Report of the Outgoing President

REPORT

Report of the Outgoing President

It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve as your President for this past year. I have often joked about how egalitarian this Law Society is, pointing to the simple fact that you have even let a Canadian be President. Many a true word is spoken in jest, as they say.

I joined this Society while I was still a trainee and became involved with the International Committee shortly afterwards. I did not think for a second that five years later I would be concluding a term as president.

The opportunities that this Society affords those that are willing to get involved is not limited by your title, or age, or, indeed, whether or not you are Canadian or otherwise. It is a democratic and – at the risk of blowing my own trumpet – a meritorious group of like-minded professionals. We are a diverse and vibrant representation of our modern profession, and a look at our recent roster of presidents is an endorsement of this fact. I have been very fortunate to have spent the last year with highly capable and enthusiastic fellow Officers and Main Committee to work alongside, for which I extend very grateful thanks.

We have worked hard together over the past 12 months, and over the course of the last few years of COVID, to ensure that the Society remains as active as it can. Not just for the sake of it, but because we have all cared about supporting the profession and each other, particularly during difficult times.

When my term started in October 2021 – in a room where our numbers were restricted by government mandate – we were cautiously optimistic that things were going to get better sooner than later. I was certainly not expecting to be the second Covid- President of the Society, but I am hopeful that I may be its last.

Throughout the first few months of my Presidency, we continued to hold a number of online webinars for members. Engagement remained tricky but we put on a solid program of events to keep people tuning in. We are happily now in a place where our corporate Zoom account no longer seems like our only lifeline.

As soon as we were able to, we started to look for opportunities to host events in person and to revive the lifeblood of the Society. Our Christmas Party at Middle Temple was a huge success, featuring many of the great and good of our local legal world, in addition to an unexpected appearance by Legal Santa *Clause* riding a mechanical reindeer. (I understand that photographs of Santa’s resultant split trousers are still circulating on the dark web.)

We also leapt at the chance to host an international delegation from the UIA for a gala dinner in April, allowing us to rekindle our cross-border relationships again. We have raised funds for embattled colleagues in Ukraine and presented an award to our friends at the Krakow Bar Association in recognition of their efforts to bring humanitarian aid directly to those people who were tragically underserved outside of major Ukrainian cities.

We held a great summer party in July and equally great reception at the House of Lords in September which shone the spotlight on recent achievements by our members. Despite the challenges faced this year, our membership, including corporate members, has actually risen, which I think signifies we are doing something right.

My goals for the year were to harness the enthusiasm of our volunteers and to increase our international connectivity. It came at a time when being connected to others meant more than we had ever imagined it would. I am proud that we have built links with colleagues in the Canadian and American Bar Associations, formalised a twinning agreement with the Paris Bar and undertaken a delegation to the Barcelona Bar Association. We will continue this endeavour by traveling to Palermo for the FBE conference in November as well as returning to Paris for the opening of their legal year.

These sorts of events speak volumes about our ability to get involved at all levels of the profession and to support our members and clients at home and abroad. It also allows us an opportunity to foster our understanding of others, professionally and personally and to build our networks beyond our immediate surroundings. These delegations remain open to all members, and I hope that as we plan our future trips, we will continue to see more joining us to grow their own networks and business relations.

I have enjoyed my year despite the Covid interludes and would like to reiterate my thanks to everyone who has contributed towards making it a success. I would also like to extend huge personal thanks and best wishes to our in-coming president Nicola Rubbert, for her year at the helm. I am sure she will do great things for the society – far beyond what a mere mortal like myself could muster!

So, once again, thank you for the opportunity and for the experience. It has been a great excuse to dust off my bow tie and I look forward to dusting it off again soon at the annual dinner, when I hope to see many of you there.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Matthew Allan

Matthew Allan

Immediate Past President

Westminster & Holborn Law Society