Vice-president warns large City firms not to turn their backs on the IBA

NEATE: globalisation and political acceptability of human rights make IBA increasingly relevant

The large City law firms which are turning their back on the International Bar Association (IBA) are being shortsighted, the solicitor who is set to lead the association in two years' time said last week at its biennial conference in South Africa.

Speaking to the Gazette after his election in Durban as the IBA's vice-president, Francis Neate, group legal adviser at merchant bank Schroders, said: 'Any firm which thinks it can ignore the centre of the international legal grapevine is a lot braver than I would be if I was in charge.'

While most of the top City firms had several partners at the conference and many held receptions, there was a perceived lack of representatives from the likes of Clifford Chance, and Slaughter and May, Mr Neate's old firm.

Acknowledging the issue, Mr Neate said he would be visiting top firms for discussions.

All of the biggest firms' international structures 'are based on IBA relationships', he added.

He said this was an excellent time for the IBA to enhance its role as the global voice of the profession.

The growth in both globalisation and the political acceptability of human rights have had 'the effect of making the IBA more relevant to the profession as a whole.

Both the individual members and the organisational members are going to see a greater need for what we do'.

It is thought that if Mr Neate becomes president in two years - as is highly likely - he will be the first in-house lawyer to lead the IBA; however, some of its constituent bar associations, especially in Europe, do not grant in-house lawyers membership because of fears they lack independence.

He noted diplomatically that 'times change - something that was in the public interest ten years ago may not be now'.

He said it was incumbent on bar associations at least to review their policies, such as on in-house lawyers.

Mr Neate also suggested that most people associated him with his time at Slaughters.

Emilio Cardenas, a former Argentinian ambassador to the United Nations, was elected IBA president.

Mr Cardenas and Mr Neate assume their roles officially on 1 January.

Neil Rose