I am delighted to invite you to the International Bar Association’s 2009 Annual Conference in Madrid.

As one of Europe’s largest financial centres, Madrid is a perfect location for our huge network of international legal practitioners to gather, in order to learn from each other and to spend time with our colleagues. Its rich cultural history also promises to make this conference one of our most enjoyable, as we delight in the outstanding offerings the city presents to us. The King of Spain has been invited to open the week, and we are honoured that European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will address us at the opening ceremony on Sunday.
The IBA Annual Conference is the premier opportunity for lawyers from around the world to meet and hear first-hand about legal developments in various jurisdictions. In the current economic climate, it is even more crucial that we are fully informed on changes in our areas of law, and that we practice at the top of our game.

New regulations in financial law and other related fields will affect all of us, and this topic will be discussed in many sessions at the conference. As one of my priorities for this year, I have created a Task Force to examine this subject closely over the next year, bringing together experts from various jurisdictions and areas of law to analyse new regulations and provide information critical to your practice. As the global voice of the legal profession, the IBA is uniquely qualified to provide the level of analysis required in these complicated times.
Three outstanding showcase sessions will be presented this year, of great interest to lawyers of all disciplines. The Public and Professional Interest Division will examine ethical and practical issues relating to the handling of money in the course of your practice.
The Legal Practice Division will discuss critical issues related to the financial crisis, based on the work done by the Task Force, with recognised experts from various fields providing the most current information from their perspective. The Human Rights Institute will look closely at striking the balance between national security and protection of fundamental rights, in the fight against terrorism as handled in the European Courts.

Additionally our Rule of Law Symposium on Friday 9 October will present a variety of distinguished speakers and interactively discuss the increasing erosion of the Rule of Law around the world and how best to promote adherence to its principles. If you are not already a member of the IBA, I urge you to join.
While it provides the benefit of a discounted member rate for this Conference and others, the real value is in the continual benefits to your education and professional development throughout the year. I encourage practitioners from every field to get involved with our work, which builds and strengthens the legal profession around the world. Those who do so find it very rewarding both professionally and personally. In particular, I invite young lawyers from around the world to join us in Madrid where you will find a wide variety of tools to enhance and develop your practice. I look forward to meeting all of you there.

Fernando Peláez-Pier
President, International Bar Association

While we continue to face the challenge of the continuing globalisation of the profession, as well as the need for
successful legal integration across jurisdictions, the most pressing issue for all of us is the most obvious one: the financial crisis currently confronting the world and how it will affect the legal profession as well as many of our clients.
In Madrid the Legal Practice Division will tackle this issue in a multitude of ways, with many individual sessions
focusing on the impact of the financial crisis on particular areas of law, as well as a broader overview during our Legal Practice Division Showcase on Monday afternoon. This session will examine the financial crisis from a variety of angles, preparing you for more in-depth examination of the issues throughout the conference. I
strongly urge you to attend our Showcase which will set the tone for your conference week.

During our time in Madrid, you will be able to select from over 100 sessions presented by the Legal Practice Division sections, committees, and specialist groups that cover a wide selection of substantive topics currently affecting all areas of law. These sessions will bring together leading experts from jurisdictions around the world who work on the cutting edge of international issues, and who will shape the way we practice in various fields in the future.
You will gain invaluable knowledge directly from your peers and will be provided with incomparable networking opportunities. Alongside these hardworking days, I also hope that you will spend some time enjoying our very special programme of social events which feature the cultural best Madrid has to offer, including the spectacular opening party at Palacio del Negralejo and closing party at the Casino de Madrid.

The IBA Annual Conference is a special opportunity each year for international practitioners in every field to bring together their expertise for the benefit of all. There is no better occasion for lawyers to gain useful and interesting substantive knowledge on such a broad scope of topics, while at the same time enjoying the pleasure of seeing old friends and making new ones in this wonderful city. I look forward to seeing you in Madrid.

Dr Hendrik Haag
Chair, Legal Practice Division

While we may be categorised by our particular areas of practice, our work in the legal profession gives us a tremendous amount in common. Professional matters such as the management of our practice, the impact of regulations applying to lawyers, and professional ethics are all of concern in our day-to-day work. Additionally, broader issues such as observance of the rule of law, access to justice, improvement of the quality of legal education, and protection of human rights are important for all of us. Many of you also give back to the legal community and to
the broader community through pro bono work and support for corporate social responsibility. Because we appreciate and embrace the importance of these broader issues, the Public and Professional Interest Division will gather in Madrid a magnificent array of distinguished speakers to examine these topics and many others.
In addition, this event affords an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues in your fields of interest, and to discover new ways to get involved with the very important work of the PPID.

As the practice of law continues to change in order to match the demands made by the critical state of the world today, the committees and activities of this Division provide you with a valuable opportunity to add your voice to the global voice of the legal profession. We have various committees and other entities addressing issues of particular interest for lawyer groups, such as women lawyers, young lawyers, senior lawyers and judges, while other committees are grouped around a particular type of public legal issue, such as anti-corruption or corporate social responsibility.
Still others address wider professional interests such as academic development or working with world organisations on legal issues. In addition, the Bar Issues Commission provides a forum for bar associations and law societies from around the world to discuss issues of common interest among themselves as well as with their individual members, and to seek mutually beneficial solutions to the challenges presented by increased globalisation. This range of topics is reflected in the array of wonderful sessions our Division is presenting during the conference week, including our showcase session on Monday 5 October, where we will discuss a variety of controversial issues, both ethical and logistical, relating to lawyers, money and conflict. I urge you to attend this session that is certain
to relate directly to your practice.

I very much hope you will avail yourself of the many invaluable benefits for you and your practice at this year’s Annual Conference. I will be pleased to see you in Madrid and to welcome you to our Division, so that you too can be a part of ‘the heart and soul of the IBA’.

Robert A Stein
Chair, Public and Professional Interest Division