KIEV – 15-17 November 2009. The leadership of the International Bar Association (IBA) paid its first official visit to Ukraine on the invitation of the Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA).
The high delegation consisted of the IBA President Fernando Pelaez-Pier (Venezuela), Head of Legal Practice Division Dr. Hendrik Haag (Germany), Council Member of Public and Professional Interest Division Tomasz Wardynski (Poland) and Co-Chief of the European Forum Vasiliy Rudomino (Russia).
The International Bar Association, established in 1947, is the world’s leading organization of international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. The IBA influences the development of international law reform and shapes the future of the legal profession throughout the world. It has a membership of more than 35,000 individual lawyers and 197 bar associations and law societies spanning all continents. It has considerable expertise in providing assistance to the global legal community.
During the first day of visit the IBA delegation visited several law firms to get familiar with the leading players of the Ukrainian legal market and discuss cooperation issues. Thus, the IBA guests visited CMS Cameron McKenna, Magisters, Asters and Vasyl Kisil and Partners. During the meetings the IBA leadership presented the organization and its activities stressing the importance of involvement of Ukrainian lawyers in the work of the International Bar Association divisions, committees and forums. The IBA President encouraged partners of the Ukrainian leading law firms to become collective members of the IBA.
ІВА delegation met with UBA representatives and guests during the lunch to present the IBA and reveal the purpose of the visit. Ukrainian lawyers it their turn described the state of national legal market development, main tendencies and problems in legislation update, namely the struggle for bar reform accomplishment.
After the lunch the IBA guests fielded the journalists’ questions during the press-conference with the representatives from leading legal mass-media. Fernando Pelaez-Pier presented the IBA structure and activities together with the purpose of the first official IBA leadership visit to Ukraine.
Answering the journalists questions Vasiliy Rudomino outlined the purpose and main activities of the European Forum and major events held by the International Bar Association in Eastern Europe. The IBA President expressed his hope that in the near future IBA will hold joint events in Ukraine in terms of activity and interest of Ukrainian lawyers and bar organizations.
The second day of IBA delegation visit started with the working breakfast with leading professional organizations for lawyers – Association of Advocates of Ukraine (AAU), Ukrainian Bar Association, Union of Lawyers of Ukraine and Union of Advocates of Ukraine. The meeting was dedicated to the discussion of the Ukrainian Bar reform and possible spheres of cooperation between the organizations.
The IBA leadership held official meetings with the Minister of Justice of Ukraine, delegation from the Supreme Court of Ukraine and with the Head of Legal Policy Committee at the Parliament of Ukraine. The parties expressed their readiness to establish fruitful and active cooperation and take advantage of IBA involvement in promoting rule of law state in Ukraine through different joint initiatives.
Before leaving Ukraine the ІВА delegation met with partners of the leading law firms of Ukraine and also visited the exhibition of paintings by Ukrainian artist Volodymir Tovkajlo at the premises of Asters Law Firm.
The Ukrainian Bar Association herewith expresses its gratitude to the partners and sponsors of the first official IBA leadership visit to Ukraine - law firms Asters, Vronsky, Vronska & Partners, Vaschenko, Bugai & Partners, Konnov & Sozanovsky, Engarde, Magisters, Rulg, and also Budget Car Rental.
