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Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee

The Committee aims to gather global information on barriers to justice and solutions, focusing on statutory schemes like legal aid. Findings will be shared through reports and events, with all information available on the website for those unable to attend. Acting as a central hub within the IBA, the Committee will coordinate efforts on access to justice and legal aid, collaborating with other committees on joint projects. The IBA’s global reach will support the exchange of best practices, offering valuable insights for jurisdictions facing challenges in maintaining or improving access to justice during times of austerity.

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International Franchising Committee

The International Franchising Committee focuses on the law and business of international franchising. Committee interests include: competition law principles, cross-border sales and licensing issues, the business forms employed and trademark and intellectual property protections required to assure franchising success.

The Committee has served and continues to play an educational role for the legal profession, judiciary and legislators, and enables members to examine and comment upon legislative and regulatory proposals affecting international franchising. Through the committee's regular newsletter, International Franchising Committee members are kept up to date on legal developments, seminars and publications of interest around the world.

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International Construction Projects Committee

The International Construction Projects Committee is a global, diverse group of lawyers focused on the promotion and understanding of construction law across the globe. We cover all aspects of construction and engineering projects and foster the exchange of experiences from practitioners around the world.

The Committee serves those active in both domestic construction markets and international projects, and offer extensive experience in both contentious and non-contentious construction issues. The Committee meets annually at the IBA Annual Conference and the International Construction Projects Committee retreat, and biennially at the Conference on Construction Projects, providing opportunities to connect and share knowledge.

If you are a member, join our LinkedIn group.

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International Commerce and Distribution Committee

The International Commerce and Distribution Committee examines legal issues fundamental to the growth and development of international commerce.

The Committee deals extensively with issues relating to international sales contracts, agency and distribution, cross-border acquisitions, warranties and financing of international sales.

In addition to reviewing the current legal position in different countries from a comparative perspective, the committee also examines international and supranational instruments, such as the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods, Incoterms and the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits and relevant instruments of the European Union and Mercosur.

The Committee also focuses on law reform in the fields of law within its scope, and since 1997 has monitored and offered suggestions in connection with the proposed Hague Convention on International Jurisdiction and the Effects of Foreign judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters.

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International Trade and Customs Law Committee

The International Trade and Customs Law Committee is a forum for international practitioners, corporate counsel, academics and government officials to convene, exchange ideas and promote discussion of issues across the spectrum of international trade and customs law.

The International Trade and Customs Law Committee also works closely with bar associations and other organisations across the world to organise events and to ensure that the committee and its members are on the leading edge of international trade and customs issues.

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International Commerce, Trade, Franchising and Product Law Section

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Asset Management and Investment Funds Committee

The Asset Management and Investment Funds Committee provides a convenient forum for its members to consider current developments in the global investment funds industry, including both regulatory and product development. It also produces newsletters and occasional e-bulletins for its members. In addition to its programmes at the annual IBA conferences, the committee presents an annual conference on Globalisation of Investment Funds normally held in June, which celebrated its 30th successful year in 2020. The event attracts delegates from approximately 30 countries, and features presentations by senior regulators from around the world, senior executives of top fund managers and other fund service providers as well as from leading practitioners in the field.

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War Crimes Committee

The War Crimes Committee works to promote justice around the world and uphold the principle of accountability. We focus on atrocity crimes, international criminal law, and practice. We provide a forum for practitioners and scholars, offering reliable resources and a network of contacts in this field. The committee supports international, ad hoc, and domestic war crimes tribunals and collaborates with the IBA Human Rights Institute to promote justice and accountability. We also have a working relationship with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Committee aims include being a leading professional body for international criminal law, providing valuable resources, and inspiring young lawyers in this area.

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Insolvency Section

The Insolvency Section is a network of leading lawyers, judges, and academics from restructuring, insolvency, and creditors' rights law. With over 30 years of experience, we play a pivotal role in the development and reform of international insolvency law. We shape global frameworks by sending expert delegates to leading organisations, such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the World Bank.

The Section represents high standards in the field, giving members opportunities to connect, contribute, and lead globally. Members benefit from cross-referral opportunities, involvement in law reform initiatives, and access to the Insolvency and Restructuring International journal. Our conferences bring together experts to exchange ideas, collaborate, and shape the future of insolvency practice.

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Professional Ethics Committee

The Committee provides a forum for all international lawyers who are interested in discussing and debating issues affecting the practice of law. In today's world a lawyer may face conflicting duties and the application of professional standards may be far from apparent. The Committee focuses on developments of international significance and seeks active collaboration with other committees and constituents in providing programmes at the IBA conferences.

The Committee works closely with the IBA Standing Committee on Professional Ethics which is concerned with the maintenance and periodical reform of the International Code of Ethics.

The Committee seeks to facilitate relevant networking and information/experience sharing opportunities and encompasses the social and collegial interests of both members and potential members with other regional fora, the Corporate Counsel Forum and the Young Lawyers Committee and all LPD committees in general.

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Business Crime Committee

The Business Crime Committee provides a forum for members to discuss, address, and advocate on emerging white-collar crime issues. The Committee’s goal is to promote awareness of the growing significance of novel tactics. Recent focuses include international cooperation in criminal matters, money laundering, cybercrime, internal investigations, and legal frameworks against bribery and corruption in global transactions. Membership benefits include opportunities to publish articles and content, attending educational conferences and networking with business crime lawyers and opportunities for sourcing referrals to experts in foreign jurisdictions and attorneys.

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Aviation Law Committee

The Aviation Law Committee is concerned with several major areas of law. Aircraft transactions and financing are always a major interest. The Committee also follows developments of international law with respect to airlines in both economic and tort areas, and also focuses on competition issues related to aviation.

The Committee provides an opportunity not only to contribute to the development of aviation law but also to make useful contacts with aviation attorneys from all over the world. This is particularly important in an international industry such as aviation, where attorneys are required to deal with aviation attorneys in other countries on a regular basis.

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Anti-Corruption Committee

The Anti-Corruption Committee provides an international forum for private and public-sector practitioners to meet and discuss anti-corruption laws, compliance practices, enforcement trends and asset recovery issues.It facilitates the sharing of best practice and the regular communication of legal and other developments, including new legislation, case-law, prosecution guidance and government policy, as well as developments in civil society, the private sector and international organisations. Committee members have the opportunity to assist one another in understanding transnational corruption, share domestic legal expertise and extend their professional experience internationally.

The committee’s regular conferences and newsletters allow members to stay abreast of developments in this fast-moving area and form a better understanding of the anti-corruption standards and practices in different countries. The committee wishes in particular to assist practitioners in areas where anti-corruption laws and procedures are relatively under-developed or under-enforced.

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Private Client Tax Committee

The Committee focuses on inheritance rights, will making, lifetime giving, trusts, creditor claims, regulatory compliance, charities, taxation, property rights, and conflict of law rules, considering both domestic and cross-border implications. Members benefit from enhanced knowledge, expertise in cross-border issues, global networking, and access to leading experts. The committee addresses international planning, comparative law, and topics like individual tax in cross-border contexts, trusts for planning, international successions, and asset protection. It frequently holds joint sessions with the Taxes committee and other IBA sections, offering a valuable resource for practitioners in private client work.

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Asset Recovery Committee

The Asset Recovery Committee, re-launched as an independent committee in 2023, provides an international platform for private and public-sector practitioners, civil society, international and regional organizations, policy makers, experts and funders to meet and discuss best practice and experience in the field of asset tracking and recovery, including asset recovery laws and orders, practical tools and techniques, know-how and case studies, from both criminal and civil law perspectives, across both civil and common law jurisdictions.

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Class Actions Committee

The Class Actions Committee serves as a platform for lawyers to discuss differing class action and collective redress regimes, monitor international developments, and debate key policy and rule of law issues. Class actions are becoming increasingly common, providing access to justice and holding corporations and authorities accountable.

Jurisdictions vary widely in their approaches, with some countries facing fundamental challenges. Global coordination in prosecuting and defending major cases is growing, with fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing being vital. The Committee provides a forum for international lawyers to come together and discuss these differences, as well as network with other professionals within this space.

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Antitrust Section

The Antitrust Section provides an international forum for thought leadership with respect to antitrust law developments and the profession through submissions to competition agencies, training programs/missions, developing the law through our conferences, publications, and interaction with antitrust enforcement authorities and the profession.

In addition, there is a strong commitment to bring together international practitioners to facilitate closer working relationships. The Section is increasingly relied upon by government officials and members of the private sector for its expertise and practical input into antitrust developments, including through its Working Group submissions.

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Forum for Government and Public Lawyers

The Forum for Government and Public Lawyers provides a platform for government and public lawyers worldwide. As the global voice of the legal profession, the IBA supports these lawyers and connects them with both public and private sector practitioners. The Forum focuses on the role of government and public lawyers, covering public service values, ethics, specialist skills, and public international law developments. Membership is open to Bar Associations that are IBA members and individual members of any Division. The Forum is especially relevant to practitioners working in government or public entities at domestic, regional, or international levels.

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Family Law Committee

The Family Law Committee provides a unique forum for members from different countries and different legal systems to exchange views, meet during conferences and debate issues concerning the substantive and procedural aspects of family law. The work of the committee has focused on developments of international significance, involving all aspects of family law, for example, marriage, divorce, inheritance, human rights in the family, adoption, international child abduction, etc. There is a close interaction within the committee and its members through newsletters and via e-mail.

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Space Law Committee

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Maritime and Transport Law Committee

The Maritime and Transport Law Committee is one of the oldest and most established committees of the IBA, with more than 650 members worldwide.The Committee is a platform where leading maritime law professionals meet, create connections and discuss the most current legal issues in the field of maritime and transport law. The Committee arranges a number of sessions on developments in maritime and transport law at the annual conferences of the IBA. Frequent half-year seminars are held in the world’s maritime centres, and the Committee is also active in cooperating with other organisations in the maritime law area such as Comite Maritime International, International Maritime Organisation Legal Council, and maritime law societies in jurisdictions around the world.

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Real Estate Section

The Real Estate Section is a global forum for lawyers interested in real estate law. With the increasing internationalisation of real estate transactions, the Section has evolved to address legal and practical issues in a global context. It provides a platform for lawyers from diverse legal backgrounds to exchange views, collaborate, and participate in conferences. Members are encouraged to engage in annual conferences, special projects, and the Section's newsletter. The Section fosters valuable networking opportunities and continues to prepare impactful conferences on international real estate matters, welcoming contributions and ideas from members worldwide.

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Criminal Law Committee

The Criminal Law Committee provides a forum for members from various countries and criminal justice systems to meet, exchange views, and monitor developments in criminal law. The Committee focuses on transnational and international issues. The Committee keeps members informed through newsletters and rapporteurs. The member listings, organised by location and practice area, allow for case referrals, cooperation in transnational criminal cases, and the exchange of professional experiences. This platform also offers opportunities for members to assist one another in transnational criminal law matters and share expertise in related cases.

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Negligence and Damages Committee

The Negligence and Damages Committee has the object of providing information from a range of jurisdictions worldwide. Participants will gain practical knowledge which will enable them to deliver a better service to clients in their own jurisdiction. Equally, when consulted by clients who were injured in other jurisdictions, on ships, on aircraft or elsewhere, the committee activities provide information and networking opportunities with colleagues which will enable lawyers to undertake such cases on an international basis.

Negligence and Damages are evolving fields of law in many jurisdictions. The committee seeks to equip its members with the ability to understand and influence these changes in the legal environment.

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Taxes Committee

The Taxes Committee encourages interface between international tax specialists and promotes the building of networks among tax lawyers worldwide to assist them in better serving the interests of their clients. The committee is divided informally into four practice group areas: Income Taxes, Other Taxes, Tax Litigation and Employee Benefits.

Members are encouraged to contribute to the committee newsletter which is published two to three times per year and to present papers at committee conferences and seminars. The committee also offers tax executives a forum, in its Tax Executives group, to exchange expertise and skills with their colleagues in industry on topics of special interest.

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Banking & Financial Law Committee

The Banking and Financial Law Committee provides a worldwide forum for banking lawyers and other legal professionals within the banking community to address all sorts of practical and legal issues arising in commercial and regulatory activities in this context. The Committee has held one of the IBA’s most popular and well established events, the International Financial Law Conference, every year since 1984. Below you will find information, updates, news and other resources relevant to your committee.

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Media Law Committee

The Media Law Committee focuses on sharing knowledge among members and stakeholders on legal matters related to the media industry. This includes both content and communication, which has become increasingly international due to global media networks. As media law expands beyond print, radio, and TV to new media such as e-commerce, the committee fosters cooperation with journalists and other media professionals. We regularly address legal developments through programs at the IBA Annual Conference and newsletters, reflecting the evolving nature of media law in a globalised world.

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Mediation Committee

The Mediation Committee focuses on laws, practices and procedures relating to the mediation, conciliation, and negotiation of transnational disputes, as well as other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. The committee seeks to advance the information available to the international legal community about such processes and techniques for implementing them; to contribute to the development of improved practices and ethical standards in the field; and to draw attention to legal developments and problems relating to mediation and ADR. Additionally, the Mediation Committee works with the following IBA committees to form the Dispute Resolution Section: Arbitration, Class Action Committee, Litigation, Negligence and Damages.

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Academic and Professional Development Committee

The Academic and Professional Development Committee connects law schools, legal professionals, and the IBA. We aim to enhance the quality of lawyers worldwide, modernise legal practice, and attract top talent to the profession. We engage directly with law schools, helping students prepare for international practice, and support IBA initiatives to strengthen local Bars globally.

At annual conferences, we bring together academics, lawyers, and experts to explore issues in legal and business education. Additionally, we conduct research on these topics and share insights through newsletters and updates on our webpage to benefit the global legal community.

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African Regional Forum

The African Regional Forum aims to enhance the value and significance of the International Bar Association (IBA) by addressing issues unique to African lawyers. The Forum focuses on cooperation with bar associations, supporting legal development, and promoting IBA participation across Africa. We organise regional conferences, workshops, and seminars to foster specialisation and partnerships within the legal profession. The Forum also works to educate about legal rights, strengthen sub-regional bars, and facilitate exchanges between developed and developing bars. We play a crucial role in training, legal reforms, and fostering collaboration with government and other regional fora.

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