FIT Legal Solutions was founded by Edyta Kniżewska, a derivatives lawyer with extensive experience in the buy-side, sell-side, and private practice. After establishing her career in commercial litigation, Edyta discovered a specialized niche in trading agreements and derivative negotiations. She became a legal counsel and negotiator for Credit Suisse in the field of derivatives before moving to Man Group plc. Edyta’s expertise in banking and finance further advanced her career in the derivatives market.
With the aim of positively disrupting the collaboration between sell-side and buy-side participants, FIT Legal Solutions assists market players in navigating the complexities of trading relationships. They achieve this by providing structured and tailored solutions to trading documentation negotiations, resulting in quicker time-to-market for their clients.
Breaking Barriers and Pursuing International Career
Edyta Kniżewska’s early life in Poland was shaped by hardworking and inspiring women in her family. Unwilling to conform to societal gender norms, she aimed for independence and a successful international career. After winning an international scholarship, she studied law in the UK and gained experience in Commercial Litigation. However, it was her discovery of a niche in trading agreements and derivatives that inspired her to focus on banking and finance, leading to significant career growth.
A Boutique Legal Consultancy
FIT Legal Solutions, founded by Edyta, is a boutique legal consultancy providing customized derivatives documentation and business consulting solutions globally. Edyta’s extensive experience in strategic launches, regulatory projects, and business transformations prepared her for this entrepreneurial venture. FIT Legal Solutions’ success prompted the launch of “Derivatives Lab” (DLAB), a pioneering online educational platform offering valuable knowledge about the legal aspects of the banking and finance industry. DLAB provides real-world strategies and insights to excel in the derivatives sector and is set to introduce the ISDA LabÔ course in September 2023, focusing on ISDA Master Agreements negotiation.
Continuous Growth as a Legal Consultant
Edyta’s journey of growth began during her childhood in Poland when she witnessed the fall of communism, inspiring her to see the world as full of possibilities and potential. As a legal consultant, she continues to challenge herself and her team to stay at the top of their game in the derivatives market, especially in their niche of trading agreements. They actively track regulatory and legal developments in the asset management sector and collaborate with industry experts to deepen their knowledge and expertise. Embracing new technologies like machine learning and AI helps FIT Legal Solutions deliver efficient and cost-effective solutions to their clients. Additionally, Edyta values the growth opportunity that comes from sharing knowledge through Derivatives Lab.
Balancing Roles Inside and Outside the Workplace
Edyta acknowledges the multiple roles she plays daily, both in her professional and personal life. She upholds the same values and principles in all areas. Caring and empathetic, she strives for progress rather than perfection. Treating others as she would like to be treated is an essential aspect of her character. She balances pragmatism and business acumen with passion and creativity. Constantly seeking personal development, Edyta is a professional member of Mindvalley and enrolled in a Negotiation Mastery course at Harvard Business School Online, aiming to enhance her negotiation skills for the benefit of her clients. Both FIT Legal Solutions and Derivatives Lab serve as platforms for her growth as a leader and legal counsel.
Addressing Gender Imbalance and Bias
Edyta highlights that while women lawyers constitute approximately 51% of the profession, they hold less than 32% of senior roles, indicating a gender imbalance in the legal sector. However, she sees this as an exciting time for women, especially in the asset management niche, where gender diversity is increasingly recognized as vital for success. Despite progress, the lack of women in top legal positions, particularly in corporate, banking, and finance sectors, remains a concern. Social bias, both conscious and unconscious, plays a significant role in hindering women’s advancement. Myths and stereotypes persist, affecting women’s opportunities and aspirations. Edyta acknowledges that biases cannot be entirely eradicated but emphasizes the importance of collective efforts to counteract them and promote equality.
Role as the Founder
As the founder of FIT Legal Solutions, Edyta’s vision was born from her extensive experience in the legal, banking, and finance industry, coupled with her passion for providing tailored derivatives documentation and business consulting solutions globally. Being the founder comes with a great sense of responsibility, and Edyta takes pride in the consultancy’s growth into a globally recognized firm.
FIT Legal Solutions’ culture and values are deeply rooted in the people-oriented approach. The company, being family-run, prioritizes clients’ best interests and focuses on building long-lasting relationships. They consider themselves agile, with a collaborative and innovative environment that encourages autonomy and independence among their team of experienced consultants. This culture is central to their commitment in delivering high-quality, cutting-edge business and legal advice in a cost-efficient and remote-friendly manner.
Overcoming Self-Limitations
While facing various challenges in her career, Edyta identifies her own limitations and discomforts as the most significant barrier to overcome. She believes in pushing beyond her comfort zone, as life truly begins at its edge. Conquering self-limiting beliefs and fears is a continuous learning process for her. Edyta seeks growth through the guidance of an exceptional business coach and strives to improve her mindset daily. By doing so, she ensures that she can provide her clients, students, business partners, and family with the best advice and approach.
The Joy of Being an Entrepreneur
As an entrepreneur, Edyta enjoys the freedom of structuring her daily routine. She emphasizes discipline, self-awareness, and multitasking skills but acknowledges the occasional distractions. To maintain a varied and challenging day, she includes diverse tasks for different clients and projects.
The happiest part of Edyta’s daily routine is spending time with her son in the morning. They share joyful moments making pancakes, laughing, and playing together. Starting the day with such a positive experience sets a great tone for the rest of the day. She prioritizes physical well-being by going to the gym or taking morning walks for mental clarity.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is made easier because FIT Legal Solutions is a family-run business. Edyta works closely with her husband, sharing well-defined roles and responsibilities. They collaborate on projects, driving the company’s strategy together. This dynamic allows them to smoothly transition from business to personal life each day, fostering trust, respect, and care among their team and clients.
Attributes of a Successful Leader
To Edyta, successful leadership is rooted in having the right mindset and understanding one’s purpose. She is inspired by Simon Sinek’s belief that a genuine leader’s value is found not only in their own work, but also in the work they inspire others to accomplish. Edyta believes that teaching and assisting the next generation of lawyers and industry experts is an important component of leadership, even if they do not continue with her firm. She believes that people are the driving factor behind the success of any venture.
Edyta’s dedication to leading the way for others in the field is apparent in her Derivatives Lab venture, where she provides coaching and mentorship to aspiring derivatives lawyers and graduates. She aims to share her unique insights and knowledge gained from years of experience in the financial services industry, giving back the support she received throughout her career.
Advice for the Next Generation of Solicitors
The legal field is a dynamic and highly rewarding industry, but individuals must conduct extensive research to ensure it corresponds with their interests and strengths. Given the variety of legal positions accessible, Edyta recognizes that finding the proper career within the legal field may take time.
Her advice to budding lawyers is to not be afraid to try out new roles and get a diverse range of experiences and connections. Even if a role does not appear to be a perfect fit, it might nevertheless provide excellent learning opportunities and relationships. Edyta underlines the necessity of being excited about one’s job path because life is a journey and satisfaction in one’s work is essential.
Strong communication and client relations are vital in the legal sector. Networking and connecting with people in the industry are essential steps to gain insights and opportunities. For those interested in the derivatives specialty, Edyta’s Derivatives Lab can provide valuable information about the industry and tips on negotiating trading documentation. Additionally, it offers a community of like-minded individuals on a similar path to success.
Lastly, she advises the next generation of solicitors to stay true to themselves and follow their intuition. It may sound cliché, but staying authentic and courageous in pursuing their goals is key to achieving success and fulfillment in their legal careers.
