Issue #31 December 2016

The IPBA Secretariat
Roppongi Hills North Tower 7F
6-2-31 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel +81 3-5786-6796 FAX +82-3-5786-6778
E-mail: ipba@ipba.org

Topics: IPBA Membership News • IPBA Committee News • Auckland 2017  •
IPBA Local and Regional Events

• A successful Annual Meeting and Conference in Kuala Lumpur was held with over 900 delegates.
• The IPBA East Asia Regional Forum was held for the second year in Seoul, Korea.
• The IPBA Asia-PAC Arbitration Day was held for the second year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• A successful Mid-Year Council Meeting in Brussels was held in October; the Regional Conference held in conjunction with the meetings drew close to 80 delegates.
• The IFLR/IPBA Asia M&A Forum held in March has grown over the 10+ years it has been held, drawing an increasing number of delegates.
• Several events were held in France, organized by membership leaders and various committees from other jurisdictions.
• Denis McNamara and others on the Auckland Host Committee were welcomed in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, where local members organized events such as seminars, cocktails, and dinners.

IPBA Membership News

• It's Membership Renewal Season! If your membership expires in 2016, you have already received e-mails reminding you to pay your dues for 2017. Thank you to those who have already paid their dues for 2017!
• If your membership is still valid for another year or more, you should have received an e-mail indicating if your membership is valid until the end of 2017, 2018, or 2019.
• Even if you registered for the conference while a member in 2016, your membership must be valid in 2017 in order to take advantage of the cheaper Member Only annual conference registration rate!
• Contact the IPBA Secretariat if you have any questions about your membership.

IPBA Committee News

International Trade, Corey Norton, Chair

Trump and Trade in 2017!

The International Trade Committee wishes everyone a peaceful and relaxing holiday season.  We would be remiss, however, if we didn't mention the elephant entering the room next month. Like many of you, IPBA trade committee members around the world have been grappling with what a Trump presidency will mean for the law, and for international trade in particular.  It might almost be cliche by now to say no one knows what to expect from Trump. At the very least, we should anticipate a more protectionist and confrontational approach to trade - one with consequences for exporters to the United States and importers alike. Our committee members, given their global presence, have and will continue to develop insights in these areas that will surely be shared with IPBA colleagues. We will also find ways to work these themes into Auckland presentations. Stay tuned or be in touch if details are needed sooner!  

Other Committee News:

• The IPBA Scholarship Committee is diligently perusing over 60 applications to the IPBA Scholarship Program. Many thanks to those of you who helped to bring in highly qualified candidates! Decisions will be made in mid-January for Scholars to attend the Annual Meeting and Conference in Auckland. 
• If you're in the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committee, be sure to submit your entry for the 2nd edition of the IPBA Arbitration Directory to the project coordinator, Eckart Brödermann, if you have not done so already. Contact the IPBA Secretariat if you have any questions.

The IPBA Secretariat will be closed for the year-end holidays from December 28th through January 3rd, returning to the office on January 4th. We wish all of you a very happy holiday season, and look forward to serving you again in 2017!

Rhonda Lundin
Yukiko Okazaki
Aki Davis

27th IPBA Annual Meeting and Conference in Auckland:  Connectivity & Convergence April 6-9, 2017

The Early Bird Rate ends February 1st! Register now on the conference web site.

• Only 99 days to go until the first day of the conference! We are into the double digits now, which means that the conference will sneak up on us faster than you can say, "Connectivity and Convergence!"
• The golf tournament prior to the conference will be played at Windross Farm. Avid golfers at our conferences may remember that the coveted trophy was kept by the winner each year, and brought to the following year's tournament to be presented to the new winner. This was the tradition . . . until the trophy got misplaced. Since Hong Kong 2015, the Secretariat has become the official keeper of the trophy, and we promise to keep it safe between conferences!
• The dress code for social events can be found on the conference web site, but for quick reference in knowing what to pack, please be sure to bring business attire for the receptions, Plenary Session, committee sessions, and Council meetings if you're a Council member; business formal/national dress/cocktail dress for the Gala Dinner and After Party; and business casual for the Farewell Party on the last evening.
• We encourage all IPBA members to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held on Sunday, April 9th. IPBA members will ratify the nominations for Council positions, and approve the financial reports of the previous year. Watch for an official notice of the meeting and nominees, which will be sent to you by e-mail the first week of January.

IPBA Local and Regional Events

The very successful and long-running IPBA/IFLR Asia M&A Forum will take place March 1-2, 2017 at the Island Shangri-la Hotel in Hong Kong. The event is free to in-house counsel, while Private practice lawyers, consultants, and service providers can enjoy the Early Bird rate until January 20th. Register today! See the web site for more details.

Check the IPBA web site for more events! IPBA members can enjoy discounted registration rates.