In memoriam – Michael Reynolds, IBA President 2013-2014
Michael Reynolds speaking at the 2013 IBA Annual Conference.
The IBA is mourning the loss of a great colleague, friend and cherished member of the legal community – Michael Reynolds, IBA President 2013–2014, who passed away on 26 January 2025.
A member of the IBA for four decades, Michael held a raft of senior leadership positions in addition to the presidency and was a driving force behind the success of many parts of the IBA, including the Antitrust Section and the Global Forum for Competition and Trade Policy. He was instrumental in strengthening the ongoing relationship between the Antitrust Section and the European Commission as well as other competition regulators worldwide. As President, he set up the Task Force on Climate Change Justice and Human Rights, which issued a groundbreaking report on climate justice in 2014, and latterly, he was an Honorary Life Member and due to be on the recently established Antitrust Section Advisory Board – a position he was sadly unable to fulfil due to his untimely death.
Many IBA colleagues have paid heartfelt tributes to him. Their words paint a picture of a truly admired individual.
In a joint message, IBA President Jaime Carey and Executive Director Mark Ellis said that Michael was a ‘truly exceptional individual; a towering figure in the legal profession who demonstrated an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and the principles of justice. He unselfishly dedicated extraordinary expertise and time to the Association and will be remembered as one of the IBA’s finest leaders’.
Michael unselfishly dedicated extraordinary expertise and time to the Association and will be remembered as one of the IBA’s finest leaders
Jaime Carey and Mark Ellis
IBA President and IBA Executive Director
The antitrust law community has been particularly affected by Michael’s loss. A key figure in that world, Michael represented a large number of corporations from Brazil, Japan and the US – as well as other international clients – before the European Commission in merger control, cartel and unilateral conduct cases. He was formerly a Chair of the Antitrust Section and remained active in its endeavours until his death. Many Section officers have been keen to share memories and tributes.
Antitrust Section Chairs Kyriakos Fountoukakos and Julian Peña offered the following: ‘The Section will just not feel the same without him. He is the founding father of many events that we now recognise as fixtures in the annual antitrust calendar. This includes the IBA’s annual Competition Conference in Florence (now in its 29th edition) and the annual Communications and Competition Conference (now in its 34th year!) We will remember him as a larger than life individual and a gifted speaker. His speeches at the conference dinners remain legendary for their wit, humour, historical references and, of course, linguistic skills. He always tried to say at least a few well-crafted sentences in the local language to the delight of the audience. We will miss him dearly’. Kyriakos added: ‘I personally will never forget Michael presenting the Emperor of Japan at the IBA's Annual Conference in Tokyo in fluent Japanese!’
Samantha Mobley, former Antitrust Section Co-Chair and a member of the Antitrust Section Advisory Board, noted Michael’s dedication in a message on behalf of the Board. ‘Michael was an incredibly engaged and proactive supporter of our Section’s activities and growth at an organisational level – both within the IBA and as an ambassador for us in the broader international antitrust community. His enthusiasm for and dedication to the work of the Antitrust Section was unrivalled’. Further, he is credited with a key mentorship role, being ‘an important source of guidance, wisdom and friendship for each one of us during our time as Section officers and Chairs. Many of us may feel that we would not be quite where we are in IBA leadership terms if it had not been for Michael’s active mentorship. His thoughtfulness, kindness and generous spirit will be truly missed’.
David W Rivkin succeeded Michael as IBA President. ‘Michael was, to put it simply, a great human being’, he said. ‘He had a love for life and lived life to the fullest. He left a huge legacy, both personally and professionally. Michael had a global fan club; he made every friend feel that theirs was a special friendship. Michael was also one of the great lawyers of our time, and his contributions to the law will last for a long time.’
Immediate past IBA President Almudena Arpon de Mendivil remembered Michael as a ‘wonderful, loyal and brilliant friend since we met in Brussels in 1989’, and felt her sentiments best expressed by a modified verse from W H Auden’s poem, Funeral Blues:
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For we are mourning that Michael left us too soon.
Our thoughts are with Michael’s husband David, family, friends, colleagues at A&O Shearman, where he worked for more than 50 years, and the many people around the world who knew him.
Read the full message from IBA President Jaime Carey and Executive Director Mark Ellis here.