From the Co-Chairs – Construction Law International – November 2024

Dear ICP Committee Members,

As Co-Chairs of the IBA International Construction Projects (ICP) Committee, we are pleased to share that 2024 has been an exciting year for the ICP. We held several compelling sessions on construction and infrastructure topics at our Working Weekend in Oxford in April, as well as at the IBA Annual Conference in Mexico City in September. We extend our sincere gratitude to all ICP members for their participation in these events, with a special thank you to the officers who have been committed and dedicated throughout this journey. Your insights, experiences, and contributions are what make our Committee such a dynamic and resourceful body.

At the IBA Annual Conference in Mexico City, we hosted seven panels: ‘Design, bid, build: contracts on trial’; ‘Mediation for construction disputes: is it successful? What does it take?’ (in collaboration with the IBA Mediation Committee); ‘How to financially secure a project’; ‘Local customs and practices in the construction industry’; ‘Seeing is believing: evidence-gathering through site visits in energy, mining, and construction arbitrations’; ‘Dispute resolution clauses fit for a queen’; and ‘Use of innovative technology in the construction industry’. We also had a highly successful ICP Committee dinner at Hacienda de los Morales in the beautiful Polanco area.

At our Open Business Meeting at the conclusion of the IBA Annual Conference in Mexico City, we celebrated the launch of the 2025 ICP Working Weekend, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in April 2025. The Working Weekend is limited to a select group of participants, traditionally capped at 60 members. The list is determined on a ‘first come, first served’ basis following the ICP Business Meeting at each year’s IBA Annual Conference. For more information, please contact our dedicated information desk at icpwwrio@gmail.com.

Additionally, our Committee is organising the traditional ICP Conference in Milan from 27–29 March 2025, and we invite all members to actively participate in this special event. We look forward to seeing you there. For more details, visit this link: www.ibanet.org/conference-details/CONF2531.

The next IBA Annual Conference will take place in Toronto, Canada, from 2–7 November 2025. The ICP Committee will host five panels at the conference. If you plan to attend, please be sure to follow up on the expression of interest call, which will be sent to all ICP members in June 2025. When registering for the event, be sure to also sign up for the ICP dinner and the traditional ICP excursion.

As for our publication, Construction Law International (CLInt), it’s fantastic to see so many of you contributing. We encourage you to continue submitting drafts to the CLInt editors – your contributions enrich our community and advance the field.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.

Best wishes,

Júlio César Bueno
Pinheiro Neto Advogados, São Paulo
jbueno@pn.com.br

Virginie Colaiuta
LMS Legal, London
virginie.colaiuta@lmslex.com