IBA Group Member Awards recognise support of Americas leading law firms

Bomchil, for guiding IBA expansion in Argentina and beyond. The firm’s long-standing support has brought the IBA’s work to a wider audience across Latin America, assisted lawyers with the broadening of their knowledge base and helped them to keep their professional practice current. The firm has also demonstrated extraordinary leadership during IBA Annual Conferences in Buenos Aires and in assisting the Association’s Presidents with high-profile meetings in Argentina.

Maximo Bomchil, Founding Partner at Bomchil, commented: ‘We are extremely honoured to receive this award from the International Bar Association. The IBA has been for many years, I would say for more than five decades, an inseparable part of our practice. We have enjoyed enormously participating in the annual and regional conferences, working in the committees and assisting the association in our region when our help was required. We have made many friends and built up a fantastic professional network essential for our international development. The two Annual Conferences held in Buenos Aires in 1988 and 2008 are events that will be fondly remembered by the Argentine legal community and for which our firm is extremely proud in having helped organise. We encourage all our lawyers to participate in the association as an important aspect of building their practices.’

Miller & Chevalier, for supporting the IBA Foundation’s Rule of Law Town Hall series. In particular, the IBA recognises the dedication of Miller & Chevalier Partner, Homer Moyer, for his outstanding work in organising and moderating Rule of Law Town Hall meetings and webinars as well as a series of public events in Washington DC titled ‘Preserving a Free Society’. The firm’s support is further recognised for holding IBA events in their offices and providing leadership in numerous IBA committees.

Kathryn Cameron Atkinson, Chair of Miller & Chevalier, noted: ‘Miller & Chevalier is deeply honoured to receive this Group Member award from the IBA. The rule of law work and engagements, led for decades by the founder of our International Department, Homer Moyer, and continued by several of our lawyers under the aegis of the IBA, are critically important endeavours. We are grateful to the IBA for the opportunities it has presented to our firm, both with respect to the professional development of our lawyers, and the opportunity to engage in meaningful pro bono work in support of the rule of law. We also wish to thank the IBA Foundation, which has supported various public education initiatives on which our firm has collaborated with the IBA. Finally, we would be remiss if we did not also recognise the IBA’s collaboration with the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute on the Rule of Law Town Hall series. Both IBA Executive Director, Mark Ellis, and Homer have been deeply privileged to enjoy a decades-long friendship with Justice O’Connor, a pioneer in so many respects, including in the area of educating the public about civics and the rule of law.’

Pinheiro Neto for demonstrating great commitment to, and augmenting, the IBA’s efforts to promote the rule of law in Brazil. Also, for representing the IBA on legal issues, including in court. As well as for full conscientious engagement with IBA committees and providing effective leadership. The hosting of IBA events and mentoring of directors of the IBA’s Latin America office are also recognised.

Gilberto Giusti, Partner at Pinheiro Neto, said: ‘We at Pinheiro Neto Advogados are very honoured to receive this Group Member Award in recognition of our work in support of the opening of IBA's Latin America office in São Paulo and of the Association's continued efforts and initiatives to promote the rule of law in the region. We are extremely proud of being part of this notable organisation.’

TozziniFreire for its exceptional support of the IBA’s initiatives, including coordinating the pro bono translation of the IBA Human Rights Manual and hosting an IBA Management Board meeting. The firm has been indispensable in helping to strengthen the organisation’s relationship with Centro de Estudos das Sociedades de Advogados (CESA), taking leadership roles in several IBA conferences and committees and working tirelessly to encourage IBA membership of Brazil’s legal professionals.

Fernando Eduardo Serec, Managing Partner at TozziniFreire, commented: ‘We at TozziniFreire are extremely proud to accept this Group Member Award for our work supporting the IBA. Creating awareness of the IBA’s comprehensive activities, by providing support to strengthen its relationship with CESA (Brazilian Association of Law Firms), coordinating the pro bono translation of the IBA Human Rights Manual, as well as actively promoting and participating in the most diverse conferences and committees, has encouraged an increase in regional membership. The collaboration between firms resulting from several initiatives is of utmost importance for spreading the rule of law, increasing pro bono activities, as well as diversity and inclusion awareness through the exchange of information about best practices throughout the world.’

White & Case, for providing pro bono legal research for the IBA Foundation’s Rule of Law Town Halls in various United States’ cities, as well as the ‘Preserving a Free Society’ events that were held in Washington DC at the National Archives and the Wilson Center and at the IBA Annual Meeting in Rome in 2018. The firm has demonstrated a tireless commitment to supporting the IBA, in particular through leadership roles in diverse IBA committees and the IBA Foundation.

Hansel Pham, Partner and Head of White & Case’s Washington DC office, commented: ‘White & Case is very honoured to accept this IBA Group Member Award. It has been a genuine privilege to support the IBA’s public education efforts on the rule of law, a pro bono endeavour that various White & Case partners and associates have found to be deeply rewarding, both professionally and personally. White & Case takes seriously its commitment to public service. Thus, it is grateful to the IBA for providing an opportunity to advance the aims of initiatives such as the Rule of Law Town Hall and “Preserving a Free Society” series that the IBA - together with the IBA Foundation and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute - has undertaken in recent years.’