Mag. Elisabeth Esterer is a successful lawyer and co-founder of Esterer & Ellmauthaler Rechtsanwältinnen OG. She has also been honored as the “Most Distinguished Legal Expert of the Year 2025” by CToday Awards. She has experience in litigation, real estate and corporate legal services is recognized for her strategic thinking and unshakeable integrity. In addition to legal skills, she prioritizes ethical decision-making, leadership, and flexibility in a changing legal environment.

The Power of Adaptability and Integrity in Leadership

One of the most significant transitions in Esterer’s professional life was shifting from an entirely legal function to more general management duties. At first, the transition was unforeseen, but it was essential. Her communications training and coaching, previously seemingly secondary to legal acumen, later proved decisive. She uses these abilities today to facilitate tough negotiations with empathy, provide integral client counsel, and guide her team with articulation and empathy. These experiences have taught her that specialist skills are not necessarily the roots of professional greatness.

Integrity is at the heart of her leadership style. A case that remains close to her heart was turning down a commercially rewarding mandate because it contradicted her moral values. Although the project was legally valid, it went against her notion of social responsibility. It was a tough call, but one that she never resented. In retrospect, she understands how this move solidified her credibility and entrenched her professional contacts since integrity is long-lasting. To Esterer, being a success is not merely a matter of knowledge but also of being committed to one’s values while being flexible in the face of new obstacles.

Beyond Awards: Trust, AI, and the Future of Legal Excellence

For Esterer, professional recognition is beyond industry awards; it’s based on the confidence her clients and peers place in her. Whether steering a client through a tricky case or educating a new professional, she is most fulfilled at the nexus of performance and significance. Ahead, she foresees artificial intelligence transforming the legal profession, streamlining basic work while heightening the value of strategic legal counsel. She gears up for such transitions by staying receptive to innovation, interdisciplinary thinking and guiding young professionals who are the bringers of new ideas. Although technology will bring efficiency, she is convinced that the blend of legal specificity and human judgment will be the profession’s biggest strength.

Cultural Intelligence and the Skills of the Future

Esterer’s cross-cultural collaboration experience has reaffirmed her conviction that although fundamental values such as respect and fairness transcend cultures, their manifestation is greatly diverse across cultures. She has learned to be attuned to these differences and to express her values in a manner consistent with varied cultural norms. This flexibility, not a limitation, has been an incredibly effective asset in her professional and personal development. In the same way, she acknowledges that the legal environment is dynamic and that professionals need to cultivate more than technical skills. She envisions emotional intelligence, narrative ability, and ethical thinking becoming more important. Those who can explain complicated concepts in simple terms, resolve conflicts with compassion, and make decisions based on principle will not only thrive but also determine the future of the profession.