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Corporate and M&A Law Committee

The Corporate and M&A Law Committee connects corporate, compliance, private equity, and M&A practitioners globally. Focused on education, networking, and collaboration, we address key challenges in corporate law and M&A.

Our goals include: promoting knowledge-sharing through conferences and legal guides, enhancing participation in IBA activities, and supporting professional development. We also contribute to legal education through training, book donations, and programming on emerging trends like ESG, compliance, and cross-border M&A. We publish a newsletter annually.

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Diversity and Equality Law Committee

The Diversity and Equality Law Committee includes private practitioners, in-house attorneys, and academics working with corporate clients on issues like pay equity, anti-discrimination, and LGBTQ+ rights. Members come from leading law firms, corporations, and various perspectives. The Committee publishes an annual newsletter highlighting new developments and issues of interest. The Committee also comprises the Disability Rights Working Group, focused on disabled individuals' rights in the workplace. The Committee collaborates with the Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee, the Immigration and Nationality Law Committee , and the Global Employment Institute.

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Immigration and Nationality Law Committee

The Immigration and Nationality Law Committee is concerned with all aspects of immigration and nationality law on a worldwide basis, including business-related immigration, family reunion policies, refugees and compassionate cases.

The Committee aims to provide a forum for the discussion of comparative data on immigration and nationality policies of countries worldwide.

The mission and focus of the committee is to provide a platform for lawyers practising immigration laws to receive input and update about the immigration laws of their country and also immigration laws and procedures of other jurisdictions. We achieve this by holding annual conferences and presentation of papers, newsletters and providing other online resources to enhance the knowledge of its member in multiple jurisdictions.

View a list of past chairs here.

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Women Lawyers' Committee

The Women Lawyers’ Committee (WLC) aspires to empower its 3000 highly valued members from all over the world to engage, network and share knowledge. The committee was originally an interest group which was introduced as an IBA constituent in 1996 to allow efficient global networking of women lawyers.

WLC aims to level the playing field in the legal profession and inspire leaders to work to achieve gender parity. It's 20 committee officers create awareness tools to help the profession achieve this goal, while at the same time facilitate an efficient global network for women lawyers to connect and develop business and expertise, supported by its Advisory board.

We welcome members with all genders and encourage all perspectives and remain a committee dedicated to the cause of women lawyers.

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Poverty and Social Development Committee

The Poverty and Social Development Committee, builds on years of work under various IBA auspices. We engage the legal profession to contribute to UN Sustainability Goal #1: Eradicating Poverty. Our committee advocates for using law to protect individuals and communities from poverty, promoting well-being. We believe legal professionals have a duty to create and apply law for good, preventing exploitation and mitigating harm. Planned projects include a podcast, a practical book for lawyers, a session at the IBA Annual Conference, and supporting NGOs focused on poverty eradication. We invite members to join our efforts.

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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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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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Water Law Committee

Welcome to the Water Law Committee online. The Water Law Committee focuses on legal issues associated with water as a critical resource and as a basic need and building block throughout the world. The Committee seeks to promote the active exchange of information and views on the use of water as a limited resource and an infrastructure opportunity, the controversies on water and the governance and business of water. The Water Law Committee is part of the IBA Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law

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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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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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Arab Regional Forum

The Arab Regional Forum provides lawyers active in, or with an interest in the region, with a means to establish contact and exchange information with each other. A particular focus of interest is the continuing economic importance of the region, including reconstruction and investment projects following peace initiatives.

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Latin American Regional Forum

The Latin American Regional Forum (LARF) provides a focus for all activities in the region. The group organises sessions at IBA Conferences and in particular has been instrumental in ensuring that a Latin American perspective is addressed during relevant special sessions. The LARF is closely affiliated with the North American Forum as the regions are geographically proximate and share many issues.

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Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section (SEERIL)

Welcome to the Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL)

Here you will find information, updates, news and other resources relevant to your Section.

View officer list

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Agriculture and Food Section

The Agriculture and Food Section (AFS) focuses on the evolving intersection of agricultural and food law and policy. Addressing urgent issues such as equitable food production in the face of climate change, land use, food production and distribution, farmers’ rights, seed and biotechnology laws, food safety, and agri-tech. We also explore sustainable agricultural practices and investment strategies. As a dynamic and essential field, the AFS provides a platform to address critical legal challenges in feeding the planet effectively and sustainably.

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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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Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Committee

The main areas are patents, trade marks, copyright, trade secrets and unfair competition. Allied to these are a number of related areas including data protection, database protection, privacy, design rights, domain names and the like.

In the entertainment law area the key focus is on the creation, provision and delivery of content in relation to print, films, broadcasts, cable programmes, musical works and sound recordings. There is also involvement with media law including defamation and privacy and authors' rights in a more general sense.

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Global Employment Institute (GEI)

The GEI, formed in 2010, provides a global approach to legal issues in human resources and human capital for multinationals. GEI collaborates with the Employment, Discrimination and Equality Law Committee and Immigration Law Committee to form the Human Resources Section. GEI members offer expert advice on global HR, discrimination, and immigration issues, enhancing organisations' performance and best practices. Activities include reports, research, commentary on legislation, training, and organising conferences. With leading global labour and employment practitioners, GEI is becoming a leading authority on global HR issues. Membership offers valuable resources and insights.

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Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Committee

The Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Committee addresses legal issues in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, such as medicine, intellectual property, biotech, bioethics, regulatory matters, and scientific developments. With a dynamic, diverse, and growing membership, the Committee fosters collaboration to tackle industry challenges, such as increased competition and regulatory changes.

We provide a platform for discussion, sharing knowledge, and updating members on key developments. Through conferences, seminars, and global events, the Committee promotes professional growth, enabling members to benefit from advanced practices in well-established jurisdictions while supporting those new to this field.

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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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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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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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Pro Bono Committee

The Pro Bono Committee promotes pro bono legal services globally, through the IBA Pro Bono Declaration, the exchange of information and initiatives, and by promoting best practices.

Pro bono work supports access to justice where this right is not fully supported by legal aid. The Committee provides resources, including digital content and articles highlighting pro bono efforts by legal professionals, which can be found below.

The Committee is committed to advancing pro bono work across the profession and welcomes new members passionate about contributing to this mission.

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Regulation of Lawyers Committee

The Regulation of Lawyers Committee provides a global perspective on practical and legal aspects of the growing body of regulation affecting all lawyers (whether individual lawyers, firms, in-house lawyers or those who work for clients) as well as current professional risk management topics and compliance issues affecting lawyers around the world. The Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Expert Subcommittee focuses on anti-money laundering requirements and financial and trade sanctions legislation, regulation and trends as they impacts lawyers. The Committee provide a forum to discuss and consider legislation impacting the practice of law, considering the ever-expanding multi-jurisdictional approach to lawyer regulation.

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Leisure Industries Section

The Leisure Industries Section started as the Travel Law Section and addressed the needs of travel law practitioners serving the travel industries. It grew to merge with the Tourism and Sports and Gaming sections expanding in its scope to provide a specialist network of professionals in the leisure industries.

The Section recognises that lawyers who work in the leisure industries often practice in one of the more traditional legal fields (aviation, property, finance, maritime, intellectual property, employment, litigation, conflict of laws, consumer law, insurance and trade law). The Section provides a focused forum on issues which emerge due to the greater amount of leisure time available and the increased internationalisation of sports and gaming.

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Communications Law Committee

The Communications Law Committee is a leading global forum for legal practitioners with specialist expertise or interest in the communications sector. The Committee offers members access to a worldwide network of leading practitioners, in-house counsel and regulators active in digital, communications and media markets. We encourage the sharing of sectoral expertise through regular publication of articles, periodic issues of our technical journal, the annual committee conference hosted jointly with IBA Antitrust Section, and specialised sessions at the IBA Annual Conference. The scope of the Committee’s work covers network, service and content-related developments across all delivery platforms. This provides members with access to practical global perspectives on the array of technological, commercial and policy issues which confront communications lawyers, their companies and clients.

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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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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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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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