Committee Chair Corner – International Committee
Manuel P. Barrocas
Barrocas Advogados – Lisbon, Portugal
mpb@barrocas.pt
Introduction
The manner in which the International Committee (IC) is changing and the importance of IADC internationalization are among the top topics for the IC to debate in order to achieve its main aims in the immediate future.
I started my role as IC Chair at the end of the Lisbon IADC Annual Meeting in July this year.
I sincerely hope to serve this important role as best as possible and to contribute substantially to the main Committee’s purposes under the new theme: One World. One Mission. One IADC.
Membership Programming
On this interesting topic, the IC will mainly consider:
- how to find and encourage more Regional Meetings all over the world; and
- how to raise membership numbers, independently of the location of practice throughout the world of future members.
IADC is already a remarkable international association of lawyers who adhere to the rules of integrity, and whose members have the highest professional values and skills.
But IADC is obviously looking to increase its members internationally. The association currently has about 2,500 members thanks to recent great efforts and excellent results obtained on raising membership.
However, the total number of non-US members in May 2018 was still relatively low at only about 10.5% of the total. This breaks down into about 260 non-US members, of which 103 are in the European Union (including 23 in the UK) and 42 members in East Asia (China, HK, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore). In South America, the number is 19, in Central America 4, in Canada 67, and Australia/New Zealand 11.
In contrast, the following figures show IADC’s long-term membership goals for the following regions:
- the UE (excluding in future perhaps the UK): 250
- East Asia: 100
- South America: 50 (Peru, Chile, Uruguay, and Bolivia are mentioned specifically as growth countries)
- Central America: 50
- Canada: 150
- Australia/New Zealand: 30
The Middle East, Bermuda, Africa/South Africa, India, and Russia have now a total of 13 members. The Middle East is seen as particularly promising for growing membership, whilst it will probably be more difficult to increase current numbers in Russia and India (Russia has 1 member and India 1 member as well).
A long-term target, let’s say a 10–year one, may be reached by increasing the international member number from the current 260 to about 630, which could bring the ideal percentage up to about 25% of the total IADC membership numbers.
Regional Meetings
I am convinced that an excellent tool to raise the numbers of more local qualified members all over the world will prove to be the implementation of more international Regional Meetings in order to promote and encourage both local and international social networking and the forging of relationships with US members and other non-US members who practise in different regions.
Local members in each region not only look to improve their legal knowledge but also to get to know US and non-US IADC members.
Particular attention and support of the IADC Board to Regional Meetings should be, in our view, a priority. We recently had the Asian Regional Meeting in Hong Kong and the European Regional Meeting in Munich, which were both great successes and excellent opportunities to introduce the association to non-members.
Be sure to consult the Regional Meeting page for more upcoming international Regional Meetings that are scheduled.
IADC Publications
Members usually greatly enjoy contributing to legal publications, not only to provoke discussion on interesting legal matters, but also to show their legal knowledge.
IADC publishes Newsletters, including the IC Committee Newsletter and other Substantive Law Committee Newsletters, which are available for these purposes.
IADC Colleges, Academies, Webinars, and Strategic Alliances
These are other valuable IADC contributions that can be made to develop relationships between members all over the world and should receive continuous support.
The IC Steering Committee Structure
Finally, a note about the structure of the IC Steering Committee. This body was created by the IADC Board just a few months ago and means to create more interactions among the IADC Board, major law committees, and the International Committee.
It is composed of the Vice Chairs of the four existing regions outside the US and myself as follows:
- Maw Shen Foo (Chair of Asia/Australia, Singapore)
- Döne Yalçin (Chair of Europe/Mid East/Africa, Turkey, Istanbul)
- Daniel Reisler (Chair of North America, Canada, Toronto)
- Christobal Jimeno Chadwick (Chair of Latin America, Chile, Santiago), and
- Manuel P. Barrocas (IC Chair, Portugal, Lisbon).
In addition to the following members of several major law committees:
- Noriko Higashizawa (Diversity and Inclusion, Japan, Tokyo)
- Steven Rosenhek (CLE, Canada, Toronto)
- Cecilia Lahaye (Membership, Belgium, Brussels)
- Colin Loveday (Board Liaison, Australia, Sydney)
- Gordon McKee (former Board Member, Canada, Toronto)
- Laura De Santos (Board Liaison, USA, Texas, Houston).
First Steering Committee Meeting in Rome, 4 October 2018
The first meeting was held in Rome, Italy, just before the first day of the International Corporate Counsel College meeting in which almost all members participated and which was attended by Craig Thompson, the IADC President.
Important matters were discussed and decisions made about various matters within Committee’s competence.
International Committee Request
With this structure in place and highly motivated to work in cooperation with all IADC Committees, the IC hopes and desires to cooperate with all IADC Committees and IADC members on any matter of interest to IADC and its membership with international connections in this great world of interesting developments in globalization.
Please contact us through IADC or directly with me (mpb@barrocas.pt).