Insolvency Section

About the Section

Its principal goals are to:

• provide a forum, at conferences twice a year (the IBA's annual conference and the Insolvency Section's own conference, usually in May), for substantive educational sessions presented by genuine experts on the most cutting-edge issues in restructuring, insolvency and creditors' rights;
• create a lively network of lawyers (private practitioners, corporate counsel, judges, academics and law reform opinion leaders) from common and civil law systems in developed, emerging and formerly centrally controlled economies; and
• contribute to the reform and harmonisation of insolvency (and related) laws through permanent expert delegations to organisations such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

By joining the Insolvency Section, you will benefit from :

• an open, friendly and supportive group which welcomes and provides opportunities for advancement of lawyers at all stages of their careers - from junior lawyers to the most distinguished practitioners in the world;
• extensive opportunities of cross-selling prospects to, as well as receiving cross-referrals from, IBA lawyers in legal disciplines beyond insolvency and restructuring. This is not ordinarily possible in purely insolvency-focused associations;
• unparalleled access to international, governmental and trade organisations useful to practice development. Insolvency Section members include insolvency academics, commercial judges, and representatives of the leading regulatory and international institutions, such as UNCITRAL and the World Bank;
• opportunities to be involved in ground breaking insolvency law reforms projects which are internationally recognised and respected. The Insolvency Section has had a significant impact on the practice of cross-border insolvency law, and has been integrally involved in the development of insolvency legislation that has been enacted into law around the world. It continues to contribute expertise to a number of world bodies including UNCITRAL and the World Bank;
• access to the Insolvency Section's journal, Insolvency and Restructuring International, which is issued twice a year, as well as the opportunity to contribute articles to that prestigious publication;
• the ability to post a biography on the IBA membership site; and
• discounted membership for applicable lawyer groups: the IBA offers a 40 per cent discount on membership fees for full-time academics, judges, government lawyers, retired lawyers and lawyers from low income countries.

Members are encouraged to participate actively in the Section's work both at its conferences and, throughout the year, through the work of its Subcommittees and through articles in the Section's journal.

The Section serves as an Official Observer to the UNCITRAL Working Group on Insolvency Law, which it has assisted in developing the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency and with which it is currently working to identify areas for harmonisation of domestic insolvency laws, aimed at ensuring certainty and effectiveness in cross-border trade and other financial transactions. The Section works closely, on these and other efforts, with other multinational institutions concerned with insolvency, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as with organisations of insolvency practitioners such as INSOL International/INSOL Europe, the International Insolvency Institute, the Association of European Insolvency Practitioners and national insolvency specialist organisations.

Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences

Emerging trends in insolvency law in sub-Saharan Africa

05 Oct 2023 1300 - 1400 BST

Webinar

IBA Annual Conference Paris 2023

29 Oct - 03 Nov 2023

Paris , France

IBA Asset Recovery Conference

06 Dec - 08 Dec 2023

Vienna , Austria

29th Annual IBA Global Insolvency and Restructuring Conference

02 Jun - 04 Jun 2024

Zürich , Switzerland

IBA Annual Conference Mexico City 2024

15 Sep - 20 Sep 2024

Mexico City , Mexico

Covid-19 relief measures

The Insolvency Section compiled a country-by-country comparison exploring insolvency legislation initiatives as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Information was gathered with the collaboration of the Insolvency Section officers and members in July 2020.

Download Covid-19 relief measures

Insolvency and Restructuring International

The latest issue of the Section journal, Insolvency and Restructuring International (IRI), is now available to access online for all members of the IBA Insolvency Section. Non-members are able to read brief summaries of the articles online and will find links to purchasing articles and issues.

IRI is published twice yearly and sent to members of the section. For others it is available via subscription.

View journal

Subcommittees and other groups

The Insolvency Section also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.

• Creditors' Rights Subcommittee
• Insolvency Section Advisory Board
• Insolvent Financial Institutions Subcommittee
• Legislation and Policy Subcommittee
• Reorganisation and Workouts Subcommittee