In another IBA first, Carey will split the two-year term with President-elect Claudio Visco
The International Bar Association has appointed Jaime Carey as its first Chilean president effective January 1, succeeding Almudena Arpón de Mendívil y Aldama.
In another first for the association, Carey will split his two-year term in the role with President-elect Claudio Visco. Carey will hold the office for the 2025 calendar year.
“Knowing that I am part of a continuum working to uphold the rule of law fills me with pride. During my tenure, I hope to increase the IBA’s visibility in Africa and Asia and encourage more peers in those regions to get involved in the association’s work,” Carey said. “Additionally, because I am from Latin America, I will work to increase the region’s visibility in the international legal community by creating more opportunities for interaction with colleagues from other jurisdictions.”
The senior partner of Chilean firm Carey, Carey has been with the IBA for 41 years in various roles, including co-vice president, co-secretary-general, chair of the legal practice division, chair of the Latin American regional forum, and co-chair of the corporate and M&A section. He joined the IBA management board in 2011.
“Undoubtedly, our world is rapidly changing and becoming more divided. Legal professionals have a role to play in countering division. Since unity, collaboration, diversity and integration are essential to improving the world, it is my intention to encourage these things as widely as possible across all IBA constituents and as many jurisdictions as possible,” he said.
On September 19, 2024, the IBA Council implemented a resolution that ratified the joint presidency arrangement. While Carey is IBA president, he will attend management board meetings with Visco, senior partner at Italian firm Lipani, acting as observer. In 2026, the roles will be reversed: Visco will attend as president while Carey does so as an observer.
“We are grateful that this historic agreement was supported by the IBA Council. Our joint presidency reflects the collaborative approach of IBA members who freely and voluntarily share their knowledge with legal professionals around the world,” Carey and Visco said in a joint statement. “As we continue the work that embodies the IBA’s founders’ vision of promoting and defending the rule of law and human rights globally in an environment of mutual respect, cooperation, and shared objectives, this shared two-year mandate will ensure order, coordination, and continuity.”
The presidents’ shared goals include the following:
Joining the new presidents on the IBA management board are newly elected Vice-President Jörg Menzer (partner at European firm Noerr) and Secretary-General Deborah Enix-Ross (senior advisor for global engagement at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York).
