The IBA Law Firm Management Committee Conference attracts the legal elite with a record-breaking turnout

International Bar Association — The legal industry in Latin America is on a new trajectory of growth and sophistication, a sentiment that resonated throughout the Law Firm Management Committee Latin America Conference held recently in São Paulo.

Under the theme of "Building the law firm of the future," the event brought together a record-breaking number of leaders, with discussions focused on charting the next 25 years of the profession.

In his opening remarks, David Gutierrez, founding partner of BLP Legal and Advisory Board Member of the IBA Latin American Regional Forum, welcomed a record attendance of over 150 delegates. He shared his gratitude, saying, "Today we have a record number of participants for a law firm management event in Latin America. But the most important thing is not the number itself, but the quality of this audience. We have with us the most outstanding law firm leaders, not only from across Latin America, but also from countries with a growing interest in this region. Truly, the crème de la crème of the legal industry.
Secondly, my gratitude goes to the IBA. Especially to its President, Jaime Carey, who is with us today, and also to two past Presidents joining us: Fernando Peláez-Pier and Horacio Bernardes Neto. I would also like to thank Babatunde Ajibade, Chair of the SPPI, for being here with us. A very special acknowledgment to the officers and senior leaders of the Law Firm Management Committee: to Stephen Revell, our former Chair, for his early support in making this conference possible in Latin America; David Patient for all his input and suggestions, and to Paul Marmor, our current Chair, for his determined commitment… to the point of embarking on a real adventure trip across the Amazon with his wife Nicole. Thanks also to the IBA office in São Paulo, in particular Flavia and Lucy, for their impeccable support. I also want to thank my friend Rodrigo Ferreira, who coordinated with the local firms and put together an outstanding host committee. And of course, to those firms themselves, for their generous support. Over the last 25 years, the legal services industry in Latin America has gone through a remarkable transformation. From small, mostly domestic practices and family managed, Latin American law firms have grown into sophisticated, institutional and international players that now compete at the highest level. This conference is both a celebration of that progress and a platform to imagine what the next 25 years will look like.
Finally, I would like to leave you with an invitation. This is the first time since 2015 that the IBA Law Firm Management Committee has held a conference in Latin America. Back then, it was right here, in this very hotel, Renaissance Hotel in São Paulo — and before that, in Costa Rica in 2009. Let’s consider making this gathering a regular tradition for the IBA: every year or two, around this same time, in this same city. São Paulo is vibrant, globally connected, home to leading law firms, and, of course, Brazil itself provides a truly exceptional setting. I also invite you to reflect on an ongoing question within the IBA: should we have fewer panels, allowing for deeper and more meaningful discussions, or more panels to cover a wider range of topics, even if that means we cannot explore each one in depth? And to close on a lighter note, let me share a quote often attributed to a jurist: "A lawyer is someone who writes a 10,000-word document and calls it a brief." I hope in the next two days we will do the opposite: capture big ideas in very few words, to shape the future of our profession in this incredible region. "The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails." — John Maxwell."

This sentiment was echoed by Paul Marmor, Chair of the IBA Law Firm Management Committee. "What is abundantly clear from the calibre of speakers and delegates attending the main conference is that LATAM is a region to be reckoned with from a legal perspective and clearly a great region for business and investment opportunities. What was also clear from the young leaders Summit, which we held beforehand, is that there is a really talented group of younger lawyers coming through the profession with such strength in depth," Marmor stated.

The conference served as a forum for in-depth debate and collaboration. Rodrigo Ferreira of Mattos Filho also emphasized the event’s success, stating, "The great success of this Conference clearly shows the importance of having a forum where law firm leaders from the Region can debate about the issues, challenges and opportunities that they and their peers from law firms all around the world are facing in today’s rapidly changing market environment."

In his closing remarks, Gutierrez celebrated the conference’s success, highlighting its high-quality conversations and intimate atmosphere. He ended his remarks with a reflection on the future: "In an increasingly artificial world, what will be truly valuable is our humanity."

CONFERENCE AGENDA AND SPEAKERS

Opening Remarks

Babatunde Ajibade SAN, SPA Ajibade & Co, Lagos, Nigeria; SPPI Chair
Jaime Carey, Carey y Cia, Santiago, Chile; IBA President
David Gutierrez, BLP, San Jose, Costa Rica; Member, Latin American Regional Forum Advisory Board
Paul Marmor, Sherrards Solicitors, London, England; Co-Chair, Law Firm Management Committee
Pedro Whitaker de Souza Dias, Mattos Filho, São Paulo, Brazil

Keynote Speech
Finding who we are: the paradoxes of partnerships
Speaker: Jaime Fernandez Madero (Fernandez Madero Consulting)

PANELS AND DISCUSSIONS

The rise and reinvention of Latin American law firms: a 25-year retrospective
Chair: David Gutierrez
Speakers: Horacio Bernardes Neto (Motta Fernandes Advogados), Jaime Carey (Carey y Cia), Fernando Pelaez-Pier (LexLatin)

Lessons learned and best practices from regional law firm leaders
Chair: Paola Lozano (Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom)
Speakers: Maximiliano D’Auro (Beccar Varela), Jean Enriquez (Creel Garcia-Cuellar Aiza y Enriquez), Carlos Fradique (Brigard Urrutia), Paula Surerus (Veirano Advogados)

Client relationship management (CRM): ten practical strategies for building stronger relationships
Speaker: Itzik Amiel (THE SWITCH™ | THE SWITCH HUB™)

Show me the money: profitability strategies in a changing market
Chair: Paulo Rocha (Demarest Advogados)
Speakers: Ivan Delgado (PEREZ-LLORCA), Leopoldo Hernandez Romano (KermaPartners), Cecilia Mairal (Marval O’Farrell Mairal)

From rainmakers to brand builders: rethinking business development in law firms
Chair: Rodrigo Ferreira Figueiredo (Mattos Filho)
Speakers: Carolina Bosch (Winston & Strawn), Julio Cesar Bueno (Banco Bradesco SA), Gustavo Dias (Expedia), Maria Meshcherskaya (Osborne Clarke), Macarena Ruiz-Jarabo (White & Case LLP)

Lockstep, eat what you kill, or something else? Cracking the compensation code
Chair: Fernando Alves Meira (Pinheiro Neto Advogados)
Speakers: Manuel Galicia (Galicia Abogados), Jaime Herrera (Posse Herrera Ruiz), Enrique Martin (Winston & Strawn), Michael Short (LawVision)

Small is beautiful… or is it? Small and boutique law firms versus full-service law firms
Chair: Marcos Flesch (Cescon Barrieu Flesch & Barreto Advogados)
Speakers: Gretel Ciniglio de Perez (Fabrega Molino), Fernando Garrido (Barros & Errazuriz), Lucia Goy Mastromiechele (Gentile Law), Luis Carlos Rodrigo (Rodrigo Elias & Medrano Abogados)

Should law firms invest in alternative businesses?
Chair: Tito Amaral de Andrade (Machado Meyer Advogados)
Speakers: Tomas Mousinho (Mishcon de Reya), Veronica Raffo (Ferrere), Cristina Romero de Alba (Loyra Abogados), Carolina Zang (Zang Bergel & Viñes)

Talent & culture: building law firms people want to stay in
Chair: Ricardo Madrona (Madrona Advogados)
Speakers: Marlen Estevez Sanz (RocaJunyent), Flavia Lloyd (Santos Lloyd Law Firm), Felipe Quintero (Martinez Quintero Mendoza Gonzalez Laguado & De La), Eliseo Roques (EDGE Legal)

AI in law firms: the future is now
Chair: Fernando Eduardo Serec (TozziniFreire Advogados)
Speakers: Elias Abdala Neto (Microsoft), Rodrigo Hermida (Thomson Reuters), Patrick Manion (Harvey), Leticia Martelli (Lefero)

Big law & the global perspective: what’s next for international firms in Latin America?
Chair: Amir Bocayuva Cunha (BMA Advogados)
Speakers: Todd Crider (Simpson Thacher & Bartlett), Yosbel Ibarra (Greenberg Traurig), Chantal Kordula (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP), Francisco Javier Ybañez (Garrigues)

Strength in numbers: the role of law firm networks
Chair: Paul Marmor (Sherrards Solicitors)
Speakers: Imogen Lee (Interlaw), Violeta Libergott (DLA Piper), Simone Musa (Baker McKenzie), Ricardo Veirano (Veirano Advogados)

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