The fourth World City Bars conference, held in the run-up to the IBA event, saw 13 law societies attend, including those representing London, New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Paris, Toronto, Singapore, Sydney, Milan and Brussels.


David McIntosh, chairman of the City of London Law Society, said the aim was to complement, rather than compete with, the international work of national bars and law societies. The forum focuses more closely on the concerns of commercial lawyers on issues such as trade, practice rights, anti-money laundering regulations and global transport, he explained. 'It is bar leader to bar leader, speaking for the business community in their region.'



However, more general professional issues were also on the agenda at the Chicago meeting, including a major presentation on Guantanamo Bay.



'National law societies can help immensely in international business,' Mr McIntosh said, 'but they cannot focus in such a pointed way, major city to major city.'



He added that the city bars were also more firm-orientated, as practices with offices in multiple countries were members of several bars represented at the forum. Several major Chicago-headquartered US firms that sponsored the conference also have London offices and are corporate members of the City of London Law Society.



The next conference will be in London in spring 2008 - coinciding with City solicitor David Lewis taking over as Lord Mayor of London - and Mr McIntosh said he hoped to attract bars from other major cities. 'The potential of these direct city bar relationships has not been fully tapped yet,' he said.



Neil Rose