On the sidelines of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) conference, India Business Law Journal spoke to partners and lawyers to gauge the mood on the ground. We picked some of the responses to bring alive the flavours of the conference to you.
Speaking about the future of the IPBA was Richard Briggs, the former president of the IPBA, who served from 2021 to 2023. He explained the leadership transition: “The reason I did two years is because of covid, and therefore everything got stalled.”
“Jack Lee did two years, and then I did two years as president. I’m now chairman of the nominating committee, which decides where to go and who’s going to be the next leaders. [My journey in the role] finishes on Saturday. My five years of different leadership roles are now done,” adding that he is happy to pass the baton to the younger generation.
Yu Wakae, of Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, is a Japanese lawyer working in China with a particular interest in the latest legal developments and geopolitical issues relevant to his practice.
“The good thing about the IPBA is they focus on the latest developments in the legal industry, and in recent years, it has been AI and geopolitical issues,” he said.
“I think two of the major issues that I am interested in in my daily practice have also been covered extensively. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss those matters with lawyers from other countries, including India, on a casual basis in social events.”
He is concerned with the ties between Japan and China and the growing tension between the two countries, which he hopes “will improve in the future”.
Rajan Kapoor, a vice president at Axis Bank, the official banking partner of the IPBA, said, “We are sponsoring the IPBA because we want to give our commitment and be a value-add to a lot of law firms.”
He added that he wants to see Axis as an adviser on “M&A transactions or any franchise they [law firms] want to set up in India”, adding that “from an investment banking perspective or a commercial banking perspective, we have a full suite to offer to them, offering all services under one roof”.
Eric Wagner, a partner at Gleiss Lutz in Stuttgart, Germany, who is happy to be back with old friends at the conference, said, “I am looking forward to the panels on ESG [environmental, social and governance] topics, which are my area of practice and particular area of expertise.”
Mariel Dimsey, an independent arbitrator at MD Arbitration and Advisory in Hong Kong, is keen to make the most of “the networking opportunities the IPBA has to offer”. She added that with the extensive number of panels, “there will be plenty of fodder for discussions and fruitful exchanges”.
Amit Bansal, a partner at Deloitte, was quick to share, “While I could not attend the IPBA 20 years ago (the last time the conference was set up in India), I am looking forward to interacting with this august gathering and hope that the IPBA will continue its presence in India.”
Clayton Kimpton, the chief executive of The Law Association of New Zealand, Auckland, said, “I am really looking forward to collaborating with colleagues from across the world, and also to participating as a speaker in the events on Saturday on the challenges and opportunities of non-lawyers working within the legal environment.”
Adam Smuga, a managing partner at BRK Accountancy and Law Firm in Warsaw, Poland, is a second-time attendee at the IPBA annual conference this year and is offering his expertise as a panel member on “Building a Cross-Border Legal Practice: Strategies for Growth and Collaboration”.
On what encouraged him to attend the IPBA conference in Chicago last year, he shared: “A colleague told me that if you’re working with Asian clients, this is the place for you.”
On his experience at this year’s annual conference, he said: “I really appreciate the relationships I have made here … the IPBA is not large enough [to prevent] you [from seeing] familiar faces every now and then, but it is large enough to have people from across the globe.”
Sucheta Chitgopekar, a conference first timer and an of counsel at Porter Wright in Chicago, is “super excited to connect with lawyers from different parts of the world”. She is also a panellist at the IPBA talking about intellectual property issues in the world.
Mirella Lechna-Marchewka, managing partner at Wardynski & Partners, Warsaw, Poland, is a regular at the IPBA and the conference in Delhi is her 10th time. She was the organiser of the Mid-Year Council Meeting and Regional Conference in Warsaw a year ago. With ambitions of an annual conference in Poland someday, Lechna-Marchewka is getting a promotion within the IPBA to an officer’s level this year.
Evan Chuck, a shareholder at Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber Schreck in Washington, was introduced to the IPBA by Jeff Snyder, partner at Crowell & Moring in Virginia, more than seven years ago. He has “met IPBA members from a wide range of jurisdictions and practice areas, many of whom have since become trusted friends and invaluable resources for my international clients”.
The wave of enthusiasm continued through day two of the conference.
