A strong legal argument is only as useful as the communication that carries it.
I founded The Winning Brief after seeing how often capable lawyers struggled to express their judgment with the same ease in English that they brought to their legal work. They knew the law. The harder part was making the message clear, natural, and decisive when it mattered.
The work I do with lawyers draws on more than the mechanics of English. It brings together legal study, teaching, and experience in professional settings where words have consequences.
I earned an LLB (Hons.) from the University of Buckingham in England and an LLM (Cum Laude) from KU Leuven, specializing in Intellectual Property Law. That training shapes how I approach legal precision, nuance, and argument.
I am a Cambridge-accredited English teacher. My career includes legal English editing and training at Stibbe in Brussels, Legal English teaching at UC Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), and teaching Comparative Law and Strategic Copywriting in the AI Era.
I speak five languages and have worked internationally across three continents, including roles involving international business development and professional communication. I know that a different language can change how a message feels, even when your thinking is clear.
For more than 15 years, I have worked with lawyers on the language and communication demands of their profession, from careful drafting to the questions that cannot be anticipated.
My work with lawyers began with legal English, editing, and writing. But the questions people brought me were rarely limited to the page.
The real issue was often how to convey a strong position in a meeting, hold a line in a negotiation, or recover when a conversation went off-script.
Knowing exactly what you mean is not the same as being able to make someone else understand it, especially under pressure.
How do I open an important client call without losing the point?
How do I explain a complex recommendation without losing the room?
How do I disagree firmly without sounding confrontational?
What do I do when a presentation or negotiation goes off-script?
Today, The Winning Brief works across written and spoken professional communication, combining legal precision with the human skills needed to connect, explain, and respond.
There is no generic script for a client negotiation, an international panel, or a difficult conversation. We start with what you need to communicate, who needs to hear it, and what makes that moment demanding.
Who is the audience? What decision, understanding, or next step matters? What tends to become harder when the conversation happens in English?
We work on structure, legal precision, tone, and the choice of language so that your reasoning reaches the people who need it.
We prepare and rehearse for the moments that matter, including questions, interruptions, pushback, and the need to think aloud without losing nuance.
The goal is not to replace your voice with mine. It is to help you use your own voice more effectively.
Explore coaching optionsThe most useful work is grounded in real professional situations and trusted enough to return to when the next challenge arrives.
Those who have not yet sought Mabel’s legal writing advice really should!
Erik ValgaerenPartner, Stibbe Brussels
Our work together began with legal editing and writing. AI changed that, as it has changed much of how lawyers work today. What it has not changed is where I turn before every IBA panel, every board meeting, every speech where the outcome depends on how I deliver in the room. Over twelve years, Mabel has become the person I call when the outcome depends on more than knowing the content.
Partner turned Managing PartnerRanked by Chambers Global and Chambers Europe
Selected organizations associated with Mabel's professional work
One-to-one coaching built around your actual client calls, negotiations, presentations, legal writing, or other high-stakes situations.
See one-to-one coachingTailored two-hour workshops that help teams develop a shared approach to one recurring communication challenge.
Explore team workshopsBook a complimentary 30-minute conversation to discuss your own communication challenge and whether individual coaching makes sense.
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