Vienna Legal

Around 6,000 representatives of the legal profession from across the globe converged on Vienna for the IBA Annual Conference on 4-9 October.

The legal week was unveiled at the opening ceremony by David W. Rivkin, President of the IBA, who gave a warm welcome to delegates. “The highest standards of the law and our ability to cause meaningful change are also the driving force behind my Presidential initiatives. The IBA is making a lasting contribution to civil society on a large scale by using the remarkable expertise available to us,” Mr. Rivkin stressed. 

The keynote speaker, José Manuel Barroso, immediate Past President of the European Commission, addressed a number of challenging issues, notably the permanent crises in Europe and the problem of refugees. Moreover, he described the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea by Russia as the biggest violation of international law in modern-day history. In his view, Russia continues to lose political and economic capital in the world.

The session program consisted of more than 200 working sessions and tended to cover the likely entire spectrum of practice areas and regional developments, recent challenges for the profession, law firm management and bar issues, human rights and political influence. Among the novelties was a special session for marketing and PR professionals with free one-day entry.

Bright political figures like Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Secretary-General of NATO, José María Aznar, former President of the Government of Spain, and Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, shared their views on sensitive modern challenges during lunch sessions.

The IBA Annual Conference is traditionally a contest for creative and elegant receptions. And the Ukrainian law firms were active participants of such a venues marathon. Aequo, Integrites, Vasil Kisil & Partners held receptions for their peers and clients.

The business breakfast put on by the Ukrainian Bar Association gathered delegates interested in Ukrainian developments with the aim of providing clear messages to the legal community on recent steps undertaken by the government. The efforts made by Ukraine to improve its investment climate and simplify doing business was presented by Aivaras Abromavicius, the Ukrainian Minister of Economy. While ongoing reform of the Ukrainian judiciary as an instrument for better justice was described by Oleksiy Filatov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration.

The Human Rights Award, which recognizes personal endeavor in the field of law, was  awarded to a well-known political prisoner, Intigam Aliyev, President of the Legal Education Society, Azerbaijan.

Photos: IBA