, especially now more than ever, we need a strong news media. It’s not just a business. It’s part of our democracy.
    Edward Birk
  • You don’t have to be large and on the world stage to seize these opportunities and to apprehend these threats. It really is a function of the vision and the insight of the leaders. When they get it, then there’s an opportunity for them to persuade and help their partners get the message and act to remake themselves.
    George Beaton
  • I did not intend to create this legacy, but I see the ripple effects of it, and it’s so meaningful to me. I think that through the podcast, I’m also hoping to create a legacy of service to the profession.
    Okeoma Moronu
  • That’s one of the things that I find very satisfying; building bridges between people from different countries, working closely with them and seeking those deeply satisfying relationships that are created in cross-border trade and investment facilitation.
    John Grimley
  • I’m very lucky to have a family and a wife that absolutely just creates a life that’s there and that one can go to. I think about the stress that we experience in our work, that is the best we can offer. So I really live for that. It’s something to be grateful for.
    Nic Swart
  • The legacy that I want to leave in the work that I’m doing is having made a difference and having hopefully spearheaded some type of meaningful change in the culture of the legal profession, as it relates to addiction and mental health specifically.
    Patrick Krill
  • It’s not so much my practice that I want to make a difference in, but I want to know that I left the legal professional a little bit better than I found it.
    Courtney Wylie
  • the real reality is some of the lawyers, some of the law firms, are going to be left behind because they’re not moving into the current reality where they can’t just rely on referrals.
    Montina Portis
  • When you take a lawyer out of the system, you take the voice and the ability of the people to protect themselves from overreaching government and overreaching organizations out the equation.
    Ian Connor Bifferato
  • I think a lot of attorneys are very, obviously, economically driven, which is fine, because we all need to make a living. But, at the end of the day, I also think that we are in this profession to give back and I would like to see that happen to a greater degree.
    Dr. Jeanne-Mari Reteif
  • "I would like my clients to think of me as of being a valuable resource to them and a knowledgeable resource that helped them protect their business and the most valuable assets of their business, which is their inventions, their ideas, their brand and that they remember me as somebody they could go to at any time to help them protect their intellectual property assets.
    Crystal T. Broughan
  • The person I’m looking for is the one who is going to come along and say ok; we can’t just tweak what we do with law; we have to radically re-invent it.
    Ken Grady
  • So you have to be that person who is challenged again and again so that you will grow as an expert.
    Dr. Peter MacMillan
  • I always tell my clients and my friends and colleagues, it’s a two-way road. You know- you give, and you receive, you give back, and it keeps going that way. It’s wonderful.
    Fernanda Alem-Freitas
  • In terms of successes, I will tell you, having done this, I’ve gone much further and made more connections and more friends and more inroads into the industry much earlier in my career than I ever could have possibly imagined.
    Gene Quinn
  • my thinking was that I really need to understand what clients really wanted. So in order to really do a good job, I needed to find out what moves them, what kept them up at night.
    Silvia Hodges Silverstein
  • So when we talk about a legacy, it’s a legacy that people to this day tell me — oh, I remember working with your Grandfather and he was such an upright man. Wow, let’s hope they say that about me.
    Jordan W. Charness
  • this answer made me to become a lawyer instead of a mathematician.
    Anandavasagan K.
  • What I want to try to do is create the beacon, or the light toward, developing law firm culture, as in the legal profession culture in general...where they do find a sense of meaning, purpose, connection, joy and want to stay in the profession.
    Anne Brafford
  • it is my goal to try to increase diversity within our profession, and even for as long as I’m here, I will advocate for the inclusion of different perspectives, different peoples, and different ideas that can make this world a better place.
    Robert Johnson
  • I have learned a lot of things the hard way and if I can help others sort of avoid the mistakes I’ve made and have the vision I lacked, then that’s how I want to help
    Frank Ramos
  • "I’m sort of traditional with an edge. I have respect for tradition. I have respect for history, but I’m also very inquisitive. I like to, you know, sort of architect things.
    Mark A. Cohen
  • I am all or nothing. I believe that the world has enough mediocre people. I had a mentor tell me that once and I give 110% to everything I do.
    LaKeisha Randall
  • You’ll never know how high that peak can be unless you find recovery, and with recovery, anything is possible
    Brian Cuban
  • Being able to live and work anywhere in the world. And we do live, you know- we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, in County Cork, Ireland now.
    Walt Hampton
  • You know, the best thing that anyone could possibly do is think about what’s important to them and get back to that really basic thing. Personally, professionally, financially. You know, where would you like to be? Because you can be there if you take a couple steps, you know? And it just- it can be incremental
    Bridget Venus Grimes
  • The people I represent have their own families and their own spouses and I see that vividly through my own experiences and trying to help them. I often try to, although perhaps not the easiest thing to do, but try to put myself into their shoes and approach a case with that regard.
    Mark A. Torres
  • My legacy really is to try to enhance the wellness of the members of our profession and to open up this dialog.
    Heidi K. Brown
  • At the end of my days, I want people to look back and say, "Yes, he really did make the world a better place and here are some concrete examples of places where he's influenced people, or influenced organizations, or cultures." So, if I can do that and leave that to the world, then I think I've done a pretty good job.
    Maurice L. Rabb
  • Pamela helped brought us a $12MM deal and was a key player to help finalize the negotiations. She was a valuable investment for our firm with a magnificent return on our investment.
    Bill L., Chairman of Litigation
  • I was on the verge of losing it. I felt confused and had no idea why I was practicing law in the first place. Pamela helped me to regain my enthusiasm and grow my practice enjoy my life again.
    Lewis M., Partner
  • I have worked as an in-house attorney for 20+ years with major corporations. I hired Pamela during a transition in my career. When I began working with Pamela, I needed clarity and direction as I forged a new path. Through Pamela's unique coaching techniques, I learned a tremendous amount about myself and what I wanted out of life. She helped me put plans in place, encouraged me and held me accountable for taking necessary actions. Coaching is clearly not just a business for Pamela. She truly cared about me and repeatedly went above and beyond to help me achieve the goals I set for myself. Pamela is highly knowledgeable and accomplished and I trust her judgment and coaching. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to make a job or career change.
    Renee Cogdell Lewis
  • Why should only sports figures get coaches? I represent whistleblowers in highly complicated litigation cases. The work is stressful and I can't afford to be distracted or unfocused. Maybe some lawyer out there finds that easy, but if any lawyer/mom/wife does, I'd like to meet her. I needed to be at my peak ALL the time so I hired Pamela DeNeuve as my coach and -- wow! Hiring Pamela is like having someone right there with me in my practice as coach, mentor, confidant, and troubleshooter. I am on my A+ game thanks to Pamela.
    Lee Wallace
  • Pamela DeNeuve works with powerful men and women who look to the world like they have it all together. So that includes everyone who is successful because we all have skeletons in our closet. We all have an area of life that is painful or frustrating. While I looked like I had it all, a beautiful wife, a son who I have a great relationship and a long-time financial career, a growing business as a motivational speaker, something was missing. Something was off and I couldn't put my finger on it. Working with Pamela DeNeuve is one of the best things I have ever done. Her insight, her showing me the blind spots that I tried to ignore or avoid was an awakening. I have regained my enthusiasm again. I wake up with the wonder and excitement I had lost as the years wore on. I highly recommend Pamela DeNeuve's 8-hour intensive session. You will make quantum leaps in your career, increase your income and your wife will become the love of your life again.
    Tom Heitz
  • Any lawyer or law firm who want to expand their practice, increase client base, or re-ignite your love of the law will be wise to work with Pamela DeNeuve as your business/marketing coach. She has more than 25 years of experience working with AM100 law firms, small firms, and individual lawyers across the United States, in Asia, and South Africa. Pamela understands all aspects of the legal profession. She understands the challenges that we attorneys face. I retained Pamela to help with business development and some special projects in my First Amendment/Communications law practice. Almost immediately, I started to once again see opportunities in the challenges rather than the other way 'round. Practicing law is more enjoyable because of this work with Pamela. Asking for help is sometimes the hardest ask of all. After working with Pamela for her help, I'm glad I asked. I highly recommend her to any attorney or firm.
    Edward Birk