IBA announces Michael J Reynolds as new President

The International Bar Association (IBA) today announced Michael J Reynolds, Partner at law firm Allen & Overy, as the new President of the IBA. His two-year tenure succeeds that of Mr Akira Kawamura of Anderson Mori & Tomotsune in Tokyo, Japan, who held the position from January 2011.

Based in the Brussels and Washington DC offices of Allen & Overy, Mr Reynolds said on taking the helm, ‘I feel privileged to have been elected President of the International Bar Association and I look forward to building on the work and momentum of my predecessors.’ He continued, ‘During my presidency I shall be focusing particularly on the impact of climate change on all of us, but especially on the disadvantaged.’ Mr Reynolds is determined to bolster work being done in this field in the context of the new climate agreement to which the international community has pledged commitment to the attainment of defined goals by 2015. He continued, ‘We will also look at other ways of how the lives of the underprivileged are being destabilised, and will focus on ways to enhance or preserve their access to justice.’

In addition, Mr Reynolds has stated that he will use his time in office to continue strengthening IBA engagement with legal professionals across the globe, in particular in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa); Mexico; Asia, with a specific focus on Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar; and in Africa, including the African French and Portuguese-speaking countries.

As cross-border transactions increase and more work is done through the IBA to enhance cross-border law and standards, Mr Reynolds said, ‘Cross-border transformations have perhaps been seen at their most radical in new technologies and social media. An IBA task force will explore the impact and potential of these for justice and the practice of law.’ He concludes, ‘Our commercial emphasis thus works in harmony with our wider mission on the rule of law, without which commerce cannot function, or is diminished, and without which all individuals are dishonoured.’

Prior to becoming President, Mr Reynolds held a number of senior positions at the IBA including Vice-President, Secretary General, Chair of the Legal Practice Division and Chair of the Antitrust and Trade Law Committee. He is a Director and founding member of the IBA's Global Forum on Competition and is the European Union (EU) co-ordinator for the IBA.

Mr Reynolds opened Allen & Overy's Brussels office in 1979, where he has since been based, and has more than 30 years’ experience in European antitrust law with the firm. He has represented major European, United States, Japanese and other international clients in a number of important cases before the European Commission and European Court of Justice and has advised the Governments of Spain, Russia, Poland and Romania on the application of European Union law. He represented Sun Microsystems as complainant in the leading EU case against Microsoft.

In addition, Mr Reynolds is a Visiting Professor in European Law at the University of Durham and a member of the International Competition Network's Cartel and Merger Control working groups. He represents the IBA at ICN annual conferences as well as at the annual meetings of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Mr Reynolds’ term as IBA President will conclude on 31 December 2014.