About us
The Winning Brief for clear and effective English communication and coaching.
What We're All About
We help European lawyers and law students master the skills in clear English speaking and writing.
Our tailored one-to-one coaching and self-paced learning programmes can help you develop clear and effective law prose, expand your vocabulary, and build your confidence.
Founder Mabel Leung noticed that there are many resources for English legal writing, but very few of them are targeted at speakers like you: bilingual or multilingual practitioners and students of law.
The Winning Brief aims to address your specific needs as a legal writer and practitioner in your jurisdiction in Europe.
Mabel holds an LLB (Hons.) from the University of Buckingham in England and an LLM (Cum Laude), specializing in IP Law, from KU Leuven in Belgium.
With more than 15 years of experience as a legal English trainer and lawyer-linguist in the law industry in Belgium, Mabel is your go-to English coach and communication consultant. Follow her on LinkedIn.
The company name The Winning Brief is inspired by and is a homage to Bryan A. Garner (Lawprose.org), “the leading authority on good legal writing,” and his works, especially his book The Winning Brief.
Many of you have helped shape The Winning Brief.
To the lawyers, learners, and clients whose comments and support have given me insight and energy to hone my skills and develop my business, a genuine thank-you.
To my dear family and friends, I’m indebted to you.
Mabel Leung
Founder, The Winning Brief
Words matter. Choose your words carefully before you utter them.
As legal writers, we have a duty to communicate clearly to our readers. To fulfill this duty, we must have empathy for our readers. This is the underlying principle of all plain language rules. What you say and how you say them to your reader can make or break your career and job opportunities. We can help you earn your credibility as a clear and effective writer and lawyer.
Our Philosophy
Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.
Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.
Robin Sharma
One of the world’s top leadership experts and former litigation lawyer
Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.
We help lawyers who wish to improve their writing—practitioners who seek to refine their skills – and students who hope to develop them. We help you become effective writers and better lawyers by teaching you the rules of plain language – the international standard for good legal writing. Most of these rules can even be applied to legal writing in other languages.
You’ll learn how to master the elements of legal style, the mechanics of English editing, and the correct use of key English terminology to communicate effectively. We’ll also give you insights into the common errors you should avoid when writing or talking about specific branches of law and legal topics in English.
Our learners are mainly non-native English speakers, mostly aspiring and practicing lawyers who have studied law in a language other than English. And we certainly welcome anyone who wants to improve their writing skills or learn more about legal writing and terminology in English.
Our Mission
Our Clients
Our clients are mainly law firms in Belgium and other European countries. Many of them are ranked in Chambers, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, and other international legal directories.
We also serve state justice departments, embassies, multinationals, governmental agencies, and lawyers of all seniority levels.
Our Work
- Belgian laws
- Class-action notices and court briefs
- Client legal memos
- Trial briefs and written submissions
- Employment contracts
- Franchise agreements
- General conditions (of sale)
- Judgments
- Leases (tenancy; emphyteusis; commercial lease)
- Oral presentations (for judicial bodies; client seminars; training)
- Procurement procedure documents
- Settlement agreements (employment; dispute resolution)
- Summons
Our Legal Terminology Knowledge
- Arbitration
- Banking & Financial law
- Competition law (antitrust)
- Corporate law
- Contract law
- Criminal law (white-collar crimes and social criminal offences)
- Dispute Resolution
- Employment law
- Environmental law
- EU law
- Human Rights
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Intellectual Property (software; patents; trademarks; opposition filings)
- Litigation
- Maritime law (academic articles)
- Real estate & construction law
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Urban planning and permits
- Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences
- Private International Law
- Tax law
What we do
Translation
We translate legal documents into English, and we apply ISO plain language standard rules.
Coaching
We coach lawyers and professionals on English speaking, writing, and confidence-building.
Learn from Industry Leaders
- Lawyer-linguist
- Plain language specialist
- Expert in training lawyers
- 15 years of law business experience
Learn at Your Own Pace
- Tailored courses
- In-person or online
- Flexible hours
- Access to training videos
Professional Certification
- Complete specific courses
- Build a portfolio of your work
- Receive an assessment of your work (with edits or corrections)
- Earn a professional certificate
Book free consultation
Book a free, no-obligation online meeting
