The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) will hold its 29th Annual Meeting and Conference this year in Singapore from Apr. 25-27. Francis Xavier SC, regional head of dispute resolution at Rajah & Tann and president-elect of the IPBA, talks about the IPBA’s new image, and what attendees can expect from this year’s event.
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) is an international association that brings together business and commercial lawyers who are either located in Asia-Pacific or have business interests there. Established in 1991 at a conference in Tokyo, the organisation has since swelled in size. Today it boasts more than 1,500 members spread across 65 jurisdictions, with plans to grow further.
This year’s conference, which will take place in Singapore from Apr. 25-27, will tackle the topics uppermost on the legal industry’s mind. The theme: “Technology, Business and Law – Global Perspectives.”
IPBA resident-elect Francis Xavier SC, regional head of dispute resolution at Rajah & Tann, says these topics are the most hotly talked about in the legal industry. “Technology, business and law – I think these encapsulate all of the current challenges and cutting-edge issues that are faced by practicing lawyers across the globe,” he says.
With the first plenary session set to be hosted by Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, who is known for championing the local tech industry, the three-day event will afford attendees many opportunities to learn more about these issues, and discuss the challenges they face with their peers, Xavier says.
But the conference offers more. “There will be a second plenary session on the second day of the conference focusing on the emergence of international commercial courts across the world in competition with international arbitration. Various other topics would range from, intellectual property, cross-border, corporate transaction concerns, taxation. Running the full gambit of legal practice,” he explains.
A NEW IMAGE
At its core, IPBA is intended to provide a platform for lawyers around the world to “work together to analyse to solve to tackle to grow in terms of their approaches to common legal problems,” Xavier says. “It is a platform for lawyers to build bridges and form networks, friendships in this very interconnected world.”
While the organisation has a long history, the IPBA’s officers place a great deal of emphasis on ensuring they continue to offer relevant support and services for their network of attendees and are up to date with the latest innovations and changes to the industry.
To ensure they keep meeting these goals, the network, which also enables members to tackle issues and collaborate on cross-border projects, is undergoing something of a change this year.
“The one thing that we’re just in the process of, which I’m spearheading together with the help of the current president, is refreshing our image,” Xavier says.
“As part of that, we are going to introduce a brand-new logo in the first day of the conference. The heart of the organisation has moved from Japan to Singapore, so we are going to preserve our roots but look ahead. This has been done because we do feel that we need a new image.”
At the same time, IPBA is also working to expand its reach into new markets along with the scope of its offerings there.
“At a macro level we are focusing on greater global representation in our organisation so we are making serious headway in Russia, China, and of course we have a lot of members from the Americas, but we will have an outreach programme to increase our membership in North and South America,” Xavier says. “Those are the larger representational plans.”
“In line with being relevant, especially in our expanding jurisdictions, on top of our usual regional events in Southeast Asia, Middle East, South America, Latin America, Europe and so on, we are going to have a new regional event in Moscow this year that focuses on fintech,” he says.
As the IPBA extends its coverage, regional offerings will be key to ensure the organisation can really leave its mark. “We will continue to make sure that we are there as an enabler to advance legal thought and innovation in key parts of the world,” Xavier says of the IPBA’s goals for these new markets.
In addition to regional events and a rebrand, there are other ways the organisation ensures it continues to still be relevant; it also offers a quarterly publication, IPBA Journal, which provides regular surveys and analysis of new laws and national and regional developments.
UPHOLDING STANDARDS
While the organisation is growing, it is important to ensure that the conferences remain of a high standard. Next year’s conference will take place in China, before it heads back to Japan in 2021. Regardless of where the events are held, careful thought and care is invested in every aspect. New locations not only provide attendees and organizers with the chance to acquaint themselves with key markets, but they also provide new perspectives, and at times, challenges.
For Xavier, who personally attends many events, there are several criteria an IPBA event must fulfil in order to be memorable for attendees and considered a success for organizers. In addition to ensuring that the food on offer is excellent (Xavier notes that “standard hotel fare” is something of a pet peeve), he says it is essential that all attendees leave having had the opportunity to learn new useful information and share new ideas. They should leave with the sense of being able to “look at the same challenges, and issues from another perspective,” he says.
Another important consideration for organizers is ensuring there is a healthy representation of delegates from across the globe, with varied knowledge and experience, while at the same time ensuring that attendees are afforded “ample opportunities for mingling, making new acquaintances, or strengthening friendships.”
Strong attendance is no concern for the organisation. “In April last year (or twelve months prior to this year’s conference) we already had more than 700 registrations, and so we are confident the conference will offer a platform for people to mingle with lawyers from all over the world,” Xavier says.
SERIOUS SOUL-SEARCHING
While attendance remains healthy for IPBA, there is no doubt the legal landscape has drastically changed from the 1990s, when the organisation was first established. Xavier says recognizing this change is important, but lawyers must collaborate globally to look for answers.
“It’s as plain as a nose on a donkey’s face: The speed of change is accelerating before our very eyes,” Xavier says. “I think it would be fair to say that no one is insulated today. Everyone is feeling the need to be nimble, learn new skills and refashion themselves.”
“Changes in technology, coupled with rapidly rising costs in this part of the world, have meant law firms need to think carefully about what exactly it is that they offer to clients. And, with the advent of AI, law firms are grappling with different ways of practicing.” Technology too has also “drastically shifted the paradigms of client expectations,” Xavier observes.
While commoditisation remains a key concern for those in the industry, the issues run deeper. “How do we stay relevant?” Xavier muses. “Lawyers are grappling with questions that go to their very existence. Where should I practice, how should I practice? I think some very serious soul-searching is going on.”
This, Xavier says, is where organisations like IPBA can help: “Lawyers have many, many concerns and add on to a fact that borders have perhaps disappeared, at one time they used to say borders are fast disappearing, perhaps we’ve reached a phase where borders have effectively disappeared. More than ever lawyers across the world need to collaborate they need to share their experiences, they need to get together to tackle common problems, reoccurring problems. They need to discuss innovation, they need to discuss how we can all be better lawyers and stay relevant to the needs of a rapidly changing commercial terrain.”
To contact the editorial team, please email ALBEditor@thomsonreuters.com.
