October 31, 2019: Diversity Highlighted at New York State Bar Association International Section 2019 Global Conference in Tokyo

By Communications Department

October 31, 2019

October 31, 2019: Diversity Highlighted at New York State Bar Association International Section 2019 Global Conference in Tokyo

10.31.2019

By Communications Department

Diversity will be front and center at the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) International Section’s 2019 Global Conference to be held Nov. 5-8 in Tokyo.

Titled “A World of Many Voices, United in Our Diversity,” the conference brings together jurists and leading lawyers from every continent except Antarctica to address cutting-edge legal topics.

Hon. Joseph M. Young, Chargé d’ Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, will address the conference at a luncheon on Nov. 6. Hon. Kunio Hamada, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan and a founding partner of Tokyo’s Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, will be the keynote speaker at a luncheon the next day.

“All around the world, lawyers play a vital role in society defending the rule of law and helping to resolve difficult issues by finding common ground and brokering compromise,” said NYSBA President Henry M. Greenberg, who is attending the Tokyo conference. “It is more important than ever for lawyers to be able to work effectively with colleagues from across the globe, and the NYSBA International Section Global Conference provides a unique opportunity to foster professional collaboration and communication.”

A Human Rights Plenary will address diversity and inclusion, human trafficking, and LGBTQ rights, including marriage equality. Another plenary will feature representatives of major arbitral institutions, including the Hong Kong International Arbitration
Centre, ICC (Shanghai), ICDR (Singapore), JAMS International, the Japan International Dispute Resolution Center, KCAB International, and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. Among the topics they will discuss is the Arbitration Pledge, the global call to action to address the under-representation of women in arbitration. Two mock international arbitrations and an arbitral advocacy workshop are also among the offerings.

Other panels will address current topics such as cybersecurity and data breach, investment in North Korea, cross-border investigations and mergers and acquisitions. A panel on competition enforcement of digital platforms will include remarks by Bernard (Barry) A. Nigro, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Kaoru Harada, a Senior Officer of The Japan Fair Trade Commission.

A Judicial Plenary will feature jurists from Japan, Korea, and the U.S. who will discuss courtroom ethics and best practices for counsel. The judges involved are Hon. Mr. Michihiro Mori, former Judge of the Fukuoka and Tokyo District Courts; Hon. Loretta Preska, Senior U.S. District Judge and former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; and Hon. Woojin Kim, Chief Researcher of the Judicial Policy Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea, and Presiding Judge, the Seoul High Court.

The International Section will also launch the Asian Bar Council (ABC) during the conference.  The ABC’s goal is to attract attorneys from throughout Asia to champion diversity and inclusion, facilitate their cooperation on projects and initiatives of common
interest, promote best practices for the legal profession in Asia, and strengthen ties with NYSBA, including membership in NYSBA and the formation of more Chapters of the Section in Asia.  The ABC was inspired by the Section’s highly successful Latin American Council, formed over a decade ago, which has advanced the cause of diversity and inclusion in Latin America, promulgated NYSBA’s Ethics Best Practice Guidelines for Latin America and the Caribbean, and increased the Section’s membership and presence in Latin America.

The launch of the ABC marks the culmination of nearly two years of planning, including two visits to New York by a delegation of two dozen Chinese lawyers, during which they met with senior leaders of NYSBA’s International Section.

While in Tokyo, NYSBA President Greenberg, International Section Officers Diane O’Connell, Jay Himes, and Ed Lenci, Japan Chapter Chair Tsugumichi Watanabe and Korea Chapter Co-Chair Hyun Suk Choi will pay courtesy calls on Tokyo law firms and Japanese bar associations.

Click here for more information about NYSBA’s International Section 2019 Global Conference, including a detailed agenda for the event. Click here to register for the event.

About the New York State Bar Association 

NYSBA is the largest voluntary state bar association in the United States.  Since 1876, NYSBA has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.

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Contact: Dan Weiller

[email protected]

518-487-5500

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