Jaime Carey appointed President of the IBA

The first Chilean to hold the position.

• Jaime Carey, Executive President of Carey, the largest law firm in Chile, has been appointed President of the International Bar Association (IBA), a position he assumed on January 1, 2025.
• This is the first time a Chilean lawyer has held such a significant position in the IBA, and he is the fourth Latin American to preside over the organization.

For the first time in its history, the International Bar Association has appointed a Chilean as its president. Jaime Carey, the Executive President of Chile’s largest law firm, assumed the position on January 1 of this year. The IBA is the leading organization of legal professionals and bar associations worldwide. It comprises 80,000 lawyers, 190 bar associations, and legal organizations from approximately 170 countries.

Jaime Carey has been a member of the IBA for over 40 years. In addition to being a member of the IBA’s Board of Directors since 2011, he has held various leadership positions, including Vice President, Secretary General, President of the Legal Practice Division, President of the Latin American Forum, and President of the Corporate and M&A Law Committee.

“It is an honor and a privilege to assume this position, reaffirming my commitment to the IBA. I hope to continue the long-term objectives established by the organization two years ago, in particular, deepening the IBA’s internal and external communication strategy, utilizing artificial intelligence, promoting diversity, strengthening the rule of law, ensuring the independence of the judiciary, and upholding respect for human rights, while contributing a Latin American perspective. I look forward to encouraging a spirit of unity and cohesion across the organization.”

One of the main objectives of Jaime Carey in his new role is to focus specifically on Asia and Africa, where the IBA has been lacking presence, by organizing more conferences and events in those regions to foster stronger connections with local bar associations, law societies, firms, and lawyers.

He also aims to emphasize the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to break down language and physical barriers, thereby increasing participation from countries where English is not the primary language.

Other priorities are related to the IBA’s diversity initiatives, where there is still a long way to go in promoting female leadership and increasing the representation of neurodivergent lawyers. As part of the diversity drive, he is committed to increasing gender parity among IBA members, 36% of whom are currently women.

Jaime Carey received his law degree from the Catholic University of Chile and has been widely recognized by several international publications such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and IFLR1000. In 2020, he was named Leading Lawyer of the Year by Latin Lawyer, and in 2021, he was chosen as Investment Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers.

He is a board member of several companies and Chairman of the Board of MetLife Chile. Additionally, he is a director of the international network of lawyers, Interlex, and a member of the Chilean Bar Association.