IBA ECA Forum
On 15-19 June 2016 the first IBA Europe-Caucasus-Asia Forum (IBA ECA Forum 2016) was successfully held in Kiev (15-17 June) and Lviv (18-19 June), bringing together over 100 leaders in the legal profession from 27 countries.
The Forum was devoted to a number of important issues and global trends affecting the legal profession: law firm management and innovation in law practice, lobbying services, women in the legal profession, the impact of outsourcing services on legal practice, development of regional infrastructure and new industries that affect the region’s economy, as well as the access of small and medium-sized businesses to investment treaty arbitration. To see the full programme for the IBA ECA Forum 2016 please follow this link.
Martin Šolc, Vice President of the IBA, who, together with Dr. Irina Paliashvili, have been the driving force of the Forum, addressed the delegates emphasising the importance of communication between lawyers from different countries and their joint discussion of the strategic issues that the ECA region faces in the legal practice.
Carrying on the long-lasting tradition, along with an intense work programme, the Forum offered its delegates a fantastic cultural programme with a number of networking and local cultural events in Kiev and Lviv. In particular, the delegates attended the National Sport Complex Olimpiyskyi Stadium and the art exhibitions, followed by a fashion show by young Ukrainian designers at the famous art and historical centre, Art Arsenal. Those who attended the Lviv part of the Forum, enjoyed an extensive discussion on regional development, the dynamic atmosphere of modern Lviv, the incredible beauty of the Carpathian Mountains and the exquisite taste of the Ukrainian cuisine. The IBA ECA Forum has evolved from the CIS Local Counsel Forum, which has a ten-year track record of successfully providing the platform for leading lawyers, professional media, government officials and other participants interested in the development of legal practice in the ECA region. It has now naturally extended its geography to the neighbouring countries to become a linchpin between Asia and Europe along the lines of the new Silk Road Transfer of the ECA Forum to the IBA. It signifies a timely and important achievement, both for the ECA legal community and for the IBA because the ECA region covers a vast area on the IBA global map, and the IBA in turn provides a global platform for the ECA legal community, fostering cooperation and dialogue across borders.
With the support of the IBA, the Forum has a strong potential to evolve into a platform for creating new ideas, but also for turning them into real projects making a difference. The eye-opening discussions and innovative proposals that were made at the Forum prove such potential. A cheerful and open atmosphere at the Opening and Closing Gala Dinners in Kiev and Lviv verified that the Forum retains its informal name as a ‘dancing Forum’.
The Co-Chairs of the Forum would like to thank all of the attendees and express special thanks to the Local Organising Committee and to the Hosting law firms in Ukraine – Arzinger and Sayenko Kharenko – for making this event such a success.
Video and photos from the IBA ECA Forum are coming soon.
We look forward to seeing you at the next Forum in 2017.
Conference Co-Chairs
Jörg Menzer
Partner, Noerr, Bucharest
Yuriy Pustovit
Partner, Advocates Bureau Yug, Krasnodar
Lana Sinichkina
Partner, Arzinger, Kyiv; Head of the IBA ECA Forum 2016 Host Committee
Valikhan Shaikenov
Partner, AEQUITAS, Almaty