Greetings, and thank you for your commitment of time and investment of talent to the IADC. I am honored to serve as your president, and excited about the opportunity to add my voice and vision to help shape the future of the organization and the defense bar.
Our theme for the 2018-2019 year is “One World. One Mission. One IADC.”
One World: we are facing unprecedented attacks on our shared global interests, and the rise in extremism and authoritarian nationalism threaten to harm our decades-long pursuits of global kinship and business relations. The IADC can and will set the standard for global connectivity, and remind those who have forgotten that we are one world.
One Mission: the advancement of the civil justice system. Since 1920, our charge has been clear - assertively serve the interests of the corporate and insurance industries, and collectively build business and professional opportunities for the outside counsel who represent them. We resolve to continue our efforts to level the playing field in the civil and common law systems, and will strengthen our focus to remain the preeminent global defense bar organization.
One IADC: we are more committed than ever to ensuring that each and every member of the organization feels welcome, and will continue to focus on the things that make the IADC great and best in class among professional organizations: personal engagement (ensuring that all members feel connected and respected); professional enhancement (securing the growth potential for all members both in terms of business development and skills training); and family enjoyment (the IADC is unique among professional organizations in terms of its commitment to family, realizing that the “whole” attorney is a successful attorney - part of that wholeness is a strong connection to home, whatever home looks like for our members).
The IADC Board is comprised of dedicated and driven leaders who will work tirelessly to build on the legacy that we have inherited. We will continue to provide high-quality and cutting-edge CLEs; build platforms for business development that are unrivaled; address the needs of our corporate/in-house and insurance professionals/executives; strengthen our world-renowned Trial Academy to train the next generation of lawyers; and focus on areas of growth with regard to domestic and international arbitration. Our goal is to make the IADC the standard bearer for visionary and value-added professional organizations, and will be intentional in our approach to meeting the needs of our diverse universe of members and non-members alike.
The IADC is committed to being a change agent in an ever changing legal landscape across the globe. We will meet challenges head on, and both find and create opportunities to meet the ever-growing and important needs of our members. I am humbled to serve as your president this year, and vow to work relentlessly to make you proud of your membership with our great organization.