The management committee of International Jurists (IJ) has held its annual meeting to help plan future business and strategy of the global legal network.

The management committee meeting (MCM) was held in Cyprus for the first time ever, and was hosted by Cypriot IJ member firm Kalia Georgiou LLC.

The meeting heard presentations from senior figures from Government and business in Cyprus, including the Minister of Finance and the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, who discussed matters including the Cypriot economy and the future of the European Union.

All eight of the management committee members took part in the meeting, with six members visiting Limassol in Cyprus for the three day event - which ran from November 4th to 6th - and two joining via Skype.

A guest member, law firm Ho Wong & Wong from Hong Kong, also attended the meeting to present its case for joining the IJ network. Its application was approved by the MCM, taking membership of IJ to 35 independent member firms from 32 countries across the globe. IJ has more than 1,250 individual lawyer and support staff members.

As well as the IJ’s annual general meeting, an MCM is also held annually for IJ board members from New York, Boston, Prague, Tel Aviv, Newcastle, Nuremberg, Johannesburg and Brussels to meet and discuss the year ahead for the network and the outlook for the legal sector. This is in addition to the monthly teleconferences of the management committee.

Christopher Welch, IJ management committee member and representative from Sintons LLP in Newcastle, UK, said: “The management committee is in close contact throughout the year and the MCM is the culmination of our ongoing discussions. It provides the forum for strategic planning and business to be done, but also gives us a valuable opportunity for face-to-face discussion.

“IJ is a network of like-minded law firms from around the world which work together to provide cross-border legal services, and it is our close ties and strong relationships that enables us to grow and develop. Our commitment is to offer outstanding legal advice and client service and through the member firms having the relationships they do, that allows that to happen.

“We are most grateful to Kalia Georgiou for hosting this year’s MCM, and send our thanks to the Minister of Finance and Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce for their attendance. The MCM are very pleased to welcome Ho Wong & Wong to IJ, whose application was approved after an impressive presentation. We look forward to sharing the business discussed at the MCM with our fellow members at our next AGM.”