Chair
Barton Selden
Corporate Counsel Forum
The Corporate Counsel Forum is the pre-eminent forum within the IBA to discuss, educate, and advocate on the role and expectations of legal professionals in corporate settings. The Forum helps IBA members navigate corporate hierarchies, balance business goals, and provide legal services at the highest standards. The forum focuses on topics relevant to its members, including selecting and managing outside counsel, professional development, legal privilege, global practices, managing corporate legal functions, and corporate governance.
About the Forum
The mission of the Corporate Counsel Forum is to be the pre-eminent forum within the IBA for discussion, education and spokesmanship by, for and among corporate counsel, respecting the proper role and expectations of the professional acting for a corporation and to offer an in-house perspective to the IBA and its members.
In particular, the forum wishes to assist its members in functioning effectively within corporate hierarchies, satisfying business objectives while rendering legal services to the corporation in accordance with the highest professional standards. The forum seeks to maintain a particular focus on topics and themes of this nature which are currently relevant to its membership. At present, these include:
- selection of, liaison with and supervision of outside counsel;
- professional evaluation, development, privilege and responsibility in the corporate setting;
- globalisation and multi-jurisdictional practice;
- managing the corporate legal function; and
- corporate governance.
Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences
8th Annual IBA European Start-up Conference
24 Sep - 25 Sep 2025
Cascais , Portugal
IBA Annual Conference Toronto 2025
02 Nov - 07 Nov 2025
Toronto , Canada
IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026
04 Oct - 09 Oct 2026
Copenhagen , Denmark
Forum Podcasts
Sanctions screening: A Canadian view
In this podcast, Harpreet K Sidhu, the IBA Corporate Counsel Forum’s Publications Officer and the General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Privacy Officer at Pethealth – A Fairfax Company, interviews Shawn Neylan, a partner at Stikeman Elliott. They discuss the issue of sanctions screening and particularly what in-house counsel need to know about this important topic, with a focus on the Canadian perspective. The podcast was recorded on 29 August 2022.
Image credit: Andrey VP/Adobestock. Music Credit: tech corporation/Pixabay.
Publications
Where do you pay? A recent Italian Court of Cassation decision on taxation
According to a recent judgment of the Italian Court of Cassation, a company resident abroad for tax purposes is subject to the Italian tax regime if the main decisions relating to its general management and business affairs are adopted in Italy.
Released on Dec 10, 2021
Breach of the shareholders’ agreement: which jurisdiction applies when a company is based abroad?
According to a recent judgment of the Italian Corte di Cassazione, a dispute arising from a breach of the shareholders’ agreement by an Italian shareholder is subject to the Italian jurisdiction even when the registered office of the company is located abroad under the rule of the defendant’s domicile.
Released on Aug 18, 2021
Board chair and CEO roles: legal and practical experience from Cambodia
While the academic study of leadership roles found in a board of directors and management is not new, it is almost unheard of in Cambodia. This is not surprising given the country’s entire corporate governance and economic structure are still evolving.
In-House Perspective
In-House Perspective is the IBA’s Corporate Counsel Forum magazine, featuring profiles of industry leaders, in-house counsel news and advice on managing counsel and clients. It’s available to members of the IBA Corporate Counsel Forum and can be read here.
Subcommittees and other groups
The Corporate Counsel Forum also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.
- Corporate Counsel Forum Advisory Board
- Management of the Corporate Legal Function Subcommittee
- Regional Coordinators Subcommittee