Good questions. Clear answers.

The Winning Brief is a specialist communication coaching and training business based in Brussels, Belgium. Founded by Mabel Leung, it helps lawyers communicate their professional judgment in English with greater clarity, precision and confidence. Its services include one-to-one coaching, focused team workshops and the independent course Command the Room in 10 Days.

The Winning Brief works with lawyers and legal professionals who use English at work, particularly multilingual professionals who do not naturally think in English. Clients can include law firm lawyers, in-house counsel and professionals in international organizations, NGOs and legal institutions. The defining need is a communication challenge, not a particular seniority level or practice area.

Not necessarily. Many clients already work at a high level of English proficiency. The focus is on communicating legal reasoning clearly, choosing an appropriate tone, responding to unexpected questions and preserving nuance when the pressure is on. The aim is more effective professional communication, not perfect-sounding English.

Mabel Leung is the founder, coach and trainer behind The Winning Brief. She holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Buckingham and an LLM (Cum Laude) from KU Leuven, is a Cambridge-accredited English teacher, speaks five languages and has more than 15 years of experience working with legal professionals. Her background includes legal English editing and training at Stibbe and teaching at UCLL. Read Mabel’s background.

The Winning Brief is based in Brussels, Belgium, and works with legal professionals across Europe and internationally. Individual coaching can be arranged online, on-site or in a hybrid format. Team workshops can be delivered online or in person by agreement.

Coaching is built around your actual professional situations. Common focuses include client calls, explaining a recommendation, negotiations, difficult questions, presentations, interviews, conference panels, legal writing and communicating tactfully across cultures. Mabel helps you structure the message, refine the tone, practice delivery and respond when the conversation changes.

No. The complimentary 30-minute conversation is optional and intended for people who want help choosing the right approach. You can book a paid 60-minute working session or purchase a 10-hour or 20-hour coaching package directly without an introductory call.

The paid 60-minute session is focused work on a specific immediate challenge or piece of communication. A 10-hour package allows repeated preparation, practice and feedback around a defined objective, often over 4 to 8 weeks. A 20-hour package allows a longer working relationship for recurring challenges and sustained development, with scheduling adapted to the lawyer’s workload.

Yes. Both coaching packages can be purchased through the website. Purchase the 10-hour package or purchase the 20-hour package. You do not have to book a free consultation first. Scheduling arrangements are coordinated after purchase.

Scheduling is arranged around the coaching engagement and Mabel’s availability. The 10-hour package is designed as a focused sprint, while the 20-hour package can follow a weekly or biweekly rhythm by agreement. Delivery may be online, on-site or hybrid. For exact scheduling, package terms and current availability, contact The Winning Brief.

We can work with anonymized excerpts, adapted scenarios and non-identifying professional examples. Confidentiality requirements should be discussed before any documents are shared. Please do not send privileged or confidential client material through website forms or standard booking questions.

If your organization will fund the coaching or needs an invoice or purchasing documentation, contact us before purchasing so the appropriate arrangements can be discussed.

A team workshop is a tailored, live two-hour session in which lawyers practice a specific professional communication behavior. The objective is agreed in advance. Rather than covering every aspect of English communication, the workshop uses relevant legal scenarios and practical exercises to address one priority for the group.

Law firms, in-house legal departments and other legal organizations that work in English can inquire about team training. The workshop is suitable when a group shares a recognizable challenge such as explaining advice clearly, handling unexpected questions or communicating across jurisdictions.

Possible focuses include structuring a client recommendation, responding to difficult questions, handling interruptions, choosing an appropriate level of directness in cross-border communication and explaining complex legal ideas without losing precision. We agree on one main objective and tailor the session to it.

The base workshop fee includes up to 8 participants. For groups of 9 to 12, each additional participant costs €200. Groups of 13 or more receive a separate quote. This structure applies to both online and in-person workshops.

A live online two-hour workshop starts at €1,600 excluding VAT. An in-person two-hour workshop starts at €2,100 excluding VAT and travel. Both base fees cover up to eight participants. Participants 9 to 12 cost €200 each in addition to the base fee. For 13 or more participants, we prepare a custom quote. The proposal confirms the final scope and fee.

Yes. Live online workshops are available for teams working across different locations. In-person workshops can be arranged by agreement, with travel charged separately. Timing, location, participant numbers and any tailored preparation are confirmed in the proposal.

There are two straightforward ways to start. Book a 30-minute team training discussion with Mabel, or submit the workshop inquiry form. You describe the participants and communication objective, we agree on a scope and fee, and the workshop is booked after the proposal is approved.

Command the Room in 10 Days is a self-paced communication course for lawyers who already use English professionally. It uses 20 modules across a ten-day learning sequence, six BRIDGE communication principles, practice activities and a 32-page workbook. Its goal is to help legal professionals express their judgment more deliberately in spoken and written English.

BRIDGE stands for Build on your multilingual advantage, Respect your reader or listener, Inform with strategic structure, Deliver with compelling narrative, Ground in legal precision, and Excel through AI supervision. Together, these principles connect audience awareness, structure, clarity, legal nuance and responsible AI use.

The course is intended for lawyers who already work in English and want to become more deliberate in client conversations, negotiations, presentations, questions and professional writing. It is not a beginner grammar course. If you have an urgent, highly specific situation and want direct personal feedback, one-to-one coaching may be the better fit.

It is independent, self-paced learning through video modules, exercises and personal reflection. The curriculum is organized as a ten-day sequence, but you can practice around your work commitments. Individual feedback from Mabel is not included as a substitute for separate one-to-one coaching.

The published course offer includes 20 modules, the 32-page workbook, Personal Legal English Toolkit activities, a certificate of completion and access to the purchased course. The founding member offer also lists community access and early access before the public launch. Check the Thinkific course purchase page for the applicable access and payment terms.

The stated founding member price is €598, compared with a regular price of €1,196. The announced founding member pricing deadline is January 14, 2027, when the course is scheduled to launch. Confirm the price and purchase terms on the Thinkific checkout page before enrolling.

Yes. Module 1A is available to watch in full for free. It is a complete introductory lesson, not a shortened teaser. It lets you assess Mabel’s teaching approach and try a practical exercise before deciding whether to enroll.

If your firm or employer needs an invoice or wants to arrange organizational purchasing, email contact@thewinningbrief.eu before purchasing to discuss the available arrangements.

The Winning Brief offers the Difficult Question Playbook and printable meeting card, short Sound Bites audio or video episodes, practical articles in Insights & Resources, and the full free Module 1A lesson from Command the Room.

No. The Winning Brief provides professional communication coaching, training and learning resources for legal professionals. The service is not legal representation or advice on the substantive law of a case. Lawyers remain responsible for their professional judgment, advice and confidentiality obligations.

For individual coaching, explore the available coaching options or book a complimentary 30-minute conversation. For a team workshop, use the workshop inquiry form or book a team training call. For general questions, use the contact page or email contact@thewinningbrief.eu.